Stomach Pain

[Gail72]

Dear Sirs - I had my gallbladder removed December 2007 - to this day i am still visiting Consultants regarding stomach pain.  This pain also goes right around my rib cage along with back ache.  After the op I started having "acid attacks" (as the profession call them??) these would start with a pain in the upper stomach then penetrate into the back area.  Terrible sweating would follow with the need to go to the toilet or feel sick.  I have this pain every day of my life and the pain is worse than it was before they removed my gall bladder.  I feel ill every day.  The doc's recently prescribed me with amyitripiline (small dose) as this is meant to help IBS sufferers.  I am at my wits end with this and it has taken over my life.  Is there anyone out there who this has happened to.  Some days i can hardly function properly and it does not help sitting at a desk all day.  The pain seems to "ease" if I am in the "lying down" position and my organs are not restricted.!

[Ariom63]

Hi...Today I feel your pain!!!  This is my 1st time feeling like this....and I don't know what to do.  Glad to hear you have an appt set for the 27th.  

Hope you get to feeling better.

[Gail72]

Hi Folks
Thanks for all the advice but I am still going to the Consultant and am due back on the 27th of April.  They are now looking at a Barium Enema - god knows why.  Have had CT scans/Isotope Scans/Ultra Sounds the lot !!!!! The last Ultrasound the chap informed me "there's nothing there thats going to polish me off"???? Still problems and mostly when I am in the sitting position "at desk and pc" it appears to be better when I am lying flat.  The last Consultation I was informed it was "wind"!!! Though about having a colonic to see if that would help?
Dont know where I am going from here!
Regards
Gail

[Audarah]

I would get a new GI doctor, the best one you can find. I am having this EXACT problem and my gallbladder was removed nine years ago. I have been through heck and back with pain and was just rushed to the ER this week for it.
Two ideas: There is a stone in your pancreas.
Your pancreatic duct could have collapsed when they removed the gallbladder. ( this is very very common, though most docs wont admit it)
And the third idea is that spinchter of oddi dysfunction. I had looked that up before.
I am with you.I got a new GI doctor,I see him on May 13th. He is at a large teaching hospital and specializes in Biliary disease. I will let you know what he says.
When it happens again, EAT immediately and put ICE on the area. This helps me and stops the attacks most times if I catch them in time. In the meantime, look for a doctor who can help you.
This isn't acid. Get a new doctor. My last attack darn near killed me.

[Ariom63]

Sorry to hear about your pain!  It awful going through all of that especially when you don't know what it is.  I agree with CalGal..infact I read her responses all the time...she knows what she is talking about!

I would follow a very low fat diet.  Yeah dairy has to go...but so do alot of other things.  Since you don't mention exactly what type if foods you are eating or not eating..it is hard to tell.  When I was told low fat diet....it was as low fat as you could get. I kept it at 1mg of fat per serving.  I know..what kind of life is that...but better than pain.  Let me know how you are doing and if you are making an appt to see a gastro doc..I would and did.  

Hope you feel better!

Moira

[Gail72]

I have tried this also but still does not help - have kept food diarys (the lot) and am still no better!

[CalGal]

This sounds like you may be experiencing problems associated with continuing problems with your biliary system that is known as SOD, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. This is a decent link that provides info on that problem: http://hopkins-gi.nts.jhu.edu/pages/latin/templates/index.cfm?pg=disease1&organ=3&disease=12&lang_id=1

If your doc hasn't suggested following a low fat diet, it's something you may want to consider as it might be of help.