Aa
undiagnosed and suffering
I have a 24 year old daughter that has been in the hospital now for three weeks without a diagnosis.
I am so scared for her! Here are her symptoms
vomiting with wreching daily all day
has not been able to keep even ice chips down.
very ill and no appetite at all.
abdominal pain just below the belly button extremely tender to the touch or movement.
constant nausea with no relief
no fever but very cold
Has had a past surgery for addhesions 10 years ago and ever since has had episodes of what she calls attack of vomiting and nausea for days at a time.
The doctors have done c.t. scans neg Blood work up neg endiscopy neg upper G.I. neg berium enima neg
x rays neg ultra sound shows some sludge but there saying this is not the cause of her pain and misery because the pain is in the intestinal area of the belly.
She has not been able to have a bowel movement without there help of several enimas and stool softeners "Ducolax"
They have been treating her nausea with zofran and her pain with Diladid.
The dr has stated that H/pylory every has in one form or another and it would come possitive even on me.
The doctors are now saying that this is in her head and there is nothing they can treat her for. I am just sick with worry for my daughter as she has a sweet 10 month old baby that now thinks im his mom.
I need to give my daughter some hope as she has stated to me tonight that she is desperate for answers and is scared for her life.
Please help and suggestions for other tests or anything please i am so desprite for her. She is now depressed and scared that no one will ever find an answer.
Let me just add that my daughter is planning to marry in march 08 and prior to this had a full life, not to mention totally in love with her baby. Any suggestions are to the heart appreciated
Thank you
Deb in calif
I am so scared for her! Here are her symptoms
vomiting with wreching daily all day
has not been able to keep even ice chips down.
very ill and no appetite at all.
abdominal pain just below the belly button extremely tender to the touch or movement.
constant nausea with no relief
no fever but very cold
Has had a past surgery for addhesions 10 years ago and ever since has had episodes of what she calls attack of vomiting and nausea for days at a time.
The doctors have done c.t. scans neg Blood work up neg endiscopy neg upper G.I. neg berium enima neg
x rays neg ultra sound shows some sludge but there saying this is not the cause of her pain and misery because the pain is in the intestinal area of the belly.
She has not been able to have a bowel movement without there help of several enimas and stool softeners "Ducolax"
They have been treating her nausea with zofran and her pain with Diladid.
The dr has stated that H/pylory every has in one form or another and it would come possitive even on me.
The doctors are now saying that this is in her head and there is nothing they can treat her for. I am just sick with worry for my daughter as she has a sweet 10 month old baby that now thinks im his mom.
I need to give my daughter some hope as she has stated to me tonight that she is desperate for answers and is scared for her life.
Please help and suggestions for other tests or anything please i am so desprite for her. She is now depressed and scared that no one will ever find an answer.
Let me just add that my daughter is planning to marry in march 08 and prior to this had a full life, not to mention totally in love with her baby. Any suggestions are to the heart appreciated
Thank you
Deb in calif
"My instructor said that it is as if some of our insides "glue together" and that this releases much of the gluing because of all the blood, thus oxygen, it brings to the area. It seems to break up the adhesions and it worked for me. She intended to teach elderly people because the "gluing" is so bad as we age if we don't treat it. I figured that if it worked for adhesions that formed naturally in our body, it should work for surgical adhesions.
It is truly amazing. I noticed a HUGE difference immediately. When I sat up after the fist time I did this (about a 15 min. session) I could feel a "FLOOD" or a Rush of blood or something! going to that area. After having pain about 40 times an HOUR for over a year and a half after my surgery, my pain decreased to only about 10 times a DAY for a few seconds at a time. I did this procedure again about a week after the first one and that gave me even more relief. I think it was about four months til I had to do it again. Now I do it about once a year, if that. I have been virtually pain free, ,aside from a dull ache now and then, from adhesions since learning this technique.
The idea is you want to get the blood to the bone, not just the muscle....so it floods the tendons and gets lots of oxygen there to start healing and breaking up the adhesions.
**My instructor told me to think of a steak and how the tendon is sort of splotchy with blood where it is attached to the bone...well, you want to get the blood totally to the bone so as to really break things up. Regular massage is not "deep" enough.
