Intestinal Gas Guide

Are there medicines that can reduce bloating or flatulence?

Several over-the-counter digestive aids and dietary supplements are advertised to help with gas problems. There is limited evidence that they are helpful.

Products that might limit the volume of gas:

If you have substantial gas symptoms after eating cruciferous vegetables or beans, you might consider swallowing the dietary supplement alpha-galactosidase (Beano) along with your food. This enzyme is derived from molds and it can chemically digest a portion of undigested sugars in your food.

Non-prescription medicines that are sold as digestive aids may contain the ingredient "simethicone." This substance has been advertised as a gas-relieving medicine that may reduce bloating, but studies that have been done on the drug have not shown a convincing benefit. It affects the surface tension of small bubbles, causing them to combine into larger bubbles. Theoretically, larger bubbles may be easier to eliminate by burping. Medicines that contain simethicone might in theory increase burps while reducing bloating or flatus. Examples of products that contain simethicone include Maalox Anti-Gas, Mylanta Gas, Gas-X, and Phazyme.

When you continue: managing gas odors