very excessive gas after surgury

almost 2 years after a total colon removal I have massive gas which gets me up at night several times.  Gas remedies have no effect.  This is not painful but a great annoyance.  This is not trivial gas that one passes but big explosions.  Help?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Malabsorption can cause the symptoms, and this can be prevelent after colon removal.  You can consider stool tests to evaluate for fat malabsorption, or blood tests to evaluate for celiac disease.

Other possibilities can be irritable bowel syndrome, or bacterial overgrowth.  

To evaluate for the latter possibility, a jejunal aspirate can be considered, or breath tests looking for hydrogen can be done to make the diagnosis.  

You can discuss these options with your personal physician, or consider a GI evaluation.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com

[kimbacat]

have you eliminated/reduced gassy foods from your diet to see if that helps?  things like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, legumes, etc.  carbonated beverages and drinking thru a straw increase the gas/air in your digestive tract so you should try to eliminate them too.

have you tried cutting back on refined sugar, adding a probiotic?

take care