The ball I used measures 16 inches. Again, though, I did not get the ball thru the website (Body rolling is a dot com, one word, and you can learn about the woman who developed the technique. Anyway, I got just an ordinary ball in a toy section at Target and it looked similar to the one the instructor had used. The ball I have has a picture of Blues Clues on it! Hey, it works. It probably is bigger than the ones they recommend, but, if you think about it, it is squishy to the point where once all my weight is on it, it probably shrinks down to about ten inches. And, I just put my "front" onto the ball for the pelvic pain and not my back.
-------------------------------------
Here is how I did it...leaning my body wt. into it, literally placing the ball underneath me and "rolling" on it...slowly.
I would lay on the pubic bone and then take about four minutes or so to SLOWLY (while remembering to take deep breaths now and then) work my way out to the right side where the ovary once was on that side. After you get there, go back slowly to the pubic bone...breathe deeply. When you get to the pubic bone again, then go to the other side, following a path, if you will, of where you imagine the falopian tube once was. So, you are rolling in something like a "V" formation. After you get to the left side where the ovary once was, then go back to the pubic bone...and, you are done. But, take about 15 minutes to do the whole procedure.
I've been doing this for a year now I think. It makes a difference. My adhesions are from c-sections.
It is truly amazing. I noticed a HUGE difference immediately. When I sat up after the fist time I did this (about a 15 min. session) I could feel a "FLOOD" or a Rush of blood or something! going to that area. After having pain about 40 times an HOUR for over a year and a half after my surgery, my pain decreased to only about 10 times a DAY for a few seconds at a time. I did this procedure again about a week after the first one and that gave me even more relief. I think it was about four months til I had to do it again. Now I do it about once a year, if that. I have been virtually pain free, ,aside from a dull ache now and then, from adhesions since learning this technique.
The idea is you want to get the blood to the bone, not just the muscle....so it floods the tendons and gets lots of oxygen there to start healing and breaking up the adhesions.
**My instructor told me to think of a steak and how the tendon is sort of splotchy with blood where it is attached to the bone...well, you want to get the blood totally to the bone so as to really break things up. Regular massage is not "deep" enough.
The ball I used measures 16 inches. Again, though, I did not get the ball thru the website (Body rolling is a dot com, one word, and you can learn about the woman who developed the technique. Anyway, I got just an ordinary ball in a toy section at Target and it looked similar to the one the instructor had used. The ball I have has a picture of Blues Clues on it! Hey, it works. It probably is bigger than the ones they recommend, but, if you think about it, it is squishy to the point where once all my weight is on it, it probably shrinks down to about ten inches. And, I just put my "front" onto the ball for the pelvic pain and not my back.
-------------------------------------
Here is how I did it...leaning my body wt. into it, literally placing the ball underneath me and "rolling" on it...slowly.
I would lay on the pubic bone and then take about four minutes or so to SLOWLY (while remembering to take deep breaths now and then) work my way out to the right side where the ovary once was on that side. After you get there, go back slowly to the pubic bone...breathe deeply. When you get to the pubic bone again, then go to the other side, following a path, if you will, of where you imagine the falopian tube once was. So, you are rolling in something like a "V" formation. After you get to the left side where the ovary once was, then go back to the pubic bone...and, you are done. But, take about 15 minutes to do the whole procedure.
I've been doing this for a year now I think. It makes a difference. My adhesions are from c-sections.
Yes Rick it takes some getting use to, its like IBS only worse
fibre is a no no and wind seems to make things seem like you have
intestinal cancer hope you have learnt to cope as i have.
fibre is a no no and wind seems to make things seem like you have
intestinal cancer hope you have learnt to cope as i have.
My brother's boy had similar symptoms. After a couple of weeks in the hospital running test etc. without a diagnosis, they finally determined it was a severe reaction to mold. It took about a month for his stomach and intestines to heal. My brother removed the mold from his house (replaced sheet rock and insulation. They have not had any more problems.
Rick
Rick
Jatech, I'm so glad you brought up adhesions. That really popped out to me when I read kaiser's first post. So many doctors just blow off scar tissue, and it can really wreak havoc on the intestines. I've dealt with recurring abdominal adhesions for over 10 years, and had to quit work over 2 years ago because of the barfing and pain.
