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Gastroparesis and Gallbladder Removal
Earlier this year I was diagnosed with billiary dyskinesia: my ejection fraction was 19%. My doctor recommended removing the gallbladder, but I told him I'd wait on that. Recently he also revealed that he suspects a case of mild gastroparesis, for which I'm being tested sometime in the next few weeks. He still recommends the removal of the gallbladder.
I'd like to know if anyone reading this has gastroparesis has had their gallbladder removed. How did it affect you? If you know someone personally, how did you see it affect them?
(Kind request: If you intend to answer this with "I've read online of people that...", save your keystrokes. Unless you have either gone through it yourself or know someone personally who has gone through it, I've probably alredy read what you have. I'm looking for personal experiences. Thanks for understanding.)
I'd like to know if anyone reading this has gastroparesis has had their gallbladder removed. How did it affect you? If you know someone personally, how did you see it affect them?
(Kind request: If you intend to answer this with "I've read online of people that...", save your keystrokes. Unless you have either gone through it yourself or know someone personally who has gone through it, I've probably alredy read what you have. I'm looking for personal experiences. Thanks for understanding.)
My boyfriend had his GB removed over 3 years ago. We recently moved in together. When I experienced his first attack I literally didn't know what to do. He was in excruciating pain. Sweating, vomiting, shaking. I didn't know what to do! He went and stayed in the shower blasted on hi heat for 2 hours vomiting. We have spent over 12 hours an ER waiting room only to be sent away like junkies. It's unbelievable. He's had a recent endoscopy that showed only mild gastritis. The RN mentioned possible delayed stomach disease and thankfully I found this forum. Can anybody help us. He is only 28 years old and literally living in fear of the next meal
The position of pain and the testing I underwent showed that my gallbladder was poisoning my body. Hence the removal. I've always had severe acid reflux before this, so cholecystectomy was not the cause. I had several tests done around the same time. I had a stomach emptying study which was supposed to last no more than 4 hours and ended up going past 6 hours when the technician finally gave up on my stomach emptying halfway. I've had an acid study done. When I had my endoscopy/colonoscopy done, they put a little transmitter on the side of my inner esophagus and I had to wear a reading device for 48 hours while making down pretty much every action I did. My GI specialist said that she had never even heard of someone rating that high on the test. I've had other tests done, as well. I have to take a double dose of protonix and a double dose of cimetidine every day for the acid. My esophagus is very damaged due to the exorbitant amount of acid produced all these years. I have a hiatal hernia, gastroparesis, among other bullcrap. None of these were caused from having my gallbladder removed. I'm not sick with flu type symptoms 2-3 times a month anymore and it's extremely rare if I have pain in that area. I'm about to try an ox bile supplement (different from stomach acid) to see if it helps with the gastroparesis and digestion issues.
Have him go to a GI doc and ask about gastroperisis. I ha my gallbladder out in 2013 and have since been diagnosed with gastroperisis - am scheduled to have a neurostimulater inserted in my stomachs in 10 days.
1 Comments
How did it work out?
I also have no stones but have been diagnosed with biliary dyskinesia/Cholesysitis.... I had a HIDA scan done and it came back at 0%...I have also had every other test possibly imaginable and they have all come back clear... I can't eat, nausea, pain... My question is if everything else is clear why wouldn't having my gallbladder out fix my problems??? If anyone can help...
strangerph:
jaundiced skin after GB removal makes me think:
1) that your billirubin level is high (you should check if this is true and if so, investigate a bit into why especially considering bile can't build up in your GB anymore)
2) that you should get your liver tested to make sure those levels are normal
3) that you may have a bile duct stone
I'd ask a doctor about these 3 things. The first 2 are easy to check with a simple blood test. 3rd is harder to find, but can occasionally be found with with an ultrasound if you're lucky and they're looking for it.
I say these purely out of my personal experience (as a scientist without a medical background that has had his own GB removal and Bile Stone Obstruction and plenty of personal research as a result).
jaundiced skin after GB removal makes me think:
1) that your billirubin level is high (you should check if this is true and if so, investigate a bit into why especially considering bile can't build up in your GB anymore)
2) that you should get your liver tested to make sure those levels are normal
3) that you may have a bile duct stone
I'd ask a doctor about these 3 things. The first 2 are easy to check with a simple blood test. 3rd is harder to find, but can occasionally be found with with an ultrasound if you're lucky and they're looking for it.
