A note for HVAC

[jumpinjiminy]

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that your story inspired me to keep looking for answers to the cause for those awful diaphragm spasms. My GP had concluded they were likely neurological, but still wanted to do more searching and I had thrown in the towel on having more tests because they all come back negative anyway. After asking him if it was worth looking into further and receiving an emphatic, "Yes!," I let him order an upper GI with small bowel which showed hypermotility but nothing else.

The spasms came back and I finally went to the ER where blood tests showed mild liver issues and low WBC counts. Then off to the gastro for scoping procedures and biopsies. Everything came back okay. Followup blood tests were normal except globulins low.

Then a follow up with the GP and let him know what the differential was from the gastro. He followed up with an abdominal MRI and a blood test to separate out the proteins in gel. I'm still waiting on the results of the last two tests. Apparently, it's nothing earth shattering or completely normal, or I would have likely heard back by now.

They're looking for a number of gastro problems that can cause the same pain - ulcers, pancreatitis, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and lingering gallstones. I may need to have one more test to check for microstones if the MRI is inconclusive. So far, not much is showing up but it WAS worth looking into and I thank my lucky stars for a GP that isn't afraid to order tests to find out what it is or isn't. So far, we know a lot more about what it isn't.

Thanks for helping to put that fire back in my caboose to keep looking. I hope you're doing well and recovering from your recent surgery.

JJ

[HVAC]

One of those migraine medicines may be that one had tylenol and Oxyicodin had tylenol and set my spasms off, and something else. So I stay away from anything with tylenol or acetiminefin. Again I have not had them since cancer surgery in May and I was up to several a week for two years. The same time my GI issues started which was the cancer spreading into my colon , bowel, and rectum, plus the tumors on both ovaries. I no longer have the GI issues either since my cancer surgery and chemotherapy killed off enough of the cancer. I even had lean steak for the first time in two years with out getting sick. I used to walk around with a barf bucket and disolvable Xanax for the spasms.

Alex

[jumpinjiminy]

Definitely haven't had that experience with Tylenol that I know of. Except maybe Fiorecet for migraines. Hmmm. Will have to watch out for that one now. Are there any others I might put on the watch list?

[HVAC]

Tylenol triggered mine or anything with tylenol..

Alex

[jumpinjiminy]

I've been checked for gyn cancers regularly for several years because of an emergency CT scan showing a possible lesion. No biopsies, ultrasounds or other tests have ever picked it up. Then when the surgeon took out my gallbladder last year, he looked at my ovaries and said they looked good. I've gotten many cysts over the years and that was a concern of my GP, especially after the CT scan. They have been on the lookout for a long time, blood tests and all, and so far, that's all been clear.

Your story is so unfortunately dramatic. My GP wants to keep looking, even when I want to quit. For that, I'm really grateful. We need our docs to go to bat for us when these things happen. I'm so glad to hear you've finally found a good team to fight alongside you.

So far, tests haven't found anything. I'll let you know if they do. Mine seems to respond to a big glass of ice water. It's the best and fastest remedy I've found yet. And the fact that Tramadol triggers it sort of has them stumped. Opiates typically trigger sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, but everyone so far has agreed that Tramadol should help it. That's not what's been happening. Both opiates and tramadol trigger it.

I'm very glad to hear you haven't suffered any more of these since the surgery. They're so powerful, they could have ripped your stitches! OMG! lol

[HVAC]

I hope you find your answer and it is not as dramatic as mine. For me it was simply the ovarian cancer pushing up on the diaphragm when I ate or exerted. I was rare because my abdomen was full of cancer and they had to remove a lot including part of my rectum and the lining of the organs in my belly as well as two large cancerous ovaries, uterus, etc. I still have cancer on the diaphragm but I have never had a diaphragm spasms again after surgery. If you have your ovaries did you have a pelvic ultrasound? That was the one test they missed on me. They took my gallbladder in the middle of it all but it was not the problem. Diaphragm pain and ovarian cancer are classic but many Doctors miss it. If my doctors had been tuned in two years ago when I mention diaphragm pain they would have found the cancer then. Actually most of my pain is gone. I take way less pain medication over all.


Alex