Over-the-Counter Options for Bloating and Gas: What to Know Before You Buy

There is no single over-the-counter option that works for every cause of bloating or gas. Some products are designed for a specific trigger, such as lactose in milk or certain carbohydrates in beans. Others are labeled for general gas symptoms, and some are marketed with more confidence than the evidence supports. Which option, if any, makes sense depends on what's contributing to your symptoms. This guide explains the main categories, what the evidence allows us to say about each, and when it's better to talk with a doctor than to keep trying products.

OTC Options for Bloating and Gas at a Glance

"Check the label" means the regulatory category can differ between products. See the section on OTC drugs and dietary supplements below.

Why Bloating and Gas Don't Have One Universal Treatment

NIDDK (opens in a new tab) explains that gas in the digestive tract comes mainly from swallowed air and from bacteria in the large intestine breaking down carbohydrates that weren't fully digested earlier. Certain foods, constipation and conditions such as lactose intolerance or IBS can all play a part.

Because the contributors differ, NIDDK notes that the choice of medicine or supplement "will depend on which gas symptoms you have." It also describes approaches that don't involve products: eating smaller, more frequent meals, eating less of foods that worsen symptoms, and swallowing less air, for example by eating more slowly and avoiding fizzy drinks, chewing gum and straws. Our guides to foods that cause bloating and what helps with bloating and slow digestion cover those everyday approaches.

Simethicone: What It Is and What the Evidence Says

What it's marketed for. Simethicone is the active ingredient in many antigas products. The FDA's rules for over-the-counter antiflatulent products (21 CFR Part 332 (opens in a new tab)) allow labels to say a product relieves "the symptoms referred to as gas," or relieves bloating, pressure, fullness or a stuffed feeling "commonly referred to as gas." MedlinePlus (opens in a new tab) lists tablets, chewable tablets, capsules and liquid forms.

How it's thought to work. A StatPearls (opens in a new tab) review describes simethicone as decreasing the surface tension of gas bubbles in the digestive tract, which may help gas pass. It doesn't appear to reduce how much gas is produced.

What the evidence says. Simethicone's labeled uses come from the FDA's monograph rules, which are a regulatory standard for the product category, not a promise that it will relieve symptoms for everyone. The clinical research cited in that review is limited and mostly older: it describes a 1974 trial of 41 outpatients that reported improvement with simethicone. That makes it hard to predict how much any one person will benefit. The same review notes that simethicone wasn't found effective for infant colic.

Limitations and safety. Because simethicone acts on gas bubbles rather than their source, it isn't designed to address a cause such as constipation or lactose intolerance. MedlinePlus says it usually has no side effects when taken as directed, and the review mentions reports of mild diarrhea and nausea. MedlinePlus advises telling your doctor if you're pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Lactase Products

Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down lactose, the sugar in milk. According to NIDDK (opens in a new tab), lactase products are tablets or drops: tablets are taken before eating or drinking milk products, and drops can be added to milk. The lactase breaks down the lactose, "lowering your chances of having lactose intolerance symptoms."

These products are specific. NIDDK says they "can help some people," and notes that some people, such as young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women, may not be able to use them. NIDDK advises checking with your doctor before using lactase products. They aren't a general treatment for bloating: if lactose isn't the cause, there's no reason to expect them to help.

Alpha-Galactosidase Products

Alpha-galactosidase is an enzyme aimed at certain carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) found in foods such as beans, which gut bacteria can ferment into gas.

The evidence is limited. In a 1994 double-blind crossover trial (opens in a new tab), 19 people ate a bean-based chili meal with either alpha-galactosidase or a placebo. Flatulence events over the following six hours were lower with alpha-galactosidase, but there was no difference in bloating or abdominal pain. The authors described it as "efficacious, at least in some patients." That's one small, short-term study of one meal, and it doesn't show that these products help bloating, or gas from other causes.

Antacids: When They Are and Aren't Relevant

Antacids neutralize stomach acid. The FDA's labeling rules for antacids (21 CFR § 331.30 (opens in a new tab)) describe them as relieving heartburn, sour stomach and acid indigestion, and upset stomach associated with those symptoms. MedlinePlus (opens in a new tab) describes antacids as best for occasional heartburn.

Heartburn and acid indigestion are different problems from intestinal gas and bloating, even though they can occur together. Antacids aren't designed to treat gas on their own, and neutralizing stomach acid isn't expected to relieve bloating that has other causes. Some products combine an antacid with simethicone, and the FDA's rules provide for these combinations.

MedlinePlus notes that antacids can change how your body absorbs other medicines, that magnesium-containing products may cause diarrhea and calcium- or aluminum-containing products may cause constipation, and that people with conditions such as kidney disease or heart disease should ask a provider or pharmacist before using them regularly. It also advises contacting a provider if you need antacids on most days or if symptoms don't improve.

Fiber and Constipation-Related Bloating

When bloating comes with constipation, fiber is often part of the conversation. NIDDK lists fiber supplements (opens in a new tab) among the options for treating constipation and advises drinking plenty of liquids when you add fiber.

Fiber can also cause gas. NIDDK notes that some people have more gas symptoms after eating foods high in fiber, and that adding fiber slowly (opens in a new tab), by 2 to 3 grams a day, may help prevent gas and bloating. So fiber is a reasonable topic to raise when constipation is involved, but it isn't a general remedy for gas. Our guides to fiber and bloating and constipation and bloating go into more detail.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil's evidence is mainly about IBS, not bloating in general.

