Has anyone had an internal hernia?

I've read the posts about 2 1/2 year post op severe stomach pain with interest, because they describe my symptoms exactly, and what do you know, I'm 2 1/2 years post op. One difference is that my pain doesn't seem as severe as the women there describe. Mine started with stomach pain just above my belly button that goes around to my back, eventually the pain in my back which feels muscular is more painful than the stomach. I took a nap thinking if all my muscles relaxed I would feel better. When I woke up I still had pain, in fact at that point it was the worst it had been. I had overdone it on Splenda last week, I called someone from my support group, she brought me a Phazyme for gas and within a few minutes I was pain free and absolutely amazed. Within an hour I was hurting again, however, and the gas pills no longer worked. I took another that night, and 2 the next day, no relief at all. By Sunday morning I was finally doing better, Monday even better, although I would still experience pain after eating. It is most comfortable to lay on my right side curled up a bit for about a half hour after eating. It is most uncomfortable if I stand; when I stand I find myself bending over a bit as I walk. Also, I can't eat very much, it's like being a new post op again, a few bites and I feel full and uncomfortable. One of my kids had a stomach virus last weekend, I thought maybe this is the post-op version of it. The more I read and researched online last night, the more I'm thinking it could sound like an internal hernia, which unfortunately, requires surgery to repair. Today is a holiday, though, so my surgeon's office is closed I'm sure...tomorrow morning I'm flying out to New England for a week. I think this can wait until I get back, although I've read that internal hernias can lead to bowel obstructions, which if untreated could be fatal. I'm concerned, but I'm going to be very in tune with my symptoms and if I need to get to a hospital while out there, I'll get there pronto. I'd just hate to miss my flight, and then learn from my surgeon that he can't see me for another week anyway, or that it's not something serious like I think it could be, that sort of thing. What do you all think? Am I okay to wait a week to have this checked out?

Dana, It is so good to know that I am not the only one. I can totally relate. I have worked at hospital emergency rooms and now at a dr office and I despise having to go to the ER if at all possible. I was in severe pain the other night and my stubbornness is what kept me home to deal with it. My husband of course said "you know you could die from your stubborness" Anyway, I did contact my dr (see my previous post) he didn't seem like it was an emergency, but if I could have gotten to him yesterday I would have gone. He told me to call the office Wednesday and come whenever I needed. I don't have any advice about whether you should take your trip but you could always go to the ER in New England if it became too bad, but I would still try to contact your dr just to get his advice. Hope you have a pain free trip! Georgina

I have had an internal hernia at about 10 months post op. IMO you don't sound sick enough to have an internal heria, my intestine wrapped around my stomach. I couldn't & had no desire to eat with the hernia, if your eating and using the bathroom normally your intestines are OK. The pain is so excruiating that I needed morphine and I have a very high pain tolerance. 2 years ago on 7/1/04 is when I had my emergency surgery at 5 pm. An internal hernia is life threatening and in my case although I had plans to travel for that holiday, it didn't happen. My surgeons met me in the ER and I had a CT scan and went to surgery ASAP. You may be eating too much food or food that you shouldn't. Why not try eating lightly and see how you feel. I never have stomach aches or pains, in my life time I have had 4 stomache aches and they were all serious,(gallbladder attack, internal hernia, food poisoning) If your surgeon isn't rushing you to the ER then obviously he doesn't feel you have an internal hernia. The pain of an internal hernia cannot be confused with any other type of pain. It doesn't feel like gas or constipation or anything else, if you have that pain you know it. If your able to sleep and make travel plans IMO you don't have an internal hernia. I couldn't even sit in a chair, never mind eat, sleep or live my life. You should call your doctor if you feel worse, but it sounds as though you have bad gas pains. Take gas-x and eat lightly & carefully. Be careful Amy

