My husband has terrible problems with his stomach. When he eats, he gets severe stomach pains almost immediately and gets nauseous and bloated. It goes away after about 20-30 minutes..anyway my question is since this seems to be so much like what foods should he avoid at all costs??

I am almost positive this is IBS, however he refuses to go to a doc, he knows chances are there is nothing they can do.

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[This message has been edited by moderator4 (edited 04-09-2003).]

Couple of things to consider.....is this happening no matter what he eats? This could be anything from lactose intolerance from milk to the beginnings of an ulcer to a mild food allergy. First thing to try is to eliminate the lowest common denominator here and see if the problem still occurs. Grease, milk, high sodium foods, meats.....?
Something I've experienced before is low stomach acid levels. When I get stressed my stomach acid levels drop, while other people get heartburn, go figure, I was always unique. If he takes a multivitamin or similar supplement on an empty stomach, does he feel nauseous a bit after if he hasn't eaten? Also, the stomach "pain", you mentioned, is it burning or is it a feeling like he's eaten a bunch of rocks and they're just sitting there bulking his stomach up? If this is the case, he should get Betaine HCL supplements from a health food store and give those a try. Another thing to try are chewable papaya enzyme tablets, they taste fine and you eat them after the meal, or during and after, depeneding on what works best for you. I personally am inclined towards this being the issue, bc the problem is NOT IBS when it's occuring in the stomach. The problem sounds like it's gone when the food leaves the stomach. IBS will haunt you for quite a while after eating, and doesn't kick in until later after eating.
Something that combines the above two mentioned things, is an inability to properly digest certain foods. There are enzymes that can be purchased at any health market for digesting animal proteins, milk, vegetables, etc. There are also combination enzymes to help digest everything, if you are unable to pinpoint what foods may specifically be causing the problem.
Hint: It's cheapest to buy HCL supps or chewable papaya enzyme if you want to give that a shot first. Wouldn't cause any harm at all.

What are papaya enzymes for? Can they help gas pains after eating?

Papaya enzymes help you digest food.