Sort of disgusting question

[KingGheedora]

So around January I changed my diet to try to eat healthier, and eat more home made meals, eat more fruits and veggies. Soon after doing this I started getting the worst gas imaginable.

I was at a bar with friends last weekend, and I let one go, hoping no one would notice. My friend who was standing next to me noticed almost immediately, and then the rest of our group noticed a couple seconds later. We all moved to the other side of the bar, and after about a minute, that entire side of the bar and dance floor was literally cleared out. This was a space about 25'x25'.

I'm actually afraid to fart in the subways and other indoor locations because my farts smell so bad now. I wouldn't really care but there is absolutely no way I could subject unsuspecting innocents to this and not burst into laughter once I start seeing their reactions. I guarantee people would get up and leave that part of the train if I did this.

This is not a joke. My primary suspicion is that it's the bananas, I eat 1-2 of them every day. Starting last week I upped my fruit intake to around 4 servings a day, and veggies to 1-2/day (from ~.3 a day) to make sure I'm getting enough fiber.

The only other change has been that I take a tablespoon of fish oil every morning (~6g omega3's).

Has anyone else had this kind of thing happen? Is there anything that can be done to combat this? Because besides the bad-smelling gas, I'm pretty happy with my diet.


UPDATE

Stopped eating bananas around Thursday of last week. Both amount and intensity of gas are totally back to normal now. Everything else in my diet has remained the same.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Hrm, you may want to go to a doctor. I intake 1-2 bananas a day and also intake fairly high amounts of fiber along with fish oil. None of these have made me have something quite like this. Your body may be accommodating differently than mine, but it might be some sort of GI distress? Who knows.

 

[silverpig]

Ever since I started making sure to eat a lot better I noticed the same, but not to the same extent. It ended up going away and now I have er, digestive problems, when I have a giant meal of crap on the rare occasion.

Apparently you can carry a lot of crap on your colon walls that just sorta sticks there and messes you up. I'm not sure on the effectiveness, but there are some supplements you can get to flush your pipes out, a sort of human drain-o. I've done a pint of prune nectar twice now and it seemed to help.

 

[KingGheedora]

SociallyChallenged, are you taking a fiber supplement, or getting it purely from the foods you eat?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora
SociallyChallenged, are you taking a fiber supplement, or getting it purely from the foods you eat?

If I start to have any trouble, I will use a fiber supplement. Otherwise, I eat lots of fruit, veggies, beans, oats, etc to try to keep my intake of good, natural foods up. They are almost always enough.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: silverpig
Ever since I started making sure to eat a lot better I noticed the same, but not to the same extent. It ended up going away and now I have er, digestive problems, when I have a giant meal of crap on the rare occasion.

Apparently you can carry a lot of crap on your colon walls that just sorta sticks there and messes you up. I'm not sure on the effectiveness, but there are some supplements you can get to flush your pipes out, a sort of human drain-o. I've done a pint of prune nectar twice now and it seemed to help.

This is said in so many infomercials with no scientific merit. If you have something stuck in your colon, it's a tumor. Your body utilizes movements through a process call peristalsis that moves EVERYTHING through the bowel. There is no such thing as "mucoid plaque." Research it. It's a hoax. The only thing those cleansers do is kill your good bacteria, flush your liver, and make your feces black in the process. It's terrible for you and that guy should be shot.

 

[KoolDrew]

The best solution ever:
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2168888.html

Or just get good at blaming others. Or mess around with meal frequency, quantity per meal, lowering carb intake, figuring out what type of foods give you gas, digestive enzymes, probiotics, etc.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: silverpig
Ever since I started making sure to eat a lot better I noticed the same, but not to the same extent. It ended up going away and now I have er, digestive problems, when I have a giant meal of crap on the rare occasion.

Apparently you can carry a lot of crap on your colon walls that just sorta sticks there and messes you up. I'm not sure on the effectiveness, but there are some supplements you can get to flush your pipes out, a sort of human drain-o. I've done a pint of prune nectar twice now and it seemed to help.

This is said in so many infomercials with no scientific merit. If you have something stuck in your colon, it's a tumor. Your body utilizes movements through a process call peristalsis that moves EVERYTHING through the bowel. There is no such thing as "mucoid plaque." Research it. It's a hoax. The only thing those cleansers do is kill your good bacteria, flush your liver, and make your feces black in the process. It's terrible for you and that guy should be shot.

