Trapped gas can cause sharp, cramping pain that's easy to mistake for something more serious. Most of the time it passes on its own, but a few simple steps can help it along, and some changes can stop it from building up so often.
Passing gas is normal. Most people do it many times a day. The problem for people with IBS is usually how much it hurts, how much it bloats, or how unpredictable it is.
Where Gas Comes From
There are two main sources:
- Swallowed air. Eating fast, talking while eating, drinking through a straw, fizzy drinks and chewing gum all add air. Most of it comes back up as burping.
- Fermentation. Bacteria in the large intestine ferment carbohydrates you didn't absorb, especially FODMAPs, and produce gas as a by-product.6 This is the gas that causes most lower-belly pain and bloating.
Quick Ways to Relieve Gas
Walk
Gentle movement helps gas move through the gut. A 10 to 15 minute walk is often the fastest fix. Over the longer term, regular physical activity improved IBS symptoms in a randomized trial.1
Change position
Lying on your left side, or bringing your knees to your chest, helps some people pass gas. Other positions to try:
- Knees to chest: lie on your back and hug both knees in for 30 seconds
- Child's pose: kneel, sit back on your heels and fold forward with arms stretched out
- Gentle twist: lie on your back, knees bent, and let them fall slowly to one side, then the other
Gentle abdominal massage
Using light pressure, move your hand in slow circles clockwise around your belly button, following the direction the colon runs. Some people find this helps trapped gas move along.
Try a warm compress
A hot water bottle or heat pad on your abdomen can relax the muscles and ease cramping.
Slow, deep belly breathing
Breathe in slowly through your nose so your belly rises, then breathe out slowly. Diaphragmatic breathing is recommended for a type of bloating caused by abnormal abdominal muscle reflexes.5
Peppermint
Peppermint oil was more effective than placebo for IBS symptoms in a meta-analysis of randomized trials.2 Peppermint tea is a gentler option and low FODMAP. Peppermint can worsen heartburn in some people.
How to Prevent Gas Building Up
- Find your FODMAP triggers. Our list of foods that cause bloating is a good place to start. A short low FODMAP trial, followed by reintroduction, shows which ones matter for you. See our beginner's guide.
- Take care with beans. If legumes give you gas, an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase, taken with the meal, reduced symptoms in people with IBS who were sensitive to GOS.3 More in digestive enzymes for bloating.
- Skip sugar-free gum and mints. They contain sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, which are poorly absorbed4, and chewing gum also makes you swallow air.
- Eat slowly and avoid large, rushed meals.
- Cut back on fizzy drinks, and drink from a glass rather than a straw.
- Add fiber slowly. A sudden jump in fiber, especially from bran or beans, often means a sudden jump in gas. If you need more fiber, psyllium tends to cause less gas than other types.
- Stay regular. Constipation traps gas behind stool, so treating constipation often reduces gas pain.
Common Gas-Producing Foods
| Food group | Examples | FODMAP |
|---|---|---|
| Legumes | Beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas | GOS |
| Alliums | Onion, garlic, shallot | Fructans |
| Grains | Wheat, rye, barley | Fructans |
| Fruit | Apple, pear, watermelon | Fructose, polyols |
| Sweeteners | Sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol | Polyols |
| Dairy | Milk, soft cheese, ice cream | Lactose |
Over-the-Counter Products
Over-the-counter simethicone is widely used for gas, but there's little good-quality research on it in IBS. The same goes for activated charcoal, which can also interfere with how medicines are absorbed. Ask a pharmacist before combining remedies. Our guide to OTC options for IBS covers what has evidence.
When to See a Doctor
Gas pain usually comes and goes. Get medical advice if pain is severe or persistent, or if you notice:
- Blood in your stool or black stools
- Unintended weight loss
- Fever or vomiting
- Pain that wakes you at night or keeps getting worse
- A swollen, hard abdomen with no bowel movement or gas
Severe, sudden pain, especially with vomiting or a rigid belly, needs urgent care.
To find what's behind your gas, try an IBS food diary, and check suspect foods in our FODMAP checker.
