GasX and Post-Op Gas

[toasty 371]

I have heard lots and lots and lots of people say GasX strips helped with the body gas that's pumped into us during surgery, but when I asked the PA about it at my final pre-op appt., he said GasX shouldn't have any effect because the gas is in the body cavity, not the GI tract. According to him, walking is the only real way to deal with the gas, otherwise they would prescribe anti-gas medications.

I have no experience to base any of this on, but what are your thoughts?

[Knitchic 97]

@@toasty I asked the same question to my surgeon yesterday and he said the same thing.

I also asked if walking really does help or just takes you mind off the pain. He said while it does take your mind off the pain it helps "move the gas around so it can work its way out".

I had already bought the GasX strips so I think I will take them with me just to be safe. If nothing else maybe it's a mental thing ????.

[VanessaVSGforme 276]

Hello! My surgery was 9/2. While in the hospital, I asked him if in should take them...he said nope. get up and walk! so I did! and it helped SOME. I still have some pressure in my tummy and chest but it's alot better. Gas X strips really work for when bowels start moving and u feel like u have to burp or pass gas but can't! so I took one on the day I was going home and it helped and now at home...I take maybe one a day. just to keep things moving bowel wise.

[toasty 371]

@@VanessaVSGforme Thanks! That sounds totally reasonable, and more consistent with what the PA said.

[frogftsh 37]

Even walking didn't help me fully, and I was walking a lot. The GasX strips helped in conjunction with moving. Everyone is different and what works for one doesn't for another. I personally took them upon recommendation from my surgeon and others who have had the surgery. As a result, I recommend them as well. Good luck :-)

[Daisee68 2,493]

I think there are 2 types of gas. Will it help with what they pumped in? Nope. Only walking and sometimes heating pad (especially if your shoulder is hurting). HOWEVER, you will have intestinal gas and believe me Gas-X helps. I am 3 months out and still use it quite a bit. My surgeon said "whatever works". They won't hurt and it's great when it does help....

[Cervidae 2,389]

Gas-X Strips aren't for the gas pains that come from getting air pumped into you. It's for when you eat or drink something and after one or two sips/tiny bites you already feel bloated in your new pouch. That gas pain it certainly helps, and fast! I still swear by them, they've been extremely helpful if you, like most people, get bloaty/gassy tummy pain after trying to ingest anything.

[Djmohr 6,965]

Trust me, the gas they pump into your stomach cavity is not the only gas pain you will be dealing with.

The hospital actually gave me gas x late at night the night of my surgery and it definitely helped.

For the gas they pump into your stomach cavity there were only two three things that helped make it more comfortable.

1. Walking from the moment they allow you to. And walking a lot. For me, the moment I got back to my room from recovery I began walking because I had to go to the bathroom. I noticed right away that the pain lessened as soon as I was standing. All that pressure was much better.

2. While you are laying in bed, heating pads or heat packs really help for comfort. I slept with a heating pad on my belly for the first week. (Be careful though, I had mine too high and actually burned a spot on my tummy so bad that it blistered. Make sure you have something between you and the heating pad.

3. Sitting up for me felt so much better. After my first night which I did not sleep a wink because of gas pain, I asked to sit in the chair in my room knowing it felt better when I sat up. I literally spent the whole day when I wasn't walking, sitting in that chair with my heat packs.

There is a reason they have you sitting in bed rather than laying in bed when you come out of the OR. All I know is the pain us definitely more tolerable when sitting or walking.

The good news is that gas pain resolves for the most part within a few days. The bad news, pain meds do nothing for that pain, they simply make you so tired that it is hard to tolerate the pain. I took heavy pain meds that first day and after that I only took them if I was severely uncomfortable. At day 3 I stopped taking them altogether. They suggested I use liquid Tylenol if I needed it but honestly it burned my new tummy.

Good luck!

[red37 116]

The gas from surgery has to be absorbed into your body, diff from the other kind of gas. That being said, I bought some gas x strips and find them useful now, 3+ months out.

[Ruby Woo 62]

Reading thru this thread has helped me tons. Thanks beautiful people.????????????????

[carmar23 10]

How exactly does the gas in the body cavity "work its way out?" It must have to get into the GI tract somehow? It's killing me, it helps if I can understand it better

[ccdomaika 12]

Your body absorbs it. Gas X will only work for gas that's in your gut. It does help after surgery, as everything made me bloated right after surgery. For the other gas, get moving! It really does help!

[gpmed 623]

My docs say the same thing and that the body just has to absorb it. Makes sense cause if it's in the abdominal cavity and not in the bowels, it has no orifice to come out of! For me it mostly caused upper back soreness.

I'm four days post op and walking always makes me feel better. I've had some GI distress and gas in my bowels (not the gas pumped in for surgery) and walking helped me move things along in the digestive tract. My doc puts everyone on a stool softener too. I'm glad to have it cause of feeling like I need to poop but can't.

Edited September 28, 2015 by gpmed

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

My surgeon said the same thing. He also said it wouldn't hurt you to use it if it made you feel better. I think for some people it's more a placebo effect.

[toasty 371]

I found I had some GI gas, and the GasX helped with that. Not with the abdominal cavity gas; only walking helps that. Funny enough, I didn't have much problem with that, never felt the pain in my shoulders like other talk about.