Aa
hepititus
I'm not sure if doctor is correct.
for years I would get stomach aches after eating and at night. Sometimes feel like I'm having a heart attach but not bad enough to go in.
2 weeks ago I became real sick, Could not hold down food or water and could not have a bowl movement. Tried all the over the counter stuff (Pepto,ex-lax,acid reducers). After 4 days I finally was able to eat. on the 6th day I became jondus. And went in to doctor.
I then explained to doctor that I go into Mexico 1 to 2 weeks every month for work. and do not drink water or ice. But I do eat the food.
He then admitted me to the hospital and began drawing blood. He does not have the test back yet but has diagnosed me with hepititus A and sent me home for rest and told me to come back in 2 weeks.
Here is the strange part. While in the hospital he had an ultra sound done on me. The person giving me the test found up to 10 gull stones and pointed out one over the liver port? She stated that the jondus is a normal symptom and that the gall bladder will probably have to be removed. She also gave me all of the symptoms that I have had for years (appox 7)
My question is should I be sitting home waiting for test results or seeing another doctor?
for years I would get stomach aches after eating and at night. Sometimes feel like I'm having a heart attach but not bad enough to go in.
2 weeks ago I became real sick, Could not hold down food or water and could not have a bowl movement. Tried all the over the counter stuff (Pepto,ex-lax,acid reducers). After 4 days I finally was able to eat. on the 6th day I became jondus. And went in to doctor.
I then explained to doctor that I go into Mexico 1 to 2 weeks every month for work. and do not drink water or ice. But I do eat the food.
He then admitted me to the hospital and began drawing blood. He does not have the test back yet but has diagnosed me with hepititus A and sent me home for rest and told me to come back in 2 weeks.
Here is the strange part. While in the hospital he had an ultra sound done on me. The person giving me the test found up to 10 gull stones and pointed out one over the liver port? She stated that the jondus is a normal symptom and that the gall bladder will probably have to be removed. She also gave me all of the symptoms that I have had for years (appox 7)
My question is should I be sitting home waiting for test results or seeing another doctor?
Mmmmm spam. Actually I used to like fried spam sandwiches as a kid. It's just nowadays when I see that gelatinous goo on the sides of it as it plops out of the can....and knowing what it's made out of? Otto Von Bismarck said "If you're a lover of laws and sausages, it's best you see how neither is made." I think it's best not see spam plop out of the can.
I bet you'd look great in a grass skirt, playing a yukelele, and serving serving the spam. Why not throw a pig in the pit that once was a tree?
Informative, as usual. But I think that a taco salad is off the menu for tonight. Maybe a nice block of spam instead.
[First, I'm not a doctor, just a fairly experienced hepatitis C patient who also has gallstones, so keep that in mind when reading my input.]
Gallstones alone can cause jaundice because they can (sometimes) block the flow of bile from your gallbladder to your intestines. Bile comes from your liver and is used to break down fats in your gut so it can be properly digested and passed. If the flow of bile is obstructed, you can experienced indigestion, pain, and even jaundice in serious cases. Jaundice is what happens if bile is backed up in the liver and then released into the bloodstream. That's what causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow, bile usually has a yellowish/green tint to it.
A common symptom of gallstones is pain following the consumption of a greasy meal, especially in conjunction with some alcohol, and especially in the evening before going to bed. The greasy meal stimulates the flow of bile from the gallbladder, and if it's partially blocked/congested with gallstones it can cause pain (usually under the ribs, in the back, sides or even shoulders sometimes). It can also cause indigestion because the fats are not being broken down the way they should be as they are being processed by your gut. This can also result in pale stools, bile is usually what gives your stools their dark pigment. Without it, stools can take on a pale, clay color. Gallstones don't always cause these problems though, you can have several sizeable gallstones and not even know it (I've had several good sized gallstones for many years and for the most part they don't bother me).
