About Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is a type of medicine called an antispasmodic. It helps relieve stomach cramps, bloating and farting (flatulence), particularly if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Peppermint oil comes as capsules. It's available on prescription or to buy from a pharmacy or a shop.

Key facts

Peppermint oil works by relaxing the muscle in your bowel. This helps relieve the pain of stomach cramps and eases bloating and farting.
It will start to work within a few hours but it could take up to 1 to 2 weeks to work fully. Keep taking peppermint oil until your symptoms improve.
Leave a gap of at least 2 hours between taking a dose of peppermint oil and taking an indigestion medicine. This allows the peppermint oil capsules to work properly.
Side effects include heartburn and indigestion.
If you buy peppermint oil from a pharmacy or shop, do not take it for longer than 2 weeks without checking with a doctor.

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
Photos: OutUK and LightFieldStudios.