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Suggest Treatment For Excessive Gas Production In Bowels
Question: Hello , I suffer for excessive gas in my bowel and have done so for many years. I am a 56 year old male, take regular exercise- (every day) ! I am 6ft tall and weigh 70kg.
the gas problem is really extreme -I pass wind more that 300 times in a 16hour day (while I am awake) and I am ok during the night mostly!
the gas problem is really extreme -I pass wind more that 300 times in a 16hour day (while I am awake) and I am ok during the night mostly!
Brief Answer:
Chronic bacterial infection can be the reason.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
What is your stool color? Do you find any undigested food parts in it?
Excessive gas production in bowels is usually caused by improper bacteria in digestive tract. In normal conditions, our bowels are covered with good intestinal bacteria. This bacteria staying on the bowels surface protect bowels (and whole body) against bad bacteria. Now due to lack of good bacteria in the diet, antibiotic treatment, distant travel (to other country) the amount of good bacteria decreases. This gives the opportunity for bad bacteria to grow on the intestines surface. Such infection can remain unchanged for a long time.
I suggest you to have stool test and stool culture test done. Please start probiotic intake and consider Rifaximine treatment. This is a special antibiotic, very effective in case of such infections. It is quite safe for the rest of the body as it is not absorbed to the bloodstream.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Chronic bacterial infection can be the reason.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
What is your stool color? Do you find any undigested food parts in it?
Excessive gas production in bowels is usually caused by improper bacteria in digestive tract. In normal conditions, our bowels are covered with good intestinal bacteria. This bacteria staying on the bowels surface protect bowels (and whole body) against bad bacteria. Now due to lack of good bacteria in the diet, antibiotic treatment, distant travel (to other country) the amount of good bacteria decreases. This gives the opportunity for bad bacteria to grow on the intestines surface. Such infection can remain unchanged for a long time.
I suggest you to have stool test and stool culture test done. Please start probiotic intake and consider Rifaximine treatment. This is a special antibiotic, very effective in case of such infections. It is quite safe for the rest of the body as it is not absorbed to the bloodstream.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Hello Dr Stanko -thanks for your answer
I have tried different probiotics for several months at a time - and the gas/wind from the bowel is still bad. Would my doctor or the Gastroenterologist not have heard of Rifaximine? Is it available in Ireland? Do I need a doctors prescription to get it at the pharmacy?
Thank you
XXXXXX
PS My doctor thinks stool tests are a waste of time and effort as they are just full of many different bacteria
I have tried different probiotics for several months at a time - and the gas/wind from the bowel is still bad. Would my doctor or the Gastroenterologist not have heard of Rifaximine? Is it available in Ireland? Do I need a doctors prescription to get it at the pharmacy?
Thank you
XXXXXX
PS My doctor thinks stool tests are a waste of time and effort as they are just full of many different bacteria
Brief Answer:
You need a prescription for this medicine.
Detailed Answer:
Rifaximine should be available under brand names Xifaxan or Targaxan. It is prescription only so you need to get it from your doctor. Its quite new medicine, but gastroenterologist use it very often. So yours should know it as well.
Stool culture test is not a waist of time. Of course stool contains bacteria, but we know which are good and which should not be there. So it is worth to have this test done, especially that nothing has been detected in all test you have had.
Regards.
You need a prescription for this medicine.
Detailed Answer:
Rifaximine should be available under brand names Xifaxan or Targaxan. It is prescription only so you need to get it from your doctor. Its quite new medicine, but gastroenterologist use it very often. So yours should know it as well.
Stool culture test is not a waist of time. Of course stool contains bacteria, but we know which are good and which should not be there. So it is worth to have this test done, especially that nothing has been detected in all test you have had.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Hello Dr Stanko- thanks again for your answer, there are some more facts that I will give you while I am waiting to have the stool test done next week!
About 5 years ago I had the following done
Scope test down my oesophagus - Result - I am not coeliac
NEC test i.e. effect of chemical test to see if I over produce a hormone called prolactin - Result - no I don't!
Hydrogen Breath test was negative - I don't have excessive bacteria in gut
All blood tests were fine!
Conclusion from doctor in Dublin Hospital was I have all this wind and itchy burning bum (anus) is from food not being properly broken down by my digestion so there is Bile and Acid in my urea and so it burns and I have wind! Nothing can be done!!
I plan to have the to have the stool test and stool culture test done next week as you suggested and I will come back to you with the results
Given all the info above do you think that the Rifaximine is still the treatment to try?
Thank you XXXXXX XXXXXXX
About 5 years ago I had the following done
Scope test down my oesophagus - Result - I am not coeliac
NEC test i.e. effect of chemical test to see if I over produce a hormone called prolactin - Result - no I don't!