Kaiser, it's only my opinion, but having lived through the same symptoms for so long, maybe I can offer some advice. Adhesions (as you may already know) generally do not show up on tests unless it results in something like a total intestinal blockage or pulls the normal anatomy so far out of position that something becomes obvious. Scar tissue is soft tissue so it's hard to spot by itself on x-rays, CT scans and MRIs. Surgery is usually the cure, but can also be the cause, so it can become a vicious cycle. However, when a person becomes as sick as your daughter is, I believe it is worth pursuing surgery. Since she already has a history of adhesions, it's well worth looking into again. Diagnostic laparoscopy may be the only way to get to the bottom of what's going on since she's already had a huge workup as an in-patient. In some people, adhesions can turn out to be the gift that keeps on giving. Get them cut down, and get some relief for a while, and then they grow back. Nobody knows why some are plagued and others not at all. Why not at least consult a general surgeon for an opinon?
I live my life now in the same boat as your daughter most of the time. I've managed to maintain good nutrition with a liquid diet - thank God for blenders and juicers! - but I'm very thin. Since I have bowel adhesions, the food just doesn't go through, and I usually end up resorting to various laxatives and enemas to keep it moving out. All I can do is treat the symptoms until I'm fully obstructed and need another resection surgery. Hard to accept that in the 21st century there really isn't anything to be done, but that's where adhesion treatment is at right now. Feel free to PM me through this site if you'd like to talk further, and give my best wishes to your daughter. :-)
Kaiser, it's only my opinion, but having lived through the same symptoms for so long, maybe I can offer some advice. Adhesions (as you may already know) generally do not show up on tests unless it results in something like a total intestinal blockage or pulls the normal anatomy so far out of position that something becomes obvious. Scar tissue is soft tissue so it's hard to spot by itself on x-rays, CT scans and MRIs. Surgery is usually the cure, but can also be the cause, so it can become a vicious cycle. However, when a person becomes as sick as your daughter is, I believe it is worth pursuing surgery. Since she already has a history of adhesions, it's well worth looking into again. Diagnostic laparoscopy may be the only way to get to the bottom of what's going on since she's already had a huge workup as an in-patient. In some people, adhesions can turn out to be the gift that keeps on giving. Get them cut down, and get some relief for a while, and then they grow back. Nobody knows why some are plagued and others not at all. Why not at least consult a general surgeon for an opinon?
I live my life now in the same boat as your daughter most of the time. I've managed to maintain good nutrition with a liquid diet - thank God for blenders and juicers! - but I'm very thin. Since I have bowel adhesions, the food just doesn't go through, and I usually end up resorting to various laxatives and enemas to keep it moving out. All I can do is treat the symptoms until I'm fully obstructed and need another resection surgery. Hard to accept that in the 21st century there really isn't anything to be done, but that's where adhesion treatment is at right now. Feel free to PM me through this site if you'd like to talk further, and give my best wishes to your daughter. :-)
It sounds like its steming from the adhesions as when they are opperated on they usually
cause another hense blockages and tenderness i had a radical appendectomy and was in
agony for about five years with all tests saying "nothing wrong" look into it!
cause another hense blockages and tenderness i had a radical appendectomy and was in
agony for about five years with all tests saying "nothing wrong" look into it!
you said your daughter had lesions removed, if this was due to a medical mesh implant that may be the root of her problems as they have been known to detatch and cause all the symptoms that your daughter is having. I myself am living thru some of the same symptoms and have been told the mesh inside me need to come out. I know you said she has had numeroust test, but these meshes cant be seen on the test unless looked at by a highly trained eye by someone who looks for just that. There is new eveidence that these meshes break free and migrate to other parts of the body and can attach to the bowel, bladder and a host of other organs, please if she ever had any medical mesh put in her have the doctors remove it immediatly.
I found this article while looking for relief for chronic nausea from which my mother has suffered for about five years.
Good luck!
Allen
La Grange, North Carolina
Featured Article
www.wfubmc.edu
Unexplained Chronic Nausea
from Clinical Update, Fall 2003
Abstract: Unexplained chronic nausea and other dyspepsia symptoms affect about 25 percent of the general population. The cause may be neuromuscular disorders of the stomach.
Nausea is a noxious, debilitating and under-appreciated symptom,” said Kenneth Koch, M.D., chief of the gastroenterology section at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. “When a physician has completed the routine tests such as blood studies, barium X-ray studies, ultrasound and endoscopic examinations and has ruled out more common causes of nausea, then neuromuscular disorders of the stomach should be considered.”
