Yellow diarrhea/Sharp head pain/Chills/PCOS?/Gallbladder removed/Weight loss/Abdominal pain/Insomnia

[spinx]

I'm a female/21yrs/5'7". A few years back (2004?) my doctor thought I might have early PCOS, but we never made an official diagnosis, or started any treatment. Years passed, and I started having Gallbladder pains 12/2006, and then had my Gallbladder removed 02/2007. Initially, I weighed 256lbs, and currently am 219lbs. I try to hit the gym 4-6 times a week, and eat as healthy of a diet as I can, though I often skip meals due to work. I don't eat fast food, fried foods, many milk products, ice creams, deserts, and I try to cut out all other “fatty” foods.

Ever since surgery I've had yellowish runny diarrhea. It's inconvenient, it smells awkward, it stains the bowl if I don't flush fast enough, and it stings a bit sometimes. I've come to read it's not uncommon considering my surgery, so I've been dealing with it and trying to not eat acidic (trigger) foods. It will occur for a day or two, go away for weeks/month, and return. It's very cyclical, and I've been without for nearly a month.

In the last 3-4 weeks, I've developed symptoms that I can't track, that may be related to my surgery..

I've this sharp pain on the left side of my head just above my ear, sometimes my actual  ear/canal. It fluctuates between sharp and dull, intense and tolerable; sometimes my vision becomes blurry, aura-like, or everything feels disassociated. I thought it could be a migraine, but then I started getting chills. Chills come out of the blue, most often on my legs. Then, I started getting abdominal cramps, and the diarrhea returned, within the last week. I’ve been insomniatic before, but now I can’t sleep either because my head/stomach hurts, or for no reason, and if I do sleep, I still feel groggy/sluggish the next day. Sometimes I’ll get hot flashes in the day, but no matter what I eat or don’t, my stomach always hurts. Sometimes I feel really anxious, like I’m about to have a panic attack, but I have no history of mental illness/ailments.

Help!

[bchlovers6751]

In response to your gallbladder being removed, and the symptoms you are experiencing, I would suggest that you see your doctor again and ask him to check your ducts to make sure he did not leave a stone behind. I had my gallbladder removed in 2000, and after my release from the hospital I had another "attack". The DR assured me everything was ok, and I had ulcers now. I was on ulcer meds for 5 years, with 2 attacks per yr where I had to go to the hospital for relief of those attacks. It built up to where no FOOD would pass.....just jello....and lo and behold.....he forgot a stone in my bile duct. Lucky me! I was admitted and the DR could not remove it because it was too big and I was sent to MUSC in Charleston, SC for the removal. ( 3 days before Xmas----just where I wanted to be) The removed it but had some difficulty and had to cut me inside to remove it and I had to stay in the hospital overnight. From time to time, I feel like I am having another attack. Gallbladder disease runs in my family, and the DR's now say that even though my gallbladder is gone my body could still make these stones and I could be dealing with this for the rest of my life. Again....LUCKY ME!!!! So, please check this out before putting yourself through unneccessary BS and pain. I wish I had gotten a 2nd opinion. Sometimes DR's use you as a guinea pig for their other patients and ER doctors are really out of the loop. Most ER doctors cannot pass the boards and and are stuck there because they can't open their own practice. So please be wary of the advice given and go to another doctor if the advice sounds like BS.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I cannot comment on the head symptoms in this GI forum - I suggest asking your question in the neurology forum for this.

Regarding the diarrhea, it may be a complication from removing the gallbladder as a minority of patients have recurrent loose stools.

Malabsorption, colitis, irritable bowel disease or inflammatory bowel disease should all be evaluated.   I would suggest a colonoscopy as well as stool tests looking for these options.  A blood test for celiac disease can also be done.

Continuing abdominal pain can be due to Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, and this can be evaluated with an ERCP and Sphincter of Oddi manometry.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_