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Stress and farting
Hi, I'm having problems with farting. It's been years now, I'm always farting whenever I sit down with a group of friends or beside strangers on the bus or in the cinema. It just wierd I would just feel the urge to fart. Is something wrong with me? I can't seem to control it and this caused me to lose my friends...
I forgot to add, doctors said its anxiety but no medications have been of much use so far... pls help.
2 Comments
I have the same case as yours Josh. It's been 6 years that I've been suffering from farting and lost my life and dignity for this humiliating condition. I've been to different specialists (gastroenterologists) but they can't find anything wrong with my stomach till I finally gave up and went to a psychiatrist. My psychiatrist told me that I have Anxiety Disorder along with my Social Anxiety causing me to fart all the time when there are people around me. Farting is the psychosomatic defense of my body whenever I get anxious for I also have Hyperactivity. As far as I go to my medications I get more calm and my urge to farts is starting to lessen even I go to the crowd. I can see hope in my condition now. My psychiatrist gave me chlorpromazine to calm me down and he promised me that once the mind calms down the body shall follow. I can now see a bright future ahead of me. Hope you get cured to and live your life to the fullest. Peace. :)
I have the same case as yours Josh. It's been 6 years that I've been suffering from farting and lost my life and dignity for this humiliating condition. I've been to different specialists (gastroenterologists) but they can't find anything wrong with my stomach till I finally gave up and went to a psychiatrist. My psychiatrist told me that I have Anxiety Disorder along with my Social Anxiety causing me to fart all the time when there are people around me. Farting is the psychosomatic defense of my body whenever I get anxious for I also have Hyperactivity. As far as I go to my medications I get more calm and my urge to farts is starting to lessen even I go to the crowd. I can see hope in my condition now. My psychiatrist gave me chlorpromazine to calm me down and he promised me that once the mind calms down the body shall follow. I can now see a bright future ahead of me. Hope you get cured to and live your life to the fullest. Peace. :)
Anxiety and Stress wreak havoc on our stomachs and digestive system. Is this your only symptom? Often times you will hear people say they have the urge to burp a lot too.
If this is your only symptom than I am stumped, I have no idea, Other than this is how you are affected by stress or nervousness. It affects everyone differently, and often times it hit us in the stomach. Have you tried taking Pepto or anything before you go out? Maybe just something to settle your stomach when you know you are heading into a social setting?
What's your diet like? And your age? (We fart more as we age, as my wife and I can attest to). You might want to look into that. Some people have trouble digesting certain foods. Dairy and wheat are very common such foods, as are beans, especially when they're prepared incorrectly (it's the sugars in them). Fact is, most people live largely on beans, and most people fart a lot. As cultures get more urban, it becomes more frowned upon, but it's really pretty natural. A digestive enzyme formula can help; I like Vibragest from Nature's Plus, but there a lot of them out there.
Hi, You should try posting this question in the Gastroenterology forum. Also, people who have a lot of gas have gotten relief by going on vegan diets. That means no meat and no dairy. Just lots of whole, natural foods. I was on such a diet for years and I never had gas. Also, some people get gas because their intestinal flora is out of balance. You see, you have about 5 pounds of good, probiotic bacteria in your gut. And about 1 or 2 pounds of bad. However, sometimes the balance is off and you get too much bad bacteria and not enough good. The things that feed the bad bacteria (and cause gas) are sugars. All sugars, including fruit. And all fermented foods like beer, wine, vinegar, etc. Try going to a candida (that's what the bad bacteria is some times called) web site and reading about the foods to avoid. Then, avoid these foods and see how you do. You can also get a test done called a Heidelberg Gastrogram (google this) to see if it has to do with the pH being off in your gut. Also, tray taking Activated Charocoal capsules. They absorb gas and odors. You may have to take 5 at a time to get relief. Good luck!
