Gallbladder Ejection Fraction 37% -NORMAL?

[snewcome]

I have had reoccurant C Diff since July of last year.  I am currently being treated with Vacno 125mg 4 times a day.  My lastest stool test was negative so the doctor ordered more testing including an abdomnal X ray (NORMAL), an ultrasound of my gallbladder (NORMAL) and a Papida scan.  The papida scan returned a 37% ejection fraction result. I don't really ahve pain or nausea, do have occastional heart burn that I have had my entire life.  I find myself some days in the restroom with several movements over a couple of hours (today 6 or 7) all solid.  My concern is the nurse said my 37% was abnormal and I have a consult tomororw however everything I read states 30-70% is normal.  On another note I was told nothing to eat or drink after midnight for my ultrasound at 10AM and nothing for 4-6 hours before the papida scan.  I ate dinner around 4 or 5 and didn't have anything else.  My papida scan was started at 12:45 and finshed around 2:30. I read that fasting for that long can produce a false positive.  I would greatly appreciate feedback so I can educate myself before my doctor appointment tomorrow. I am female, 30, and had a baby 14 months ago.

[GallbladderNightmare]

I am 37 and female. I just had a HIDA scan Monday, came back functioning @ 37%... outcome "normal". (what I don't understand is the understated percentages of "normal" functioning... wouldn't 100% be normal?! There's some fuzzy Bush Math happening on the GB issue) The pain is incredible right in the right bottom rib. Dr. is not concerned, says it must be something else going on and here I sit still in excruciating pain. Mornings are great as long as I don't eat or drink a thing. Soon as something goes down the pain kicks in... sigh. Due to the first CAT they found a mass in my right lung that they aren't concerned w/either. We'll CAT scan every few months and see what happens. The joie'de vive of Dr. visits is wearing thin.

[ginnyhaase]

I'm having very similar issues to your post from 2012.  I just had the HIDA scan with ejection/fraction with the CCK and my result is 37%
So the doctor is saying it's not the gallbladder.  I've had continuos pain in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen for over a month now.  I had an ultrasound, a vaginal ultrasound, a colonoscopy, an endoscopy a CT scan and this HIDA scan and no doctor can seem to figure out what's happening with me.  The pain gets severe at night, after I've eaten and wakes me up out of a dead sleep and keeps me up until 3 or 4 in the morning.  I'm taking a steady diet of pain pills and am just sincerely over this whole thing.
I would really appreciate knowing what your outcome was at the end of your ordeal and sincerely hope you're healthy now.

[bastiensm]

wow, I wish I could see your Doctors, my God, I have been having pains in my right side under my rib cage, nuasea and wanting to vomit, constant beltching and even after working out I want to throw up. Then at night I'm in pain and sick, my bowel movements have been a lighter color almost a clay color(not the tan or gray clay), and its worse after eating fatty food or drinking coffee- so eating and drinking those are out.   My ultrasound came back with no stones, my CCK scan with the radio active medicine came back also with a 37% ejection fractionand I also hadn't eaten since 6pm the night before-my test was at 12:30pm.  My endoscopy and colonoscopy came back normal no cancer.  Yet the GI specialist can't figure out what I have.  Yet ,I also advised him My family has had one death over a gallbladder bursting, my grandmothers also burst and just survived by a hair, and my aunts and mom had theirs taken out and had sand in them.. Male 41 good luck to all of you suffering from this , its no fun and your life is on hold :( I always thought Kaiser was a great hospital -begining to doubt their Doctors

[michell221]

The bowel issues can be from your gallbladder or just the ibs left over from c diff.  Sometimes Cdiff can cause people to develop irritable bowels for years after you have a negative test.  The papida scan looks like a hida scan but not sure why they would give you something in the middle to make you drowsy.  With a hida scan they inject CCK midway through the test to simulate a fatty meal and see how your gallbladder reacts to it.  Do you know if they gave you that?   This is the standard GB test most people get .  I had my GB out and developed diarrheah for about 6 months.  I also developed sphincter of oddi dysfunction.  The diarrheah went away eventually and now I can eat pretty much what I want but try to eat low fat.  The sphincter of oddi is what actually caused my GB to go bad.  It was full of adhesions from constant inflammation.  The pain of the sod attacks are bad but the diarrheah and bowel issues before the GB was taken out was not good either.  There is no way to predict what would happen if you got it out.  

[Cdngal]

I have been completely fine (knock on wood) I am back to eating alot more normal now... something still bother me like high fatty foods or grease...but no where near like before... its all moderation now...i eat fairly healthy and only eat fat free dairy and skim milk and i have been doing well... i have a normal bowel movement everyday...i take 2 metemucil everyday suggested by my surgeon which regulates you whether you are constipated or diarrhea... so far so good.  I read alot of horror stories too...my GI told me that my transition would be fairly easy as mine wasnt functioning properly and she was right,,,every now and then i have to take an acid reducing pill, i also take digestive enzymes if i know i am gonna eat something with more fat then i have been eating and that seem to help as well.  I think its only 5% of people that suffer from the diarrhea after.

[snewcome]

Cdngal,

If you don't mind me asking did you have bowel issues before removal?  I have heard horror stories of people having them removed who dont have gallstones and very little symptoms and having pain and constant diarrhea after surgery.  I don't want to not be able to eat anything without running to a bathroom immediatly.

[Cdngal]

Sounds very simialr to a HIDA scan, the percentage isnt always what they go by i had 52% which is considered normal but I had typical gallbladder symptoms... and a very sluggish gallbladder, I had mine removed in january and all my symptoms are gone...both GI's I saw felt that would be the best thing for me and they were right, when mine was removed it was covered in scar tissue from mulitple attacks and none of that showed on any tests at all...I was told if its not inflamed at time of MRI or CT, or Ultrasound scan it will appear normal, so doesnt necessarily mean it isnt your gallbladder, this will be up to the surgeon or your GI.

[snewcome]

No actually what I had is called a  Pipida scan, not HIDA scan per the hospital and doctors office.  http://www.mongeneral.com/outpatientcare.cfm?section=3  3rd test down.  This is the hospital I had the test done at.  Again can me fasting too long give a positive result and would this percentage of ejection fraction cause my bowel issues in the morning?

[michell221]

Hi It is called a Hida scan not papida scan.  The cutoff for some surgeons is 35%.  Since you are at the border you can possibly wait to see if you get worse or start having GB symptoms.  The % usually never gets better.    For some reason C diff patients will get GB issues so this may be what started your GB functioning to decline.   Heartburn is usually not cured with GB surgery.  Actually most people develop worse heartburn.  I would listen to what your surgeon has to say and ask him if thinks you should wait since right now you are not displaying any GB symptoms.