Looking for some good help!

  I am getting so frustrated.  I feel like I have been sick for 1 year.  Last January I had my gallbladder removed because I was experiencing stomach pain, fullness and terrible heartburn.  I took an ultrasound of my gallbladder, no stones, then a nuclear test which told the them my gallbladder seemed to be not working properly.  Then a scope down my throat to my stomach, which they found my stomach to be irratated with alot of bile.  No hernias or ulcers.  Since then I am still plagued with frequent belching,stomach pain, fullness and tenderness under my left rib and in between my ribs.  I even took a lower GI, negative result.  I was on Prilosec for 6 weeks after surgery.  I went back to the Dr.'s when this happened again.  I am still getting some dull pains across my heart and the pain in between my ribs is there too.  I went to a specialist and he said to take mylanta and medimucil which I have done but the pain in my stomach seems to still be there, it is like a burning sensation or pinching. What is wrong
Dear Lisa,
Unfortunately there are many instances where patients who have no stones end up having their gallbladder removed just to have the same pain return several months post-operatively. Your symptoms can be due to gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, pancreatitis, non-ulcer dyspepsia, post-cholycystectomy syndrome, an esophageal motility disorder or a gastric emptying disorder. You mentioned that you were on omeperazole (Prilosec) for a short period, but you did not mention whether it relieved your symptoms. It might be helpful to keep a food diary to see if any particular foods (such as caffeine, dairy products, spicy or fatty foods) are associated with your symptoms. Lifestyle and dietary modifications called anti-reflux measures may also provide you with some relief. In any case, since your symptoms are so uncomfortable and persistent, I would recommend that you have further evaluation and testing to exclude some of the diagnoses suggested above. Good luck to you.
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