Great wealth of information. I to agree that we eat differently while under a lot of stress, and our diet needs to meet our emotional needs as well. Healing the whole ,body, spirit and mind.Great post
Just a couple of points here. Activated charcoal can only be taken on occasion, not on a regular basis. It will leach necessary nutrients from the body. It should only be taken when there's a lot of pain from heartburn or such, not just because someone is farting. As for bacteria, all bacteria feed on sugars, bad and good. It's the energy source for all living things, including humans. The question is which sugars a person is consuming and how much. Also, a vegan diet is only appropriate for some people, and it must be done with extreme care to make sure the proper nutrients are being consumed. Most vegans are very poor eaters, and do it for ideological, not health, reasons, so if anyone decides on this type of diet, make very sure it is well researched first to ensure all necessary nutrients are being consumed in proper quantities. All fermented foods, again, this is wrong that they all create harmful sugars. Some of the most beneficial foods for feeding beneficial bacteria are fermented, including miso, cultured vegetables such as kim chi or sauerkraut, real yogurt, tempeh, and many, many more. Vinegar is also a very beneficial food, if it's the right vinegar and, like everything else, isn't overused and is appropriate for the particular person. Candida is only one kind of harmful organism, and it isn't a bacterium, it's a yeast. Beneficial bacteria such as acidophilus and reuteri (not sure of the spelling here) help keep candida from overgrowing. However, there are definite symptoms of an overgrowth of candida, which generally includes fatigue, odors, dryness, etc. These are conditions that are also often poorly dealt with by physicians. The main reason for an overgrowth of candida is taking antibiotics too often, which kills off the beneficial bacteria that prevents candida from overgrowing. The treatments doctors are taught to use very often kill off beneficial organisms along with the bad, and therefore almost guarantee a recurrence and aggravation of the problem. Farting by itself is not a symptom of candida overgrowth.
Just farting isn't a symptom of anything awful. It's usually just a digestion problem, and is pretty much universal among humans. Most cultures don't care about it at all. But it is a sign of incomplete digestion. But as you can see, digestion is very complicated, and there are more ideas about it, many incorrect, than there are ants. Be careful out there!
Just farting isn't a symptom of anything awful. It's usually just a digestion problem, and is pretty much universal among humans. Most cultures don't care about it at all. But it is a sign of incomplete digestion. But as you can see, digestion is very complicated, and there are more ideas about it, many incorrect, than there are ants. Be careful out there!
I am a registered dietician. I have a masters degree in nutrition. Although I am retired, and have been for several years now, during my career I saw MANY people who have a problem with excessive gas. There can be several reasons for this. But because I don't know the details of this person's eating habits or his health history, I could only suggest looking into a few things that, during my career, I found to be the cause/solution to problems such as his most often. I have seen people who have had excessive gas and after I took them off of all foods that feed candida, gave them a probiotic and digestive enzymes, the problem went away. Then, from then on they simply continued taking the probiotic. Because I have seen this more than once, I thought it would be worth it for him to look into. And yes, gas alone can be the sign of an imbalance in a persons intestinal flora. Bad breath alone can be a sign of an imbalance. Constipation alone can be a sign. Also, if a person has an imbalance in their intestinal flora, and they have too much bad bacteria, and not enough good, they will get gas when eating simple sugars AND fermented foods. They need to avoid the exact same foods as people who have candida do. And that is why I suggested he find out what those are. Yes, those fermented foods YOU mentioned are good for you, and when consumed by healthy people they actually feed the good bacteria in their guts. But they must be avoided if the person has too much bad bacteria and not enough good. Because they, along with all simple sugars, feed this bad bacteria and then you will get gas. People who have candida should never eat any fermented foods of any kind. As I said in my post, I have had some people avoid the foods people with candida do and they have totally gotten rid of their gas problem. However, if an imbalace in his intestinal flora is not the cause for his gas, this wouldn't work. But it would be worth a try. Also, activated charcoal DOES NOT leach necessary nutrients from the body. It can be taken every single day without