Thanks for your comments. I finally talked with my surgeon just a bit ago, thankfully he was the one in his group on call today! He said he's not saying I do have an internal hernia, it could be other things, but we talked through the possibilities as if that's what it is. He said if I wasn't leaving tomorrow I could have a CT scan done, and if it is a hernia, they repair them laparoscopically, you go home the next day. 2% of the time they have to open. He said internal hernias can be intermittent or severe. In the severe form the intestine falls through and strangulates the bowel. He said obviously if that's what I have, it's not the severe form, because I'm 5 days into this pain and I'm not dead. That caught my attention! Also, I haven't called him until now. He said he would guess that I either have that and it's intermittent, or I don't have that at all. He thinks I'm okay to go on my trip, that I've done the smart thing by calling ahead and finding a hospital that does gastric bypass and is equipped to handle any complications that may arise...he was pleased with that. He said to carry his phone number and he would certainly consult with anyone treating me out there. If I experience any intense pain at all, he said get to the ER immediately. When I get back, if I'm still having these symptoms, he would like to see me and would likely do a CT scan at that time to see what is going on.

Dana, I'm sorry to hear that you are in pain and I hope you feel better soon! Not all internal hernias show up on CT Scans, MRIs, and/or X-Rays. I had an internal hernia repaired at the beginning of June. I was also suffering from adhesions which were removed. You can read my profile for more information and links to informative internet sites. You may also email me at [email protected] -- however, I am having surgery (cosmetic adjustment) tomorrow so I don't know when I'll be around but I could get back to you as soon as I am able. Best regards, Vanessa

My pain was at my belly button and slightly off to the left. It would start off like severe gas pains and I would think I can take some Gas X and be ok. But it would quickly progress to extremely severe pain where I could just not think about anything else. It would also strangely feel like if I could just have a bowel movement, some pressure might be relieved, but even though I would try I couldn't do that either. Nor could I usually pass any gas. So, the first couple of times I went to a small ER. I think the first time they might have done an x-ray and said I was very constipated or something. I can't remember offhand. I just remember that I would get sent off for tests later, when I would NOT be in pain. You know, show up at 9AM for a CT and don't eat anything. Of course nothing would show up. Somewhere along the line I had a HIDA scan of my gall bladder that showed it was shot so that came out and I was hopeful my pain attacks were over. 16 days later I had another attack. My attacks tended to last about 5 hours. It got to the point where I just would tough it out at home because nothing ever came of going to the hospital. Then one night I got kind of sick and had a slight attack of pain, but I vomited. There was blood in the vomit so I hauled myself into ER and was admitted. DX was partial small bowel obstruction and kidney stones. Wow. LOL A few months later 3 days before I was to routinely see my surgeon for a yearly appointment, another hospitalization for a bowel obstruction. That was it. I'd had enough. 2 and a half years of pain attacks. My doc said it was likely adhesions. But as I woke up from surgery the first thing I heard was "internal hernia". I asked "where?" LOL I wanted to specifically know where, so they had to go and ask my surgeon the location. The thing about internal hernia is this from my understanding. What causes the pain is when the intestine slips in the hernia. In my case mine would slip in and out here and there. So, it wasn't going to be seen on a test unless I happened to be having a CT during the precise kodak moment. Well, my attacks lasted usually around 5 hours. I lived about an hour from the hospital. By the time you decide to go in, get triaged, wait to see the doc, the doc decides to maybe do a CT on you....that 5 hours has long elapsed in my case. Sorry so long. In answer to your question, yes internal hernia can be intermittent. However it can be other things too like volvulus, intessussuption, adhesions, partial bowel obstruction, paralytic ileus, etc. So do check with your doc and have fun on your trip.

I had an internal hernia/partial bowel obstruction approx a year after my bypass. It took the dr's 2 months to diagnose it. I spent the holiday (Xmas) in the hospital, had numerous CT scans and xrays, a colonoscopy...finally probably just to appease me the dr did a laproscopy and low and behold he finds an internal hernia and partial bowel obstruction. Like another postee said it seemed to be intermittant, the bowel would slip in and out of the area where the hernia was. Most of my pain centered around my left side below my rib cage, I walked around with my hand pressed into my side all the time. The problem was corrected but about 2 weeks after surgery the pain returned and hits me about 3-4x a month. The Dr refuses to accept that he may have not completely fixed the problem and being a post bypass person no other Dr wants to touch it. Good luck, I hope they rectify your problem soon. Enjoy your vacation!