Devrom, Flagyl, or is it normal?

In general, how do we DSers know if we need a round of Flagyl, just some Devrom to help out (if we are lucky enough to have it help), or if it is just 'normal' for us DSers?

Some days when my carb count is higher, I can explain the excess gas/smelliness.  But other days when I seem to be eating "on target" and still have bathroom and gas issues that are really nasty it makes me wonder if it just isn't the norm?  I would like to possibly see if there is something I can do to help my poor family out because my 9 year old last night walked over to me and gagged and asked me stop farting.  If I hold it in, which somedays at work I HAVE to, then I get terrible bloating.  The only relief is to let it out.

I don't take a probiotic, but eat Activia yogurt everyday.

I wouldn't rule out having an "issue" with a certain food (for example white flour or sugar alcohols), but my protein is a lot of the same foods from day to day and my carbs very from day to day, so I find it hard to believe it could be one food source.

I am approximately 9 months post-op and it seems to have been this way since starting to eat normal foods.

 It's more often than not diet related. If you are having sensitivities to gluten, sugar alcohols, dairy....thay can all cause gas. The only true way to find out what you might be intolerant to is to do an elimination diet. I don't think the use of those products is typically the norm but more the exception. I think most gas can be controlled by diet.

I followed the rules to the letter, ate ONLY meat, etc, and still had had horrible gas and stools. Flagyl is the only thing that helped.

If you have an overgrowth of bacteria, I don't care what anyone says, low-carbing it ain't gonna kill the bacteria.

When I got massive indigestion and gas from beef jerky, I knew I had bacterial overgrowth.

Most issues should be able to be controlled by diet, and it can take a couple days after removing the offending food for the gut to normalize.  It is entirely possible to have a problem with sugar, too.  Don't discount that activia yogurt.  Plenty of sugar in there.  I can comment more on food choices if you give a sample of what you're eating.

I really had issues with carbs for almost 2 years...especially flour.  You are still early out.

Safer carbs tend to be potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and rice.  The deadly ones tend to be baked goods, crackers, breads, cereals.

Lots of extra fat can also give me gas.  Stabilizers in artificial sweeteners also did it for me (maltodextrin from sweet n low, splenda, etc). 

So, I would check my diet for hidden thickeners, stabilizers, flours, lactose, sugar alcohols, and excess fiber.

After that, I might consider a gall bladder problem--do you still have yours?

Are you drinking protein shakes?    Most of them (except Syntrax Nectar and Designer Whey) give me noxious gas, unfortunately.  Also, the week just before my period, it seems like I get gas at the drop of a hat.    At nine months out, I was still pretty careful - a lot of "hidden" things gave me gas - like the sugar in barbecue sauce, broccoil, or bread crumbs in meatballs.   Now, most of that is in the past, except for the really obvious stuff like flour and sugar.