Well I have an ex g/f who said anal sex was really painful so she got an anal sex starter kit or something when she married her now ex husband. It included this syringe that you'd stick up your ass and flush your rectum out with because one of the things that makes anal sex painful is impacted shit in there. She said she flushed it out pretty good and quite a bit of stuff came out even though it didn't feel like she had to go. After that, anal sex was fine.

So there is SOME merit to it.

 

[HN]

did you start taking protein powders/mixes

 

[RagingBITCH]

What HN said. Upping your protein intake causes some really horrible smelling gas, but normally tapers off after your body adjusts to getting that much protein. And I don't remember mine ever being "room clearing".

I'd go to a doctor and let them run a few tests...that doesn't sound normal lol. Good luck with the ladies.

 

[KingGheedora]

Did not start taking protein powder, but part of my changed diet is increase in the amount of protein I eat.

 

[conorvansmack]

Are you eating more eggs than before?

 

[EvilYoda]

When I first considerably changed my diet last year, I had the typical issue of volume, not intensity. Either way, it subsided after a month or two - I fart about as much as I used to now. (not a lot)

 

[KingGheedora]

Yes, I now eat eggs ~2x a week. When I make eggs I typically scramble 4 whites and 2 whole eggs, eat half of it for breakfast, and put the other half in a sandwich to eat for lunch at work.

Man, I feel bad for my coworkers.

 

[conorvansmack]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Yes, I now eat eggs ~2x a week. When I make eggs I typically scramble 4 whites and 2 whole eggs, eat half of it for breakfast, and put the other half in a sandwich to eat for lunch at work.

Man, I feel bad for my coworkers.

That's a possible culprit for some people. If you don't adjust, maybe your coworkers will.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: silverpig
Ever since I started making sure to eat a lot better I noticed the same, but not to the same extent. It ended up going away and now I have er, digestive problems, when I have a giant meal of crap on the rare occasion.

Apparently you can carry a lot of crap on your colon walls that just sorta sticks there and messes you up. I'm not sure on the effectiveness, but there are some supplements you can get to flush your pipes out, a sort of human drain-o. I've done a pint of prune nectar twice now and it seemed to help.

This is said in so many infomercials with no scientific merit. If you have something stuck in your colon, it's a tumor. Your body utilizes movements through a process call peristalsis that moves EVERYTHING through the bowel. There is no such thing as "mucoid plaque." Research it. It's a hoax. The only thing those cleansers do is kill your good bacteria, flush your liver, and make your feces black in the process. It's terrible for you and that guy should be shot.

Well I have an ex g/f who said anal sex was really painful so she got an anal sex starter kit or something when she married her now ex husband. It included this syringe that you'd stick up your ass and flush your rectum out with because one of the things that makes anal sex painful is impacted shit in there. She said she flushed it out pretty good and quite a bit of stuff came out even though it didn't feel like she had to go. After that, anal sex was fine.

So there is SOME merit to it.

That's impacted fecal matter, not colonic plaque. That's due to increased density and poor diet and can be fixed through an enema. However, it is a function of constipation-like symptoms. It is IMPACTED, not bound to the membrane of the lumenal wall.

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Well I have an ex g/f who said anal sex was really painful so she got an anal sex starter kit or something when she married her now ex husband. It included this syringe that you'd stick up your ass and flush your rectum out with because one of the things that makes anal sex painful is impacted shit in there. She said she flushed it out pretty good and quite a bit of stuff came out even though it didn't feel like she had to go. After that, anal sex was fine.

So there is SOME merit to it.

The reason why buttsecks is painful is because that particular orifice was designed for exit only. If you built up fecal "plaque" on the walls of your colon, it would become infected, and you could potentially become septic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diverticulitis

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora
So around January I changed my diet to try to eat healthier, and eat more home made meals, eat more fruits and veggies. Soon after doing this I started getting the worst gas imaginable.

I was at a bar with friends last weekend, and I let one go, hoping no one would notice. My friend who was standing next to me noticed almost immediately, and then the rest of our group noticed a couple seconds later. We all moved to the other side of the bar, and after about a minute, that entire side of the bar and dance floor was literally cleared out. This was a space about 25'x25'.

