Strange

Hi.  I had this incident last March, while on antidepressants during intercourse,(girlfriend on top), where it felt like something ripped in my intestines.  My lower stomach physically transformed creating an indentation under belly button and my stomach which kind of droops alot.   Ever since, I have had horrible reflux, dizziness and headaches and muscle twitches in that area.   I can't sleep on my stomach or sides without discomfort and what feels like something under belly button, that seems to heal up when sedentary and break loose with activity giving same symptoms.  In September,  I had an EDD which found an ulcer in my stomach negative for H. Pylori.   I have been on up to 60mg a day of Prevacid, which I am  currently  taking to no avail.   Also had a colonoscopy and small bowel series which found nothing but IBS in Colon.   I also had MRI abdomen/CT abdomen which found parumbilical and inguinal hernia’s which were repaired alongside Laparscopy Discovery(found lymph node??).  in October.    Surgeon had me do a HIDA scan and found dyskinesia of Gallbladder??.   My question is, is it possible that there is a cyst, tear or ulcer in my intestines causing this, that has not been visualized by MRI/CT abdomen or small bowel series?    Thanks.    

[ggreg]

Well, a hernia is indeed when the abdominal muscles tear and your insides can sometimes sort of come out there, changing the once smooth appearance of that area to something different, and sometimes can cause pain, and sometimes needs repair.

My hernia is small, it's an umbilical hernia caused by when I had some temporary tummy bloating and I coughed too hard, so there's a little bump where my belly button is, most unattractive, and it hurt for a couple months.  But it was so small, it did not need repair.  Perhaps yours is larger and needs repair, or if it's been repaired, then could be it reopened, or there's a whole new tear in another place.  

As far as reflux and gallbladder problems, I suppose your hernia could be located near your tummy and related organs.  But it could just as easily be the hernia and gallbladder problems are two different situations.  If your gallbladder is goofed up, it can sometimes cause the acid reflux, so the doctors need to treat the dyskinesia, and then perhaps your reflux will lessen.  Also could be just treating the hernia will fix the whole thing.

I'm sorry you've had to have so many tests.  I hope my information will narrow things down for you.  While you are waiting on definitive diagnosis and treatment, simple things to do are you can wear tummy support when you are up and about, you can also take alka seltzer to neutralize the acid, and you can eat smaller but more frequent meals to make digestion easier.

[don2274]

I have had hernia repair in Oct and now am on 60mg Prevacid a day.  I am pretty sure that the reflux is coming up from intestines.   What tests can check for intestinal ulcers or tears?  

[ggreg]

Endoscopy looks at tummy ulcers and irritations of the upper digestive tract.  Colonoscopy looks at the lower, which you've already had that test, plus the small bowl series.  Some scans can find the ulcers you are looking for, too.  But if your tummy or guts had TORN, you'd be unbelievably sick, with a temperature, and in the emergency room.  

I think your doc's notation of some gallbladder dysfunction is probably causing the acidity.  So, I reckon a new specialist might be able to possibly treat that rather better than what they're doing for you now.  Your report also said you have IBS, which I had that and thought I would die.  Turns out mine was from a tranquilizer I was taking, and once I got off it, I got a lot better.  I suppose your antidepressants may have had some part in all this.