Husband's stomach issues

[Firiel]

I know that most of the advice here will be to go see a doctor, and that's what I've been trying to get my husband, but he's stubborn and hates the doctor, so I'm checking here for opinions.

 

Today after eating (eggs with cheese and spinach, broccoli with some cheese, turkey bacon, and watermelon), my husband's stomach got upset (which isn't unusual). But after he went to the bathroom to... ahem... take care of that, he got an intense pain in his upper abdomen/stomach that he said felt like he had eaten a rock. He said he could practically feel it scraping up the inside of his stomach. The pain was so bad it just dropped him. He's got a high pain tolerance too-- he once played a football game on a dislocated ankle. Anyway, it passed but about fifteen minutes later hit him again, just as bad as the last time. After that passed, his stomach was hard as a rock even though he wasn't flexing. Of course, he decided to go to class anyway.

 

These aren't the only digestion related issues he's had, either. We've kind of begun to suspect that he has IBS or something because his food allergy tests all came back negative. After this, though, I'm really worried it's something more serious and/or immediate...

 

Any ideas? I will keep working on him on the "go to a doctor!" thing.

[NANsense]

Do all men hate the doctors?

 

Maybe there are some nurses who can advise you better? But the same thing happens to me when I eat eggs--and it only started a few years ago--IMO he should jot down what he ate when he feels this way and see if there's a pattern?

And try ordering egg white only omelets--it worked for me! see if that helps?

[doiiiieeezie]

If he does have IBS (and he needs to get checked out)... then perhaps he should food combine? That combination of food would upset almost any stomach. In fact, that meal should have killed him.

 

Here's a link for some guidelines: link removed.

[Firiel]

Broccoli was on the list of vegetables his doctor said he should eat because it wasn't starchy, though. There's nothing particularly different about this meal than what he's been eating recently. He's been on a very low-carb diet and as such has upped his intake of foods like eggs and meat to make sure he gets the calories he needs. He's also been eating fruits and vegetables regularly. He's had eggs for breakfast a couple times a week for a few weeks now and hasn't had anything like this happen.

[avman]

Yeah unfortunately this could be a lot of things. IBS, GERD, Gall bladder, diverticulitus. So many possibilities. He really needs to see a doctor to be sure. This isn't something he should mess around with. Abdominal issues like this need to be looked at.

[abitbroken]

Could he also be lactose intolerant?

 

Also, is he eating too fast or eating a lot at one sitting? I agree that he needs to see a doc

[sweetpea03]

Broccoli was on the list of vegetables his doctor said he should eat because it wasn't starchy, though. There's nothing particularly different about this meal than what he's been eating recently. He's been on a very low-carb diet and as such has upped his intake of foods like eggs and meat to make sure he gets the calories he needs. He's also been eating fruits and vegetables regularly. He's had eggs for breakfast a couple times a week for a few weeks now and hasn't had anything like this happen.

 

There are so many possibilities for what it can be that is causing this, that he really needs to see a doctor. If he leaves it untreated/unlooked at then there can be serious problems. I would make an appointment for him and then tell him about it. Say you are worried about his health and will go with him to the appointment. My grandmother started having abdominal pain like that and went through major surgery after they found an esophageal hernia. It might be something very minor, but then again it might not. It's not something to mess around with.

[lavenderdove]

He could be having a gall bladder attack if he gets terrible pain after eating a high fat meal with a lot of cheese in it.

 

But then those terrible pains can be caused by gas too, and broccoli is a very 'gassy' food, and for some people cheese and milk products can have that effect too.

 

He should try isolating which food it is by not mixing so many foods at one meal. It's also possible that something he ate was spoiled and he got food poisoning which can make a lot of gas...

 

But if he continues to have this problem he does need to go to the doctor, because gall bladder problems can be serious...

[workoutgirl70]

Yep I agree on the gallbladder attack and if he has it xrayed and nothing shows up ask for a scan. My husband almost died his was so bad but wouldn't show up on the typical tests for it. He had to have it removed over a weekend it got so bad.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

Broccoli can cause bloating and gas. I love broccoli but if I over-indulge it gives me problems. Is he stressed about anything in particular? Sometimes high stress can cause gastrointestinal problems.

[Firiel]

I forgot to say that I'm pretty sure it wasn't spoiled food... that's the first thing I thought of when it hit him, and there was nothing in a new package or that had any real possibility of being spoiled.

 

I did get him to go to the doctor, though, and she didn't seem worried since he wasn't in too much pain anymore. She basically said it was gas or inflammation. I hope that's the case. I feel a little better, but I'm still a little worried just because I'm not sure I've ever seen him in that much pain.

 

Thanks everyone!