Post Gallbladder Surgery Pain - Severe

[JimmyMac]

My problem started Dec. 26th, 2000. I had an attack that I thought was a heart attack, very severe pain in the center of my chest going through to the middle of my back. After being taken to the emergency room, the doctor there also thought I was having a heart attack and gave me thrombolitics, after which my pain subsided. A cardioligist examined me and did blood work which did not indicate a heart attack. He then did a heart cath which revealed no heart attack. I was told that it could have been a gallbladder attack and a gastro doctor was called in and did an ERCP and only found two small ulcers in my stomach. He prescribed Prilosec twice a day and I was discharged from the hospital with follow up appointments scheduled. Two weeks later, I started being nauseated and went to my regular doctor. He sent me to have a ultra sound of my gallbladder which was normal. After a serious bout of nausea that lasted several days, he ordered a HIDA scan which showed an abnormal gallbladder with no stones. Surgery was scheduled for Feb. 1st. I had the cholycystectomy done and for the next two months, felt the best I had felt for years. I would occasionally have some very sharp pains under my right rib cage for 5 to 30 seconds in duration. I discussed these with my wife and we figured they were just "phantom" pains associated with the gallbladder removal. On April 6th, I had an attack of severe pain in the same area as the "phantom" pains that lasted for several hours. I left work and later that day, the pain just stopped as abruptly as it started. The next morning while at work, another attack struck. I started to get up and go see our plant nurse but the pain was so severe, I could not walk. I sat back down and called my doctor and he said for me to come in so I called my wife to come get me and carry me to the doctor. They did blood work and had a ultrasound of my upper right quadrant done. The ultrasound was normal and the doctor gave me Darvocet for the pain and sent me home with a follow up scheduled for the following Monday. The pain persisted into the evening with no releif with the Darvocet. The rest of the weekend was pain free and when I went back for the followup on Monday, the doctor said that my blood work showed some abornalities in the liver tests. One was more than double and one was more than triple. I can't remember the exact readings nor the exact tests except that it was the liver function tests that were abnormal. The doctor sent me home with a follow up scheduled in a week to redo the blood work. Three days later, I had another attack of severe pain in my right side under my ribs in the same place, which I was told was where my gallbladder had been. I went back to the doctor and they ran more blood tests and sent me for a CT scan of the area. The Scan was again normal and the blood work was again abnormal with about the same results as before. They gave me Tylox for the pain and scheduled me an appointment with a gastro doctor the following week. I had recurring attacks that I could not associate with any kind of activity or any foods that I ate. The attacks were always sudden and ended just as sudden. They would last anywhere from minutes to hours with the longest one about 10 hours but normally averaged about three hours, after which I would be physically drained. I seen the gastro doctor and he scheduled me for an ERCP that was a month away and a MRI the following week. It also was normal. After about two weeks of constant attacks, I decided I could not wait that long for the ERCP because the pain was very severe. One episode occurred one night that awoke me and was the same intensity as the episode back in December. My wife started to carry me to the emergency room but the attack ceased after about twenty minutes and after taking some Pepto Bismol. I went back to bed only to have the same thing happen two more time during the night. I called the doctor the following day and they moved my ERCP up to the next day. After the procedure, he said I had an ulcer in my duodenum and put me on Protonix and scheduled me for a follow up visit in four weeks. I continuously had attacks off and on and went to the emergency room one time but by the time someone saw me the pain had ended and they said they could not do anything for me but to give me some more pain medicine, Roxicodone, and sent me home but said if I had anymore attacks that I could come back to the emergency room. I thought "what for" if they couldn't do anything except give me pain medicine which had no effect on the pain at all. After the four weeks I went back to the gastro dactor and told him that the pain seemed to be getting worse. He suggested that the pain may just be in my head at which time I decided to see another doctor. I got an appointment with another gastro doctor that Friday. After reviewing my files and doing more bloodwork which again showed abnormal liver funtion results, he suggested it may be Spincter of Oddi Syndrome and scheduled me for an ERCP at the Medical University of South Carolina. He also prescribed Levbid for me to take to see if it helped since none of the other pain medications worked at all. I went back for a follow up with him after two weeks while he got all of the films from my ulta sound, CT scan, and MRI. He reaffirmed that he thought that it may be Spincter of Oddi Syndrome as did I after reseaching it on the internet. The Levbid helped with the pain making it a tolerable level but still very annoying. About like having a bad headache, something you can deal with but do not wish to have for the rest of your life. I was elated when I found out that my appointment at MUSC was sooner than expected. I went down on July 19th for a consultation with the doctors and carrying all of my films that they examined and did more blood work. The ERCP was scheduled for the following morning with no promises of success, but, I was sure this was going to be the answer to my problems. I asked the doctor right before the procedure if the pain was not present at the time of the  pressure measurements, would the measurements be valid? He assured me that was a good question but he did not know the answer. During the procedure after the measurements had been made, an attack was triggered by something, of which we are still not sure. The pressure's were in fact normal, but, the attack was very severe. After receiving 325 mg of Demerol over the next two hours with no releif, he asked if I had any of the Levbid with me. My wife retreived some from our car and after taking it, within 30 minutes, the pain was once again at a tolerable level. He told me that I had had enough Demerol to knock a horse out. They kept me over night at the hospital for observation because of the intense pain, but, could not determine what the problem was other than to guess that it may be IBS and that it was certainly an enigma. They also said that my bloodwork was normal, although they did have another sample taken before my release from the hospital which they said was also normal. I am now back home wondering what in the world happens now. I have been on medical leave from work since my first appointment with the second gastro doctor and was looking foward to getting back to work this week. I am desperate. At this point, I am almost ready to try anything. Certainly, there must be something. I know this has been a long statement of my conditions, but I anxiously await your reply. I am going to contact my gastro doctor today for a visit as soon as possible for any further tests that can be done. I would not object to exploritory surgery if it would maybe help.

Thank You In Advance

JimmyMac

[zoie_]

Hi JimmyMac

Just want to let you know that you are not alone!  I too have had severe attacks of pain since my gallbladder surgery in 1998.  I have had numerous tests performed including the ERCP which was normal.  I have been reading about the sphincter of oddi disorder and I am wondering if this will be the answer for me as well.  I have attacks generally on a daily basis sometimes for only a few minutes and then other times lasting for hours.  I haven't had any luck with the gastroenterologist that I am currently seeing.  My family physician had put me on Librax four times daily stating that it had to be some type of spasm.  Let me know how everything goes for you and if you find answers.  You can email me at ***@****.
Best of luck to you!

[Greg500]

Why didn't you have a sphincterotomy done at the time of the  last ERCP?  It seems that after all you had been through, they might have suggested doing this.  

Have you tried taking nitrates, like nitroglycerin during your attacks?  Try to get some prescribed for you on a trial basis, take one or two when the attack starts.

[Dani]

Hi JimmyMac,
I was reading your post with great sympathy. I went through something so similar to what you are going through now. I had my gallbladder out and developed severe pains, or "attacks" as I call them. It took me years to get the proper diagnosis of SOD (sphincter of oddi disorder). I also my first ERCP which was "normal" with "normal" pressures. I would be happy to fill you in and help if I can. Please feel free to email me at ***@****. Good Luck

[Dani]

I was reading your post and can so sympathize with you! I was diagnosed with SOD (sphincter of Oddi disorder) after several years of being sick. The first ERCP I had showed normal pressures, when in fact I did have SOD at the time. I would love to be of help to you and fill you in on my story if you would like. I know how frusterating it can be to be so sick and not know why. Please feel free to email me at ***@**** Good luck.