my friend has pouch pain
Hi everyone. My good friend Pam is 1 1/2 years post op RYN and has done great. She emailed me today describing a terrible pain. I'm going to cut and paste what she wrote and would appreciate any comments or insight you may have. The obvious is she should call the doctor which I've encouraged her to do. She does not have a gallbladder.
anyway here is what she wrote: I just had a bout of serious, serious pouch pain. I had eaten NOTHING, but had 3 large mugs of coffee between 4:30 am and 9:30am. I'm at work, and fortunately for me everyone around me is out sick, but I almost screamed. It lasted longer, and was more intense than it has ever been. The only way I can describe it is that it feels like the pouch, or some muscle near the pouch is contracting like a charley horse in my chest, just below my sternum, where the pouch sits. I seriously was going to call out for help, because I thought I was going to pass out, but I couldn't get any words out. These episodes happen maybe 4-5 times a month, and it was several of these in one day that caused me to go to the hospital one day last winter. At that time, my surgeon did exploratory surgery, if you remember that whole incident...he found nothing except a very very very small hole in my OLD stomach wall that he repaired so that nothing would herniate. He said, however, that that would not have caused the pain. Neither could the gastroenterologist determine what it was. This morning's episode was so expletive intense that I completely soaked the cotton shirt I was wearing and now I have a huge old shirt on that happened to be hanging in my pod. When the pain finally subsided, it seemed to morph into a different mild pain in my bowel, at which time I went to the ladie's room and had a very normal you-know-what. Size relatively small, as a matter of fact. Then, I felt like I needed to fall asleep.
Any thoughts?
Teresa
anyway here is what she wrote: I just had a bout of serious, serious pouch pain. I had eaten NOTHING, but had 3 large mugs of coffee between 4:30 am and 9:30am. I'm at work, and fortunately for me everyone around me is out sick, but I almost screamed. It lasted longer, and was more intense than it has ever been. The only way I can describe it is that it feels like the pouch, or some muscle near the pouch is contracting like a charley horse in my chest, just below my sternum, where the pouch sits. I seriously was going to call out for help, because I thought I was going to pass out, but I couldn't get any words out. These episodes happen maybe 4-5 times a month, and it was several of these in one day that caused me to go to the hospital one day last winter. At that time, my surgeon did exploratory surgery, if you remember that whole incident...he found nothing except a very very very small hole in my OLD stomach wall that he repaired so that nothing would herniate. He said, however, that that would not have caused the pain. Neither could the gastroenterologist determine what it was. This morning's episode was so expletive intense that I completely soaked the cotton shirt I was wearing and now I have a huge old shirt on that happened to be hanging in my pod. When the pain finally subsided, it seemed to morph into a different mild pain in my bowel, at which time I went to the ladie's room and had a very normal you-know-what. Size relatively small, as a matter of fact. Then, I felt like I needed to fall asleep.
Any thoughts?
Teresa
Teresa O
RNY 4/1/2008
PA
Sounds like ulcer issues to me. Coffee (caffeine) is an ulcer irritant - and food can "coat" the ulcer temporarily making it feel better - but then it quickly gets worse as the food empties out (of either the stomach in non WLS peeps and in the pouch in WLS peeps)
The other could be a twisting bowel thing. Either the beginnings of a bowel obstruction or an "intursupssion" which I know I murdered the spelling of but for the life of me can't remember how to spell it. Basically, it is a "telescoping" of the bowels over each other. It can reverse itself...and can also not and cause a severe problem. These two options I would doubt as the pain seems to be a little to high for that - but considering the dull pain settled in her intestines, it could happen.
And yes - obviously - she needs to get to a doc and quick. And if the pain happens again get to an ER - perhaps they can catch it on a cat scan - but that is also doubtful if it is something that "heals" itself as normally it would clear up before they could even get her to CT
Pam
The other could be a twisting bowel thing. Either the beginnings of a bowel obstruction or an "intursupssion" which I know I murdered the spelling of but for the life of me can't remember how to spell it. Basically, it is a "telescoping" of the bowels over each other. It can reverse itself...and can also not and cause a severe problem. These two options I would doubt as the pain seems to be a little to high for that - but considering the dull pain settled in her intestines, it could happen.
And yes - obviously - she needs to get to a doc and quick. And if the pain happens again get to an ER - perhaps they can catch it on a cat scan - but that is also doubtful if it is something that "heals" itself as normally it would clear up before they could even get her to CT
Pam
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
I think that she should call her surgeon immediately. Not her primary or a gastro -her surgeon. It could be a few things, maybe something is stuck. All that coffee could aggrevate an ulcer, it can also aggrevate the "lack of gall bladder" sometimes coffee does it to me and sends me straight to the bathroom very uncomfortable.... And trust me - I thought that I was DYING when the ulcer hit and flared.
Either way if she is in that much pain the surgeon is the one that she should see ASAP if not the ER at a hospital that does gastric bypass.
Best of luck to her and I'll keep her in my thoughts today - keep us posted
Liz
Either way if she is in that much pain the surgeon is the one that she should see ASAP if not the ER at a hospital that does gastric bypass.
Best of luck to her and I'll keep her in my thoughts today - keep us posted
Liz
I had`a`similar painful experience after having coffee (decaf) and having an extremely emotional arguement with someone at work that I had caught stealing. Dr. Marymor suggested Pepcid. The ordeal ended after giving up coffee and taking the Pepcid. I went thru this for about a week. Dr. Marymor stated at that time that if the pain did not subside that I get in to see him to be examined as he feared it could be an obstructed bowel. Luckily I was able to stop the pain and from time to time have experience extreme bloating with pain, which has been controlled with Pericolace and Fiber-Stat. After clearing out the bowels the pain and bloating has not returned. Eating nothing and getting the overwhelming need to sleep are part of dumping which can occur without eating. I also get the foamies when not eating soon enough.
Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
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