Got Gas?

Gas and ballooning can be a right pain in your out of order bum! But what things can help reduce it or make it more manageable? For me it is one of the biggest things I have to contend with in my day to day ostomy life but I don’t always help myself and I will explain why in a little bit.

 Here is a short list of things that you can eat and drink that may produce more gas than others – now this is all relative and some foods don’t affect everyone in the same way it is just to maybe give you a light bulb moment. Heck there are still things that make me go DUH! Like the time I realised I don’t have my appendix as it is attached to my large bowel and that got removed in 2008!

• Cabbage
• Onions
• Broccoli – basically any cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and brussels sprouts
• Fizzy drinks – I personally find beer and cider are the worst ones for me so I just avoid them
• Dairy products – I’m going to guess the high lactose ones
• Spicy or fried, greasy foods

You shouldn’t just remove these items from your diet but maybe reduce them and see if one produces more gas than the others. That is sometimes useful if you have a big event coming up and your ostomy is to be the last thing on your mind, again it is where food diaries come in useful especially when you have started to heal from the surgery.

Of course whilst writing this post I am drinking lemonade and eating last nights leftover curry! So just more proof that I shoot myself in the foot when it comes to trying to reduce the gas that I produce at least according to the list is:

• Although I started eating meat again more last year my diet is still predominantly vegetables and I really like things like cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli – so all the ones I listed except onions!
• I eat a LOT of spicy food – like 90% of what I eat has chilli or something in it
• I literally live on fizzy drinks such as lemonade and lucozade
• Cheese is life simple! My best mate is lactose intolerant and he sure knows it when I have cooked poor lad

There are peppermint oil capsules you could try and take but take my warning on them they are definitely not for everyone! If I forget to take them with food I get awful indigestion and ulcers which then I have to take lansoprozole to line my stomach. They give me anxiety attacks when this happens. However because of the mint your output gets a subtle mint smell to it which in a lot of cases can be helpful.

Have you found certain things produce more gas than others? What are your tips?