Gas medicines work to reduce gas buildup in the stomach. When looking for a gas medicine, search for active ingredients, such as simethicone, which is an anti-foaming agent to prevent gas in the stomach and intestines. We researched dozens of gas medicines and evaluated them for active ingredients, price, side effects, and how quickly the product took effect.
What to Look for in Gas Relief Medicine
Ingredients
Gas relief isn’t a one-size-fits-all medication. The most popular gas medicines on the market use different ingredients, depending on the need they fill. For example, if you’re lactose intolerant, you’ll want to look for products that include the digestive enzyme lactase. If you’re not sure what ingredient will best suit your needs, talk to your doctor.
Form
Gas medication is available in different forms, so if you’re hesitant to swallow pills, there are other options you can resort to. Gummies, teas, and caplets are some of the most popular forms, so it’s easy to find a medication you enjoy taking.
Here are the best gas medicines on the market.
However, some of the other medications, including Imodium Multi-Symptom Relief Caplets, Pepto Bismol LiquiCaps, and Alka-Seltzer have been known to cause constipation for some people. If you experience this side effect, stop using the medication and contact your doctor.
Imodium Multi-Symptom does help with diarrhea though because it contains loperamide as an active ingredient, which is an anti-diarrheal. Pepto-Bismol also helps treat diarrhea, though with a different active ingredient: bismuth subsalicylate. Choose an anti-gas medicine carefully if you are experiencing more than one symptom. Not all of them treat the same thing.
However, according to the American Gastroenterological Association, Simethicone, the active ingredient in Gas-X, is generally considered safe for pregnant women. The reason why it’s generally considered safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding women is that it works by breaking up gas bubbles in your intestine but isn’t actually absorbed into your body, so it won’t pass to the baby in utero or through breast milk.
Gas-X is a top doctor-recommended brand of simethicone-based gas relief. If you’re uncomfortable with swallowing a small softgel, you can achieve the same relief in Gas-X’s chewables formula.
Price at time of publication: $21 for 72 count
Beano’s formula is gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly, and the manufacturer reports that it provides 33% more gas-preventing power than the leading store brand.
Price at time of publication: $16 for 100 count
This Lactaid product is certified kosher, and it’s safe for both adults and children ages 4 and up. If you aren’t comfortable swallowing a capsule, this product also comes in a vanilla-flavored chewable.
Price at time of publication: $33 for 96 count
This product is one of the few on the OTC market that combines these two ingredients to provide safe and effective multi-symptom relief, and can be taken by both adults and children ages 12 and up.
Price at time of publication: $8 for 12 count
Many users like the capsule form because it makes it easier to take the medicine while on the move. However, if you would rather not swallow a capsule, you can explore Pepto Bismol’s pharmacist-recommended line of liquid medicines instead.
Price at time of publication: $11 for 12 count
The chews come in a tropical punch flavor and are easier to travel with than traditional Alka-Seltzer tablets that require a glass of water. They are suitable for adults and children ages 12 and up.
The CharcoCaps formula is made of 100% natural activated charcoal and free of yeast, corn, soy, gluten, milk, salt, sugar, starch, and preservatives, so it is safe for people with all sorts of dietary preferences. If you use activated charcoal frequently, be aware that common side effects can include tongue discoloration, black stools, and constipation.
Price at time of publication: $20 for 100 count
And unlike the other options on this list, you can enjoy as much tea as you like without fear of overdoing it with certain pharmaceuticals. You also help to rehydrate your body, which can be beneficial in the fight against bloating as well.
Price at time of publication: $35 for 16 Count (Pack of 6)
Additional reporting to this story by Simone Scully
Simone Scully is a New York-based writer and editor with years of experience writing about health, wellness, science, and lifestyle. Her byline has appeared at Healthline, Well+Good, Romper, Motherifigure’s magazine, Nautilus, Narratively, AskMen, among other places.