I say these purely out of my personal experience (as a scientist without a medical background that has had his own GB removal and Bile Stone Obstruction and plenty of personal research as a result).
I had my gallbladder removed as well, I had no stones just a lot of pan. since then I now have gastopsrisis, its pretty bad. I did not have this before my surgery. The medications are rough one is fda approved but can cause brain damage if you stay on to long. The other is from Canada this also has side affects, not all published. I'm always uncomfortable, the sad thing is there is no cure and no help. I want to sue my Dr. as well. If anyone has ideas please post.
I had GB out Sept 2012; it was inflamed only. Had scopes, scans, you name it. I was having attacks so we took the GB out. Now, 6 months later, the attacks are worse, and today I am told (without testing) that I probably have gastroparesis - should I just take the med prescribed? I am shocked I have been prescribed a med without a test - has anyone else done this?
I get sick during night - nausea, belching, sweats, clammy jaundice skin, fainting, vomiting. Thanks for any feedback. This is not fun.
I get sick during night - nausea, belching, sweats, clammy jaundice skin, fainting, vomiting. Thanks for any feedback. This is not fun.
The test for Gastroparesis is called a gastric emptying study. They'll have you eat a small meal, usually an egg sandwich, that contains small amounts of radiation. You'll then have xrays taken to track the amount of time it takes your stomach to digest half of it's contents. Most only want to give the two hour study but the four hour study is claimed to be more accurate, so if you consider it ask about the four hour study.
Wow. I haven't been in this thread forever. So much has changed since then! Let me get you up to speed (if you want to skip all this, just scroll down to the paragraph that starts with 'Now, to your fiance" - it does not begin with a number):
1) Gastric emptying exam (the test you get to see if you have gastroparesis) in 2008 revealed mild gastroparesis. Later tests would not reveal a cause, leaving this in the idiopathic category. Almost 2 years later, the gastroparesis was cured, as evidenced by another gastric emptying exam. (It seemed my case was post-viral, but that's still conjecture.) I still will feel the symptoms come on once in a great while, particularly when I get sick, or if I've eaten a LOT of bad food in recent days, or if I take a medication which slows gastric emptying (like SSRIs, in my case), but 95% of the time I'm just fine. To deal with the GP I was put on Nexium and Domperidone (Motilium, a dopamine-antagonist, pro-motility agent). I still take both, intermittently, as needed, because of GERD.
2) After repeated gallbladder attacks I finally made the decision to have it removed. GREAT, GREAT, GREAT MOVE!!! Turns out the gallbladder was full of stones, even though the ultrasounds never revealed any. My pain was GONE! For a while. But then...
3) Pain persisted after the gallbladder issues, and I feared SOD. Turns out that wasn't the case. In fact, things were far simpler: I was lactose intolerant, which caused many of the same symptoms as the gallbladder, oddly enough. Once lactose was eliminated from my diet almost all issues went away.
4) I still have some issues digesting fats (every person with GB removal does, to one extent or another) so I take enzymes. They work perfectly well.
5) Throughout all this I had GERD, which I suspect I've had for a very long time. However, this is complicated by Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which can cause GERD-like symptoms. A 48hr Bravo Ph test revealed "normal" acid reflux, however I'm still waiting on esophageal manometry and impedance tests. The EoE seems to be brought on by allergies: my doc describes it as "asthma of the esophagus."
6) Speaking of allergies, treating these (getting rid of my doc, buying air purifiers) has helped immensely, both in my heartburn and digestion.
As it stands now, my only real issue is GERD, but I'm working on that by working on my weight and taking Nexium/Domperidone as needed. I'm at 225lbs right now, 100lbs lighter than I was when this all started. My goal is 180, which everyone save for the people who invented the BMI scale think is way too thin.
Now, to your fiance: Actually, gallbladder removal can, in some cases, help increase the speed of digestion. (It did in my case.) There's a lot of info on SOD out there, but the fact is that it's only a temporary diagnosis: eventually something else is revealed to be the real cause. Also, even with all of these cases, it's still a fairly rare condition, the only real test for which is an ERCP, which can cause more problems in and of itself.
As for SMA (and even SOD), always remember: A RARE PRESENTATION OF A COMMON CONDITION IS ALMOST ALWAYS MORE LIKELY THAN THE RARE CONDITION. That rule has proven true in my case. That said, the fact that that they found a dilated duodenum should be cause for suspicion.
