Just home from exploratory surgery, no internal hernia
To make a long story short, I've been having stomach pain–especially after eating–for a couple of months now.
This weekend, it got much, much worse. I couldn't tolerate anything at all–no food, no water, nothing. Monday morning I couldn't stand it any longer and I went to the ER. They did a CT scan, but couldn't see anything. So Dr. Simper said if I was still having pain, to come to the hospital and get admitted for exploratory surgery. (I already had an endoscopy last week, and nothing was found.)
I had surgery on Wednesday, but Dr. Simper couldn't find anything! I got cut open for nothing.
He thinks it's because I've had so many prescriptions for narcotic pain meds in the last couple of months. And somehow it's irritating my stomach? In the past two months I've had almost all my bottom teeth pulled, followed by part of the bone collapsing in my jaw creating sharp edges that cut into my gum and caused infection, a root canal, and two visits to the ER for stomach pain. So yes, I have needed pain meds quite a bit recently.
He thinks I need to stay away from pain meds. Ok, I can deal with the stomach pain (unless it gets excruciating), but I might need more root canals. My teeth are really a mess right now. So how am I supposed to avoid that? And I can't take ibuprofen either. That leaves, what, Tylenol for pain?
Then there's the issue with the Florinef. Florinef can cause stomach pain, and the pain began around roughly the same time I began the Florinef, so it's possible that it's the problem. But the Florinef is what fixed the problem with my tachycardia and swings in blood pressure. It's helped my energy level. I need to stay on this med.
What I'm going to do is keep a sort of stomach ache journal. I'm going to keep careful track of what I've eaten and what meds I've taken, etc., whenever I have pain. Hopefully I'll discover something useful. I might get a second opinion with a gastroenterologist as well. But I'm doing the journal first.
Anyway, that's the latest drama in my little world.
Take care,
Lynda
This weekend, it got much, much worse. I couldn't tolerate anything at all–no food, no water, nothing. Monday morning I couldn't stand it any longer and I went to the ER. They did a CT scan, but couldn't see anything. So Dr. Simper said if I was still having pain, to come to the hospital and get admitted for exploratory surgery. (I already had an endoscopy last week, and nothing was found.)
I had surgery on Wednesday, but Dr. Simper couldn't find anything! I got cut open for nothing.
He thinks it's because I've had so many prescriptions for narcotic pain meds in the last couple of months. And somehow it's irritating my stomach? In the past two months I've had almost all my bottom teeth pulled, followed by part of the bone collapsing in my jaw creating sharp edges that cut into my gum and caused infection, a root canal, and two visits to the ER for stomach pain. So yes, I have needed pain meds quite a bit recently.
He thinks I need to stay away from pain meds. Ok, I can deal with the stomach pain (unless it gets excruciating), but I might need more root canals. My teeth are really a mess right now. So how am I supposed to avoid that? And I can't take ibuprofen either. That leaves, what, Tylenol for pain?
Then there's the issue with the Florinef. Florinef can cause stomach pain, and the pain began around roughly the same time I began the Florinef, so it's possible that it's the problem. But the Florinef is what fixed the problem with my tachycardia and swings in blood pressure. It's helped my energy level. I need to stay on this med.
What I'm going to do is keep a sort of stomach ache journal. I'm going to keep careful track of what I've eaten and what meds I've taken, etc., whenever I have pain. Hopefully I'll discover something useful. I might get a second opinion with a gastroenterologist as well. But I'm doing the journal first.
Anyway, that's the latest drama in my little world.
Take care,
Lynda
Oh man, I'm sorry. I know sometimes we can hope something is wrong going into surgery because that means we'll wake up magically better. But I am glad it was nothing life threatening, and now hopefully that can at least put your mind at ease when you do get that pain.
Good luck with your journal. Are you already taking the meds with food?
Oh and I know there are some pain relief patches, perhaps you can discuss these with your doctor and see if they are appropriate or helpful for your situation.
Good luck with your journal. Are you already taking the meds with food?
Oh and I know there are some pain relief patches, perhaps you can discuss these with your doctor and see if they are appropriate or helpful for your situation.
5'9.5" | HW: 368 | SW: 353 | CW: 155 +/- 5 lbs | Angel to 
I was actually on a pain patch–the duragesic patch–from 2004 to 2006. For migraines. It's worse than just getting pain pills here and there as needed. Did you know that long term, daily use of narcotics can interfere with pituitary function?
When I was in the hospital, I noticed I'd get what felt almost like Braxton Hicks contractions, only obviously not involving my uterus...which I no longer have anyway (not having a uterus or ovaries is what pretty much cured my migraines, btw). It felt like it was my intestines tightening under my belly button, then releasing. Only slooowly. So it occurred to me, maybe what's happening is some kind of dismotility of the bowel. In which case maybe it is the pain meds. But then, I had issues with dismotility even before my gastric bypass, so maybe this is all just part of aging and just coincidental with everything else that's been happening.
Either way, I'm going to take a watch and see attitude, and if there are more problems, I might see a gastroenterologist.
I'm just annoyed because I thought I was finally getting to the end of all these problems I've been having, only to have a new one crop up. And after reading about Melody E.'s and others symptoms here, and the seriousness of an internal hernia, and the fact that my symptoms were so similar to what I read, I thought I'd better get this checked out. I'm glad it wasn't a hernia though. And like I said, as long as my teeth behave for awhile, I can avoid pain medication. Hopefully that's all that needs to be done.
Lynda
Edited for coherencery...not sure if I achieved this, however. ;)
When I was in the hospital, I noticed I'd get what felt almost like Braxton Hicks contractions, only obviously not involving my uterus...which I no longer have anyway (not having a uterus or ovaries is what pretty much cured my migraines, btw). It felt like it was my intestines tightening under my belly button, then releasing. Only slooowly. So it occurred to me, maybe what's happening is some kind of dismotility of the bowel. In which case maybe it is the pain meds. But then, I had issues with dismotility even before my gastric bypass, so maybe this is all just part of aging and just coincidental with everything else that's been happening.
Either way, I'm going to take a watch and see attitude, and if there are more problems, I might see a gastroenterologist.
I'm just annoyed because I thought I was finally getting to the end of all these problems I've been having, only to have a new one crop up. And after reading about Melody E.'s and others symptoms here, and the seriousness of an internal hernia, and the fact that my symptoms were so similar to what I read, I thought I'd better get this checked out. I'm glad it wasn't a hernia though. And like I said, as long as my teeth behave for awhile, I can avoid pain medication. Hopefully that's all that needs to be done.
Lynda
Edited for coherencery...not sure if I achieved this, however. ;)
I have been on the duragesic patch and other pain meds for years and they have caused me no problems other then to relieve some of my pain. I have pituitary issues but had them long before I was on long term narcotics. Now, this past 10 months since I am on much higher dose and stronger pain medictions, my pituitary function has gotten so much better.
Have you had an MRI of your brain? Many times people have pituitary disfunction and don't realize they have a small or large pituitary tumor. I have a tiny one and have had it for years - nothing needs to be done to it but it is what is causing my pituitary hormones to be out of whack. This could be the case with you and you might not know it.
Have you had an MRI of your brain? Many times people have pituitary disfunction and don't realize they have a small or large pituitary tumor. I have a tiny one and have had it for years - nothing needs to be done to it but it is what is causing my pituitary hormones to be out of whack. This could be the case with you and you might not know it.
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