5 Years Post Op GAS PAINS HELP

Hi ALL, I need your help. I am 5 yrs post op next week. In the last year I have developed what they calkled for a year IBS but now they are not sure. I am having SEVERE stomach achs that land me in the hopistal for 3 days at a row  or keep me in pain in bed. The hospital is now lableing me a drug seeker because they I guess do not believe this is happening and hurting as bad as it is. Is anyone else that is long term post op dealing with this? If so what have you found or what have they said DR wise I am at my wits. I am told I have to learn to live with this but I am only 40 and it hurts so bad I am not eating right again and have lost 23 lbs in 8 weeks. ANy info is GREATLY APPRICATED

It is more than likely adhesions which do NOT show up on any test.  It took them years to figure that out for me.  They labeled me IBS and all kinds of things but after a colonoscopy it pretty much ruled that out.  The only way to fix this is exploratory surgery.   What also may be happening is partial bowel obstruction where your bowels kink up and then release.  These would double me over in the fetal position and pain killers were the only things that could help.   They discovered what I had was a "void"  which is like a huge empty space where all the intestines are.  When we lose a drastic amount of weight and get underweight (which I was for a time), you lose all the fat around the intestines.  Fatty tissue is what holds all of our intestines in their place.  When we lose this fat pad, we have no more cushioning.  The intestines are free to move around and get kinked.  Most of the time your stomach will swell up when this happens and you will be constipated and then the next moment you are fine and the swelling goes down.  They never can seem to catch this blockage because the days they schedule the tests is when I am "OK."   I finally went to a weight loss surgeon in my area who believed me.  It was reassuring since the other WLS surgeon group thought I was a drug seeker and pretty much told me I was "full of ****"  literally... that all I needed was an enema.  I was pissed.   Obviously SOMETHING was blocking me up!!!!  Anyways the new surgeon said the only way he could accurately diagnose me was to go in.  I was so frustrated that I was begging him to do surgery on me.  They went in, and confirmed that I did have that "void" in the "Petersons space" or also known as the Mesentary.   Another occurance that happens to me are Esophageal Spasms.  It feels like I am digesting razor blades and even though I have never given birth, I SWEAR these are worse than labor pains.  The only way I can take care of this is to have Valium on me 24/7 and I only take it as needed.  It only happens a few times a year.  This is also something they cannot tell by running tests.  I can't tell you how many EGD/scopes, upper GI's, Lower GI's, CAT Scans, colonoscopy and other various tests I have had in the last 6 years.   I finally had surgery this past August and they "tacked" all my intestines down to keep them in place.   I am so thankful they listened to me because here in Kentucky, they have only been doing Weight loss surgeries for 4 years maximum.  I moved here from another state.  Occasionally I see someone with the same symptoms as me but they never get diagnosed.  My only piece of advice is to print this out and go see a Weight loss surgeon... definitely NOT a Gastroenterologist (they are so prejudiced against us and VERY rude.) They never want to touch us because we are "different."  The ER also has no idea what to do with us and as soon as I say the words "WLS" they get that deer in the headlight look on their faces.  They pretty much doped me up and sent me home.  Now I have some relief............ Just tell your surgeon that you may have a possible hernia in the Mesentary/Petersons space.  This is so deep inside that it does NOT show up on standard hernia tests where they press in on you.  It also doesn't show up on scans or GI's.   Hope this helps.  This may not be what is wrong but it gives them something to look for and it does happen.  My surgeon group said they went to a seminar recently in Las Vegas and they are starting to see people like me show up this far out with my symptoms.   It is not in your head.  Hugs, Dana Barr Lexington, Kentucky 6 years post-op

Dana,  OMG what you are explaning is absolutly what I am going through. I am going out of my mind. They have labelled me a drug seeker as well and told me I have to live with this. I am only 40 and refuse to live with it. THANK YOU, I am printing this out and bring it with me when I see the surgeon.  Donna

I was going to suggest hernia but sounds like Dana has a better answer for you.

I am so sorry you are going through this... been there done that...   I was hospitalized @ 2.5 years post with off-the-chart pain (10+ - if possible) for hours.  While in ER I was given everything IV (pain meds) admitted & tested on for 6 days.  Stupid doc (not my PCP) told me I had an endometrium lining thickness that I needed to have checked by my GYN.  Discharged (pain had lifted) and saw GYN the next week (referral).  MANY TESTS LATER - my endometrium lining was perfect and still no closer to an answer - WHY THE CRIPPLING PAIN in my gut?    1 month later, while eating a couple of bites of a Sub club sandwich on the way home from an out of town funeral, was struck with a very familiar pain.  It grew and grew and by the time I got home (1.5 hrs later) I was fetal position on my bed.  3 - 4 hours later when husband came home from work he picked me up & rushed me to ER.  I was checked & rechecked & given 1 g of morphine.  PERIOD.   Pain @ 10 over 30  hours - admitting doc said they wanted me to be able to "point out" the pain location accurately to surgeon so no meds!!!   They called in a surgeon who had performed RNYs at their hospital, to check the tests who came into my room at 10:00P.M. and said he had seen me down in Xray at 9:00 A.M. and SAW while they were Cat-scanning me , that I had a massive BOWEL OBSTRUCTION and that he had been WAITING for over 12 hours for them (admitting doctor) to PUT HIS NAME ON THE CHART so he could rush me into surgery. (wow!  now that's a run-on sentence! I still get upset remembering!) What a nightmare.  This surgeon operated on me at 11:10 P.M. on a Saturday night.  Adhesions had wrapped themselves around various portions of my intestines AND he found 2 HERNIAS deep within the  intestines.  This man literally saved my life.  He also told me, upon reviewing the test results from the month before -  that he COULD SEE I HAD OBSTRUCTIONS then. 1 month I battled bowel obstruction(s).  I could have died. He told me the next day that there was over 28% mortality rate with bowel obstruction surgery. At that time there was only 2% with having the RNY.  He said he barely had "caught me in time". Okay, now, my point to you:  if you haven't already, do a Bowel Obstruction Symptoms search through your favorite search engine and PRINT THE PAGE - do not take NO for an answer.  Go to ER and do not apologize for being there. I will be praying for you for strength and healing and for the doctors to have wisdom and insight!

