Advice

Hey Mr. Miller! How’s “mid-summer” going down there? For the combo of increased bowel movements Gas and abdominal pain? My “worry-wart-knee-jerk-reaction” is Possible partial bowel obstruction. Crampy abdominal pain, And extreme bloating are the main symptoms of small-bowel obstruction.

If blood supply is cut off (strangulation),

The pain may be severe. (which doesn’t sound like your situation)

Obstruction of the large intestine also causes

Abdominal pain and bloating.

A partial intestinal blockage may cause occasional diarrhea And/or increased gas, Particularly in it’s early stages.

A complete obstruction will cause total constipation

And a lack of gas leaving the body. (No Farts=Bad) Or, it could just be extra gas. Very common for WLS’ers. The causes can vary wildly. Can be “leftover excess protein,” but most often The issue is carbohydrates that are incompletely digested By your bypassed guts, And end up in the colon undigested and therefore Are digested by bacteria in your large intestine, Which turn it into large volumes of often-smelly gas. The bloating from gas alone can cause abdominal pain. Some ways to help deal with it: -- Identify which foods are your particular problem. For most, white bread and pasta, and ESPECIALLY Pasta that has been cooked and then chilled (chilling turns the hydrated starch into a particularly indigestible form) Are the worst, and the main thing you can do is avoid these “fart-ogenic” foods. Fresh pasta is much less “gas producing” than dried, Frozen, chilled, etc. -- Certain vegetables can be problematic. Typically, broccoli and other crucifers, Eggplant, onions in significant quantities, especially raw onions and beans. Beans can sometimes be managed by putting Beano on them – Beans contain a carbohydrate called raffinose Which is completely indigestible to humans, But the Beano contains an enzyme that digests it. They claim it helps with other carbohydrates too. And don’t discount the idea that it is lactose intolerance, Just because it hasn’t been a problem in the past. -- Many adults become lactose intolerant As they get older, and the undigested lactose Causes gas and diarrhea. Lactaid milk or lactase as the enzyme Added to dairy products can help. Note that yogurt and many cheeses (particularly hard cheeses) Shouldn't cause a problem because The fermentation process metabolizes the lactose. You can do a little field testing by dropping all dairy (other than Yogurt and Hard cheese) From your intake for a week or two. If that solves the problem? Then Great. Also play around with what foods you are eating To see if you can find which ones are causing the excess gas. Pasta or White Carbs are often the culprit. If still having problems? Check out the Bowel Obstruction idea. Treatment for Partial bowel obstruction varies depending on what type. Initial treatment is always to restrict intake of solids and up the fluid intake.(right After Calling the Doc!) I hope it’s the Milk! Have a Great Holiday on Ice. Best Wishes- Dx