Has anyone gone through this

[emeraldgal]

I have had two c-sections, a abdominal hernia repair and my gallbladder removed.  I went to my gastro with symptoms of gas, bloating, abdominal pain and cramps. I get worse gas after I eat.  She said I have ibs.  I have had ibs before but this seemed worse.  I showed her where my abdominal pain was and it was tender to the touch and she said she could feel something there but did not know what it was.  I later went to my family doctor.  She said she could feel the scar issues from my hernia repair.  I have a burning pulling sensation in that area and it hurts when I sit or stand.  I am in pain everyday.  I wnet to my gyno and she did an ultra sound and everything was ok.  Has anyone experienced any of this kind of pain.  

[koda2011]

Hello,

How are you doing?  Did you ever get help with your pain?  did you have surgery?  Wondering because I am having similar symptoms.

I hope you are doing better.

[koda2011]

I have had several surgeries over the past few years - c-section, gallbladder removal, hysterectomy and then last year a resection rectopexy.  Now, I have extreme pain in my lower right abdomen that goes around to my lower back.  I believe that it is due to scar tissue build up and adhesions.  I went to my internist and then to a general surgeon today to discuss laparoscopic surgery, but he seems very hesitant.  I am in such pain and distress that I have not been able to work (I am now out on disability).  I cannot eat (causes too much pain and I have lost over 15 pounds over the past month) and I was in the ER last week because the pain was so bad.  They thought it was appendicitis, but the CAT scan showed that was normal - but it did show a cloudy area where my pain lies.  How can I convince the surgeon to do the laparoscopic - I am certain it is scar tissue (when I had my hysterectomy, my gynecologist saw a lot of tissue that he took out from my c-section with my first child) and that this will alleviate the pain.  I have had every test known to man and cannot go on like this.  Your advice or suggestions are appreciated very much!

[emeraldgal]

Thank you again for all your help.  You really know about adhensions.  I have researched this and you seem to have the best answers.  I plan on taking your advise and hope others come to this forum who have this problem so they can be helped too.  Thank you for being patient and answering all my questions.  

[Jaybay]

Yes, same thing.  You can't pass it because it's hung up in a narrowed part of the bowel.  Picture your intestines like a garden hose coiled up in your abdomen.  If enough scar tissue constricts an area of bowel, it's the same thing as a kink in that garden hose.

I'm not at all surprised that nothing showed up on your sonogram.  Scar tissue is soft tissue and just doesn't like to show itself on imaging studies.  If you have a full bowel obstruction due to adhesions, that's another story.  That will show up, but the cause of the obstruction won't if it's scar tissue.

Before you see a surgeon, get the written copies of all surgical reports including c-sections and colonoscopies, etc.  Keep copies for yourself too.  That business about having a "wavy intestine" tells me that you also have what's called a redundant colon.  That usually shows up in people who have had life-long constipation problems - or something like adhesions that causes a buildup of pressure in the intestines.  Over time, the intestines respond to that increased pressure by stretching out to accommodate the extra gas and waste it has to deal with.  When waste has to travel that much farther, more water gets extracted which means more constipation.  Nice vicious circle, huh?  

I had a horribly redundant colon before my bowel resection surgery.  The radiologist who did the barium enema test (they should try that one out at Gitmo!) was horrified at what showed up on fluoroscopy.  My colon looked like the back of Shirley Temple's head it had so many extra loops, twists and turns.  I've had a lot of painful, humiliating medical tests done in my life, but that air contrast barium enema topped them all, hence my Gitmo comment.  My poor aunt had to have one done a few years ago and I warned her about what to expect.  Like me, she thought, "It won't take long, I'll just drive myself."  Poor Auntie.  She did at least have her husband drive her, but she didn't bring along the precautionary towels for the car seats.  It's a lot cheaper test than a CT scan, and definitely has its place in medicine, but - I'd really like the doctors who order it to experience it just once for themselves.  (shudder)

[emeraldgal]

Sorry I posted under my old screen name Yagger.  It is emeraldgal asking the question.  Forgot to mention that the gas lingers and lingers like an inability to pass it easily.    Thanks again for all your help.  

[YAGGER]

Just one more question, did you have gassy cramping pain with your adhensions also.  It is not a sharp pain just uncomfortable.  Thanks.  

[emeraldgal]

Thank you so much for all your help.  You are so right, fiber makes it much worse.  I am convinced now that it is not IBS.  I have had pelvic pain for years and had numerous tests done and they never find anything except that when I had a colonoscopy they said I had wavy bowels which cause IBS sysptems.  I am not so sure about this since they never told me this after my test they only told me after I had IBS symptoms.  I first had problems soon after my first c-section.  I had test after test and nothing showed up.  During the years I have had pelvic pain on and off for years.  About two years ago I had an adominal hernia repair.  The pain in now in that area.  When I mention adhensions, I usually get an odd look also, but a sonographer said she thought that was what I had.  Now my family doc says she can feel the adhensions in that area.  I am going to consult a surgeon like you said.  My daughter just had a baby and said she was full of adhensions from her first c-section.  Thank goodness she had no pain from them.  As I mentioned before I had numerous surgeries.  I probably have a lot of adhensions.  The pain as you probably are aware is like a tugging and pulling with a burning sensation.  I have been to my gyno on numerous occassions and had numerous sonograms and they never find anything.  It hurts when I sit or stand sometimes.  The worst is after I eat.  UGH!  Thank you again for all your help.  You really know alot about adhensions.  It is so nice to finally talk to someone who is knowledgeable about adhensions.  

