Hello. I've been having digestive symptoms of increasing severity for about two years, now. At first, I thought it was due to my chronic sinusitis. Basically, I have incessant postnasal drip -- Probably related to laryngeal reflux -- and I was thinking it was THAT causing me to vomit. To be sure, it plays a part, but over the past month or two it's become QUITE obvious that the GI symptoms are independent from (Or at least only exacerbated by) the sinus/lung/LPRD issues. I had been told in the past that the dull pains I'd been having just at the bottom border of my ribcage was variously costochronditis, muscle strain from coughing, intercostal pain from breathing/coughing issues, etc.
So, after another day of abrupt onset nausea and vomiting after eating I went to my own ER (I work in respiratory med). All of my blood work was normal. Nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain radiating toward the right side. Ultrasound of my gallbladder revealed 'biliary sludge', and the ER doc told me it would have to come out.
I'm in the process of trying to find a GI doc; My insurance changed at the beginning of the year and my regular doctor is not available on that plan, so I'm having to go through the whole research/track down a doc taking patients/etc. thing. I work at our pediatric hospital, so I don't really KNOW any of the adult doctors.
In any event, a lot of my reading is providing mixed results. At present, my pain is mild to moderate, and almost -precisely- on the gallbladder. It's my understanding that biliary sludge tends to be either asymptomatic, or with intermittent symptoms. Why would the pain be constant?
I'm also experiencing a batch of GI symptoms, and just wanting to confirm they're more evidence of needing surgery (I like to be sure before I go getting parts removed, heh). Nausea, vomiting, completely irregular bowel movements -- From constipation to diarrhea, more frequently steatorrhea, more frequently pale to bright green and burning steatorrhea, specifically. At present, it's gone from frequent diarrhea to -infrequent- steatorrhea. (Partially because I'm not eating much. Even -thinking- about eating can occasionally get a spastic twinge out of my right side.)
Can just 'sludge' cause THAT dramatic of gallstone-like symptoms? Is there anything I can do other than surgery, at least until I can GET surgery? I don't want to keep missing work -- More importantly, I don't want to have to keep leaving work in the middle of a shift because of the abrupt nature of the exacerbations. (Staffing does NOT like it when you have to leave a couple hours after showing up, with little warning.)
Thanks.
T