any harm. It will, however, absorb the medications you take, making them less effective. So you shouldn't take it if you are on medication. Otherwise, it is safe. ( You can confirm this with your doctor is you don't believe me.) Also, to say that "most vegans are poor eaters" and "people go on vegan diets for ideological reasons and not for health reasons" is absolutely ridiculous. Not only is a vegan diet appropriate for people with gas and other digestive problems, but I have put dozens upon dozens of people on vegan diets and watched them get cured from everything from arthritis to asthma. It is very easy to get protein and all the other necessary nutrients we need on such a diet. A person who is interested in eating a vegan diet doesn't even need to see a nutritionist. They just needs to read a book on it. And there are many out there. By the way, there was a time (for example during Jesus' life) when a vegan diet, consisting of whole, natural, plant foods, was what was eaten on MOST days of the week. Fish was only eaten a couple of times a week. And as for meat and dairy, they were only eaten on once in a while, like at celebratory occasions or holidays like the passover meal. And MOST often (but not all of the time of cours) I have found in counselling people, that it is not the vegans who are poor eaters, it's the meat and dairy eaters. The vegans are ALWAYS into eating whole, natural, foods (i.e.whole grains such as in whole grain breads, brown rice, as well as beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They consume healthy fats, like those in avacados and olive oil, and will occationally eat fish.) The people who eat meat and dairy rarely come to me with ANY knowledge of whole, natural, foods. That means they have no knowledge of what eating healthy means. Their diets are always high in saturated fats and they eat packaged, processed foods. As I said, I don't know this guys health history or what his diet is like. So I simply made a few suggestions for him to look into. I was not trying to tell him what his problem was or what he should do about it. You have a right to your opinions, just as I have a right to mine. I'm concerned about this guy because he said his gas problem has caused him to lose friends. And that's why I posted a comment. I only wish I would have told him to first cut out all dairy products (if he must have milk, try switching to soy milk), and stop eating sweets. Espeically after meals. Some people get gas when they eat sweets (even if it's fruit) within an hour of eating their meal. He could give that a try, and see if it helps.
I don't disagree that a vegan diet can be healthy for some people. What I did say was based on my experience managing health food stores for 18 years, which is where most if not all vegans shopped because they couldn't get what they needed anywhere else. And I have to tell you, they did not eat well. I'm not sure if you're not confusing at least a bit vegetarians with vegans. No vegan eats fish once in a while; that isn't being vegan. Most vegetarians do. As I say, this was based on my experience. I can also tell you stories about all kinds of diets, because they all came to us. Now, of course, most of these kinds of stores are gone, replaced by Whole Foods and Whole Foods wannabes, where nobody talks to one another. I also knew quite a lot of people who ate animal products who didn't eat dairy and ate fine.
My discussion of fermented products comes from people with far more expertise than myself. The anti-candida diet, which again isn't a bacterium but a yeast, used to ban all yeast and fermented foods from the diet. But that turned out to be scientifically wrong -- brewer's yeast cannot turn into candida albicans anymore than a pomegranate can turn into an apple. The fermented products I mentioned, with the possible exception of vinegar, feed the good probiotics, which is necessary to have them work. I agree that bifidus probably would benefit this person, or might, and I defer to your expertise, I was just objecting to some of the things you were saying. For example, your bit on charcoal is, I still maintain, completely wrong, and if you read the label on charcoal tablets, contrary to recommended usage. But I don't really want to get into a spat with you, this is an area with much information but virtually no knowledge. Our society has put such a low premium on food that we know almost nothing about it. I can only tell you that I've met nutritionists who would agree with everything you said but about the charcoal, and my customers who never got rid of their candida following that advice. But of course, they actually had candida, because they got tested for it by a doctor. It's a rare problem, but many holistic practitioners see it everywhere. Although I too believe in holistic solutions, I never lost my natural curiosity and skepticism and don't accept the so-called accepted truths there anymore than I do in pharmaceutical medicine, nor do I deny them. I just look at results.
