IBS,Celiac, or Gallstones?

Dear Doctor,

I am a 41 year old lady who has had digestive problems for 10+ yrs now.  I have had a radical hysterectomy(3 lymph nodes tested positive) due to cervical cancer, and radiation treatments.  Also had my bladder suspended. And been told I have IBS without any tests to rule out other stuff.  I didn't know much about it till recently.  Then I started working out with a trainer to lose 50 lbs...which I did(I am 5' and weighed 180 lbs...overweight for about 10 yrs).  I stopped working out to care for my dying husband at home and had to be very careful of my diet or I would get sick.  It's been three years since he's been gone and I have yet to get back to working out.  I have only gained 10 lbs in the interim.  Problem is I have been sick 3 or 4 times in the last year.  bloating up high on my belly...all across the top.  Pain as well...but not debillitating as in the past but bearable.  And this time just loose stools and gass rather than diahrea.  And something new...vomiting.  After I spent all day on the toilet I spent the night vomiting green liquid.  It still took me a week to get the bloating under control or at least comfortable.  Right now I am keeping my diet a low carb one so my stomach is comfortable and starting back at the gym.  I have read that I should be tested for a slew of things to have an IBS diagnosis and also had a friend say that it sounds like I have gallstones.  I am not finding anything definitive online but will be seeing my doctor next week.  Can you clear up some of the confusion in the mean time.  Thanks.

[Banned1]

I'm so sorry that you've been so much.  My sympathies on the passing of your husband.  The green liquid sounds like bile.

I'm not a doctor and I know next to nothing about this stuff but I'm learning through my own illness.  Your symptoms could be SO many things including sludge/stones in the common bile duct, gallbladder/gallstone problems, Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction, Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune pancreatitis, minimal change chronic pancreatitis, etc.  

There are some less invasive tests such as the Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and MRCP-S (Secretin) which can image the pancreas and ductal system.  The EUS does require sedation and is similar to an upper endoscopy.  Less helpful but also worthwhile is an MRI-S, which is essentially an MRI with the drug Secretin administered.  

Metamucil or a similar daily fibre product is a great help for MANY people with abdominal pain.   It does not make you go, it makes you regular by adding fibre to the watery stools, making them firm.  

Many people have great success with digestive enzymes and pancreatic enzymes.  This is something you can talk to your primary Doc about.  I'm told that they won't do any harm so really - unless you have side effects - there's not a downside to trying them.  Your Doc might even have samples.  This is something you can do now and it reduces the amount of work the pancreas has to do which will also reduce any damage to the pancreas.  You can get them at the health food store, too, but make sure they only have proteases, amlyase and lipase.

A low-fat, fibre-rich diet can make a BIG difference.  If you eliminate fried foods from your diet and start with bland foods only, you may get to a point where you have no pain.  Then you can add new items to see how you feel.  Less than 30 grams of fat per day is a great starting point.  

Keep a log of everything that enters and leaves your body.  It can help identify patterns in your foods, symptoms, medications, bowel habits and pain level.  

You are not alone!  Try to stay positive and reach out for support when you need it.  Talk to your Doctor, family, friends, co-workers, church or social service volunteers or anyone you feel safe with.  

Search yahoo! groups for "pancreatitis" or "digestive" and you will find quite a few groups.  Michele's (Sphincterofoddi_pancreatitis), Cheri's (Pancreatitis_sphincterofoddi) and Maddi's (Digestive-Support-and-Information) are well worth joining.  There is a lot of great information there that might help you.  Since many of us are relatively house-bound or bedridden, this also provides a much-needed social outlet.

Take care of yourself.  Good luck and Godspeed.  All the best,