Excessive Gas caused by diabetes?

[betes]

I am 20 and have been diabetic for 5 years.  I have, since being diagnosed, had excessive gas after eating a wide variety of foods.  It seems like there is nothing I can do/eat to lessen the effects.  I am not in pain, or greatly bothered, moreso curious if there is any relation to the disease know.

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Hi betes!  I am the mom of an 18 year old who was diagnosed at the age of 21 months.  I am not a medical professional, so any information I pass on to you should be verified with your healthcare team.  

After doing some research on the medhelp website, and based on personal experience, let me share some of my thoughts with you on this most embarassing problem.  When you try to eat a healthy, well balanced diet, keep your weight within a healthy range and manage good blood glucose levels, you need to eat the foods that are the primary culprits of gas (fruits & veggies, whole grains, dairy products, packaged foods w/lactose such as bread, cereal & salad dressings and dietic foods such as sugar free gum and candies).  Go figure.  If you have maintained good bg control over the past 5 years, hopefully your diabetes is not the cause of this problem.  You should seek the opinion of a gastroenterologist to confirm that your symptoms are nothing more than the result of eating plenty of whole grains, fruits & veggies and dairy products.  Any of these foods can create gas that can become problematic to some.  Swallowed air can create excessive gas also.  Are you a big gum chewer?  Did you know that the average person passes gas 14-23 times per day?  You may want to keep a diary of the foods you're eating (yes, even the gum), and how many times you've passed gas on a daily basis before visiting the doctor as this would be a great tool to help eliminate other more serious causes or help pinpoint your problem.  Sometimes the digestion of a person with diabetes can be slowed down and the proper enzymes to digest food can be affected, so you really should be seen by a specialist to determine the root of your problem.  Best of luck to you!