As to how often people ate meat, depends on the time of history and the people. Don't know whether Jesus ever lived or not, but at that time poor people, and most were extremely poor, obviously couldn't afford to eat much meat. Those who could afford it did, and the rich lived longer. The people in Jesus' time were mostly farmers and herders, and you're right, throughout history, most people did not eat a lot of meat, it was much harder to get. I agree. The meat they ate was also leaner and naturally raised on what animals are supposed to eat, and might even have been before the invention of the cow or wheat, although I don't know. It's hard to tell what people ate then -- the Old Testament keeps getting translated to say the people ate corn, but since corn is native to Mexico and Central America, they obviously didn't have corn. So I keep an open mind, and again, you have the superior education to mine on this, mine is based on experience of those people you treated buying their food and talking about it to me over a very long period of time, and a lot of my own research just because I'm overeducated and quite curious. But again, depends on where and when. Tibetans eat a lot of meat because they can't grow much so high up. Inuits eat almost all fish and meat. The plains Indians ate almost all meat. The Scandinavians ate almost all fish. Polynesian islanders ate almost all fish, with nutritionless starch and lost of fruit. All of these people suffered much less disease than we do now, but didn't have modern sanitation, which is the main factor in increased longevity. So it goes. We're all different, which makes it hard to generalize. Also just want to add, in Jesus' time, people in the desert didn't eat fish, they ate mostly dairy. So it goes.
My discussion of fermented products comes from people with far more expertise than myself. The anti-candida diet, which again isn't a bacterium but a yeast, used to ban all yeast and fermented foods from the diet. But that turned out to be scientifically wrong -- brewer's yeast cannot turn into candida albicans anymore than a pomegranate can turn into an apple. The fermented products I mentioned, with the possible exception of vinegar, feed the good probiotics, which is necessary to have them work. I agree that bifidus probably would benefit this person, or might, and I defer to your expertise, I was just objecting to some of the things you were saying. For example, your bit on charcoal is, I still maintain, completely wrong, and if you read the label on charcoal tablets, contrary to recommended usage. But I don't really want to get into a spat with you, this is an area with much information but virtually no knowledge. Our society has put such a low premium on food that we know almost nothing about it. I can only tell you that I've met nutritionists who would agree with everything you said but about the charcoal, and my customers who never got rid of their candida following that advice. But of course, they actually had candida, because they got tested for it by a doctor. It's a rare problem, but many holistic practitioners see it everywhere. Although I too believe in holistic solutions, I never lost my natural curiosity and skepticism and don't accept the so-called accepted truths there anymore than I do in pharmaceutical medicine, nor do I deny them. I just look at results.
As to how often people ate meat, depends on the time of history and the people. Don't know whether Jesus ever lived or not, but at that time poor people, and most were extremely poor, obviously couldn't afford to eat much meat. Those who could afford it did, and the rich lived longer. The people in Jesus' time were mostly farmers and herders, and you're right, throughout history, most people did not eat a lot of meat, it was much harder to get. I agree. The meat they ate was also leaner and naturally raised on what animals are supposed to eat, and might even have been before the invention of the cow or wheat, although I don't know. It's hard to tell what people ate then -- the Old Testament keeps getting translated to say the people ate corn, but since corn is native to Mexico and Central America, they obviously didn't have corn. So I keep an open mind, and again, you have the superior education to mine on this, mine is based on experience of those people you treated buying their food and talking about it to me over a very long period of time, and a lot of my own research just because I'm overeducated and quite curious. But again, depends on where and when. Tibetans eat a lot of meat because they can't grow much so high up. Inuits eat almost all fish and meat. The plains Indians ate almost all meat. The Scandinavians ate almost all fish. Polynesian islanders ate almost all fish, with nutritionless starch and lost of fruit. All of these people suffered much less disease than we do now, but didn't have modern sanitation, which is the main factor in increased longevity. So it goes. We're all different, which makes it hard to generalize. Also just want to add, in Jesus' time, people in the desert didn't eat fish, they ate mostly dairy. So it goes.
