farting problem

[doctor7]

This is not a friggin joke...so please don't respond if you're just gonna make fun of me. I've had this for about 5 years now and I'm trying to get rid of it...can you help? please post.

Here's some history. I'm an 22 year old male (girls don't fart...not), grew up in LA and went to college at UPENN in philly. I never had a farting problem before until I got to UPENN and starting eating their damn cafeteria food during freshman year. Even when I stopped eating that crap...that farting has continued. Now, in the early days when I would went home to LA for the summers...the farting would go away. However, by my junior and senior years...the farting followed after going back to school. Honestly, it's not a big problem...friends like you for who you are, right Also, it's a good way to figure out where you are in a relationship with a girl...once ya stop holding it in, you know it's love. Anyways, I'd like to know of possible reasons and solutions. No medicine please, my current girlfriend has offered me beano and I refused.

Thanks!

Dr7 (recently accepted)

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[bustinbooty]

If you are averse to medicine, I'm not sure what options lie out there. I am unaware of any psychotherapy or manipulative techniques for flatulence. Maybe consult a nutritionist for some dietary modifications?
Otherwise, cork it.

 

[Gumbydammit]

Consider yourself lucky. Farting is fun.

 

[tussy]

First of all, you have to stop swallowing air (ie. eat slow, no gum chewing, etc.). Stop eating gassy food - no beans, cabbage, leafy green stuff, etc. See if that helps.

BTW no matter how long you've dated someone, you should still leave the room to let the farts fly. It's only polite.

 

[algernon]

Originally posted by Gumbydammit:
•Consider yourself lucky. Farting is fun.•

Right on Gumby! We should all embrace this perfectly natural bodily function!

 

[joojoobeware]

If you got a farting problem, just let it rip! But I guess the major concern is the smell of the gas. Well, there is a company that developed a underwear that will filter out the oders and release a fresh 'gas.'
undertecI hope this helps.

 

[algernon]

Originally posted by joojoobeware:
•Well, there is a company that developed a underwear that will filter out the oders and release a fresh 'gas.'
undertecI hope this helps.
•

To the inventor of "odor-grabbing" underwear: Nice. Your parents must be so proud!

 

[doctor7]

very nice with the undertec...however, i've got to say that i'd like to prevent the farting entirely...not just suppress the smell. See, when people tell me it reeks, I say "What if it smelled like potpourri?" Honestly, I'd be a little worried if I heard a loud ass riping followed by a flavorful aroma...ok, enough about my dreams. I'm more looking for advice like the one about not eating certain foods...or eating certain foods that reduce gas?

 

[dude7]

well you should have posted BEFORE you started eating dorm food. come on now..even I could have told you that. stay especially away from the MYSTERY MEAT.
but now that you have the problem..like all...all good things must come to an end..you should be fine soon
" Pick up the telephone and give someone a call"

 

[Doctor Wyldstyle]

Yup, part of it must be your own body. Personally speaking, I have an adverse reaction to Burger King Whoppers. "It smells like a dead rat in my a$$" according to my cousins and friend when I eat their meat. The odd thing is that I don't know of anyone of them that reacts to it like I do.

 

[Djanaba]

Why are you so averse to Beano???

One reason folks get gas is because they eat foods which have nondigestible starches. Cruciferous vegetables -- cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts -- can cause odiferous gas, as can beans (kidney, lima, pinto, black, chick) and tofu (or any soy product). [Always rinse canned beans before use -- you help wash away some of these starches that have leached into the canning water!] Beano is a naturally occuring enzyme that helps break down the starches your body can't. This deprives your gut bacteria of the starches for their lunch, and they produce far less of the gases that make your friends run away. By using the stuff, you can continue to eat a balanced and healthy diet, as well as get rid of the problem (or at least part of it). Some folks also have problems, at least initially, with whole grains and stuff made with them, like Grape Nuts. All of this gets better with time if you stick with it, but unless you're vegetarian and eat this stuff all the time, you're bound to have better and worse days.

Also, considering that this was a CHANGE from your previous state, and it has persisted, consider seeing a doctor AFTER you make some diet or other changes to try to make it go away and it doesn't. You could have something more serious than just farts (i.e., a malabsorption syndrome, though you don't mention abnormal stools or other symptoms).

