Where do I begin -- in my 20's I noticed after eating broccili, cauliflower, brussel sprouts - (please forgive any spelling errors), I noticed extreme gas - gas I could not pass -- extreme bloating -- so I just stopped eating these foods. In my mid to late 20's, I had shrimp scampi at lunch and felt like I was dying -- thus garlic problems. The intense pain of extreme gas and bloating -- I could not get the gas out. Shortly after that, my husband had marianated some meet in garlic juice -- I ended up on the bathroom floor in a fetal position, crying, holding my stomach and taking as many antacids as possible.

So, stayed away from the above.

Loved onions - no problems with onions until mid - 40's -- same thing started to happen - pain within 30 minutes, extreme gas pressure with pain. Just took antacids. My stomach bloated to the point I looked pregnant - but I could neve pass the gas without antacids and it took about 6 hours.

Then in the early 50's it hit -- none of the above, no onion powder, no garlic powder - nothing from the above families. If I missed an ingredient on a package, I certainly paid for it.

My life had changed - I was depressed, people thought I was being a diva, said I was just picky, etc. Going to restaurants - forget it -- no matter what I said, there would be some type of cross-contamination --. So I starting just eating carbs like bread - cheese - some meat - safe stuff and started gaining weight.

Finally went to a GI specialist - had a myriad of tests done, only to be told to stay away from the above - Thank you, doctor, after $3K in medical bills.

He did give me hyomax and it helped in the beginning but all it does now is cause diarreha the next day. Then I get the sweats and then I get cold and have to sleep for 6 hours.

No matter how careful I am, the above still creeps into my diet. I am at the grocery store - reading labels like an old crabby lady, looking for what is going to kill me. Now I have to stay away from new labels -- spices and flavorings - cause they have onions, garlic, etc.

Does anyone know of a specialist - other than a G.I. guy, that can see if 'we' have some missing digestive enzyme? I don't want to check into the Mayo Clinic, but this is no way to live.

Oh, I was told that I had IBS - but that is just a catch phrase for "I am not sure what the heck it is". I honestly don't think it is an allergy. Could it be tied into the gall bladder not functioning - I still say it is an enzyme.

I have tried all the GNC stuff and none of it worked.

If you saw what I eat, you would think I would be 80 pounds but I am not.

This is just sad.

Any help! Think I need a true specialty doctor.

I am tempted to try Claritin but if it doesn't work, I will be in pain and not worth the risk.

When I asked my G.I. doctor, he just said that onions and garlic are my 'triggers'.

Because food mfgs. are being forced to remove trans-fat, which supplies some of the flavor to food, the companies are substituting with spices - my enemy.

I am on a quest to find out what is wrong but don't want to spend thousands of dollars to just be told 'stay away' from these foods. I can't have ketchup and so many things.

There has to be a doctor somewhere that specializes in a more-detailed practice regarding certain stomach/digestive problems.