I think that your farting problem is probably related more to what you eat. Certain dairy products can give you the toots. So can spicey foods and onions and garlic. Unless you are super nervous I dont see why you think that anxiety is giving you the toots. I always thought that anxiety gives you diarhea and constipation.
Yes dear, yeast not a bacteria. But to explain to the lay person in 30 seconds what is going on in there gut, rather than explain what candida is, how it got there, how it gets out of hand, etc., etc, It's easiest to say, "You have good bacteria and bad bacteria, antiboitics kill the good bacteria in your get making the bad florish." The reason why I started my first note to this guy that way, was so that he could easily understand this concept. It's also why I said that some vegans do on occasions eat fish. Yes, I know that a vegan diet doesn't include fish. But I also know that most vegans will, on occasion eat fish. I've put many, many, many, people on vegan diets. And no, brewers yeast and apples don't turn into yeast. I never said they did. as I said, fermented foods feed the good probiotic bacteria in a person's gut, but they also feed yeast, just like simple sugars do. Take a look at The Body Ecology Diet, by Donna Gates. Which is the best book out there is on candia. (Besides, I have candida. I know what feeds from my experince also.) And Jesus did not live in the desert. He went through the desert. He didn't live in it. Peter was a fishman and actually owned a fishery. And Jesus himself ate fish. If you read the gospels, and also The Life of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by Anne Catherine Emmeriche, you'll see that the diet I mentioned in my last post was EXACTLY how they ate. They DID NOT mostly eat dairy! They ONLY ate dairy on special occasions. Truly I only posted here because I was concerned about this guy because he said he was losing friends due to his gas problems. Not so I could get into a debate with a health food manager who feels a need to prove how smart she is. Don't waste your time posting an answer here anymore dear. I have no intention on reading it.
Thanks for the posts, I'll try going on a vegan diet first.
Just to add on regarding my medical history. I'm 26, and first had this problem 7 years ago. I'm quite active in sports and always having balanced meals, with meat, fruits, vegetables etc. Through these years, I visited countless doctors and specialists. Some say its Irritable Bowel Syndrome and giving medicine that don't work while others tell me its totally psychological. As of late, I was told to see a psychiatrist which I'm still considering about going.
The problem is I'm perfectly fine when I'm alone. But when I join in the crowds, the mechanism switches itself on and the gases are back again.
Just to add on regarding my medical history. I'm 26, and first had this problem 7 years ago. I'm quite active in sports and always having balanced meals, with meat, fruits, vegetables etc. Through these years, I visited countless doctors and specialists. Some say its Irritable Bowel Syndrome and giving medicine that don't work while others tell me its totally psychological. As of late, I was told to see a psychiatrist which I'm still considering about going.
The problem is I'm perfectly fine when I'm alone. But when I join in the crowds, the mechanism switches itself on and the gases are back again.
Did you know that when people are very nervous, they will have bowel movements just for that reason? My husband is an FBI agent and he said that, every time they bust someone in their house, they have to go to the bathroom and have a bowel movement. Every time. My sister's baby drowned (at 2 years old) and she said that when she found out that her baby had died, she immediately had 3 bowel movements. It is possible that this is not diet related as much as it is related to your nervous system. I think seeing a psychiatrist is a good idea. Tell him what I said here, and ask him about the possibiltiy of putting you on a drug that would slow down your nervous system (I think Depakote is usually used for this). Try this before changing your diet. Which sounds pretty good. Good luck!
You might also consider going to the drugstore and buying a bottle of Activated Charcoal capsules. Take them with you when you go out. When you start getting gas, take a few with water and see if it helps. This is not a cure of course. I would see go see a psychiatirist.
