My brother, age 85, is flatulent. He complains of pain because he can't release the gas. He says he is constipated and has a feeling that "he has to go". I wonder if his problem is more the feeling than gas or constipation. He has complained of this for a period of time and has visited the emergency room numerous times, early in the day. They don't do much for him; perhaps because they can't; perhaps because of an element of hypochondria. He has had numerous X-rays, as well as a colonoscopy, all of which were negative. He uses Metamucil, laxatives, gas relievers, and special foods on a sporadic basis. When I ask his medical people why he has this problem and what can be done about it, they seem puzzled, and I don't get much of an answer. The closest to an explanation was that elderly people sometimes have weak muscles. It seems to me there should be a way to relieve his misery.