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Looking for some input re gall type attacks
My wife has been suffering from attacks of intense piercing right side/flank pain just below her ribs but not really well located. This has been 2 months of this and 3 emergency room visits with basically constant varying dull to medium pain between "attacks". The last attack March 5 was severe and she basically collapsed, she described the pain as the worst she has ever felt.
She is 26, no kids, healthy weight (5'6" 130lb) excercises every day even with the pain, vegatarian and has eaten a low fat diet for about 3 years or more. Eats 6 small meals a day, drinks about 2L of water daily. She finds since first getting the pains she can't eat any nuts or peanuts nor anything with any significant amount of fat. Her stools are lighter coloured tan but has assumed this has been due to veg diet. Recently she has noticed the area around her mouth takes on an orange hue most days the last 2 weeks, eyes are white. We have not travelled outside of North America.
The pain begins shortly after rising in the morning and continues through the day, usaully worst around 8-9 in the evening continuing into sleep. Heating pad is constantly with her in bed trying to help the pain. Eating and drinking doesn't seem to affect it as she has tryed every combo of foods thinking it was an alergy. When the first attacks happened we had a terrible time getting her to eat because she thought that caused the pain.
Her white cell count is normal, her urine analysis came back clean. The first and only RUQ ultrasound didn't show anything. She is not pregnant (actually impossible due to some complications of long term depo-provera use) No fever, bp normal.
The latest attack the ER doc prescribed strong acid suppressant to try to rule out the collection of ulcer related issues but she has no gas, burping, dirarea heartburn etc.
Her family doc sent her for blood tests but we don't have any results yet. The previous two ER visits resulted in docs thinking she was pregnant despite not having sex in the last 6 mo due to the depo problems, once the neg results on the urine sample came in they just sent her home and told her to try and solve it with her family doc. She is begining to resist going to the hospital when an attack comes on because she feels they don't believe her and aren't going to help her.
Since the most recent attack the following day the whole area that was in pain was sore and ached, she described as "tired sore" turning into pain again in the evening after bending over to do some stretches after we excercised. The next morning (today) she took her vitamens and drank a glass of cold water which started the pain.
Any ideas? Everything I read points to gall related problems but as soon as we mention it the doc's say US was fine and they steer the conversation elsewhere.
She is 26, no kids, healthy weight (5'6" 130lb) excercises every day even with the pain, vegatarian and has eaten a low fat diet for about 3 years or more. Eats 6 small meals a day, drinks about 2L of water daily. She finds since first getting the pains she can't eat any nuts or peanuts nor anything with any significant amount of fat. Her stools are lighter coloured tan but has assumed this has been due to veg diet. Recently she has noticed the area around her mouth takes on an orange hue most days the last 2 weeks, eyes are white. We have not travelled outside of North America.
The pain begins shortly after rising in the morning and continues through the day, usaully worst around 8-9 in the evening continuing into sleep. Heating pad is constantly with her in bed trying to help the pain. Eating and drinking doesn't seem to affect it as she has tryed every combo of foods thinking it was an alergy. When the first attacks happened we had a terrible time getting her to eat because she thought that caused the pain.
Her white cell count is normal, her urine analysis came back clean. The first and only RUQ ultrasound didn't show anything. She is not pregnant (actually impossible due to some complications of long term depo-provera use) No fever, bp normal.
The latest attack the ER doc prescribed strong acid suppressant to try to rule out the collection of ulcer related issues but she has no gas, burping, dirarea heartburn etc.
Her family doc sent her for blood tests but we don't have any results yet. The previous two ER visits resulted in docs thinking she was pregnant despite not having sex in the last 6 mo due to the depo problems, once the neg results on the urine sample came in they just sent her home and told her to try and solve it with her family doc. She is begining to resist going to the hospital when an attack comes on because she feels they don't believe her and aren't going to help her.
Since the most recent attack the following day the whole area that was in pain was sore and ached, she described as "tired sore" turning into pain again in the evening after bending over to do some stretches after we excercised. The next morning (today) she took her vitamens and drank a glass of cold water which started the pain.
Any ideas? Everything I read points to gall related problems but as soon as we mention it the doc's say US was fine and they steer the conversation elsewhere.
