Gallbladder removal and still nauseated

[smalldog33]

Hi. Let me tell you about what has gone on in the last year and half. In Sept 2010, I woke up one day feeling nauseated. It lasted for a few weeks and my primary suggested on seeing a gastroenterologist. I had an appointment with him in Oct and he had said for me to get upper GI. I did the test which showed GERD and a hiatal hernia (a small one). During all this time, I was always feeling sick and was prescribed different anti-emetics. I could barley eat much do to not feeling hungry. I would get shooting pain in my upper abdomen but not in my chest. Fast forward to beginning of December. I went to an Immediate Care place and they took my blood. Blood showed a bit of increase in liver enzymes and they suggested I get my gall bladder looked at. My doctor sent me to get the HIDA scan which showed sludge and it gall bladder wasn't emptying out fast. I also went to get a gastric emptying study which came back normal. I was sick and nauseous through Christmas and on New Years Eve, went to the ER because my lower abdomen was throbbing. ER found I had a UTI and gave me Zolfran which of course didn't help at all. About two weeks after that ER trip I was in again. Pancreatic enzymes came back into normal range and I was given a GI cocktail with Reglen which made me very uneasy. Finally, my GI doctor told me about removing the gall bladder. Got that removed on Feb 2011. I was fine for about a month when everything started hitting me again. I was nauseated and abdominal pain were the same as before. I went to get a colonscopy(sp?) and small bowel xray which showed possibly IBS but nothing major. I self-diagnosed myself with having lactose intolerant due to not being able to have milk products HOWEVER certain things I can tolerate like butter.

This is what I am hoping for someone to see when reading this:
I have been on every type of anti-emetic and none helped.
I go through periods when I'm feeling okay.
I am able to eat certain things many times and then when I have it again, I get sick.
I do not have diarrhea so sometimes the IBS diagnose doesn't make sense.
My discomfort is in my abdomen and stomach area. If I throw up, it is usually nothing - just a gagging feeling.
Blood work was done on my liver and to test if I had Crohns or Celiac's and both came back normal

I want to know if it is worth it for my new GI doctor to take a look back to my stomach with an EGD or ERCP to see if something new is going on.

[IanMitchell]

I have the same problem  right now with the added complication that the anaesthetist has refused to accept me due to my heart condition (By-pass, stents, defibrillator). Now what do I do?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

IBS can cause diarrhea or constipation. It can also cause alternating bowel habits.

The cure for IBS is treating the symptoms as and when they occur. Avoiding triggering factors which initiate or worsen the symptoms of IBS like Stress – oversensitive bowel may react to normal stress of everyday living. Worrying about the symptoms can create a vicious cycle, making the symptoms worse. Try to combat stress with relaxation techniques or regular exercise.

Diet – Varies for individuals. Certain food items are known to aggravate the symptoms; in your case, dairy products. Try to avoid the same.
In general, too much fat or sugar-like substances and insufficient fiber aggravate symptoms. Intolerance to milk products is also known. Infection – A bowel infection like gastroenteritis can over-sensitize the bowel and result in symptoms. So, try to avoid triggering factors. Choose a more relaxed approach to your problem and treat your symptoms as and when they occur.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.