10yrs post DS-gassy, irritated bowels

It has been years since I've been on this forum! So glad it's still here because I'm at my wits end and need help!

First let me confess that I am a weightloss failure. Had VSG and with alot of hard work on my end lost 100+ lbs. Stalled, even gained, because my body adjusted had the DS. Lost 30lbs of the 50 I gained back and that is where I've stayed for the past 6 years.

Now I'm not complaining, without the revision I most likely would be a very large person, and I may have done better if I stuck to the exercise and a better diet, truthfully. But what makes me wish I'd never done it is how I feel.

I am so sick of being gassy and having bowel issues! It honestly seems that no matter what I eat I have gas and diarrhea. Luckily I make it through most of my day fine but then evening hits and my guts are a mess. Often, like tonight, my sleep is even disrupted by it.

I have been trying to cut things that I think may be the issue and have weeded out some things but I'm finding that it seems EVERYTHING bothers my gut.

I 've been trying to research diets but most have recipes with veggies, fruit, dairy which my body can't tolerate. And when I search DS diet I get alot of post op info but nothing years out. I suppose I could see a doctor or nutritionist but being a weightloss failure, I'm a bit ashamed.

So, turning here for suggestions on diet. What sits best with you? I don't even care about weightloss, I just want to feel better!

First I would find out if there is a medical problem that needs to be addressed. I would try a week of meal replacement shakes ONLY and see if the problem goes away. And of course drink water and take your daily supplements. Sort of a gut reset.

If the problem goes away, you know it is caused by something you are eating. So you start adding things back in and see what is causing the issue. If the issue doesn't go away you need to be tested, see a doc, and find out what is causing the problem.

Bonus, you may drop a few pounds! Many of us have specific foods that cause problems. I have a friend who can't eat onions!

carbs, especially white flour carbs make me feel that way. Also, I absolutely cannot est anything with sugar alcohols in it, especially anything ending in " itol" like mannitol. Check everything you are eating , drinking, even your chewable vitamins.

Hi there. It has been forever since I visited this site. I just read your post and decided to write.

I had DS surgery in June 2001. I weighed in at 330 lbs. I got to 140 for about a minute. That is ok. Today I maintain about a 168 to 170 weight.

About a year ago, I was experiencing a great deal of gassiness and flatulence. I began taking Probiotics for my gut. Guess what???? No more gassieness and flatulence. Sure, I have regular disturbances....but not like before. I also would like to recommend a company called Wio. They make a ton of products that taste delicious. Check them out.

My biggest happiness was the probiotics. Look into that for yourself, and best of luck.

Marsha Friedberg

[email protected]

Your gut bacteria ( or rather lack of them ) may be a huge factor - certainly fixing or helping that can't hurt and might help a lot .

GNC and the Vitamin Store both carry multiple strains of probiotic intense bacteria cultures in pill form - some refrigerated . I would choose a variety ( just one pill but one whi*****ludes several strains of lactobacillus xyz ) ...more bang for your buck and take several pills initially then one or two a day until they're gone . No need for more .

this reset should really help normalize your digestion ... and for most people it helps eliminate bloating and a bit of excess weight too. ((())) good luck

Please research SIBO and Candida. That can cause major issues. And after DS - or almost any WLS - we can be prone to that.

High FODMAP foods can give me wicked gas, bloating and pain. Any SA are very high FODMAP foods. A lot of veggies, grains, legumes, even some dairy are a big NO-NO for me. I learned what are the worst offenders for me.

i.e. any type of cruciferous vegetables or any legumes type food would give me wicked gas. Gas that is even offensive to me. And in case I wouldn't mind some gas, the pain and bloating I get can be horrible. "Crying while pushing my fists into my gut" horrible. Raw cruciferous veggies are worse, but even cooked, or fermented are causing lot of trouble for me.

And before someone advises me that I can ease my body into digesting it by eating small amounts and taking digestive enzymes and probiotics, supplements, specific for that type of foods - trust me - over the years I tried it all and nothing helps. I grew up eating cabbage, sauerkraut, cauliflower, beans and peas...etc. I love that food. Or rather I used to love that food. Now - considering the gas and and pressure-pain, I no longer risk it.

FODMAP:

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars)

When people say ?FODMAP diet,? they usually mean a diet low in FODMAP ? certain sugars that may cause intestinal distress. This diet is designed to help people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) figure out which foods are problematic and which foods reduce symptoms.

Cabbage family cousins

Many common vegetables belong to the cabbage family (genus Brassica). The edible members of this family are called cruciferous vegetables. That's because their four-petaled flowers look like a crucifer, or cross

Stop saying you are a failure!!!

GI issues are common with the DS. has your dr tested you for SIBO, do you take a probiotic? I was taking 900B CFU 2xday. sometimes it looked like i was 6 months pregnant.

Hi there. Marsha here. I am 21 years post op. Starting weight..330. Currently 168. I pretty much follow a low-carb intake.

I had lots of gas as well, early on. About 1 year ago, I started taking a pro-biotic. Gas, gone. Perhaps, give it a try.

Marsha

Hey!

I'm curious if anything worked for you? I'm 3 years post op, having the same issue along with really bad stomach pain relieved by passing gas/ stool. I've tried xifaxin, metronidazole and probiotics. None of which worked. Had an endoscopy and colonoscopy to rule out any other issues. I even did surgery to remove my gallbladder because my GI thought it was causing my symptoms. No change. I feel like I'm losing my mind. Im scared to eat anything on days that I have to work. On days I'm home, like the weekends I tend to overeat to try and compensate for my starving body. So basically a starve binge cycle of me trying to avoid symptoms when I'm not home. I am honestly at my whits end. I can not eat anything without gas and bloating, especially not carbs, or fiber.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!