Other ideas: 1. cut down on the air-injected foods, mostly junk foods. Cheez curls, ice cream (yes! it has air whipped into it during manufacturing; the cheaper the ice cream the more air it's got), stuff like this. 2. Exercise regularly. Often folks who feal bloated and are gassy experience some releif with exercise, either during or after. Consider it if you are not currently exercising regularly, even if it means taking a 15 minute brisk walk after lunch a few times a week. 3. Get rid of your stress. One manifestation if irritable bowel can be gas, though usually other symptoms are present. Consider other apparently unrelated stuff going in your life, as well as your farting, and go from there.

 

[KB.]

Are you lactose intollerant?
You can lose the ability to make lactase as you age, which may account the adult onset of the gas problem.


Bacteria will break it down if you don't. The result is a ton of gas.

 

[doctor7]

Now I'm gonna have to answer the last one in two segments...because you brought up an interesting point.

1. Why no Beano: Well, even though I'm going into medicine, I don't like dependency on drugs. I have this fear that I'll get hooked on beano, need to up my dosage with time, and then I run out of beano one day...would my ass blow inside out? I did this with caffeine for studying...ran out of Starbucks mocha frappaccino one night and could not stay awake at 9:30pm...it took a few weeks to ween myself off of that. So, I'm looking for a behavioral change if possible.

2. The crapping issue is very interesting. How long do most people take craps??? I've been taking 30min+ craps for the last 10 years...before I starting farting. To me, it's normal...it use to be just finishing up a magazine, but now I've really got to just stay for a while. Talk about reduced efficiency of life, right? Anyways, that's another thing...some people sit on the crapper and do the 95% bit. See, I get 95% out in the first 2 minutes, too. However, it's the additional 28 minutes I need to get the last 5% out...to feel fresh and light.

 

[lmthoms1]

Originally posted by joojoobeware:
•If you got a farting problem, just let it rip! But I guess the major concern is the smell of the gas. Well, there is a company that developed a underwear that will filter out the oders and release a fresh 'gas.'
undertecI hope this helps.
•

Where do you all find this stuff!!!

 

[lilycat]

First of all, I don't think that you would get addicted to Beano -- like Djanaba said, it's an enzyme that will help break down the foods you ingest, leaving less work for the bacteria. Basically it would be like taking Vitamin C or something.

Otherwise, you may want to consider going to the doctor -- you could have irritable bowel syndrome or something. Of course they will probably have to do some rather invasive and uncomfortable procedures.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Beano does NOT induce any dependence or tolerance. It is safe to take and should not cause you any problems.

If you were lactose intolerant I would expect other symptoms - such as abdominal cramping & diarrhea - most frequently when using dairy products. If you are, an OTC natural enzyme called Lact-Aid can help resolve your problem. However, it doesn't sound as if diarrhea is your trouble.

As for the length of your BMs, that is highly variable. If 30 minutes is normal for you, then there is probably is nothing wrong on that end (pun intended). However, I would estimate that 30 minutes is rather on the long side of average per BM; consider whether or not you are straining needlessly to evacuate that last 5%. You sound constipated and a candidate for hemorrhoids.

Djanaba has given some excellent advice; for most otherwise healthy young people, excess flatulence is due to 1) swallowing air - when eating, sleeping (do you sleep with your mouth open?) and talking; 2) stress induced air swallowing (which might explain why you only have it at school but not at home on vacation); 3) HABIT - it does get easier to release air once you make a habit of letting it rip (and yes, you can tell when you're comfortable enough in a relationship to do it, but in all honesty, do you really need to be THAT comfortable?) and 4) dietary intake of cruciferous veggies and beans. Some people find that certain foods bother them. University food halls are well-known sources of constipating foods - lots of mac & cheese, meat and low on fiber. Its time for an experiment on your end (no pun this time) - chart when and what you've eaten and the relationship of intestinal gases released.

If your flatulence isn't relieved with the above suggestions, its time to seek medical advice from your personal physician (which is probably a fair bit wiser than seeking advice from a bunch of pre-meds and med students) for a complete H&P.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Kimberli Cox:
•If you are lactose intolerant I would expect other symptoms - such as abdominal cramping & diarrhea - most frequently when using dairy products. If you are, an OTC natural enzyme called Lact-Aid can provide substantial relief.•

Kim is dead-on with this one. A friend of mine way back in high school developed this. Believe me, farting was the least of his problems until he discovered the benefits of Lact-Aid.

