Father's constant pain

[rlew]

My father has battled stomach pain for nearly two years now. He gets a bitter taste in his mouth a short while after eating. He complains of pain in the lower abdomen area. He takes omeprazole, 40 mg daily and also used maalox very regularly every day. He has had a colonoscopy, an upper endoscopy,  and there are no abnormalities. His stomach shows to be very irritated.
We are at our wit's end...his gastro doctor has referred him to the university hospital in the large city in our state. His health is not good, so we are concerned about the trip.
Anyone out there has any other suggestions?

[CalGal]

He could be experiencing bile reflux and along with that, possible problems with his biliary system. There can unfortunately be problems after gallbladder surgery, even after a long period of time. You may want to discuss having some tests done to visualize the biliary system such as the MRCP. He should also have his liver and pancreatic enzyme levels checked.

[rlew]

Thank you for your comments. He is treated for a hiatal hernia which causes the gerd, he doesn't have his gall bladder, and they have tested for H Pilori which comes back negative. It does not matter what food he eats, the pain does not go away.

[CalGal]

Is the irritated stomach - typically gastritis - not due to H. pylori? If not, has he been tested for gallbladder problems? The bitter taste could reflect bile reflux.

If the doc believes it's due to acid reflux, has that assumption been followed up with ph testing? Is he following a GERD or other diet?