Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction Questions

[SuesQ]

For about a year I had a constant pain behind my rib cage (upper right quadrant) that felt like I had a tennis ball lodged inside me.  In May 2004 I was diagnosed with common bile duct obstruction and had an ERCP with a sphincterotomy.  About 3 months later the pain behind my rib cage returned.  In October 2004 I had an ERCP with manometry, during which I was diagnosed with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction.  Another sphinterotomy was performed.  Unfortunately, the procedure resulted in severe acute pancreatitis.  Four months later, I still have some inflammation, but not that severe.  I am concerned because the pain behind my rib cage is coming back.  

1)  What is the liklihood that the sphincterotomy was not successful and that the SOD is back?

2)  If it is SOD, can it be corrected using external surgical methods? Does surgery pose the same risk for pancreatitis?

3)  What risks are involved with doing nothing, assuming I can learn to live with the pain?

Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it.

[MINIgal]

Wow, sorry to hear you've been through so much.  Makes me feel bad for even feeling a little sorry for myself.  Yes, I have constant pain, but it's not debilitating, just frustrating -- especially since I know they probably cannot fix it (or won't try since, if I have SOD, I'm probably a Type III).

I sure hope you feel better... I had a lot of pain after my GB surgery, but after about 5-6 days, I was up and around just fine, with almost no "bathroom type" troubles -- just continued mid-back pain.

Hang in there, everyone.

[astros18]

After going thru so much pain and finding no answers from doctors, who basically wrote me off and tried to put me on antidepressants (who wouldn't be depressed with all that pain), I found my answers on curezone.com. Good luck to all my gallbladderless still in pain sisters out there. You are not crazy and pain is not normal!

[whimzeelee]

Wow is all I can say about everything I've just read in this thread!  This past Thursday 7/28 I had to have emergency removal of my gallbladder.  I'm 41 and have had an attack here and there, but on 7/22 I had a major attack that lasted 4 hours and spiking a fever of 102.3.  I should have gone to the ER, but just didn't want to.  I rested over the weekend and on 7/26 I realized I was looking "yellow" and this caused enough concern that I made a visit to my GP for bloodwork.  The bloodwork came back on 7/27 with extremely high Liver values and bilirubin and he sent me for an ultrasound on 7/28.  I had another bad night on the 27th and knew something was definitely wrong.  

Some history over the last couple of months...I was diagnosed with a staph infection and put on erythromycin for 30 days.  I'm freaking since I read on-line that this antibiotic can cause jaundice and liver damage!!!  

My ultrasound showed stones in my gallbladder and a thickening of the wall next to my liver and he sent me off to the hospital, where they promptly got me right in and into surgery.  Needless to say I wasn't ready for surgery, but they felt it was acute cholesytitis and needed to come out ASAP.  I spent a night in the hospital and have been home recovering and wondering if I will ever be able to eat again.  I can eat jello and am in the bathroom with yellow/bile diarrhea.  I feel like I'm having a heart attack from the stomach bile constantly.  

I realize I'm only a couple of days out of surgery, but decided to search out some info on-line and here I am.

My bilirubin continued to rise after surgery and they did a liver biopsy to determine what else may be going on.  I'll find out more later this week.  Needless to say I'm concerned about the liver the most.

[tarczely]

up date on my sphincteromtry (spell) well since having that don over a month ago i was good for about two weeks.  Now the pain has returned.  Went back to the dr and he has me keeping track of everything i eat and drink to see if there is something we can just cut out, well i would have to stop eating.  so monday i go again and in sept iam having a endo ultrasound. I think they are going to have to do more sugery.  I can't beleive this just will not go away.
but i feel like at least iam on the right track, after feeling so well after the first sugery.

anyone else have this problem after the first sugery?

[MINIgal]

I never felt a tennis-ball type pain, even before I had my GB out.  The pain in my side (upper right side) feels like a sharp, squeezing pain (sometimes kind of like a runner's cramp), but it is intermittent.  The more constant pain I feel is in my midback -- it is a gnawing, almost burning type of pain.  It is really bad if I lie flat on my back, less so if I lie on my right side, and most tolerable if I lie on my left side.

The pain in my back gets worse after meals sometimes, but it's not completely predictable when it will worsen or after what type of food.  One exception -- eating or drinking something very cold (e.g., a popsicle) makes it really bad.

The pain sometimes extends all the way around and feels like a belt around my lower chest.

[dakotagal]

Thanks for the answer.  Could you explain your symptoms----does it feel like a tennis ball is lodged in your rib cage and worse when you sit?