 

[MadrasEye]

smell of the gas is an important thing.

If your farts reek like a dead animal, then you may have a digestive problem like steatthoreah. Do your bowel movements float?

and I have never been so close to a woman that I could just let loose at any time with her. I was engaged. Still I never broke wind on her. Maybe thats why she dumped me.

 

[Djanaba]

Sometimes, chronic problems require chronic treatment. Beano is NOT a drug. It is an enzyme that does its work in your gut, until your own stomach acid is secreted in sufficient amounts to inactivate it. It breaks down into amino acids, just like any other protein you'd eat. There is NO way to develop tolerance to this stuff.

30 minute bowel movements hints to constipation, not the diarrhea one would expect in lactose intolerance or malabsorption (definitely not steatorrhea, which is loose in consistency). It does mean you're not getting enough fiber. For all you know you've got episodes of self-resolving impaction, and no matter what the cause, you're on your way to fun episodes of hemorrhoids. Dude, get the beano and start eating more veggies and whole grains!!!

(Heh. Doctor, heal thyself. How do you expect your patients to comply with chronic treatments when you yourself won't touch them?)

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Karthik:
•I have never been so close to a woman that I could just let loose at any time with her. I was engaged. Still I never broke wind on her. Maybe thats why she dumped me.
•

Could be....

Just wait until you're married, things will loosen up some, but I still tend to try and be courteous and leave the room for my wife, most of the time.

 

[Peregrin]

A friend of mine used to break loose in bed and clamp the covers down over his wife's head...

Maybe his second wife likes it....

 

[Dr JPH]

Dryer sheet in the boxer shorts.

 

[algernon]

Originally posted by Peregrin:
•A friend of mine used to break loose in bed and clamp the covers down over his wife's head...

Maybe his second wife likes it....•

Peregrin...

I believe you are referring to a maneuver known as the "dutch oven". Not pleasant...but, I think, just slightly less disgusting than a "cupcake".

 

[Cobragirl]

I do have to ask the OBVIOUS question on most women's minds (not)...why DO most men start to fart AFTER we women have made a "commitment" to you?? Is it a sign of endearment, like a cat putting its butt in your face? My hubby NEVER farted in my presence BEFORE we got married and now...ppppphhhhhhttttthhhhhh! All the time. It's especially annoying when he has his daily "after dinner" fart. Totally understandable timing, of course, but since he usually finishes dinner about 5 minutes BEFORE I do.....you get the picture. Nothing like steak and fresh man-fart to work up a woman's appetite! At this point, I've at least gotten him to the point where he'll lean the other direction...

And the dutch-oven thing...I don't know. I've been the unfortunate recipient of that a couple of times too. Why DO you guys find it so darn amusing? Must go back to the boy-hood "lighting the farts on fire" stuff.

While farting is certainly not gender specific, I have never been able to figure out the total disparity between the sexes. It is a rare woman indeed that would fart in front of ANYONE, let alone a man (although I know they are out there). In a way, it's rather unfortunate for us women...I know I've put myself in some serious pain trying to fight of the inevitable while in company...

 

[MadrasEye]

Hey...what's a "Cupcake?""
Is that like a dirty sanchez or something?

Oh yeah, what i wanted to say is that the gentleman with the flatulence problem is really not constipated and i think steathoreah or IBD could be possible.

in response to:
30 minute bowel movements hints to constipation, not the diarrhea one would expect in lactose intolerance or malabsorption (definitely not steatorrhea, which is loose in consistency)

It is definitely not constipation, and definitely not "episodic fecal impaction" Where did you pull that diagnosis from? (your ass???)"joke"
He said that 95% comes out in the first two minutes.
thats why i asked whether or not it floats.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Cobragirl:
•While farting is certainly not gender specific, I have never been able to figure out the total disparity between the sexes.•

Well, actually my Histo prof discussed this with our class this spring. (He gets his jollies with this type of thing) One structure which helps hold gas within the digestive tract is the Plica Transversae, three overlapping infoldings of the submucosa on the inside of the GI tract, in the lower extremity of the rectum. Apparently the Plica Transversae don't overlap as much in the male as in the female. So the better seal on females allows more of the gas to be absorbed and removed in another way. You already know the results of the male system's shortcomings.

