Excruciating Abdominal Pain after eating

it"s been forever since I have been on this site so please forgive me if this question has been asked.  Last night we were at Chili's for dinner.  I had some of the fried onion rings with my husband and by the time my dinner arrived I was having excruciating pain in the middle of my stomach just under my rib cage.  I went to the bathroom and tried pushing on the spot thinking that maybe something got stuck and just needed a little pressure to help it along.  It didn't help. My son helped me to the car. The pain kept increasing so I called my husband and told him I wanted to go to the ER.  In the meantime I threw up which didn't help.  They rushed me to the ER.  I was given morphine and an anti-nausea.  They did a CAT scan and a chest X-ray.  The pain subsided and nothing showed up on the tests.  I have been having diarrhea and am feeling sore so called in sick.  I have had that extreme pain one other time and bouts of lesser pain before. At times it is followed with a couple of days of lighter movements (sorry if that is tmi) before correcting itself.

should I make an appt. with my surgeon, Dr. Crookes, or with my G.I. Doctor.  Has anyone else had this problem?  My daughter asked how the pain compared with labor pain. I told her it was as bad if not worse because at least with labor pain you at least get breaks and this pain is a constant.

also, I am anemic and have recently had 3 iron infusions as I was severely anemic and I am Vitamin D deficient, even though I take 10,000-15,000UI daily, and am on prescription Vitamin D 50,000 UI once a week.

Thank you,

Kathy

Hey Kathy!

I'm so sorry you are having this pain!!  I'm not sure if my situation was similar to this but it might be worth asking your surgeon?  I am 4 years out and this past April I was having HORRIBLE pain in between my rib cage.  I thought it was gas pain since I get that sometimes if I eat too quickly.  When gas x and other anti acids didn't help I just went to work but it seriously felt like I was having a heart attack.  I drove myself to the ER and they took CT scans and did a ton of tests and rushed me to my DS surgeon who is at a different hospital.  He sent me in for emergency surgery and said that my intestines had twisted in on themselves causing an internal hernia and could kill off their own tissue.  He said that this is something that could happen to DS patients and something that doctors now know to look for a few years post op once significant weight loss is made.  He said it isn't very common but that it is something to keep an eye out for.

For SURE see your DS doctor maybe bring this situation up to him but for sure call him because continuous pain is not normal.  Maybe back off the fried foods for a while and stick with bland foods to avoid irritating your insides do you have a gallbadder? That could cause a problem as well.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

hi Lyss,

the first thing I told them was that I could have a twisted bowl and pulled out my DS picture to explain my surgery.  I also asked the radiologist if the CAT scan would show both tracts of small intestines.  Because the pain resolved itself they said that it could have been a partial that resolved itself.  It's been so long since I saw Dr. Crookes because my internist is so knowledgable about the DS as his, now retired, front office lady had one so he knows what blood work to do but I guess I will give Dr. Crookes a call.

thanks

Could be a bowel obstruction, either from adhesions or an internal hernia, that resolved itself...or if you still have your gall bladder it could be that, and gallstones don't always show up on CT scan. The best test to look for gallstones is ultrasound. Each test has its strengths and weaknesses, and ultrasound is better than CT scan for gallstones.

Regarding your vitamin D, most of us take at least 50,000 units of "dry" D daily, if not 100,000 units. The best place to buy the dry D is Vitalady, though you can also buy from the manufacturer (Biotech) if you really feel like paying more for it. Prescription Vitamin D is almost useless for us because it is packaged in oil, which is fat, which we mostly don't absorb. I'm sure your doctor means well, but most docs don't know how each and every medication is formulated, they just look at that dose and think it's a nice big dose. they also don't understand the strength of our fat malabsorption. so while that prescription might sound adequate, it isn't. Get yourself on the dry D at the right dose and it should help a lot.

I don't know what to tell you about the anemia. I presume you are taking some form of iron. Maybe a different form would make a difference...or maybe not. But check out Vitalady for differnet forms of iron, you can even ask her for assistance. She has a good understanding of both RNY and DS and has graciously helped many people.

Larra

Thanks Larra,

i bought some dry D3 50,000 that you get from the pharmacist. It is a once a week for two months and than a lower dose one after that. I still take 10,000-15,000 daily.

I am still not feeling great.  I am having some bathroom issues, which I guess is good in that I know things are getting through, and some nausea.  I am down 3 1/2 pounds from Sunday.  I am trying to make an appt. with my surgeon, Dr. Crookes, but I can't get thru.  I was on hold for 1 1/2 hours yesterday and 1 hour today before hanging up. I don't know if I have the wrong USC appt line or what.  It is very frustrating.  I did have a hernia the size of a grapefruit that was closed so maybe that's ripping open, I don't know.  I have had to call in sick for 2 days now which isn't great.

Kathy

That sounds exactly like what I experienced the few times I ate onions since surgery. I have bad gas no matter what I eat. But onions OMG!!!! ER HERE I COME! It's been years since I've eaten onions. It took about 3 er visits before it got through that it was the onions. I'd get sweaty,weak and barely able to breath. On the toilet with a bucket in front of me. Pooping and throwing up at the same time (I know, tmi) all while in excruciating pain.

I have the same problem when I drink alchole, or a lot of oily, greasy food.  I diagnose it as GERD.  I often feel a slight burning sensation in the morning.  Modify diet, drinking ginger for the digestion system nightly or chamomile helps soothes the digestion system....and of course caffeine free.   Over the couter pepto, or pepcid helps when you feel like you about to have a reaction.  The best thing is to make an appointment with your G.I doctor to know what you are working with.  You have to be careful what you are eating. 

Funny look at the kettle calling the pot black, I need to make an appointment to confirm my diagnoisis.