Question:
Pain started 6 mo post-op, anyone with any suggestions?
My pain started 6 months post-op and has gone on for 8 months now. I have done every test to look at the gall bladder, to check the ph level in my stomach, and to make sure the stapling is okay. We can find nothing wrong. The GI doctors say it is a hypersensitivity nerve syndrome problem and I am living on pain pills. Has anyone heard of this before and have advice on what to do? — Gretchen H. (posted on February 3, 2005)
February 3, 2005
Hi Gretchen!
I am so sorry to hear about this for you. May GOd bless you and get you
through.
You mention pain... but where and what kind are you speaking of?
— angelina1970
February 3, 2005
If you are talking about this right sided pain that seems to be common or
mentioned alot lately, me included , I think for me I may ...JUST MAY have
come upon an answer for me and hopefully for others. I thought back over
all the different things and what could possibly be causing this pain. Was
keeping a food and intake diary and suddenly it dawned on me, I have not
had any pain for two days and more important nights and the only difference
was no carbonation. I didnt start drinking diet coke until a few months ago
and only a can every other day or so, but that is when my pain was also,
every other day or so. No soda last two days, no pain????? Just an idea and
maybe I am just getting a break in the pain for awhile but worth trying if
you are drinking caffeine or carbonation ???
Best of luck, pain is so frustrating.
— Kathy S.
February 3, 2005
I am only guessing, but want to tell you NOT to give up. I find that
doctors are only human, and when they are confronted with something they
cannot, or do not want to take the time or money to solve, tend to give
vague diagnosis. Have you had a colonectonectomy?
There are a variety of ways of getting you physician's attention. Use your
immagination
Linda JA Rodham
— lindarodham6
February 3, 2005
I was wondering have you ever went to a chiropractor? I was having this
severe chest pain the other day and thought that I was having a heart
attack or a blood clot in my lung. Medical dr. found nothing and sent me
home with pain pill. Two days later..still in a terrific amount of pain
went to chiropractor and found out a Had ribs out of whack and Instantly
felt better. I was sore but the PAIN was gone. It is amazing what a good
chiropractor can do..yes even for something like unexplained pain and
nausea..i've went for ear infections even. I think it would be worth a
try.
— FaithMills
February 3, 2005
Where exactly is it? When does it occur? What does it feel like? Dull,
sharp, spasm? How long does it last? And if you say it follows meals, how
long after. Do YOU think it has anything to do with your
speed/volume/chewing or the actual food? Something that I have seen
several times lately goes like this. Person eats, (whatever), lil while
later, they have really excruciating pain, near navel or lower (but
location doesn't matter with this). It passes for no reason that they can
see. Can't find a pattern to how/what they eat. They see the doc, docs run
various tests, all is fine. Eat/pain/test/puzzlement, over and over. One
thing the tests all have in common is that they are done on empty. No food
is passing anywhere, only liquid. But the pain only occurs after solid
food. So, the cycle continues until a curious surgeon goes in, takes a
look and finds....nothing wrong. Til the person eats, then as the food
passes a spot in the intestine, there is a crowding. Not a complete
blockage, just a tight or bent spot so liquids pass, solids bind. The
pattern would continue forever if the surgeon hadn't been curious/hounded.
So, what I'm saying is that you might want to write down the pattern for
your doc and suggest this intermittent bowel obstruction. I'd never have
laid this all out here, but I've seen it maybe 9 times in the last 6
months, even tho the problem was in different spots in each person.
— vitalady
February 3, 2005
I had the same problem. My doctor ended up talking my gallbladder out.
There is a test besides the ultrasound to check the gallbladder. It is a
hydroscan. Ask for that to be done. That is how they found my gallbladder
needed to be removed. Good luck. My pain is gone after that.
— Carol W.
February 3, 2005
As usual Michelle's answer is very well thought out. I just spent four days
in the hospital being diagnosed with pancreatitis caused by stray stone in
the bile duct (I don't have a gall bladder) and being treated very
aggressively for that. Turns out it was most likely one of those partial
bowel blockages rather than pancreatitis. I was having what appeared to be
normal bowel function so the docs didn't put much faith in my belief that I
had a blockage. My mistake was that I didn't insist that they call my
bariatric surgeon because I could tell that the demergency room doc and the
GI guy were not too familiar with my bypassed anatomy. I did appreciate
that they were aggressive in treating for the diagnosis they made but I
think I could have spared myself a lot of discomfort and expense if I had
insisted on seeing the bariatric surgeon first. And by the way, I had some
left over hydrocodone from a former surgery and it didn't begin to even
TOUCH the pain........it was that bad.
— scbabe
February 4, 2005
Upsdate..no soda for 3 days and pain is back, so much for that idea...hope
you find the answer.
— Kathy S.
February 4, 2005
I am dealing with the exact same thing although mine started earlier. I
just posted a question about in on the pain board. they said possible
blockage or nerve damage, but I have no other answers, I love on pain
medicine myself. If you get any more answers, please let me know.
Dana
— Dana C.
February 4, 2005
Michelle and SC Babe, can I ask you a question about your answer? I've
suspected the same thing with myself, but my PCP blew it off. And because
I thought of it in my own mind...I sadly believed him. The pain I have is
similare to EXTREME gas, but not in the lower intestine, more like small
intestine and even stomach. Like eating glass. Then after a bit, it goes
away. Not with gas x or 'releif', just all of a sudden..gurgle
gurgle..gone. Sound similar? thanks..Rebecca
— RebeccaP
February 4, 2005
Rebecca, when I went into the hospital last week the pain was in the upper
ab area a few inches above my belly button. Gax X (double dose) did no good
at all and I took hydrocodone with no relief either. My pain lasted a long
time on Wednesday but I finally stopped hurting about 12 hours after it
started. They had taken me OFF all solid food and all liquids when I got to
the hospital. I went almost 20 hours without food or drink and had no
problem then they put me back on liquid and soft food.
Within a short period of time, I had the most excruiating pain I've ever
had in the same general area as the day before. It lasted for about 5 to 10
minutes then, just as you said, .........a big gurgling sound, then the
pain was gone. I had major diarhhea during that night and to date, have not
had another moment of pain.
— scbabe
February 4, 2005
Well, it did not happen directly TO ME (but I had a b/o with my first baby,
so can "feel" it). The problem they all had was that they
couldn't pin it to a specific food. Logical, of course. But the reality
was the problem was FOOD. Getting a for sure dx was impossible, but
finally, they had to go with partial or intermittent b/o. And they had to
GO LOOK. That's what's hard. For them, they were doing the pre-op jitters
and not even sure the problem would be solved! But so far, all of them
were. And they had normal BM's, so that throws off the usual b/o thinking.
Of course. It was only obstructed until it broke down enough to pass.
Made them all crazy and they felt like they were playing Russian roulette
with food. All you can do is suggest that sometimes the lost weight can
cause shifting inside (which is what several surgeons have said--hey!
that's not where I put that!), the allows a hunk of intestine to slip in
and out of a space that wasn't there or wasn't big enough originally.
— vitalady
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