 

[WestGirl]

Forgive me for my ignorance, but I'm curious about the significance of whether or not the stools float. I remember reading something a LONG time ago about floating stools but cannot, for the life of me, remember what that indicated.

 

[tussy]

It can mean steatorrhea (fat in the stools). Also, they would be runny, stinky, greasy and difficult to wipe off. You would also expect weight loss and deficiencies in the fat soluble vitamins (D,E,A,K).

 

[Col_4:14]

All this talk has given me a hankerin to watch Blazing Saddles again.

 

[Jamier2]

Originally posted by Col_4:14:
•All this talk has given me a hankerin to watch Blazing Saddles again. •

I love that movie, but I don't get what you're saying. Could you clue me in, please?

 

[Col_4:14]

The part when they are eating beans. Your memory should be refreshed now


Whoa, it looks like I will get my wish. Blazing saddles will be on tonight at 9 on FOX family (now there is an oxymoron).

 

[Jamier2]

Memory now suitably freshened, thanks.

I'll be right here with ya at 9, if I can remember which channel FOX Family is. I really need to watch more TV.

 

[Col_4:14]

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!! I don't mean to shout but they cut out the "more beans?" part in Blazing Saddles!!?!
feh!

 

[Jacky]

There's this wonderous device I learned of while watching the discovery channel late one night. (It's called "The Human Emission Transformer"!) This electronic gizmo (when applied directly over your rectum, clothed or unclothed) is designed to transform the typical flatulent sound into a pleasant, verbal gesture!!! (ie "Good Morning" or "God bless you") (The texture of the sound is somewhat comparable to that of a voice box, throat-cancer patients typically use.) Next time I see the ad, I'll write down and post the 1-800 #. Hang in there, buddy!!

 

[Stinky T]

Originally posted by Jacky:
•There's this wonderous device I learned of while watching the discovery channel late one night. (It's called "The Human Emission Transformer"!) This electronic gizmo (when applied directly over your rectum, clothed or unclothed) is designed to transform the typical flatulent sound into a pleasant, verbal gesture!!! (ie "Good Morning" or "God bless you") (The texture of the sound is somewhat comparable to that of a voice box, throat-cancer patients typically use.) Next time I see the ad, I'll write down and post the 1-800 #. Hang in there, buddy!!•

I thought that was a SNL skit.

 

[Jamier2]

It was a SNL skit. Jacky must be mistaken, but I can't hardly see how you could mistake SNL for TDC. (The Discovery Channel) That's a bit of a stretch for me.

 

[Stillfocused]

Did you have an exposure to antibiotics while at school? Or, did your intake of processed foods increase? If so, you may have disrupted your normal intestinal flora. And, you may to consider increasing your intake of live cluture yogurt or taking probiotic supplements while eating a less processed diet.

 

[Jacky]

Of course it's SNL!! (Will Ferrell plays the doc promoting the product/device, it's absolutely hysterical!!!!). Saying I saw it on the discovery channel, in my view, added more credibility (to the joke).

 

[Jamier2]

Jacky, I should have known you were joking. Sometimes I miss the subtle ones...

 

[doctor7]

I want to thank everyone for their advice so far. In response to the floating stool question...both sinkers and floaters, usually floaters I think. I also go through a bunch of toilet paper to wipe it off (a good 1/4 of a roll depending on the last time I had a good shaving). Side question, sometimes I take a great dump...and when I go to wipe, there are practically no dingle berries. Why is that? I'd like to take more craps like that. Anyhow, as to my diet...it's pretty crappy. I eat no fruits or veggies. I'm quite the philly cheesesteak type...3 times a week when I was at UPENN. The only way I keep trim is because of natural metabolism and...oh yeah, I'll fast for a day every once in a while. Here's another thing, I use to play sports every day until I came to college. Then my excercise schedule has all but disappeared.

 

[Djanaba]

Well, it sounds like you know some of the roots of your problem, and quite a few suggestions here as to fixing it. Diet and exercise! And beano and a doctor if all else fails. Good luck!