I would actually recommend you go ahead with the CAT scan they're recommending, and then request a gastric emptying exam if necessary. I'm guessing that with the CT scan they'll be looking for anatomic issues, including the verification of an abrupt constriction proximal to the overlying superior mesenteric artery. If the test includes an oral and IV contrast they're definitely looking for the duodenal transit time which means that, yes, they're looking for SMA, as well as other conditions you may not yet know about.
Now, remember that if at any point you don't trust what your docs are telling you, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR AND GET A SECOND OPINION. If you can find a research university nearby all the better. If you can get yourself to a highly rated hospital like the Mayo Clinic, that's optimal.
I hope I was able to help. Good luck.
1) Gastric emptying exam (the test you get to see if you have gastroparesis) in 2008 revealed mild gastroparesis. Later tests would not reveal a cause, leaving this in the idiopathic category. Almost 2 years later, the gastroparesis was cured, as evidenced by another gastric emptying exam. (It seemed my case was post-viral, but that's still conjecture.) I still will feel the symptoms come on once in a great while, particularly when I get sick, or if I've eaten a LOT of bad food in recent days, or if I take a medication which slows gastric emptying (like SSRIs, in my case), but 95% of the time I'm just fine. To deal with the GP I was put on Nexium and Domperidone (Motilium, a dopamine-antagonist, pro-motility agent). I still take both, intermittently, as needed, because of GERD.
2) After repeated gallbladder attacks I finally made the decision to have it removed. GREAT, GREAT, GREAT MOVE!!! Turns out the gallbladder was full of stones, even though the ultrasounds never revealed any. My pain was GONE! For a while. But then...
3) Pain persisted after the gallbladder issues, and I feared SOD. Turns out that wasn't the case. In fact, things were far simpler: I was lactose intolerant, which caused many of the same symptoms as the gallbladder, oddly enough. Once lactose was eliminated from my diet almost all issues went away.
4) I still have some issues digesting fats (every person with GB removal does, to one extent or another) so I take enzymes. They work perfectly well.
5) Throughout all this I had GERD, which I suspect I've had for a very long time. However, this is complicated by Eosinophilic Esophagitis, which can cause GERD-like symptoms. A 48hr Bravo Ph test revealed "normal" acid reflux, however I'm still waiting on esophageal manometry and impedance tests. The EoE seems to be brought on by allergies: my doc describes it as "asthma of the esophagus."
6) Speaking of allergies, treating these (getting rid of my doc, buying air purifiers) has helped immensely, both in my heartburn and digestion.
As it stands now, my only real issue is GERD, but I'm working on that by working on my weight and taking Nexium/Domperidone as needed. I'm at 225lbs right now, 100lbs lighter than I was when this all started. My goal is 180, which everyone save for the people who invented the BMI scale think is way too thin.
Now, to your fiance: Actually, gallbladder removal can, in some cases, help increase the speed of digestion. (It did in my case.) There's a lot of info on SOD out there, but the fact is that it's only a temporary diagnosis: eventually something else is revealed to be the real cause. Also, even with all of these cases, it's still a fairly rare condition, the only real test for which is an ERCP, which can cause more problems in and of itself.
As for SMA (and even SOD), always remember: A RARE PRESENTATION OF A COMMON CONDITION IS ALMOST ALWAYS MORE LIKELY THAN THE RARE CONDITION. That rule has proven true in my case. That said, the fact that that they found a dilated duodenum should be cause for suspicion.
I would actually recommend you go ahead with the CAT scan they're recommending, and then request a gastric emptying exam if necessary. I'm guessing that with the CT scan they'll be looking for anatomic issues, including the verification of an abrupt constriction proximal to the overlying superior mesenteric artery. If the test includes an oral and IV contrast they're definitely looking for the duodenal transit time which means that, yes, they're looking for SMA, as well as other conditions you may not yet know about.
Now, remember that if at any point you don't trust what your docs are telling you, FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR AND GET A SECOND OPINION. If you can find a research university nearby all the better. If you can get yourself to a highly rated hospital like the Mayo Clinic, that's optimal.
I hope I was able to help. Good luck.