[Jaybay]

Yes, you can still have these symptoms and have bowel adhesions.  What your doctor is looking for is sounds that indicate you have an obstruction, which would mean emergency surgery.  

I have problems with adhesions around the area of my gallbladder surgery so they're on my small intestines.  That means I live with a certain amount of small bowel obstruction all the time.  The worst round was after my hysterectomy.  Scar tissue was so bad they had to take out a couple feet of large intestine.  Every last test I had was normal - as it's always been every time something went wrong.  Same story for my gallbladder and appendix until the surgeon got in there and about crapped himself.  LOL!

Adhesion surgery is a tough call for patient and doctor alike.  They don't show up on tests, some doctors don't even believe they cause pain, and most surgeons revolt at the idea of cutting into what appears to be a healthy body.  That's another reason why it's so important to clearly communicate with your doctor what your symptoms are and how much they interfere with your life.  

When all the tests for my appendix were normal, I literally got down on my knees and begged my surgeon to take a peek inside with the laparascope.  He grudgingly agreed expecting to find nothing wrong.  Imagine his surprise to find a rotten appendix and tons of scar tissue because it had been infected so long.  It was about the same scenario with my gallbladder the year before.  After those two incidents, he just takes my word for it with a cursory CT scan just in case something actually might show up.  I've been vindicated every time.  Sometimes you just have to make yourself heard and pray that you have a doctor who actually listens.  Since I grow adhesions like they're on Miracle Grow, I have to avoid surgery as long as possible.  With medication and psychotherapy, I've managed to do that for about 6 years.  If I were trying to work, there's no way I would have made it this long.

Meds like hyoscyamine might help with the crampy pain, but that's about it.  The bloating happens because gas and waste can't move normally through your intestines.  I live on a lot of liquids - smoothies, supplements, etc. - or I'm in big trouble with an obstruction.  Fiber is the absolute worst because it expands as it moves though causing more bloating and pain.  Keep track of what you eat and what types of foods make your pain worse.  Most of all, stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

[namnam46]

Hi emeraldgal,

First I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. I want to let you know that there are NO Doctors on this Forum only CP - Chronic Pain - Patients that help each other with our OWN expertise and experiences that we have developed through our OWN CP Issues.

I'm very sorry that you are having problems with scar tissue.  Even though I am fortunate enough that I don't have any, I have many friends on MH that do have them.  Jaybay is VERY knowledgeable about scar tissue.  It's my understanding, and I could be incorrect, that they can occur anywhere.  

I hope that you will keep us informed as to how you are doing as we are EXTREMELY concerned about you. :)

Looking forward to your updates..........Sherry

[emeraldgal]

I think you might be on the right track.  Only question I have is that my doc said I had good bowel sounds.  Could scar tissue still cause this pain even if you are moving your bowels ok?  

[Jaybay]

If you are so incapacitated by the scar tissue that you can't eat or eliminate properly, you do need to consider surgery.  Most people who have adheliolysis surgery only have it once and go on with no further trouble.  The problem is that there is no way to determine if any given patient will develop more adhesions as a result of the surgery.  The idea is for the surgeon to use extremely careful surgical technique and disturb as little tissue as possible.

Because bowel adhesions are a mechanical problem, there really isn't a medication to help normalize things.  This is not IBS.  You have scar tissue that needs to be cut to release your intestines and any other structures involved so they can return to a normal anatomical position.  Your gastro doc can't help you with this problem.  You need to have a chat with a general surgeon.

[emeraldgal]

Thank you for all your help.  I think my IBS symptoms are geting worse because of the scar tissue.  I called my gasto for a new ibs prescription.  I will see if this helps.  I don't want anyother surgery to get rid of the scar tissue.  I heard the scar tissue grows back.  

[Totie]

I developed scar tissue from a laparotomy to remove a tumor in the low pelvis area, as well as ovary/cyst at the same time. I did develope scar tissue on my left side where the ovary/cyst was removed. It is VERY painful. I have gone to my PCP about it before & he says its scar tissue. I believe him, however, I don't want another surgery so I just deal with the tearing/burning, I do take advil, does not help much but it is something. It will feel better if I massage the area in a downward angle.

Sorry , not much help.

[CaoMoo]

what type of hernia was it? I had two ilioinguinal hernia repairs done, and experienced a great deal of pain, standing, going up stairs, etc. as the inguinal nerve became entrapped in the scar tissue of the repair.  A pain doctor could diagnose that with a nerve block and then give you treatment options.