possible cause of stomach problems?

  hi,
  recently i've been noticing that almost always after i eat
  a meal i begin to get a stomach ache and generally need to
  go to the bathroom 10-20 minutes afterwards. this is generally
  not diaorrhea.
  i also pass wind often with a very strong odour. these stomach
  aches happen continually now, whereas a few years ago i would only get them in the morning after breakfast.
  i am a very healthy eater with a strong appetite, but can't seem to put on any weight even at my age (18). i am 6ft tall and weigh only 55 kg's.
  i am concerned that this may be the cause of recent problems i have been having with swimming objects in front of my eyes and my eyesight is gradually getting worse. i also often feel dizzy and uncoordinated.
  there is a history of ulcerative colitis in the family, if that is important (mothers side).
  any help would be appreciated.
  thanks
  -adam
________
Dear Adam
Many people will describe the urge to defecate after eating.  There is evidence from experiments that filling the stomach causes colon cntractions, the gastric-colic reflex.  The subjective sensation to this physiologic reponse is the urge to defecate.
Your abdominal cramps and gas may reflect aerophagia, the swallowing of air.  this can occur if you talk or drink when eating or if you are a mouth breather.  Certain foods, e.g. beans cabbage can also cause these symptoms.  You may wish to consider lifestyle modifications (e.g. not talking or drinking during while eating, change diet)to determine if your symptoms change.
Your symptoms are not suggestive for ulcerative colitis.  Your inability to gain weight is intriguing.  It is possible that you have a component of malabsorption i.e. the foods that you eat are not broken down and absorbed correctly.  There are a variety of causes for this problem.  Given your apparent lack of othe rillnesses, i wonder if there is an intestinal mucosa problem e.g. gluten sensitive enteropathy is one possibility.  this is a conditionin which your body is 'allergic' to gliadin, a component og wheat, barley and rye.  
I suggest that you contact your physician to discuss the possibility of a workup for your problems.  We would be happy to see you in the Division of Gastroenterology if you would like our opinions.  You can arrange an appoinment with Dr. fogel, one of our experts in the diagnosis and treament of gastrointestinl disease. by calling our Physician Referral Line at [phone].
This information is presented for educational purposes.  Always ask specific questions to your personal physician.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: malabsoprtion, gluten sensitive enteropathy, gastro-colic reflex
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[WandaJean]

A related discussion, Abdomen pain was started.