Koch recently moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania, and has studied electrical and contractile disorders of the stomach for over 20 years.
“Most people don’t realize that the stomach is a sophisticated muscular pump with a pacemaker,” said Koch. “Some patients with unexplained nausea have electrical dysrhythmias termed tachygastria, in which the pacemaker is too fast, or bradygastria, where the pacemaker is too slow. Others have gastroparesis, where the stomach is paralyzed.”
To diagnose gastric dysrhythmias, Koch and his team of specialists run an electrogastrogram (EGG) to determine whether gastric dysrhythmias exist. Koch developed the non-invasive EGG recording device.
“For many patients, the diagnosis of gastric dysrhythmias puts a name to a problem that has plagued them for years,” Koch said.
Unexplained chronic nausea and other dyspepsia symptoms affect about 25 percent of the general population. Patients with Type I and Type II diabetes are particularly susceptible to gastric dysrhythmias and gastroparesis. Patients suffering from esophageal reflux disease frequently have gastric rhythm problems as well as gastroparesis.
Treatment for these disorders includes medication, dietary changes and gastric pacemakers.
“Gastric pacemakers work like cardiac pacemakers and attempt to reestablish the normal pacemaker rhythm of the stomach by applying current to the stomach,” Koch said. “This is a relatively new area of treatment and has shown promising results in patients with severe nausea, vomiting and weight loss.”
When diagnosing the cause of chronic nausea, Koch recommends the following questions be asked while taking the patient’s history:
• Is abdominal pain present?
• Have occult gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gallbladder disease been considered?
• Have endocrine disorders such as diabetes, hypothyroidism and Addison’s disease been excluded?
• Has the drug history been reviewed?
• Are neurological symptoms present? Has a central nervous system source of nausea been considered?
When common causes of chronic nausea have been excluded, then gastric neuromuscular disorders should be considered.
www.wfubmc.edu
Good luck!
Allen
La Grange, North Carolina
Featured Article
www.wfubmc.edu
Unexplained Chronic Nausea
from Clinical Update, Fall 2003
Abstract: Unexplained chronic nausea and other dyspepsia symptoms affect about 25 percent of the general population. The cause may be neuromuscular disorders of the stomach.
Nausea is a noxious, debilitating and under-appreciated symptom,” said Kenneth Koch, M.D., chief of the gastroenterology section at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. “When a physician has completed the routine tests such as blood studies, barium X-ray studies, ultrasound and endoscopic examinations and has ruled out more common causes of nausea, then neuromuscular disorders of the stomach should be considered.”
Koch recently moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania, and has studied electrical and contractile disorders of the stomach for over 20 years.
“Most people don’t realize that the stomach is a sophisticated muscular pump with a pacemaker,” said Koch. “Some patients with unexplained nausea have electrical dysrhythmias termed tachygastria, in which the pacemaker is too fast, or bradygastria, where the pacemaker is too slow. Others have gastroparesis, where the stomach is paralyzed.”
To diagnose gastric dysrhythmias, Koch and his team of specialists run an electrogastrogram (EGG) to determine whether gastric dysrhythmias exist. Koch developed the non-invasive EGG recording device.
“For many patients, the diagnosis of gastric dysrhythmias puts a name to a problem that has plagued them for years,” Koch said.
Unexplained chronic nausea and other dyspepsia symptoms affect about 25 percent of the general population. Patients with Type I and Type II diabetes are particularly susceptible to gastric dysrhythmias and gastroparesis. Patients suffering from esophageal reflux disease frequently have gastric rhythm problems as well as gastroparesis.
Treatment for these disorders includes medication, dietary changes and gastric pacemakers.
“Gastric pacemakers work like cardiac pacemakers and attempt to reestablish the normal pacemaker rhythm of the stomach by applying current to the stomach,” Koch said. “This is a relatively new area of treatment and has shown promising results in patients with severe nausea, vomiting and weight loss.”
When diagnosing the cause of chronic nausea, Koch recommends the following questions be asked while taking the patient’s history:
• Is abdominal pain present?
• Have occult gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gallbladder disease been considered?
• Have endocrine disorders such as diabetes, hypothyroidism and Addison’s disease been excluded?
• Has the drug history been reviewed?
• Are neurological symptoms present? Has a central nervous system source of nausea been considered?
