Chronic vomiting and diarrhea

[hookemhorns]

My son,age 23.  Off and on for 5 or more years, he had vomiting and diarrea after meals. He had EGD 5 years ago and colonoscopy (negative results) and they finally removed his gallbladder.  The vomiting stopped just for a while now is back, seems to be episodic in nature, but is not related to any certain type of food or drink, (the diarrhea is constant after every meal, using within minutes. He had a celiac sprue panel and multiple other tests, has had recent sprue test, the first test said mildy positive, the second test awaiting results.  He has been given Levbid, Levsin, Bentyl, Prilosec, Nexium, Welchol with no response. The only medication that is helping for the first time is amytriptiline (Elavil), he was prescribed 50 and this helped at first but he had to increase to 100 mg per night and it completely stopped the vomiting. This is not brought on by certain foods, it is any foods.  The GI doctor, (new to his old MDs practice) refuses to give him anymore Elavil and will only give it if he has another EGD (financial issues). This vomiting is violent with whole food, now in the mornings when he gets up, with stomach cramps and he is losing weight, these episodes are contained with the Elavil but after he is off for a day or two it comes right back, the diarrhea is constant. He has gone from 225 to 165 in 6 months. One MD said it was psyche, I do not believe this.  I even have given him motion sickness pills and told him it was generic Elavil at 100 mg and that night he ate when he came home and got up and started vomiting the next morning as usual. It does not matter what time of the day or night he eats, it still happens.  He works second shift and refuses to eat until he comes home now at night because of not wanting to be sick at work. I am very worried.  This probably started when he was about 15 years old and progressively got worse. He missed quite a bit of school due to this and now just gets up and goes to work anyway after being extremely ill, sometimes this lasts for a few hours and sometimes for a 2 to 3 days. I know that the diarrhea could possibly be due to the removal of the gallbadder, (the gallbladder when removed was just turning "robin egg blue" at the top with no stones according to surgeon, otherwise looked healthy and was removed when he was 17.

[patient915]

Please post your question as a separate post because this one is so old and I can offer you some suggestions.

[Mommy2MML]

I have been having the same problem since I had my daughter in June. The doctor says it is IBS but I am thinking something else. I am going to be tested for food allergies even though I cant find a pattern in what I am eating when I get sick. I have had my gallbladder and appendix removed several years ago. I feel for you son it is mentally and physically exhausting to be sick like this all the time. Good luck I hope you find an answer soon.