Hydrogen Breath test was negative - I don't have excessive bacteria in gut
All blood tests were fine!
Conclusion from doctor in Dublin Hospital was I have all this wind and itchy burning bum (anus) is from food not being properly broken down by my digestion so there is Bile and Acid in my urea and so it burns and I have wind! Nothing can be done!!
I plan to have the to have the stool test and stool culture test done next week as you suggested and I will come back to you with the results
Given all the info above do you think that the Rifaximine is still the treatment to try?
Thank you XXXXXX XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Rifaximine is still worth to try.
Detailed Answer:
Have you had any liver and pancreas tests done during that time (AST,ALT, GGTP, AP, bilirubin, amylase, lipase)?
What is your stool color and do you have any undigested food parts in your stool?
Rifaximine is still worth to try. If liver and pancreas tests haven't been done yet, you should have them as well. Sometimes excessive bile production or pancreas insufficiency can also cause symptoms like yours. But both give also abdominal pain as well as fatty stools (in case of pancreas issues). Drink cleaner water.
Regards.
Rifaximine is still worth to try.
Detailed Answer:
Have you had any liver and pancreas tests done during that time (AST,ALT, GGTP, AP, bilirubin, amylase, lipase)?
What is your stool color and do you have any undigested food parts in your stool?
Rifaximine is still worth to try. If liver and pancreas tests haven't been done yet, you should have them as well. Sometimes excessive bile production or pancreas insufficiency can also cause symptoms like yours. But both give also abdominal pain as well as fatty stools (in case of pancreas issues). Drink cleaner water.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Hello Dr Stanko
My stool color is "normal" brown and no undigested bits in it that I can see. No I have not had liver or pancreas tests.
I normally drink 2 pints of clean water, 4 cups of regular tea and 1 coffee per day- only occasional alcohol -never beer- just a brandy now and then!
What can I expect from the stool test? Will it tell me that there are bacteria in my stool & therefore in my gut that should not be there ? Will the stool culture be able to identify the bad bacteria? If they do identify a bad bacteria- will I be given medication to kill them off?
With the Rifaximine treatment- what is the usual dose - in milligrams?
How long will it take before I can expect some positive results?
Thank you
XXXXX XXXXXXX
My stool color is "normal" brown and no undigested bits in it that I can see. No I have not had liver or pancreas tests.
I normally drink 2 pints of clean water, 4 cups of regular tea and 1 coffee per day- only occasional alcohol -never beer- just a brandy now and then!
What can I expect from the stool test? Will it tell me that there are bacteria in my stool & therefore in my gut that should not be there ? Will the stool culture be able to identify the bad bacteria? If they do identify a bad bacteria- will I be given medication to kill them off?
With the Rifaximine treatment- what is the usual dose - in milligrams?
How long will it take before I can expect some positive results?
Thank you
XXXXX XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Stool culture test can detect bad bacteria indeed.
Detailed Answer:
Yes, stool culture test will tell if there any bad bacteria. That's the greatness of this test. It can tell which bacteria are good and which should not be there. Moreover, in case of bad bacteria detection, an antibiogram will be done. This allows to determine sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics of detected bacteria. In simple words it will tell which antibiotic will kill bad bacteria.
Rifaximine should be used 400 mgs 3 times a day for 7 days. First effects should be present after 2-3 days.
Regards.
Stool culture test can detect bad bacteria indeed.
Detailed Answer:
Yes, stool culture test will tell if there any bad bacteria. That's the greatness of this test. It can tell which bacteria are good and which should not be there. Moreover, in case of bad bacteria detection, an antibiogram will be done. This allows to determine sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics of detected bacteria. In simple words it will tell which antibiotic will kill bad bacteria.
Rifaximine should be used 400 mgs 3 times a day for 7 days. First effects should be present after 2-3 days.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Hello Dr Stanko thanks for your help with this, I plan to go ahead with the stool test and stool culture test and see what shows up. I will discuss Rifaximine with my local doctor but it does sound good.
I will let you know the outcome.
If I email the normal address for health care magic- will my new query go to yourself or will somebody new answer?
Regards
XXXXX XXXXXXX
I will let you know the outcome.
If I email the normal address for health care magic- will my new query go to yourself or will somebody new answer?
Regards
XXXXX XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
I`m looking forward to hearing from you.
Detailed Answer:
I`m looking forward to hearing from you. Hope Rifaximine will help.
If you mark new query for me, it should go to me.
Regards.
I`m looking forward to hearing from you.
Detailed Answer:
I`m looking forward to hearing from you. Hope Rifaximine will help.
If you mark new query for me, it should go to me.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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