I have some symptoms of IBS. And the most irritating problem I'm dealing with is intestinal gas. I'm taking medicines but they don't seem working. Neither it is curing IBS nor the gas problem.

I'm taking enough fiber (salad, vegetables, fruits etc.). I don't eat any fast food or something like that. I walk early in the morning, before dinner and light walk after dinner. I do some light exercises/Yoga. Yet, I'm suffering from intestinal gas. Bloating is okay but this gas causes pain in my lower part and I've to go to toilet 2-3 times daily to pass the gas only (most of the times). I can't evacuate at single time.

So I want to find the root cause of this gas problem and want to find solution for it.

I have three queries to ask in my case:

  1. Does constipation cause intestinal gas?
  2. Do some food cause gas and then gas cause constipation?
  3. My stools are not like they should be (sometimes liquid, sometimes hard and color varies, and all with gas).

    (a) What can be the reason of this? Bad digestion of food or the constipation (caused by gas?)? (b) Is it possible that food is digested properly but gas causes the variations and bad stools?

Two more thing that can help you answer better is that 1st: I think a lot (I don't actually know if it's normal or a lot) about these problems, search many times on internet for solutions. I think like every half an hour about these problems. 2nd: I'm underweight. Everyone calls me skinny. I even think about it many times a day and feel little ashamed and bad. My weight is 57 Kg and I'm aged 24.

Is this thinking is causing all problems and even IBS?

NOTE: I take sufficient sleep. 7-8 hours per day. There are no sleeping disorders.

I hope you understand my problem and you can answer it. I shall be thankful to you.

  • I didn't downvote, but I'm guessing they occurred because of 1) personal health questions, and 2) multiple questions – Dave Liu Feb 17 '18 at 23:50

The actual mechanism of intestinal gas is that "normal intestinal bacteria" in the large intestine produce it. If you consume certain nutrients, these bacteria will consume them and produce gas. Everyone has these bacteria, so this is not a problem, the problem can be nutrients by which you "feed them":

  1. Soluble fiber in foods, such as barley, oats, legumes (beans, peas, lentils) and some fruits. Check for more detailed list of foods high in soluble fiber.

  2. Lactose, mainly in milk, but also in ice cream or yogurt (not in cheese or butter). People with lactose intolerance cannot digest lactose, so this travels from the small to large intestine, where bacteria degrade it and produce gas.

  3. Fructose in certain fruits (apples, pears, mango, agave), honey and beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can cause bloating and lose stools in individuals with fructose malabsorption.

To reduce all 3 nutrients at once you may consider a low-FODMAP diet.

Constipation may worsen bloating because intestinal bacteria have more time to degrade substances in your stool. Constipation can be prevented by being physically active (walking), drinking enough water (not "a lot," just enough) and avoiding certain foods. People with IBS commonly report that sugary foods, carbonated, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, cheese and chocolate...and certain other foods...irritate them.

EDIT: Few more causes of irregular bowel movements and bloating:

  • Intestinal parasites, including worms and unicellular parasites, like Giardia (stool tests are available)

  • Celiac disease - an intolerance to gluten, which is in wheat, rye and barley.

  • Chronic infection of stomach by the bacterium H. pylori can cause bloating in the upper abdomen--this is stomach bloating--a typical symptom that can differ it from intestinal bloating is frequent burping (belching).

Two common causes of constipation are dehydration and anxiety.

Excessive worrying may worsen IBS and is probably one of the causes of IBS. But thinking how to solve stomach problems is just OK.

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    Thank you it provided me some good knowledge about things. Could you please tell if being underweight can also cause digestion problems? Also, can gas be the reason for constipation? – user6525 Aug 25 '16 at 16:50
  • Being somewhat underweight by itself should not be a reason for constipation or digestive problems of any kind. Being underweight because of poor diet resulting in nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency, could contribute to constipation, though. Iron deficiency may be more common in vegans. They are blood tests for mineral and vitamin deficiencies available. I also updated my answer above. – Jan Aug 25 '16 at 18:37
  • Theoretically, excessive gas could worsen constipation, because pain from bloating could make you constipated, but this is overthinking and I don't know if it leads anywhere. The focus should be on removing gas-producing and constipating foods and concentrating on work goals. – Jan Aug 26 '16 at 8:52
  • Are apples and bananas good in IBS? At that site, banana is listed in Low FODMAP so it should be okay. Apple is in High. Should I quit apples to stop gas problems? – user6525 Aug 26 '16 at 11:51
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    Yes, that's one thing. Sometimes you need to ignore what people say not swallow everything. – Jan Sep 7 '16 at 7:22