Alleviate gas pains (TMI)

Factual Questions
1

Couldn’t find anything on search since “gas” is only three letters.

Background: I am about 3 months pregnant, and I have been experiencing a lot of gas. It doesn’t seem to change with what I eat, it’s just fairly constant. I also experienced this in my last pregnancy.

The last three days I have had horrible gas pains. It seems that no matter what I do, I cannot pass the gas. I end up with this incredible pressure just above the pelvic region (one night it seemed to be pressing fairly hard on my c-section scar). Sometimes it is so bad I can’t move.

The pain is not constant. It comes on suddenly and lasts for a minute, then fades. A minute or two later it will come back. It seems to happen mostly in the evening and at night. It does not go away when I change positions, but if I try to stand up it gets MUCH MUCH worse.

The first night that this happened, it actually felt a lot like labor pains, but there was something different about it that I couldn’t put my finger on.

Anyway, my MIL told me not to worry about it, so I’m not worried. But I need to figure out how to alleviate this pain once it comes on. It really hurts. Last night I promised my dh that I’d go buy him a soda, and I couldn’t even get up off of the floor.

2

I sometimes get trapped gas (although being male, I’ve never been pregnant at the same time) I find that lying on my back and rocking slowly from side to side (roll left for about two seconds, then back down for a second, then roll right and hold for two seconds etc…) helps

3

pains such as you describe may be from gas in the intestines.

An OTC med called “phazyme” contains enteric-coated simethicone. this is released in the intestines instead of in the stomach, and may break up larger gas bubbles in the intestines as a result. Regular meds with simethicone act only in the stomach.

If it doesn’t work, no harm done. It doesn’t get absorbed into the system, so won’t affect baby.

If symptoms persist or worsen, a call to OBDOC is probably indicated.

QtM, MD

4

Burnt toast is a remedy. Here is my cite although it is for HIV positive causes.

5

I’ve heard of two simple methods to help keep things moving, as it were. First, try bending over and touching the floor in front of you, with your butt in the air. The idea is that the gas will rise to the top and exit. The posture may also have something to do with it, but IANAgastrologist, so I wouldn’t know.

The second method I’ve heard is to stand on the floor with feet slightly separated, and do “windmills”: Hold your arms out straight horizontally, and then, while keeping your arms in a line with each other, swing your right arm down and left across your body, and then your left arm down and right. The head, shoulders, and upper torso also get involved in this swinging movement. I’ven’t any real idea why this should work (other than maybe repeatedly squishing your innards to squeeze things through), but I’m told that it does.

6

Lying flat on your back, lift your feet about 6 inches off the ground and hold. Whenever I do this exercise, the winds of change start blowing.

7

You’re talking about intestinal gas, as in, “I wish I could fart” gas?

Right.

Sovereign remedy for that is, like the man said, anything with simethicone in it. What does it for me is a tasty little chewable tablet called Gas-X, available at fine Kroger, Osco, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart stores everywhere. Look for it by the Pepto-Bismol, Bean-O, etc. It’s usually way up on the top shelf, as it’s not a mainstream big seller.

Osco also makes a generic version which is about 1/3 cheaper than the brand name.

They also make a gelcap now, I noticed the other day, but the chewables worked fine, saved my life many a time.

As I understand it, the simethicone just shoots right through whatever’s in your stomach and proceeds directly to the gas bubbles.

It’s also worthwhile to know that sometimes you can be sensitive to fatty foods. Short version–fatty foods can bloat your stomach up and it makes it feel like gas. For me it was fatty pot roast and pork, every single time. As soon as I started boiling the already-cooked pot roast or pork chops for a minute, thus rinsing off most of the fat, my consumption of Gas-X declined dramatically.

I even went and found a cite for that, just for you. :smiley:

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/gas/gas.htm

Also, looking for causes besides blaming everything on the pregnancy, is it possible you’re lactose-intolerant?

8

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It didn’t come back last night, but I’ll be sure to try your ideas if I’m hurting tonight.

DDG, I kind of doubt that it’s fatty foods (yuck! hate them!) or milk (avoiding it, makes me constipated when I’m pregnant.)