Question:
Can someone please tell me...

What in the world can I do about this gas?? I am 4 days post op and the only pain I have is gas. I have already tried walking (several times a day),gas-x, maalox plus, and herbal teas. Please please please tell me what else I can try!!! Thanks, Tamara    — Tamara F. (posted on May 28, 2002)

May 28, 2002
I feel your pain. My first handful of days were terribly painful from gas as well. All I can say is that it gets better. However, you didn't mention what you are eating. I assume that you are on liquids which could include milk. If this is the case, you may want to try using some Lactaid instead of milk to make your protein drinks. It helped for me and I only had to do this for the first week. Lactaid is actually much better tasting that I ever thought it would be. Good luck!
   — pam29922

May 28, 2002
Call your surgeon. Mine put me on Regalan (spell?) and it helped a lot.
   — JoanneML

May 28, 2002
I'm still pre-op but I had a massive abdominal surgery about 15 years ago totally unrelated to WLS and I had terrible gas pains for the first few weeks almost a month. I found that walking when it first started helped also sometimes using a heating pad on the area seemed to help aliviate some of the pain. But the other posters may be right also, it could be lactose intolerance they say some WLS patients develope an intolerance for diary products after the surgery. Good luck I hope this phase passes quickly for you.
   — Elva C.

May 28, 2002
I can sympathize with you. The surgery itself didn't hurt much but those gas pains...WHOA!!! Sitting up, walking and heating pads helped me alot. Good luck to you.
   — Leah H.