When common causes of chronic nausea have been excluded, then gastric neuromuscular disorders should be considered.
www.wfubmc.edu
there is also something out there called cyclical vomiting syndrome. It's a "real " disease and is difficult to diagnoise.... some of her syptoms sound really similar .
this isnt an answer, but i just wanted to say im so, so happy for her.
and you!
ugh, im 16 and have gone for a year with severe nausea and have had soo many tests done, its seriously killing every aspect of my life, and im now a huge pessimist.
but i just wanted to say, im really glad for you guys <3
and you!
ugh, im 16 and have gone for a year with severe nausea and have had soo many tests done, its seriously killing every aspect of my life, and im now a huge pessimist.
but i just wanted to say, im really glad for you guys <3
Thank you so much for your help. We went today to a homeopathic dr that is world renoun. He saw erika for about 2 hours and finally decided after several tests that her problem is real. He gave her accupunctuer for the nausea which kept her up all night. She also got lots of supplements and good for your intestin herbs. I was treated by this dr for chronic fatigue 10 years ago with awsome results, in which modern medicine could not treat at all. I was well again in weeks! She is going to do regular accupuncture for a couple of weeks. Since the treatment she has eatten a small amount off food and lots of liquids. Thanks for all your great comments. And yes they tested for celiac results are not in yet.
oh also, have them give her a heliobacter pylori (bacteria) test for candida-many doctors don't believe in candida-but it exists. also, have her checked for cysts on her ovaries-perhaps they ruptured-the cysts, not the ovaries. It's normal for women to get them during their periods but if they get too large, can cause a problem.
Check with her gynocologist. Have them do a cat scan of her lower abdominals-ovaries, etc. The "sludge" in her bowels DOES have a HUGE amount to do with it. When our digestive system doesn't work properly, our entire body suffers.
Has she been tested for celiac, milk allergies and take acidophilus and digestive enzymes? Cut out processed foods and sugar. Also anixety has a HUGE amount to do with it and exercise is important. I know these don't sound related, but anxiety last year all year long caused digestive problems in me now which led to acid reflux, stomach pain, inability to absorb nutrients, dizziness, oral thrush, hot flashes, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, etc. and I'm only 26. The doctors still can't figure out what's wrong with me, but I know, because my mom just went through this for a year without doctors. The other option is that her past surgeries are causing it. But with all the tests, that's probably not the case. Keep searching!
Has she been tested for celiac, milk allergies and take acidophilus and digestive enzymes? Cut out processed foods and sugar. Also anixety has a HUGE amount to do with it and exercise is important. I know these don't sound related, but anxiety last year all year long caused digestive problems in me now which led to acid reflux, stomach pain, inability to absorb nutrients, dizziness, oral thrush, hot flashes, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, etc. and I'm only 26. The doctors still can't figure out what's wrong with me, but I know, because my mom just went through this for a year without doctors. The other option is that her past surgeries are causing it. But with all the tests, that's probably not the case. Keep searching!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This sounds like a difficult case, as three weeks in the hospital is a long time without a diagnosis.
I agree with the workup thus far. More specialized tests like a gastric emptying scan or esophageal motility studies can be considered if they haven't been done already.
If the GI system has been completely ruled out, you can look elsewhere for the cause. There are some neurological conditions that can lead to refractory nausea. A neurology consult, as well as brain imaging with an MRI would be a reasonable initial path.
These options can be discussed with her personal physician. Another opinion can also be sought at a major academic medical center.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com
I agree with the workup thus far. More specialized tests like a gastric emptying scan or esophageal motility studies can be considered if they haven't been done already.
If the GI system has been completely ruled out, you can look elsewhere for the cause. There are some neurological conditions that can lead to refractory nausea. A neurology consult, as well as brain imaging with an MRI would be a reasonable initial path.
These options can be discussed with her personal physician. Another opinion can also be sought at a major academic medical center.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com
I'm sorry to read about your daughter, To be tender to touch, you'd think they would find the problem. To say its just in her head is ridiculous.I had kaiser and they missed a 3 inch tumor in my large intestine for 2 years, I had to change hmo's to finally have my tumor discovered before the 5 years before it would have become malignant. Kaisers answer to no bowel movement for 6 weeks was.... if its up there it will come down. I was also depressed, so it was all in my head. Remember the poltergeist movies? That little girl went to kaiser with an obstruction and she died.If one doctor does'nt answer your questions, find another.
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