disfunction of the spinchter oddi

[gotham]

this has been a great forum. I learnt a lot from it.
my girlfriend has been suffering for sometime. here are the symptoms. any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
-pain in upper quadrants..both sides.
- pain feels like someone is squeezing her liver..pain comes in spasms..like someone stabbing her with a sharp object.
- pain comes without fail shortly after a meal. does not matter what kind of food she eats. pain a little less when she resricts her diet to smoothies.
-also symptoms of nausea and severe headache.
-no problem with bowel movement.
- no jaundice symtoms
-was at the hospital for 6 days to cure a mystery infection....treated with very strong antiboiotics
- liver enzymes levels higher than normal
- 2 mri scans, 2 ct scans, 3 ultrasound did not reveal anything abormal except a small 0.5 cm liver hemangioma
-just completed hida scan..waiting for results
-doc at emory thinks it could be a blockage of the bile duct or a sphincter of oddi dysfuntion.

thanks in advance for help

[gotham]

thanks  very much for your comment.
we are awaiting the hida scan tests.
My gut feeling is that she has a blocked bile duct.
She was at emory for 6 days..they kept on spinning their wheels with numerous mri, ctscans and ultra sounds.
Hope this time the doc sees something to recommend  ercp.

[beebug]

I had a blocked bile duct and no test they ran on me showed it.  It took doctor #5 to do an ERCP and find the problem.  So, if tests don't show it,and you are still having problems, please insist on an ERCP.  Mine was blocked for a year and the docs kept telling me nothing was wrong!  I now have complete relief.

[schaeff]

The literature reflects that no medicine is specific to the SO. Pharmacological therapy has tried antispasmodics (e.g., levsin), calcium channel blockers and long-acting nitrates. There are a few studies from John's Hopkins using botox injections.

This is an excellent article for anyone seeking inforamtion about SOD.

http://www.joplink.net/prev/200111/04.html

[sopita]

I'm 30 years old and I had my gallbladder remove 6 months ago. since then I have been having this pain in my right side that radiates to my back.  I had a ultrasound, cat scan and blood test everything comes normal. my pain has been getting worse I had vomit some times and now I have the same pain in my left side....is this normal for SOD??
my doctor is giving me ...Robinul Forte 2mg . the pain is better but stills there... what medication is good for SOD.???

[gotham]

thanks so much.
No her gall bladder has not been removed.
we are hoping that hida scan does indeed point to a non-functioning gall bladder..so that it can be removed.
thanks so much for your help.

[Lor]

I have SOD. My question is - has she had her gallbladder removed? SOD is usually diagnosed after the gallbladder is removed. Can be right away or years later. SOD is found in people who have non functioning gallbladders.
What happens to people with SOD is: the sphincter to the bile duct is too tight to open. Which causes extreme pain. The pressure in the duct from not being able to release enough bile causes it to back up into the gallbladder. Over time this can cause the gallbladder to go bad. Once that happens the bile is then pushed into the liver and/or pancreas. There is treatment for this, but it is very risky and should only be done by someone who has done this time after time. If she hasn't had her gallbladder removed. Her hida scan should be at 40% or higher. If it falls below she needs to think about having it removed.  There is hope that her pain can be fixed.