How to handle severe gas pains

Sheeoni

I am looking for advice on gas pains.  I get them so bad sometimes I literally cannot move, and/or have trouble breathing. When it is really bad, I vomit. I now recognize what they are, even though I really had trouble before realizing that this is what they were initially -- who knew gas pain could make one feel so incapacitated =P 
So, I am looking for what you ladies have done to help when it gets so bad you are beside yourself wondering how to fix it. The only advice I've gotten from my doctor's office is Tums and Gas X.... which is always the first thing I try. I'm looking for potential help when that stuff just doesn't work!

Please tell me someone has a magic bullet cure-all for severe gas pain, please please lol... 

michelle142

Honestly? The only thing that helps me is farting. A lot.

Tums and Gas X do absolutely nothing for me.

lala1608

I would NOT recommend tums for gas pains.  Tums can actually cause constipation which will just make your problem worse.  I would try changing your diet...cut out the fat and sugar, stick to low fat meals and only eat small portions.  I would even stay away from whole grains, sometimes trying to digest them can cause excess gas.  White rice is a good alternative, even white bread.

njkitty

sorry you are suffering so much!

here's what my doc said to me:

-drink water like it's going out of style

-eat a high fiber diet (25-30g/day).  fiber one bars, fruits and veggies with the skin on. 

since i've been really trying to follow these guidelines, the gas pains have subsided significantly.  i still get them once a day, but nothing like before... make sure you poop!  i even did miralax once, but i think that was overkill.

NoodleM

michelle142:

Honestly? The only thing that helps me is farting. A lot.

Tums and Gas X do absolutely nothing for me.

Same here! I pass gas whenever I can to relieve the pain and pressure. I'd even go to the bathroom at work just to fart in peace, haha.

I would take a look at your diet though, making a few adjustments to get rid of gas causing foods could really help.

emadlma

Getting in the warm tub helps me. That and laying on my side. I was having a lot of gas pressure and pain last night when I was sitting on the couch and it got so much better when I went and laid down in bed. Also key is letting it out. I have a feeling that someday soon I am just going to rip one right in front of my students when I am not thinking. Not sure how a room full of seventh graders will handle that.

shotzie

Drink hot water, it'll help get the gas bubbles to move out.  Also, sucking on peppermint candies can help (peppermint is good for your digestion). 

AliW220

shotzie:

Drink hot water, it'll help get the gas bubbles to move out.  Also, sucking on peppermint candies can help (peppermint is good for your digestion). 

Yes! Both of these things work for me, but my gas problems aren't very severe.

When I eat too much for supper, I'll get bloated and uncomfortable. But after fixing myself a hot cup of tea I'm usually a bit better. I'm not sure if it's the hot part, of just the fact that I'm getting extra fluids.

I haven't tried peppermint during pregnancy yet, but it did always help soothe a gassy-hardworking tummy pre-pg. I'll have to remember that!

lintscreen

This is going to sound really weird, but it has always helped for me.  Get down on your hands and knees and lower the front portion of your body to the ground so you have your butt up in the air.   It always made the pain go away and it can also help the gas come out. 

NiniJ55

I try to make sure I don't go too long without eating -- that's pretty much what I do to prevent gas.

paige0328

FWIW, it might be useful to keep a log of what you're eating to see if there is a commonality between a certain food and the gas (there might be no link at all, pregnancy gas just sucks in general!). But I FINALLY stopped eating these granola bars that were crazy high in fiber and causing the worst gas pain ever, and my gas got a lot better. Hope you feel better!

cbmp06

Ugh I went through this about a month ago and it was every day for WEEKS.  I took a fiber pill, drank lots of water, peppermint tea, and just tried to pass it when possible (kinda hard in the office, lol)  I also took a pepcid first thing in the morning every day to try to alleviate some of the acid in there.  It felt like my stomach was churning glass.  Hope you find some relief!  I know how miserable it is!

alexvause

lintscreen:

This is going to sound really weird, but it has always helped for me.  Get down on your hands and knees and lower the front portion of your body to the ground so you have your butt up in the air.   It always made the pain go away and it can also help the gas come out. 

this. yoga poses and warm baths are the only things that work for me.

Sheeoni

Thank you so much ladies, I have gotten a lot of great ideas.  I will probably start keeping a food journal to try and see if there is anything at all in common with what I eat and when I feel like this.  The tums and gasx never help, and I am regular and not constipated even when this type of thing happens (thank goodness for that, that's another ugly monster). Gonna watch for whole grains, and I will totally try the peppermint and drinking hot water. The butt in the air is something I end up having to do a lot, I thought I was the only one lol... I also have to make myself a little fortress in bed-- like a little pillow nest for my tummy so I can lay on it because that's also one of the only ways I can find relief. 

You're all wonderful, thank you. 

elizxu

Exercise helps me. Walking, stretching, getting into some yoga poses help me "move" the gas down the pathway to freedom. GL!

mhollidayesq

My nurse told me to sip on warm ginger ale.

tanya_1984

Tums won't work, and my doc told me no Gas-X (it's a category C drug I believe) but the pharmacist and lots of other websites said it's ok. I took it maybe 2-3x this pregnancy and it worked but I was too scared to take it. What worked for me - movement - go for a walk, get it moving and out of you, and also I drank hot lemon water or hot lemon tea and squirted a bunch of lemon with a drop of honey, 30-45 mins later I felt better. Good luck! I know it sucks, I had it sooooo bad in the first and second tri I had to leave the room cause I was so embarassed in front of DH, and was in so much pain but no matter how much I let out the pain never went away!

MesmrEwe

The question is - it's not just gas in there, how are other things moving along??? 

For me eating a high fiber diet tends to do the exact opposite most of the time and constipates the heck out of me...  GasX didn't do squat either...  I ended up on a "GI Cocktail" (Miralax, Colace, and Senna Plus) after 2 1/2 days in the hospital on Labor Day weekend because of a kink in the line from things backing up so much to get things moving.  Sad to say, I tried to cut back to once a day from the lightest of the meds and oh do I feel like crap/in super pain because I can't get even gas to come out!!  Try SennaPlus 2x/day to get the process moving, and once you're consistently moving, cut back to once, for a few days then stop.  The thing is you don't want to become dependent on them for movement, OTOH, no movement is far worse and if the gas pain is causing you to be to the point of pain/nausea/vomiting, you have to get the stuff moving out of there more...