Please, see someone where you live. Don't listen to someone diagnose you on a website. Definitely don't go on powerful drugs just for farting, for God's sake. Everyone farts, especially the more fiber that's in your diet. Chew slower, try a digestive enzyme, but if you're going to change your diet and such, see a holistic nutritionist or naturopath in your area and make your own decisions. If you have a serious anxiety problem, you might want to see a psychiatrist, but since your problem seems minor, I would say go see a therapist instead. Drugs have their own sets of problems, why get into that if you don't need them?
I'm really not trying to prove how smart I am, I just don't trust the person giving you advice. I wouldn't take it. Now you do whatever you think is best.
I'm really not trying to prove how smart I am, I just don't trust the person giving you advice. I wouldn't take it. Now you do whatever you think is best.
I would just like to say, that I have an anxiety disorder and I fart all the time. Whenever I start to have a panic attack or something really stressful happens and I feel like I cant cope, I will have a bad stomach ache like my stomach turns over and I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach like something bad is going to happen. Regardless of the stimuli (sometimes it doesnt even happen when something stressful happens), it is a very unconfertable feeling. Sometimes I will fart and sometimes I will just have a stomach ache. Although, if I am very stressed, it will almost be a cascade of farts coming. Yes this sounds funny, but you must understand that it is a very unconfertable feeling and situation. I dont have really any other gastrointesinal problems other than that and moderate constipation. Generally when my anxiety is taken care of, Im prescribed xanax, my stomach aches and gas is taken care of too. And as for my diet, I eat rather healthy. Hope this helps.
All the posts are excellent, there is not much I can add except, I, too, fart, when I am lucky that is. Sometimes, when I am really nervous, my tummy will gurgle, I will get a "dropped" feeling in my tummy and even some irregular heart beats, all due to gas, but, I will not be able to pass, it is miserable, I feel like a walking dirigible. Finally, when I am able, it will come out in long streams, then I feel better.
You bet nerves can cause this, I think, for me at least, when I get nervous, I will swallow a lot of air, and this in turn causes the gas and unpleasant feelings. Sometimes taking a digestive aid when I eat helps, but, not always, for me, Tums is the best.
You bet nerves can cause this, I think, for me at least, when I get nervous, I will swallow a lot of air, and this in turn causes the gas and unpleasant feelings. Sometimes taking a digestive aid when I eat helps, but, not always, for me, Tums is the best.
Hey,, Anyone with this problem Please contact me at ***@**** because i have it too and i want to find some similarities in each's situation if that would help ,, so please email me urgent
i have same kind of prolblem..... its psychological too.... but if its psychological there is medicines... but i hear sounds too....doctor said its a depression... but dont know on what basis she is givin medicines..... but the medicines are workin quite well
I have exactly the same problem. I'm find when I'm alone but when I'm with a crowd of people it's a total different story. I suffer from social phobia and I know for a fact that the anxiety attacks cause excessive gas. The other problem is that I keep thinking about it when I'm among a group of people and this just makes it worse, but it's the fear of the humiliation that causes me to think of it even before I enter a room full of people. Even one-on-one with my boss or a stranger is a scary thought, because I always have to excuse myself and go to the bathroom, but sometimes I can't find a gap in the conversation to do so. I am taking medication for the social phobia, but the medication that I'm taking doesn't help much for the gas problem.
i have this problem to, im afraid to go to any social event, and im afraid to go to school or church or anything, i go to the bathroom and get up and sharpen my pencil all the time how do i stop it all im scared to even hang out with boys!!
my email is ***@**** if you have anything thats helped yall email me because its ruining my life
my email is ***@**** if you have anything thats helped yall email me because its ruining my life
hey I think I've a similar problem to yours.I get nervous when I'm around people and I get gas a lot.This happened to me at first like two years ago I was fine before then I think it's psychological but I don't know how to stop it. Right now I'm taking activated charcoal and it helps to settle my stomach when I'm feeling nervous but I'm still getting gas it be great if you could post the pills that you're taking or email me with ink_taf***@****
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