After colon resection: What helps with severe gas?

Hi @fatfreelife1, I hope you saw the helpful reply from @bea1972

How are you doing? Has the cramping and gas improved?

I am five weeks out from colon surgery and have gas pain under my breast into my side.

Hello, don’t drink from a straw. It gives you gas.

Just a few general tips that we learned along the way as my husband was recovering- his doctor's recommended a low fiber, low residue, no diary diet. Now that my husband is several years out from surgery, he has pinpointed some (but not all) of the culprits for him: dairy, garlic, onion and citrus all give him trouble and he stays away from very fibrous vegetables, legumes, etc. A heating pad while laying on his left side with a knee bent, walking around, gas-x and gas relief herbal tea have offered some relief. He also uses dairy relief pills when he really wants to eat ice cream or cheese. Hope this helps

Hi,
I had sigmoid resection in June/23.
I seem to have a lot of extreme smelly gas usually about 1/2 hour after eating anything. I don't have pain, but this is very embarrassing as sometimes it is hard to control.
I never had this until this surgery.
Has anyone else experienced this?

Hello @wornoutandtired5151 and welcome to Mayo Connect. Your concerns are certainly understandable. Most of us who have had digestive tract surgery have had similar problems.

As you read the other posts in this discussion group you will find others who have discovered culprits that make this problem worse. @mardee313 writes in the post above. about her husband and she says, "...he has pinpointed some (but not all) of the culprits for him: dairy, garlic, onion and citrus all give him trouble and he stays away from very fibrous vegetables, legumes, etc." I would encourage you to read the posts in this discussion. Many other members have written about how they have tracked foods that make the gas worse.

I'm wondering if you have kept a food diary to see if there are any trigger foods (or culprits) that seem to make the problem worse. I look forward to hearing from you again.

As @hopeful33250 is suggesting, keeping a food diary helps identifying culprits.

I had a total resection of the rectum, mesorectum, and sigmoid in January. I started with a very restrictive diet, then added one food at a time per week, following a list of foods recommended by a clinical dietitian at first. And I kept a food and symptoms diary. That's how I know I should avoid onions, beef, lamb, duck, pork, very creamy cheese, and eat little of brocoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts. You could use an app called My Symptoms to help you track what affects you.

Thank you!

I seem to have the same issue no matter what I eat but I will be more mindful and keep a record to see if some are worse than others.
Thanks for responding.

I am 2 years out from a sigmoidectomy due to a 4 month diverticulitis flareup that never went away. Has anyone experienced a rectal prolapse after a procedure with colon removal?

@wornoutandtired5151
One other thought, if all foods seem to cause issues, you might try eating smaller, more frequent meals. Too much food (or liquids) at one sitting can cause me problems as well.

The traditional "Thanksgiving dinner" is no longer on my agenda as it includes too much quantity and a high level of fats.