Silent But Deadly No More: Conquering Flatulence Odor with Pepto-Bismol

This episode explores the science behind flatulence odor and introduces a simple, over-the-counter remedy: Pepto-Bismol. The episode explains that the unpleasant odor associated with flatulence is primarily caused by hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gas produced in the colon during the breakdown of food. Pepto-Bismol, or bismuth subsalicylate, works by binding to hydrogen sulfide in the colon and reducing the amount of gas released. The episode highlights a study published in Gastroenterology which found that bismuth subsalicylate significantly reduced H2S release in human fecal samples. Participants in the study experienced a greater than 95% reduction in fecal H2S release after taking Pepto-Bismol for 3-7 days. The episode also emphasizes the importance of consulting a doctor before using Pepto-Bismol, especially for those with medical conditions or taking other medications.

Takeaways.

• Flatulence is a normal and healthy bodily function.
• Hydrogen sulfide is the main cause of smelly farts.
• Pepto-Bismol can help reduce the odor of flatulence.
• Long-term use of Pepto-Bismol is not recommended.
• Dietary changes can help manage flatulence over time.
• The episode combines humor with health education.
• Listeners are encouraged to stay healthy and seek personalized medical advice.

Keywords

patient education, family medicine, nutrition, flatulence, health tips, digestive health, Pepto-Bismol

Transcript

Ed Delesky, MD (00:08)
Hi, welcome back to your checkup. We are the patient education podcast where we bring conversations from the doctor's office to your ears. On this podcast, we try to bring medicine closer to its patients. I'm Ed Delesky a family medicine resident in the Philadelphia area.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (00:22)
and I'm Nicole Aruffo I'm a nurse.

Ed Delesky, MD (00:24)
And we are so excited you were able to join us here for this bonus tasty tip episode. You thought it was a one and done. So did I. But it's not. It's back. The tasty tip because we went and had a delicious meal. Where did we go? An underrated restaurant lives right on 13th Street.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (00:40)
It was so good, we went to double knot.

It doesn't get as much hype as like the other restaurants in that little area do.

Ed Delesky, MD (00:53)
There is a little bit of a nucleus of good restaurants there. I'm thinking Alves comes to mind Prunella, Darling Jack. There's one next to Darling Jack.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (01:04)
Darling deck.

Ed Delesky, MD (01:05)
Darling Dac, this is just a, this is just a poppy in front of me. No.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (01:12)
It's

really good to be a double not

Ed Delesky, MD (01:15)
But double knot is where we went and it was delicious. I personally wanted to start with this little hidden downstairs area. If you were to look on their little resi, it says downstairs dining. It's not the floor you walk in on. There is a whole area below.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (01:32)
I know we had only been there for a happy hour before. So we thought that it was just like a bar area and like literally like a couple tables. We thought it was so small. And then the girl brought us back like through this door and she was like, all right down the stairs to your left. And we thought we were getting murdered, but to our pleasant surprise, it's like a whole huge restaurant down there.

Ed Delesky, MD (01:55)
Yep. There's another bar which I'm wondering like, can you just like walk in there and go down there to that bar? One question I have. was mesmerized by the little shelf, the stone shelf they had with all of the candles because that's basically all of the lighting down there. And it was all delicious. Of course, there were the flavors of Japan there. But I mean, maybe you tell us the dish that we can't stop thinking about.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (02:23)
it was the spicy pork ramen. It's a side. Well, we didn't get a main dish because that's not how we like to eat. We like to get a bunch of little things and share them.

Ed Delesky, MD (02:26)
And it was just.

Yeah. If, are a couple that we're going to dinner with on Friday is listening here that this is a tasty tip for the.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (02:43)
Hope you guys know what you're getting into Friday Yeah, anyway, so it was the last thing that we got and it was the spicy pork ramen and it was Probably I think that was my favorite thing there and I haven't had a lot of ramen in my life But that was the best I've ever had

Ed Delesky, MD (03:03)
Yeah, I was going to say color me not like a ramen, a ramen connoisseur, but it was so savory. There were touches of umami in there. It was absolutely delicious. I can't stop thinking about it. I want to go back and get it again. Well, I also it also seems that they don't do takeout or delivery, which good for them. But I want it. I want it again. There were other things that were delicious. I was thinking of the

Nicole Aruffo, RN (03:19)
Should we go get some tonight?

Ed Delesky, MD (03:33)
It was a crab based.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (03:36)
yeah, it was like a crab, scallop, spicy situation.

Ed Delesky, MD (03:40)
Yeah. And that was served on a large shell, it seems. That was delicious. The whole thing. But really wanted to tell you guys about Double Knot. Tell you that it is underrated. And if you have the inclination, if you're near Philadelphia, maybe check it out. No, they didn't sponsor us, unfortunately. But that place was delicious. We'll be going back. But you know what isn't delicious? Farts.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (04:03)
We'll be going.

What?

Ed Delesky, MD (04:08)
specifically the silent but deadly farts. That's right. You know, we're stepping outside. This is actually a little funny haha episode because we heard this recently. So we did a little digging and actually found the science for you about why are farts so smelly and is there anything to do about it?

Nicole Aruffo, RN (04:27)
Well, turns out there is. There is something to do about it.

Ed Delesky, MD (04:31)
Well, this is near and dear to our heart because we know a lot of people who have flatulence.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (04:36)
Yeah, especially you.

