BlOating

[cathy]

Hello all...  It's nice to find a forum where we all speak the same language.

I've seen lOts of info about what not to eat with CD, etc., but nothing on what to do when you accidentally eat something and you BLOAT.  I've had five abdominal surgeries and have a wall of scar tissue eight inches long, six inches wide on my tummy, so bloating is terribly painful as the scar tissue doesn't flex with the bloating.  I've got to get some suggestions.

What does everyone do when they bloat?  Alka Seltzer?  Magnesium Citrate?  Enzymes?  Charcoal?

Thanks,
Cathy

[the sensible celiac]

Hi Cathy

I'm glad you found us

I've had one abdominal surgery, so I understand about the discomfort around the scar. Unfortunately the only remedy I have found for an accidental gluten event is to go to bed in a darkened room and feel sorry for myself for at least a few hours.

Maybe somebody else will have a different suggestion for you.

Steve

[GwenRN]

Cathy,

I'm sitting here, thinking about your question and can't think of anything right now that would help the bloating, but I can say I would NOT try alka seltzer or mag citrate... in my very humble opinion, alka seltzer tends to cause excess gas and mag citrate has too strong a laxative effect and both could lead to more discomfort... let me think about it a while and get back to you.


Gwen

[endrun]

Bloating and gas can be helped by use of Culturelle, now available at some Walgreens and possibly others, which is a concentrated bacteria product for the lower bowel.  Activated charcoal can be used but it does tend to constipate--as does Pepto Bismol and related store brand products.  Pepto is best used as antidiarrheal and in my experience in Celiac is better for Celiac-related diarrhea than the prescription stuff like Lomotil.  Antispasmotics like Bentyl(Dicyclomine) can be used temporarily although all such drugs are constipating as well, which can cause more gas in the long run.
  It is quite possible that Maalox and generic equivalents containing the same ingredients are highly rational and can help.  Ganeden Biotech has some products out OTC on these but as with other anti-gas products, may contain gluten in some(have been unable to return information from the company after several inquiries on gluten content--the last operator said to me "I'll have to escalate an email and you will hear back within 48 hours".  Well I haven't and it looks as though I won't, meaning most likely there is at least a major question about gluten content in those products or that they already know there is gluten in them and don't want to make the effort to say that).   Keep the lower bowel as alkaline as possible by consuming foods that tend to alkalinze the lower bowel--easier said than done but worth the effort. 
 I am sure that once the gluten enzymes become available to us this will not pose as large a problem as it does now, but boy can I relate.............