Amen...same thing with me sister.   They actually took a picture of the adhesions wrapping around my intestines.  It looked like 7 rubber bands.  They are shocked I didn't have necrosis.  They said I was REALLY close to getting a colostomy bag if the blood flow hadn't  returned.  They caught it in time.  It really ****** me off   about the other surgeon group telling me that I was just "full of ****" and needed an enema.   DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    See my post above yours... we went through the same thing.   Dana

I can only agree with the others!  For 7 months I couldn't get help!  I had to go back to New Orleans to see my original WLS who did exploratory surgery.  I had an internal hernia in Peterson's Space and adhesions.  By November, I was still sick -- had another exploratory - b/c WLS expected partial bowel obstruction from adhesions -- sure enough!  30 hours later, my bowel kinked and I had emergency surgery.  There is more information on my profile in blocks really as I've never had time to truly document what happened to me.  I am now battling severe anemia and abdominal pain.  Get thyself to a surgeon who will listen to you!!  The things that I had were NEVER EVER going to show on ANY test, CT Scan, etc.  Bariatric surgeons do not dianoses internal hernias and adhesios through "tests;" they diagnose them through the patients medical history, reported symptoms and a physical exam! I know how frustrating this is -- psychologically it will drive you insane if the pain hasn't already!!!!  I began to question my sanity -- it is true!!! Was I imagining it?  The doctors here after receiving my post-operative reports and seeing me for follow ups only had this to say, "Hmmmmmmmm!"  Well, OK then!  Thanks for the vindication!  LOL  Stay strong!  YOU know YOUR body better than ANYone!  After all, it IS YOUR body! 

Hi, First are you sure this feels like gas pains? I went to the ER scared ****less from pain in the middle of my stomach above my belly button. I have a umbilical hernia, which is not strangulated, and has given me no problems or pain. But that day I felt a rock hard knot just above the belly button along with extreme pain. After the usual ultra sound, x-rays blood work, they said it was gas in the hernia protion of the intestine, gave me GAS-X! After about 30 minutes I felt the gas move around, and the pain stoped and the knot went away! Talk abut shocked, i couldn't believe it was as simple as that. I am 13 months out, and have been the picture of health, off all insulin, and diabetes meds. taking less hypertention meds and with excellent cholesterol and liver enzymes. This was the first problem I've had that scared me, and it really was gas.  If your problem isn't relieved by Gas-x or a similiar drug, don't give up, you could have problems that don't show up on any tests.

Hi , yes I am sure it is not an umbilical hernia. I have had every test on earth as well as the WLS had fixed that when he did my orginal surgery as well as the tummy tuck surgery. I am honestly starting to think that it is what the others have suggested. SInce all my symptons are the same as thiers. I have even printed thier emails to bring with me to the DR. This is the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. It swells my tummy up and that is not good since we all have tiny tummies now and as soon as they give me enough pain meds to sleep it off when I wake I am ok as long as the swelling is gone, but I am left always with a nagging back ache in the same place. not a nig nagging either. It hurts to eat now. Even the littlest bite of food hurts. Iam at wits end. I am sick of them telling me it is normal and I have to learn to live with this. Ia m only 40 and I refuse to live with this pain. I did not do this surgery to live out in pain I did it to have an ACTUAL life again. My huge problem now is that my WLS was not a good one and he is not in practice anymore, in fact he is being sued so much inthe  area that he actually fled the area and no other WLS wants to touch me except for one that is over 3 hours away from where I live. So I am stuck with a General Surgeon who does not know alot of this surgery so hence forth the reason for printing out this emails so he can be aware of it, open me up and fix me while he is in thier. Thanks to all who have written back it has helped me tremendously now I know I am not alone in what I am going through nor is it in my head as they think.  Donna

sure sounds like to me that you are having a partial blockage of your intestines but it also makes me wonder if you have an adhesion near your stoma sincece you said it hurts RIGHT after you eat and everything is bothering you now.   The swelling and bloating is definitely a sign of partial obstruction/kink.   Sounds like adhesions to me from some of your constant pain.   I really wish you would go to the other WLS that is 3 hours away. If they go in there and your surgery has gone wrong, they really need to have an expert to re-fix anything.  Just in case, ya know?  Like if they have to re-do the stoma.   Wish you were closer to me.  I know how frustrating this is.  Sounds like a few others have gone through it to.  PLEASE keep us updated. I have pondered on whether to do huge post on this, especially after I went through everything. I suspect there has been more occurances, they just don't post because they think they are the only ones.  I feel like I have experienced anything that could go wrong or "weird."  I actually made a medical journal from my original surgery.. had to go back in 2 days later from a gastric artery that decided to block my stoma from behind.  Now that doctor does the surgery different to avoid that. 

PM me so we can keep in contact by email.   Hugs, Dana