Unknown Disease

My Daughter has been sick for five years. Her symptons are vomiting,back pain,stomach cramps, she cant even hold down a spoon of water.Shes been diagnosist with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome or Gastroperist.She goes into the hospital 2 or 3 times a month and stays in there for 2 or 3 days getting rehydrated with fluids.Her symptons are worse around her period.Shes been to 7 hospitals and has seen over 15 doctors and still cannot figure out what disease she has. Shes had a Catscan,ultrasound,gastricemptying test, upper G.I., Gallbladder removed,numerous, blood and urine test,an still NOTHING. Her medicines are Zolfran,Prevacid,Depakote,Phenegren,Adivan,Vicidin,Domparadome(from NewZeland),Serzone,and now birth control pills and still she is sick.Some days shes sicker than others, it goes on and off every day.When she gets sick she is Incohearent.She vommits so much and so often sometimes there are traces of blood.Her stomach cramps are so bad sometimes when she takes her pain medicine it doesn't help her at all. Her medicines sometimes wont stay down. Now her keytones are down? Can you please help me and my family figure out what my daughter has.


                     Sincerely,
                               Elaine and Family

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There has clearly been a comprehensive workup performed for the refractory vomiting.  If 7 hospitals and 15 doctors cannot figure out the problem, it would be unlikely that I can come up with anything new.  

Here is some information of cyclic vomiting syndrome.  Unfortunately, no specific therapy has been proven to be effective for CVS in controlled trials.

Antimigraine medications have had some success.  Agents that have been used empirically (with variable success) include sumatriptan, erythromycin, oral carnitine, propranolol, cyproheptadine, and tricyclic antidepressants.  

Antidepressants have also been tried, including amitriptyline (median dose 50 mg daily), doxepin (median dose 50 mg daily), and nortriptyline (median dose 50 mg daily).

All these medications can be discussed with your personal physician.

Here is a support group for this frustrating disorder:
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association (CVSA-USA/Canada) Debra Waites, Administrator 3585 Cedar Hill Rd, NW Canal Winchester, OH 43110 Phone: [phone] E-mail: ***@**** Web site: www.cvsaonline.org Listserv: [e-mail]

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.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.

[yoshi]

is it in the news a few days ago serzone will be withdrawn from canada??