Gallstone?

Christine, I am glad you are one of the ones that made it thru. You must have had one fantastic physician's team taking care of you!

It can be a difficult thing to get a diagnosis on,anything in this region...with the close proximity of all the ductwork... because  the attacks usually start as intermittent..and get worse...and vary with intake.

My surgeon removed my  Gallbladder at the time of my open WLS, 20 yrs ago..so I did not have this issue,..and consider myself doubly blessed.

  I saw my daughter suffer with gallbladder attacks. She had been having intermittent issues for a few months, then began going into acute attacks. We actually figured the problem out, by tracing her intake, before the tests were done. On her next acute attack(no food or fluids for 48 hrs)It took weeks to get her surgery, because she had lost her job, due to illness and w/ her insurance.  My Mom was diagnosed after WLS ,and GB removal, with gall bladder issues, and were going to do another surgery to remove..."an inflamed GB". They had to search for another treatment and diagnosis when we gave them surgical report showing hers had been removed..(.was active Ulcer and gastritis w/ pancreatic duct inflammation.)

White Dove, it does sound like it could be gall bladder or pancreatic duct inflammation..(.as well as possible acid,or heart issue.) Glad you have an appt. soon. An ER trip for testing,( of course they will try to tell you it is the flu, first)... would be the only way you can know for sure before the appt... If PPI doesn't stop it.. you might consider making some ginger tea, .. the Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory,.. My daughter just went thru this in may-June I gave her ginger in  size  "O" capsules with tumeric  1/2 capsule of both equally divided...  it gave her SOME  measure of relief..(It was weeks before she could get scheduled in for surgeon. most of her sludge had passed before th GB was removed , with huge stones intact,after 6 weeks .  Lettuce /greens and fat , even small amounts that were previously tolerated, often set off GB attacks. does anything ring a bell? Can you trace it to anything you ate?

ER is for EMERGENCY treatment only. Life threatening episodes.

Please Don't suggest people run to ER because they had pain after eating. Unless the pain is very sharp, long lasting and does not resolve, or they are other issues go in I at the same time - like peeling or pooping blood, lost of consciousness, Etc...

Regular doctors are for diagnosing and treating issues. 

I do not normally urge anyone to go to the ER. I have seen it's abuse on several levels. I do not go unless I think I am dying, and my Dr is closed.

  Burst  and necrotic gall bladders KILL people.,I think they are considered an Emergency in every nation... so do ignored pains, whether misdiagnosed by medical people, or delayed treatment. If anyone is having radiating pain, down jaw and both arms,it can be anything from heart to gastric, and a definite diagnosis must be made somewhere.

I can assure you when a gall bladder attac****urs, and does not quickly pass it is an Emergency. My daughter could not get treatment until she had a definite diagnosis, it took 2 weeks of (no treatment, pallative, oh you just have a virus) before anyone would do the tests to confirm/deny her isssue, and 6 more weeks to get appt. and needed surgery. She had not been able to eat a 4 ounce meal in more than 8 weeks, by the time of surgery. She ived thru it, but was unable to work all that time and lost her job.

Or narrowing in your small intestine - due to hernia or adhesions. 

I had both.  GB felt more like hot pain - burning.... With sharp pain when escalated. Twisted gut was a short, raising slowLy in intensity pain lasting for the worse level 10-15 min, pain that would take my breath away and made me bend in half...but after food passed the narrowing - there was an instant relief that made me wonder if I just "imagined the pain"... 

H.a.l.a.B,  Then you had surgery to resolve thse adhesions and constrictions?..and hindsight is 20/20. It is so necessary for each of to know our own body and how it responds..and no one responds identically to the same surgery. When there is a large group , so often, someone can give another ideas to try when a "new to another" problem arises.

I know you have been on this site for quite a while, I am intermittently, so am passing this to you , Just in case.

.Those of us who have gastritis issues, can get gastric torsion.It causes intestinal death. Prevention, is key to staying out of the hospital. I also know, I have places of restriction at each place my intestines were pieced back together.( multiple procedure,Open WLS)..I know where two of those places are.

..and when I  first,feel the discomfort, feels like something just hasn't moved...I will get up and walk and massage those areas with the direction of desired movement., and it will suddenly unplug/pass the restriction. (esp.If I have been drinking cold things I will feel the cold .  pass.)..Then I take the Prevacid30,(it works fastest for me.)..for 3 days.and diet becomes cold liquid proteins and fluids.until swelling has passed. Avoid anything that causes gas!

One spot I massage, is at base of my pouch and the other is @ approximate place where the appendix was...each time I had a gastric twist, it was same place. Result a 6 day hospital stay,  NG tube down to decompress on low intermittent suction...so not fun.

I had 3 surgeries . one for GB and hernia - 2 after that for just twisted guts.   I lived with symptoms for a while ...

But when my GB failed - I had surgery within 2 weeks. But during the 2 weeks I was able to drink non fat protein drinks and eat small amount of low fat food.. My friend who was in pain and could not beat a thing had surgery to remove GB in 3 days.  I guess some practice and some areas are better than others. 

During my GB removal - they also fixed hernia.  That fix promptly failed 1 month later... Then I had another surgery to fix hernia 10 months later... In a meantime I lived with moderate to severe pain after eating solid food.. But I was not ready to go under the knife again and all my CT scans were normal... When pain got to be every day, debiliating - I call my surgeon and had surgery in 3 weeks ... 

That was what I had figured from your posting., that surgery/ies had been necessary It sounds like you have had a very active recovery phase, thru your entire process... I am so thankful, that low intermittent suction took care of my twists.. and I did not need surgery. I have had several episodes of gastritis over the past years, but have not had a twist since 2002(about).  Thanks for reply, tho not necessary. keep on Keeping on!

White Dove,

 Just checkin' in with you.. Have you gotten any relief fromPPI's?

Prevacid worked the fastest for my gastritis..If you have taken before, you need to use what your system utilizes best. Be sure to take it away from all other medications and supplements, as it interferes with absorbtion.

The PPI did not make a difference yet.  At 1:30 PM I had a small hamburger.  Then went to the dentist.  The pain started about 2:30 PM when my teeth were being cleaned.  I was able to sit up and it went away in about five minutes.

If I eat and do not sit or lie down for an hour there is no problem.  I see the doctor on Monday.  The pain starts right at the center under my bra and goes up to my shoulders and then down my arms.  It is a combination of pressure and pain.