My finance Matt had his gallbladder removed and the pain has returned. We've heard so much about sphincter of oddi and biliary dyskinesia but after sleepless nights of research have realized thats NOT A DIAGNOSIS but a symptom of another problem like gastroparesis which gallbladder removal WONT CURE. And unfortunatley morphine and anything with acetaminophin is no good...may i ask what test you get for gastroparesis because it seems our doctors would rather just give him a catscan and find nothing insisting hes just a junkie and turn us away...the only difference with our story is when matt tried the barium swallow they found a dilated duodenum which suggest Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrom (SMA) so now im really confused about what constitues a motility issue and how to fix this!
I had my Gallbladder removed January 2005 , I dont' feel any different, Dcotor said it was in bad bad bad shape.
The reason for all of this is what they believe is Gerds, major acid reflux. I am taking Prevacid every day. So far no major bouts, no more heartburn for sure, But I do get that occassional pain and when it comes You are ready to run for a bathroom..cause its very painful. all my muscles ( feels like my organs are tensing up) in my stomach, back, shoulder, sternum all get spasmatic and it hurts so bad you can't breath through the pain, You get feverish and eventually vomit and all of a Sudden you can breath again and the spasms start slowly going away..its like the vomit triggers it to relax..Its weird.
I am betetr than I was 3 yrs ago, so I am not sure if the gallbladder removal did me good, or the prevacid..anyone else get that vomit at the end of the spouts and you slowly feel better afterwards?
The reason for all of this is what they believe is Gerds, major acid reflux. I am taking Prevacid every day. So far no major bouts, no more heartburn for sure, But I do get that occassional pain and when it comes You are ready to run for a bathroom..cause its very painful. all my muscles ( feels like my organs are tensing up) in my stomach, back, shoulder, sternum all get spasmatic and it hurts so bad you can't breath through the pain, You get feverish and eventually vomit and all of a Sudden you can breath again and the spasms start slowly going away..its like the vomit triggers it to relax..Its weird.
I am betetr than I was 3 yrs ago, so I am not sure if the gallbladder removal did me good, or the prevacid..anyone else get that vomit at the end of the spouts and you slowly feel better afterwards?
I had my gall bladder removed April 1st 2005. I continued to be sick for months after. My gall bladder function was at 21% and I wish I would have said NO to the removal and did my research. After a couple of years being sick I went to a GI that said I had mild gastroparesis, but I should get better.
I was put on a gastroparesis diet and I got sicker. I ended up on a Celiac diet (gluten free) and I got better. I was on the diet for about 6 months. I just went last week to get tested again for gastroparesis and it came back 25% out of 35%. I am currently not having any problems with sickness but have gastroparesis.
I first got sick due to contaminated well water and seem to get sick every time I get pregnant, weird. I have been pregnant twice and got sick both times for months at a time and ended up loosing the pregnancy both times and stayed sick for months after the losses.
I still dont know what was wrong with me but am feeling pretty good.
I was put on a gastroparesis diet and I got sicker. I ended up on a Celiac diet (gluten free) and I got better. I was on the diet for about 6 months. I just went last week to get tested again for gastroparesis and it came back 25% out of 35%. I am currently not having any problems with sickness but have gastroparesis.
I first got sick due to contaminated well water and seem to get sick every time I get pregnant, weird. I have been pregnant twice and got sick both times for months at a time and ended up loosing the pregnancy both times and stayed sick for months after the losses.
I still dont know what was wrong with me but am feeling pretty good.
Good call not letting them remove your gall bladder. Wish i had researched it more. I had mine out 5 years ago and have intermintant pain attacks which are now escalating into about 2 -3 a month. Doctor does not have a clue but it is really making life hell and my digestion has gone to the pack and i feel generally unwell. Also very fearfull that i might set off one those horrible, painfull attacks. I know the pain is caused by the sphincter spasming and cannot take morphine because that sets it off. Look at the altenative medicines available and try some of them and avoid fatty foods which set it off as well. God bless.
I too was dxd with BD last year. It was recommended I have my GB out-so I did. BIG-HUGE mistake. Now I have severe sphincter of oddi dysfunction which is the same as biliary dyskinesia (same thing diff., terms). Taking out my GB caused me to have severe gastroparesis and I've been living on IV nutrition for 10 mos. I think that biliary dyskinesia is part of a larger motility problem with the digestive system. The problem is with the ducts (oddi) not the GB-(it's just the one that gets the blame). Just my story.
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