I agree that your problem is PROBABLY due to too much yeast in your gut, and not enough good probiotic bacteria. There is a tiny little book that is easy to read called, The Bible Cure for Candida and Yeast Infections. It's by Dr. Don Colbert. You can get it on his web site. I'd start there. Good Luck!
Cinder, your GI tract is lined with various forms of helpful bacteria, and maybe some not-so-helpful ones but they're typically kept in check by the 'good bacteria.' When you eat and after you've finished absorbing nutrients in the small intestine, the rest is passed to the large intestine and the water content of the material is reabsorbed. The rest of the material is then 'compacted' for release. But during that process in the large intestine, the bacteria on the walls make use of that material as a food source. The product of their digestion can be some very helpful 'release products' that we really need, and we absorb them - things like short chain fatty acids that we can't make ourselves. However, with some of the less than desirable bacteria, another product of their digestive process is malodorous gas. For these individuals, if they supplement with probiotics, the gas can tamped down and the odor reduced.
That can be one of the causes of the gas, but there are others, as well. Some of us are not able to digest some foods due to the loss of enzymes as we age, or perhaps we aren't able to make enough of them in the first place. When that happens normal processing is not able to take place and it, too, can result in gas.
For some, they're able to take products like Beano which helps the individuals to digest certain foods because it replaces the enzymes they're lacking to digest those foods. But it won't work for everyone - if someone has those enzymes but the problem is elsewhere Beano isn't going to help.
So the problem is that 'where' the gas is coming from is not the same 'cause' in everyone. Each individual needs to try to find the underlying problem and it may take trying a number of different things to get to the root of the problem.
Hi,
Buy some Activated Charcoal capsules. I used to get painful gas that was so bad that I had to take 5 capsules at a time to get relief. Charcoal absorbs gas. Also, if your bowels are moving each day is it unlikely that you will get painful gas. Before getting hooked on laxatives, try Aloe Vera capsules. Not tablets. Buy them at the health food store. Take 2 before bed, and 2 before getting up. If this doesn't work, the next night take 3 before bed and the next morning 3 before getting up. And so on until your bowels move. Aloe Vera is not addicting. It's safe. For years I could got relief of painful gas and constipation by using charcoal and aloe vera. But I also ate a diet consisting of whole, natural, foods. No dairy, no junk food, no packages foods. Lots of raw fruits, raw vegetable salads, whole grains, beans, etc. Avoid nuts as they are constipating. Good luck!
I have been reading all the comments/suggestions and I'm more confused than before regarding what the cause of smelly gas might be. So many people suggest taking several different pills some say they work some say they have not effect. The nutritionist suggested that we all need to do but I never heard if anyone tried it or if it was effectiver or not. So my question to everyone is, where does on start what does one try? Can we possibly do all I don't believe so. Anyone have any real breakthroughs? The suggestions are great but also very disconcerting when you read that they did not work.
If you're experiencing foul smelling uncontrolable gas, one of the first things you need to do is have a stool test done to make sure you haven't managed to pick up any unwanted 'critters' along the way. After that, you may need to take a long hard look at your diet. Consider cutting out all forms of dairy and see if that makes a difference iwth the constipation. And if you took antibiotics when you had the surgery, consider taking some probiotics to try to re-establish decent bacteria in your GI tract. Antibiotics can cause a lot of problems, along with helpiing. Some decent brands are Digestive Advantage-IBS, Culturelle and FloraQ.