Unbearable flatulence for almost 3 months now

[chikkugtavc]

I am desperate at this point to figure out what is wrong with me. So I started heavy weightlifting at the gym about 3 months ago. I increased my caloric intake a lot because I was severely under-eating. I started taking creatine everyday as well as making a post-workout protein shake. I usually go to the gym around 8-9pm and get home by 10:30ish. That is when I have my post-workout shake. Immediately after drinking it, the gas begins and it will last well into the next day. It's really never-ending because I'm drinking these shakes after every workout so the cycle of gas continues.

At first, my shake was consisting of organic greek plain greek yogurt, organic banana, organic peanut butter, organic raw honey, kachava, rolled oats, and weigh protein. Eventually I took out the greek yogurt to see if that was the problem but the gas continued. So I switched from weigh protein to Naked Egg White Protein. The gas continued. Then I removed the Kachava because of some stuff I read online....the gas continued.

FYI the gas is horrendous. Smells of pure sulfur. And I have not had a solid #2 in a while.

As of writing this, I haven't been to the gym in 3 days and therefore have not had my post-workout shake, AND I'M STILL GASSY. It's not as bad as when I have my shake so maybe my gut is still returning to normal. But I'm still unusually gassy after 3 days of not drinking my shake.

I'm on the verge of going to my doctor but wanted to get some opinions online here and see what others think and if they have a relatable experience.

Some posts I've read here have said it could be to a change in diet and an increased intake of protein and calories. But after 3 months, don't you think my gut would have adapted by now?

Should I look into taking some pre and probiotics?

Thank you in advance

 

[cfitz]

@chikkugtavc I never had this issues with creatine, but apparently, in some people, it can cause gas. Maybe stop the creatine for a week and reevaluate.

"The other major side effect of creatine is gastrointestinal distress and stomach issues. This can cause less desirable effects like bloating, gas, stomach pains, or diarrhea."

 

[chikkugtavc]

@cfitz Noted. I will first try reducing my protein to 25g in my shakes versus 50+ and see how that works. If not, maybe i'll try removing the creatine to see how I react. Thank you for your input

 

[pmatshele]

@chikkugtavc Could also try a plant-based powder, I find them very light and digestible.

 

[ahumbleheart]

@pmatshele Can you compare the gains between plant based powder vs. other protein?

 

[pmatshele]

@ahumbleheart I couldn’t find any studies, in terms of gains a few articles say whey is marginally better- higher BV and Leucine content slightly higher. Though arguably you might get better gains on the one that agrees with you the most.

 

[new_christian]

@ahumbleheart It depends on the plant as Soy is pretty much the only one with a comparable amino acid profile to Whey/Eggs that matches their ability to be used for protein synthesis.

 

[ahumbleheart]

@new_christian Soy works for me

 

[new_christian]

@chikkugtavc Whats your body weight, and whats your total protein in grams by the end of the day?

If you are having multiple shakes at 50+ grams of protein its probably the protein giving you gas.

you should also look into high FODMAP foods.

 

[jbntx]

@chikkugtavc The oats is what does it for me. I just love preparing for a race or long ride with that, but I also know that when I get home the smell is about to start haha.

 

[chikkugtavc]

@jbntx Doing a quick google search and indeed oats have been known to cause excessive gas in some individuals. It makes sense because I haven't had a shake in 3 days but I have continued to eat my morning oatmeal everyday and that could very well be why I still am extremely gassy. Thanks for shedding some light on that

 

[jbntx]

@chikkugtavc yea it had me for a spin as well, I had no clue. Took me a bit to figure out. But oats, bananas, raisins, blueberryjam and milk. is the kind of "cereal" I swear by on long rides. It's great.

 

[ljglack11]

@chikkugtavc Carbohydrates feed gut bacteria sugars, which in turn creates gas. You may just need to look into pre/probiotics to balance the flora.

 

[chikkugtavc]

@jbntx Interesting! That is the last thing I would expect to cause gas but I will have to experiment and see if that is the culprit. Appreciate the input

 

[mommajulesberry]

@chikkugtavc how much fibre? did you increase your protein from not much to enough all at once?

 

[chikkugtavc]

@mommajulesberry I don't really think about fibre. I probably should start. And yes I did go from not eating much protein to eating a lot more. I also might be trying to consume too much protein at once. Typically with my shakes, it's around 50g's of protein

 

[kaiisbae]

@chikkugtavc This is happening to me currently after increasing my protein from like 80-90 a day to 130-150. My gas was never great but now it is pretty intense.

 

[chikkugtavc]

@kaiisbae Yeah seems like there are a million factors and everyone reacts so differently to things so I will continue to do process of elimination. I have a hunch it’s my oats.

 

[kaiisbae]

@chikkugtavc I don't really care haha. My wife on the other hand...

 

[dawn16]

@chikkugtavc My guy, are you using milk to mix your protein shake? I see everything you’re putting in it, but the difference between mixing that with milk and water can be messy for some of us.