mystery diagnosis?

[infoseeker65]

Here goes.... 42 yo. female on 10mg lisinopril, birth control pill, adderall, no major health issues.  I'm a little overweight (~10 lbs.), have lost nearly 20 lbs. over the past year thanks to adderall (not why I'm taking it, just nice side effect).

About 8 months ago I had the worst stomach ache and nausea that started shortly after going to bed for the night.  Bowel movement and vomiting just once each in order to empty what was in me (it felt like the internal pressure pushed it all out).  I was doubled over in pain with nausea for about 24 hrs. it could keep water down, and a little food (just didn't feel like eating).  Next day I was just sore but could eat and move around pretty normally.  Day 3 was like nothing happened at all.  I've had 2 more of these attacks (6 months after 1st and 1 month after that).  

The pain seems to start epigastric and move througout the abdomen.  I can only lie curled up on my right side to keep the nausea at bay.  The 3rd attack presented more intense on the right side so we thought maybe gallbladder.  My doctor has only seen me when all is well so she's not sure what is going on.  Bloodwork is normal, URQ ultrasound normal, Ab and pelvic CT shows some thickening of the gastric antrum (stomach).  Next step is the gastro... I have an appointment next week.

Anybody want to make any guesses?  

[infoseeker65]

continued......... just FYI for anyone else going through something like this.

The colonoscopy wasn't that bad.. the prep was not any fun.  Well as expected, nothing found.  No biopsies taken for anything.

[infoseeker65]

Just had my upper endoscopy.  It was easy...... the versed and fentenyl really knocked me out.  I slept for 3 more hrs solid after I got home.

The doc didn't see anything abnormal.... he took biopsies to exclude the usual.  He did write me an order for some blood work to be done if/when next attack occurs.  I'll get the biopsy results in about a week.

Next the colonoscopy....... to be continued.

[infoseeker65]

I've been on the pill for about 18 years without a break.  I would be too weird for me to take a break.  I've been on it for hormone imbalance.

The Gastro is going to do upper endoscopy and colonoscopy at the end of march.  He doesn't expect to find much.  I'm going to discuss a hida scan with him after these tests.  I'm thinking that even that won't show anything right now because I'm back to normal at the moment.  Can eat junk food without indigestion and everything.  Good news is I haven't had an attack since Jan.

[ChitChatNine]

My 17yr old had these mini attacks for 2yrs with it being pushed off as a "virus" bcz all bloodwork and ultrasounds (2) were normal!  Only once did the Doc sense pain but not on the gallbladder (it was the pancreas) and just recently the last attack lasted for days and got worse and worse and after 5 days in the hosp they figured out it was her gallbladder .. all these yrs they were suggesting and hinting IBS to her (she is 17) ... her gallbladder HIDA scan was only 5% function and the pathology report recently revealed she had chronic inflammatin and this has been going on a long time.

Birth control puts body into false sense of prego ... I used to get gallbladder attacks when on the pill and real pregnancies (2 of them).  Once off the pill and/or not pregnant it went back into remission.

May want to try off the pill for a few mos trial and see if things get better but i am NOT A DOCTOR :) (and do not get pregnant!!!)

Cheryl