Ed Delesky, MD (04:38)
I'm not gonna fall on the sword for this one.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (04:41)
You

Ed Delesky, MD (04:43)
So this was a very interesting thing. And while you're listening to us speak to you probably in the privacy of your headphones, here's this little bit of information that can be helpful in social situations when a raunchy, stinky stench emitting from your butt isn't socially acceptable. Like what can you do about it? But before we get there, let's talk a little bit about what we got going on here. So Nick, where does

Let's talk about the science behind the smell. Where does the odor come from?

Nicole Aruffo, RN (05:19)
So the odor is primarily caused by hydrogen sulfide, is a gas that is naturally produced in our colon during the breakdown of food.

Ed Delesky, MD (05:28)
Hmm. Yeah, it's like that rotten egg smell that you get when you just you're walking around or you're in a crowd of people and there are no rotten eggs around. But all of a sudden, bam, there's a rotten egg nearby. That wasn't an egg. It was probably a fart. It was hydrogen sulfide. So that's the major culprit breaking down in our colons and kind of making our gas unpleasant. Side note, flatulence is normal and healthy.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (05:44)
and sulfide.

Ed Delesky, MD (05:57)
normal flatulence 10 to 20 times a day. That's totally fine. But if you're in a place where you're worried about it smelling, let's keep going. then Nick, tell us what's the key. What is the key to getting away from this on like a rare instance you need to you're in a pinch and like you absolutely cannot have a silent but deadly flatulence. Tell us.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (06:24)
So the key is Pepto-Bismo.

Ed Delesky, MD (06:28)
So Pepto-Bismol is also called Bismuth subsalicylate. So Pepto-Bismol usually is well known for having the common ability to soothe and upset stomach for whatever reason. But Pepto-Bismol also possesses a lesser known talent of binding to the hydrogen sulfide ion in the colon. So it basically works as like a tiny odor eliminating goblin that's just in there swooping up and taking care of all of the pesky

ions that are causing all of this trouble. Isn't that interesting? There's a whole article, there's a whole article in American Family Physician about how to manage flatulence and there's nine citations from it. So all of this information comes from a study that was published in the journal Gastroenterology where they looked at the effect of bismuth subsalicylate on hydrogen sulfide release in the human colon.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (07:02)
It is interesting.

Ed Delesky, MD (07:28)
the researchers actually compared human and rat fecal samples in their experiments. And they found that the bismuth subsolicilate actually dramatically decreases the hydrogen sulfide release. And the more you use, the less that there was around. It actually showed there was 95 % reduction in the sulfur product after taking Pepto-Bismol for about three to seven days.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (07:51)
So Pepto is a proven odor fighter.

Ed Delesky, MD (07:54)
though, is a proven odor fighter. I mean, is this safe to use long term? Like, what are the ins and outs of it, though?

Nicole Aruffo, RN (08:02)
So it's safe for short-term use, not stellar for long-term use because it can cause constipation or darkening of your tongue.

Ed Delesky, MD (08:12)
Yeah, and I there's also some risk for salicylate toxicity. So that's also one of the reasons that long term, like day in day out, you probably shouldn't be using it.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (08:23)
not a permanent fix, just for situational fixes.

Ed Delesky, MD (08:27)
But it sounds like in a pinch. Yeah. If you're in a moment when you you cannot afford to let one loose, that will really put a damper on the olfactory system of your company. Like maybe this is the answer. And there are also some dietary changes long term that can be made. There are some foods that are more rich in sulfur, like beans, eggs, cruciferous vegetables and sometimes increasing

fiber intake to promote regularity can help. But what a tasty tip. Not a tasty topic for sure, but a tasty tip. As needed, Pepto Bismol use cleared by your doctor, of course, to maybe reduce the chance of a smelly fart. Bang. That is your tasty tip today. And think about Double Knot and their spicy pork ramen.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (09:05)
I think it's tasty all around.

Ed Delesky, MD (09:22)
Thank you for coming back for this episode of your Checkup. Today, hopefully you were able to learn something for yourself, a loved one, or...

Nicole Aruffo, RN (09:30)
A neighbor with smelly farts.

Ed Delesky, MD (09:32)
Please visit our website, visit our Instagram, send us an email, yourcheckuppod at gmail.com. Send us some fan mail if you wish. And most importantly, stay healthy, my friends. Until next time, I'm Ed Delesky Thank you and goodbye. Bye.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (09:45)
I'm Nicole Aruffo.

Ed Delesky, MD (09:52)
Mmm, markets.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (09:55)
Doop-a-loo.

Ed Delesky, MD (09:57)
I'm gonna be tubular

Nicole Aruffo, RN (09:59)
I'm

Ed Delesky, MD (10:04)
This information may provide a brief overview of diagnosis, treatment, and medications. It's not exhaustive and is a tool to help you understand potential options about your health. It doesn't cover all details about conditions, treatments, or medications for a specific person.

This is not medical advice or an attempt to substitute medical advice. You should contact a healthcare provider for personalized guidance based on your unique circumstances. We explicitly disclaim any liability relating to the information given or its use. This content doesn't endorse any treatments or medications for a specific patient. Always talk to your healthcare provider for a complete information tailored to you. In short, I'm not your doctor and make sure you go get your own checkup with your own personal doctor.

Nicole Aruffo, RN (10:41)
I am not your nurse.