This sounds so familiar. After many tests (ultrasound, Endoscopy, HIDA) they discovered no gallstones, but an 11% ejection fracture. They said that at 30% that is sign of possible GB trouble. I had my GB out over Christmas and the symptions are about 80% gone. Some days are still bad, but probably related to food type - the fatty stuff still causes problems. I still have some "tugging" discomfort under right rib and some days just don't feel good. My GI and Surgeon both said that they weren't sure that removal would take care of 100% of the problem - but my current state is so much better than living for 6 months thinking that I was having something terribly wrong - going to ER thinking that it is a heart attack after a few times gets old. My friend also had hers out a couple years ago and she said it took her almost a year to adjust. I am now headed to an allergist to eliminate the possibility that I've developed food allergies or sensitivities.
They are trying to squeeze her in for a CT scan today, I believe the doc wants the bed back that she is in as the hospital is short.
She tried drinking liquids this morning and they backed up on her making her feel very full and began burping with the same foul smelling gas that came out yesterday when she vomited.
I'll try to keep this updated.
She tried drinking liquids this morning and they backed up on her making her feel very full and began burping with the same foul smelling gas that came out yesterday when she vomited.
I'll try to keep this updated.
I wish I had any good info for you. All I can really suggest is a Barium CT. If the camera pill is available at your hospital, it can show the entire digestive tract except the large bowel. Good luck.
It has been a rough couple of days, my wife is in the hospital as I type. Yesterday the pain started in the am and by 4:30 pm she was strongly suggesting I take her home from work immediately. By 10 pm the pain was severe, I was able to stay up with her while she cried until 2 am, I doubt she got any sleep.
A change is that she started to feel nausea with the pain and waves of pain included the original piercing on the right side, up her back into the shoulders, plus now her stomach and middle of her abdomin.
She went to work this am but called by 10 am saying she was in extreme pain. I picked her up but by then she was screaming and crying when the waves of pain would come over and kept saying she can't take it anymore.
I took her to the hospital and they didn't really do much but they gave her some morphine for the pain and some thing for her upset stomach. She was crying very loudly and that prompted some attention from the doctor who ordered some conventional x-rays. By the time we got back to the room she began vomiting repeatedly.
The vomit was the strongest/worst smelling vomit I have ever been around, I don't know how to describe it any better. The contents was undigested food from 30 hours earlier since she has only eaten one plain bagel and one plain pita bread in that span since she has been in such pain.
The results of the xray showed a large mass in the stomach (the undigested food) and the presence of gas/liquid pockets throughout her intestine.
She had a bowel movement this morning before entering the hospital and it had no effect on her pain at the time.
A change is that she started to feel nausea with the pain and waves of pain included the original piercing on the right side, up her back into the shoulders, plus now her stomach and middle of her abdomin.
She went to work this am but called by 10 am saying she was in extreme pain. I picked her up but by then she was screaming and crying when the waves of pain would come over and kept saying she can't take it anymore.
I took her to the hospital and they didn't really do much but they gave her some morphine for the pain and some thing for her upset stomach. She was crying very loudly and that prompted some attention from the doctor who ordered some conventional x-rays. By the time we got back to the room she began vomiting repeatedly.
The vomit was the strongest/worst smelling vomit I have ever been around, I don't know how to describe it any better. The contents was undigested food from 30 hours earlier since she has only eaten one plain bagel and one plain pita bread in that span since she has been in such pain.
The results of the xray showed a large mass in the stomach (the undigested food) and the presence of gas/liquid pockets throughout her intestine.
She had a bowel movement this morning before entering the hospital and it had no effect on her pain at the time.
Another long night, pain starting coming on strong near 4:30 pm, by 9 pm she was in again in a lot of pain lasted until 2 or 3 am. This time it did make her vomit and she had some gas from stomach and intestines.
Hi, your wife's symptoms sound ALOT like mine....which I have been having since December and have increasingly gotten worse. I have a aching/pinching/stabbing pain under my right and left ribcage. The only time I get relief is when I am sleeping or when I first wake up in the morning before I eat anything. It continues to get worse throughout the day, and I am in the most pain in the evenings. It also hurts more when I do any kind of exercise (even housework). No pain meds have worked for me. I have had many tests done since December (catscans, ultrasound, endoscopy, barium xray and a hida scan with cck). They all came back normal EXCEPT for the hida scan, which shows my gallbladder working at only 30%. I do not have stones, inflammation or sludge. I am scheduled for surgery in a week. I would highly recommend a hida scan with CCK, which is an enzyme your body produces after eating a fatty meal. Also, maybe have her start a diary and write down how she feels after she eats. The fattier the meal, the harder your gallbladder has to work. Hope she finds out what is going on soon.
VAN
VAN
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