26 and sick of being sick- advice, please?

[melodeeejoy]

I have been having nausea and diarrhea daily for over a year now, and am feeling completely defeated. I am a 26 year old teacher, and used to love my job. I love my students, and used to feel energetic and excited about going to school each day.
Last March, I began having night-time stomach attacks. I would wake up about 30 mins to an hour after laying down and vomit or have diarrhea so severe that it was like a food poisoning reaction. I would get sick until my stomach was empty, then go back to bed. I felt nauseous on and off during the day, but it was only at night that I got sick. I did notice that eating any chocolate or anything very rich or fattening was a sure fire way to get the nausea to come on.
I have been going to a specialist for a month. I had a normal endoscopy, normal colonoscopy, ultrasound didn't show anything unusual. A gastric emptying scan came back that I had emptied 59% in 90 minutes. HIDA scan had an interesting result- my gallbladder did not contract at all. The doctor said this sounds like a gallbladder problem to him, then ordered a CT scan just to be sure they aren't missing anything.
He said to come back in three weeks. I feel like I have no quality of life what-so-ever. I can't eat ANY fat, nothing spicy, nothing carbonated, no citrus and I am ALWAYS exhausted. I have gotten so the only thing I ever want to do is sleep. I just want to know what is wrong so that it can be fixed and I can get back to giving 100%.
  Anyone with similar symptoms, or advice of any kind?

[Matthew007]

no problem - if that gallbladder needs to come out, it's an easy (expensive) but easy operation.. done laproscopically..you'll be home the same day they do it.  4 days later I was working, very very sore..but was working (and then I got sick again lol..but anyway)

Yeah that gallbladder should be checked again (HIDA scan probably again) or something's not right.  If your liver is fine then you don't have a blockage (most likely) but still i'd check that percentage again.

Thanks Melodeejoy, hope you get feeling better soon too!  Let us know what happens! :)

[melodeeejoy]

Hey all,
Thanks for your support, advice and commiseration. I have no idea about my pancrease levels, but my doctor did say that my kidney and liver function looked "fine". In terms of diet, I am eating very low fat, trying to stay clear of all citrus, and I never eat eggs, and very rarely eat baked goods that contain them.
I think I'm going to call the office monday and tell the doctor that 3 weeks is just too long to wait when I feel this run down and sick all the time...
Thanks for your advice, and Mathew- I truly hope things improve for you!

[LordPhantom]

This is just a random shot, but have you tried taking egg out of your diet? I had the worst stomach problems for along time, terrible stomach aches, loose stools, just everything. After countless tests, they said it might be a 50/50 chance its my gallbladder...had that removed, still pains and sickness. I decided it must be something Im eating. I took egg out of my diet on a hunch, and I have gotten at least 70% better. You would be surprised how much stuff has egg in it. Try this if you havent, hell Ive had blood tests done to see if I had any food allergies, and came back negative. But I know for a fact egg plays hell with my stomach and digestive system.
Good luck

[sillyvixen]

i hope you both find answers soon - all the best.

[Matthew007]

wow i'm a high school teacher with same story, now I can't teach at all due to illness.. I can't drink orange juice either, carbonation kills me and drives my nausea up the wall.  I can't sleep though.  Too much pain.

Your gallbladder totally sounds suspect. Did they give you a percentage?  With no stones i'm guessing they'll look for stones with ultrasound.... looking for stones and having none I bet you need it out.  Hopefully that's the end of it.  With mine I had mine out and i'm still having problems.  And now i'm being checked for SOD.  Hopefully after yours is removed (if they do that) that will be the end of your story but you might have a bile duct problem like so many other people do.  A MRCP might help you.

Are your liver enzymes elevated?  What about pancrease levels? Those are signs of blockage.  I'd push for results or next step, why wait for 3 weeks??  That's nuts....not to freak you out but by the time my gallbladder came out it was all full, infected and swollen to the point I couldn't sleep on my right side.  And here I am still sick...

Good luck :S  don't understand waiting 3 weeks will do for you.  But doctors do that to me too so I understand the frustration.