On the other hand, the symptoms you describe also sound like a classic hep A infection. And considering your frequent trips into Mexico, it is possible you were infected with hep A. Your doctor should have run tests to determine that definitively, talk to him about it and find out what the results were. And FYI - you can certainly get hep A from food, it does not have to come from water. Any food that has raw or undercooked elements in it are possible vectors. Hep A is communicated via the fecal to oral route (gross, but true). Typically what happens is that an infected person will go to the bathroom, wipe their behind, get a small amount of infected fecal matter on their hands (hep A lives in feces), and then either not wash their hands at all, or wash them incompletely. Then they return to work to prepare your food. They may handle/prepare uncooked vegetables or fruits that end up in your meal (like lettuce on a taco, green onions in salsa, or crushed avocado in guacomole dip, for instance). The same can happen with meats that are either raw (as with oysters etc) or undercooked (like a rare hamburger). You eat these contaminated food and become infected.
Best thing is to discuss the entire situation with your doctor. Good news is that hep A usually resolves itself with no ill effects in the vast majority of those that get it (with the exception of the very young, very old, or immunocompromised people, or those co-infected with other forms of hepatitis). The typical "remedy" for gallstones is for the gallbladder to be removed (one of the most common surgical procedures in the united states). I've decided to keep mine, but many have had theirs removed and seem to be better off without it, especially if they had frequent/painful gallstone attacks.
Hope you get it sorted out soon, best of luck.
Gallstones alone can cause jaundice because they can (sometimes) block the flow of bile from your gallbladder to your intestines. Bile comes from your liver and is used to break down fats in your gut so it can be properly digested and passed. If the flow of bile is obstructed, you can experienced indigestion, pain, and even jaundice in serious cases. Jaundice is what happens if bile is backed up in the liver and then released into the bloodstream. That's what causes the skin and eyes to turn yellow, bile usually has a yellowish/green tint to it.
A common symptom of gallstones is pain following the consumption of a greasy meal, especially in conjunction with some alcohol, and especially in the evening before going to bed. The greasy meal stimulates the flow of bile from the gallbladder, and if it's partially blocked/congested with gallstones it can cause pain (usually under the ribs, in the back, sides or even shoulders sometimes). It can also cause indigestion because the fats are not being broken down the way they should be as they are being processed by your gut. This can also result in pale stools, bile is usually what gives your stools their dark pigment. Without it, stools can take on a pale, clay color. Gallstones don't always cause these problems though, you can have several sizeable gallstones and not even know it (I've had several good sized gallstones for many years and for the most part they don't bother me).
On the other hand, the symptoms you describe also sound like a classic hep A infection. And considering your frequent trips into Mexico, it is possible you were infected with hep A. Your doctor should have run tests to determine that definitively, talk to him about it and find out what the results were. And FYI - you can certainly get hep A from food, it does not have to come from water. Any food that has raw or undercooked elements in it are possible vectors. Hep A is communicated via the fecal to oral route (gross, but true). Typically what happens is that an infected person will go to the bathroom, wipe their behind, get a small amount of infected fecal matter on their hands (hep A lives in feces), and then either not wash their hands at all, or wash them incompletely. Then they return to work to prepare your food. They may handle/prepare uncooked vegetables or fruits that end up in your meal (like lettuce on a taco, green onions in salsa, or crushed avocado in guacomole dip, for instance). The same can happen with meats that are either raw (as with oysters etc) or undercooked (like a rare hamburger). You eat these contaminated food and become infected.
Best thing is to discuss the entire situation with your doctor. Good news is that hep A usually resolves itself with no ill effects in the vast majority of those that get it (with the exception of the very young, very old, or immunocompromised people, or those co-infected with other forms of hepatitis). The typical "remedy" for gallstones is for the gallbladder to be removed (one of the most common surgical procedures in the united states). I've decided to keep mine, but many have had theirs removed and seem to be better off without it, especially if they had frequent/painful gallstone attacks.
Hope you get it sorted out soon, best of luck.
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