• IBS. The American College of Gastroenterology's 2021 guideline (opens in a new tab) suggests peppermint to provide relief of global IBS symptoms, a conditional recommendation. The ACG's patient resource (opens in a new tab) lists overall IBS symptoms, belly pain and bloating among the IBS symptoms it may help. NCCIH (opens in a new tab) describes "a small amount of research" suggesting that enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules may improve IBS symptoms in adults, and a 2022 review that found it better than placebo for overall IBS symptoms but with more side effects.
• Bloating without an IBS diagnosis. These findings come from people with IBS. The sources we reviewed don't establish that peppermint oil relieves bloating or gas in people who don't have IBS, so the IBS results shouldn't be generalized.
• Safety. NCCIH lists possible side effects of oral peppermint oil, including heartburn, nausea, abdominal pain and dry mouth, and notes that capsules are often enteric-coated to reduce the likelihood of heartburn. It also notes that peppermint oil taken alone may worsen indigestion in some people. It advises talking with your health care provider before using an herbal product if you take any medicine.

If you think you might have IBS, a diagnosis from a doctor matters more than any single product.

Probiotics

Probiotics are widely marketed for bloating, but the evidence doesn't establish them as a treatment for gas or bloating.

• Products aren't interchangeable. NCCIH (opens in a new tab) notes that different types of probiotics may have different effects, so results for one strain don't necessarily apply to another.
• The evidence is mixed. Most research involves IBS. The ACG suggests against probiotics for the treatment of global IBS symptoms, and the American Gastroenterological Association's 2020 guideline recommends using probiotics for IBS only in the context of a clinical trial.
• Talk with your doctor. NIDDK advises talking with your doctor before using supplements or probiotics for gas symptoms.

Our guides to probiotics for bloating and prebiotics vs probiotics for gut health look at the evidence and at how to read a probiotic label.

Digestive Enzyme Supplements

It helps to separate specific enzymes from general blends:

• Specific enzymes target a specific food component. Lactase, for lactose, is the clearest example, and alpha-galactosidase targets certain carbohydrates in beans.
• General "digestive enzyme" blends combine several enzymes and are often marketed for overall digestive comfort. In the authoritative sources we reviewed, we did not find evidence establishing that general blends relieve bloating or gas.

A label that says "digestive enzymes" doesn't tell you whether the product targets the cause of your symptoms. Our comparison of digestive enzymes vs probiotics for bloating explains the difference in more detail.

Options That Deserve More Skepticism

Activated charcoal. Charcoal products are marketed for gas, and Cleveland Clinic's drug information page (opens in a new tab) says charcoal "may treat the symptoms of gas," while also noting that the FDA has not evaluated it for any medical use. A 1999 study (opens in a new tab) concluded that commonly used doses of activated charcoal "do not appreciably influence the liberation of fecal gases." The evidence we found is limited and old, and it doesn't support charcoal as a reliable option for gas. Cleveland Clinic advises taking other products 2 hours before or after charcoal, lists black stools and constipation among side effects, and recommends talking with your care team if you need it for more than 3 days.

Products promising to "detox," "reset" or "cleanse" your gut. Broad promises like these go beyond what the sources we reviewed support. A product whose label doesn't name a specific active ingredient and amount, or that claims to fix bloating whatever the cause, deserves extra caution. For a broader checklist, see Digestive Health Supplements: What to Look for Before You Buy.

How to Read an OTC Drug Facts Label

Over-the-counter medicines carry a standardized Drug Facts label. According to the FDA (opens in a new tab), it includes:

The FDA advises reading the label every time you use a product, because manufacturers may change ingredients or warnings and products with similar brand names can contain different active ingredients. If you have questions, ask a pharmacist, doctor or other health care professional.

OTC Drug vs Dietary Supplement: An Important Difference

Products for gas and bloating can fall into different regulatory categories in the United States, and the label tells you which one you're looking at.

• OTC drugs carry a Drug Facts label. Many, including simethicone antigas products and antacids, are marketed under FDA "monographs," which set the conditions, such as active ingredients, uses, doses and labeling, under which a type of product is generally recognized as safe and effective, a regulatory determination for the category. Products that meet those conditions can be sold without an individual FDA application. Some other OTC drugs are sold under an FDA-approved drug application instead.
• Dietary supplements carry a Supplement Facts label. According to the FDA (opens in a new tab), the agency doesn't approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they're sold.

Neither category guarantees that a product will work for you. The difference matters because it tells you what kind of review the product's ingredients and claims have been through.

Questions to Ask Before Buying Something for Bloating

When Bloating or Gas Deserves Medical Attention

NIDDK (opens in a new tab) advises talking with your doctor if gas symptoms bother you, change suddenly, or come with other symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea or weight loss. For heartburn, MedlinePlus advises contacting a provider if you need antacids on most days, if symptoms don't improve, or if you have symptoms such as vomiting, bleeding or dark stools, trouble swallowing or unexplained weight loss.

Talking with a doctor is also a good idea if you find yourself trying product after product, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you take other medicines. Recurring symptoms can have causes that over-the-counter products aren't designed to address.

The Bottom Line

Over-the-counter options for bloating and gas are designed for different causes, so it helps to match a product to what's contributing to your symptoms. Simethicone is labeled for general gas symptoms, though its clinical research is limited. Lactase is specific to lactose intolerance, and alpha-galactosidase to certain carbohydrates in foods such as beans, with limited evidence. Antacids are for acid-related symptoms, and fiber is most relevant when constipation is involved. Peppermint oil's evidence is mainly about IBS. Probiotics, general enzyme blends and activated charcoal aren't established treatments for gas or bloating.

Before buying, check whether the product is an OTC drug or a dietary supplement, read the active ingredient, uses and warnings, and consider whether the evidence fits your situation. If symptoms are frequent, change, or come with other symptoms, talk with a doctor.