unability to digest food. Please Help

[pjck0330]

Does anyone know what would be the cause of not digesting food? My husband has just started having to go to the bathroom less than an hour after he eats. At that time he will eliminate everything that he had just eaten. It is completely undigested, unformed, and in the same state that it was in when he swallowed. He has had rapid weighe loss (20 lbs in about a month maybe less. He also has Polycystic Kidney disease, and enlarged spleen, high blood pressure, and 5 herinated disks in his back (caused by an IED explosion in Iraq) he is in the military, and good medical help is hard to get. Our best bet is to go into the Doctors with suggestions on what could be wrong rather wait on them to go through the period of guessing.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Sunshine_44]

I have that same problem - undigested food about an hour after eating.  I never had a doctor that could tell me anything about it.  During one month when it was very bad (I couldn't eat anything without spending the next 1/2 hour in the washroom) I gained 15 pounds!!

[sharriso]

I was just at the gastroenterologist for a similar situaiton.  He explained that in some people, the brain signals the colon to make room for more food when it sees that you are eating, and it just sends the colon contents out way too quickly.  His only suggestion was to add a fiber supplement.  I am going to seek a 2nd opinion, because I've found the fiber supplements (at least for me) just ended up causing severe constipation instead.

[NC44]

I would go to the Ask A Doctor Forums because of his many problems. I truly hope you find the answer.  Good luck.