severe nausea and epigastric pain one year post-cholecystectomy

[ERRN]

I AM DESPERATE FOR PAIN AND NAUSEA RELIEF.EPIGASTRIC PAIN LED TO A CHOLECYSTECTOMY NOV. 2001. STARTED WITH SEVERE EPIGASTRIC PAIN LAST APRIL. PUT ON PEPCID,NEXIUM,PROLOSEC,ETC. WITHOUT RELIEF.ONLY SEVERE NAUSEA,EPIGASTRIC PAIN AND DULL RADIATING PAIN TO THE LEFT CHEST; NO VOMITING OR DIARRHEA. HAVE SCANT APPETITE AS OF THE LAST MONTH. HAVE HAD TWO EGD'S,A CT OF THE CHEST,CT OF THE ABDOMEN,U/S OF THE ABDOMEN,ESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY,UPPER GI SERIES(LAST YEAR),AN MRCP TWO DAYS AGO. THE SECOND EGD WAS DONE IN SEPT. AND SHOWED A MILD HIATAL HERNIA. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A MILD HIATAL HERNIA COULD CAUSE THIS MUCH NAUSEA AND PAIN. I ALSO GET A FLEETING BURNING SENSATION IN MY UPPER ABDOMEN AND CHEST. I'M GOING TO ASK MY G.I. DOCTOR FOR ONE MORE EGD BEFORE I GET A SECOND OPINION. PAIN MEDICINE IS ONLY MASKING THE PROBLEM. COULD I POSSIBLY HAVE STOMACH EROSION OR AN ULCER? I NEED SOME HELP IN THE MEANTIME.

[4gpact]

I know you have already had a lot of tests, but you might ask your doctor about a gastric emptying test. It could be that your stomach is not emptying properly. That would cause the nausea, and possibly the pain you are experiencing. This does sometimes occur after the gall bladder is removed. It is a simple easy test, and will give you the answer to that particular question. It's not a diagnosis doctors often recognize, because it is not terribly common. I have this disorder myself, and suspect it may have been the gall bladder that triggered it. Worth asking about.

[5fan]

I agree with 4gpact.  I have just been diagnosed with gastroparesis (slow gastric emptying) myself.  I had my gallbladder out in July 2002.  I also had pancreatitis at the time.  I have been trying since the surgery to find out what is wrong.  Luckily I had a doctor who was willing to admit he didn't know what was going on after many, many, many "normal" test results and referred me to a specialist.  The speclialist has done bloodwork and a gastric emptying study and low and behold I have pancreatic insufficiency and gastroparesis!

Best wishes,

5fan

[juliana]

hello I am on doperidone (motilium) and my doctor wants to change me to reglan (metaclopramide) I am very concerned about changing to this drug because I have read of bad side effects I would be grateful of any experiences anybody else has had.

thanks for any help

[4gpact]

I would try to stay away from the reglan, it can have some very nasty side effects. Are you not having success with the domperidone? Is the dosage correct? What about erythromycin? Or possibly a botox injection into the pylorus? These are other alternatives to consider. I took reglan for all of one day, yech, never again. Do you take zelnorm? Try everything else first.

[juliana]

Thanks very much for your reply I was very worried about taking this drug the motilium is giving me some relief but still have a lot of nausea and belching sometimes but that could be because I still have gastritis as well, do you have gastritis with your slow gastric emptying I am going to ask to see another gastro specialist as this one doesnt seem to be able to come up with any proper reasons for my problems and didnt give me a gastric emptying test to see if that is definitely the problem.

Thanks again

[4gpact]

Most people with poor stomach motility also have gastritis type problems, and end up on some type of PPI. That is because the contents of the stomach stay there too long, and the acid becomes a problem. It seems to be a standard problem. I take 30 mg. of domperidone four times a day. That's what it takes to work for me. I see a stomach motility specialist. That is who you really should see to understand and know what to look for, and what to do to help. I should have mentioned there are some good nausea meds out there. Ask about zofran and kytril. These are also used for chemo patients, and don't make you drowsy. Your doctor will probably have to talk to the insurance company to get them to approve it, because it is expensive, but if it works, it is worth it. Phenergan is another nausea med, the one hospitals usually use. But will probably cause some drowsiness.

[stina9]

i know the feeling that taking all the vicoden they give me is only masking the problem.my nausea is all day long every day sometimes worse then other and sometimes i vomit from it my pain is from rt to lt sides and in the middle but whan its in the middle it hurts so bad i was threated for ulcers with no success.ive had 2 ct of the chest and abdoman a sonogram and an upper gi test and about five x-ray to stll have no clue.all my lab are fine except once it came back positive on my liver fuction test.and the only other thing that always comes back is my sedimantan rate is alway pretty high which stand for a chronic inflammation but where they question my liver.but no answers.ya i dont think living with out that gallbladder is so easy.also i question was it my gallbladder that was the problem to begin with.i haveIBS but thats commin aillment to get after Gb removal.