I'm actually afraid to fart in the subways and other indoor locations because my farts smell so bad now. I wouldn't really care but there is absolutely no way I could subject unsuspecting innocents to this and not burst into laughter once I start seeing their reactions. I guarantee people would get up and leave that part of the train if I did this.

This is not a joke. My primary suspicion is that it's the bananas, I eat 1-2 of them every day. Starting last week I upped my fruit intake to around 4 servings a day, and veggies to 1-2/day (from ~.3 a day) to make sure I'm getting enough fiber.

The only other change has been that I take a tablespoon of fish oil every morning (~6g omega3's).

Has anyone else had this kind of thing happen? Is there anything that can be done to combat this? Because besides the bad-smelling gas, I'm pretty happy with my diet.

This is a very common symptom of going from a very low-fiber to a high-fiber diet very quickly. A GI used to getting white rice will protest if you start giving it brown because the flora have populated for a refined-carbohydrate diet. Your gut will adapt, but you have to let it adapt slowly and gradually - something it won't do so easily if you ram 40g of fiber down a day. My advice would be to reduce fiber content and increase it slowly. Or live with the gas as your body slowly adapts.

Consider using a probiotic supplement and/or consuming fermented foods, such as yogurt, tempeh, kimchee, etc.

Edit: Diversifying fiber sources can also help. This means rotate between a few whole grains, don't eat the same fruits & vegetables all the time, etc. This has benefits besides reducing room-clearing fart gas (which I, too have done in humid rooms).

 

[KingGheedora]

Cool. I actually did start diversifying the different vegetables and fruits I eat last week. Bananas are the one thing I pretty much have every single day though.

 

[wwswimming]

maybe some yogurt & sauerkraut & kefir to help build up your healthy stomach bacteria.

until then, you could rent a dog. every time "the smell" comes, just shake your head
and say something about "damn mutt got into the M&M's".

 

[GeezerMan]

I used to work with a guy that could fart on command. One day, at his old job, he was in early to the office, just him there, to catch up on some paperwork. He was letting them rip right and left in the small office. His boss came in and said the sewage line must be broken outside because of the smell. She calls two maintenance guys in to check it out. So, here are 4 of them standing around the office sniffing the air saying they smell something.No breaks in the sewage line were found. :Q

 

[The Sauce]

To the people who are recommending going to a doctor... I would just like to say WTF?!?!?!?!!!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?!? You don't go see a doctor for smelly farts! Perhaps that bears repeating - NO DOCTOR FOR SMELLY FARTS! Go see the doctor if you are sick or hurt, not because you reek. This sort of insane thinking is what creates 6 hour ER waits and drives up healthcare costs.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: The Sauce
To the people who are recommending going to a doctor... I would just like to say WTF?!?!?!?!!!?!? Are you freaking kidding me?!? You don't go see a doctor for smelly farts! Perhaps that bears repeating - NO DOCTOR FOR SMELLY FARTS! Go see the doctor if you are sick or hurt, not because you reek. This sort of insane thinking is what creates 6 hour ER waits and drives up healthcare costs.

Seriously? That can be your opinion, but there are a series of problems/disorders that have symptomology of reeking flatulence as disorders. If he actually is lactose intolerant, a doctor can tell him that. If he has an abnormal bacterial infection, the doctor can tell him that. If he has become a zombie, the doctor can tell him that Seriously if it's THAT bad, it could be a sign of an underlying problem. Don't be so close-minded. He's not going to the ER for that. The logic in that comparison is nill.

 

[Howard]

IANAD, but it sounds like the increased fiber.

 

[Kipper]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora
Cool. I actually did start diversifying the different vegetables and fruits I eat last week. Bananas are the one thing I pretty much have every single day though.

There isn't anything in bananas per se that should cause smelly gas. This is definitely a fiber issue, more so if your diet was a low-fiber one (i.e. little fruits and vegetables, low whole-grain diet) prior to the switch.

I just noticed from OP that your daily fruit servings are sort of high. Try increasing vegetable servings and see what happens. We always hear "fruits and vegetables" but the emphasis should be on the latter, not the former. Both are equally important, however.

If you are very concerned, a trip to a physician may be in order but there is no question in my mind it is the dietary switch.