Need Some Advice, Please - Digestive Disorders Message Board

Nitehawk · 09-08-2003, 10:11 AM

I have a long history of abdominal pain, gas and bloating. My Doctors tell me it's IBS, GERD or just some psychosomatic syndrome. Well in the last several months it has really gotten bad. I have a strong pain in the upper right abdomen area that sometimes feels like a heart attack. Stong burning in chest area and pain up into my neck and jaw area. Now the pain is more of a pressure, squeezing feeling in the abdomen area and seems to be tied directly to my head. Now when I get the abdomen pain and pressure I get light headed and dizzy. Also my eye sight goes blurry and I get severe head aches. If I bend over and stand up things sort of gray out for a secound or two. My Gastro Dr. tells me there is nothing in your abdomen area that can affect your eyes and make you light headed and dizzy. He has done three Hida Scans with CCK over a three year period, the first two were 41 and 37 respectively, the last was about 6 months ago and it was 91%?? I asked how it could have changed so much and he sort of shrugged it off saying that the tester may have waited to long or something? I have also had Abdominal CT's, MRI's, Endoscopes. Colonscopey, Upper and Lower GI's with small bowel follow through and on and on, all came back normal. I still have this pain and pressure with headaches, blurred vision and light headiness. I get a real bad burning sensation right in the Gal Bladder area and no amount of Prilosec, Asiphex etc. will phase it, it feels like it's not coming from my stomach? I have also had all the heart test including Angiograham, all normal.

What I am asking is what this could be, all I know is that it is getting worse and my Doc's have pretty much given up. My last visit with my Gasro Dr. he suggested I was just stressed out. I told him, if I am it's because of Doctors with his attitude.
Thanks for listening.
Nitehawk

cheer up · 09-08-2003, 11:19 AM

It sounds to me like you need a second opinion from some totally unrelated doctor. Even a third opinion might be in order if the second one doesn't give you any answers.

The more symptoms we present with tend to make doctors think our problems are stress related or possibly psychosomatic. Some people here say they had no gall stones and GB ejection time was fine, but when they had the GB removed, it was clearly diseased/infected/inflamed.

I'd say don't give up until you get another opinion or two.

Katie G · 09-08-2003, 02:35 PM

Ditto for what cheer up says. I had "normal" GB tests done although I was in severe pain, losing weight rapidly because I couldn't eat, nausea, diarrhea, low grade fever, etc. My surgeon knew it was my GB, and sent me for a 2nd opinion to confirm it. Rather than relying on test results, this doc talked to me about symptoms and then felt the area giving me trouble. Since I about jumped off the table, the 2nd doc stated that she also believed it was my GB. Three days later I had it out, and it was severely inflamed and covered in scar tissue. Try to find a sympathetic doc who will listen to your symptomatology. Not to say that stress isn't contributing, because when you feel this bad, stress will increase. However, your original symptoms of pain, etc., do sound like possible GERD or gall bladder problems. Your ejection fracture of 91% seems awful high - I've heard docs state that numbers that are too high are also indicative of gall bladder problems, not just low numbers.

Find another doc outside of the referral base that your current doc is in.

Hang in there and keep us posted,
Katie G

Nitehawk · 09-09-2003, 01:50 PM

Well I went back to see my Internal Meds Doctor this morning and he just goes along with the GI Dr. So I asked about the wide range of my HIDA Scan results, just got the old. "that's normal!" I also have a real bad reaction to Zocor for my high triglycerides, after three days use I get bad cramping with diarrhea and vomitting. Asked about why that happens and he didn't seem to concerned, just said stop taking it. Now he wants a MRI of my head and for me to wear an event monitor for my heart because of the chest pains.

You are all right, I am going to find a new Doctor and just start all over. I don't get down about this, I just get mad.
Thanks
Nitehawk

Nitehawk · 10-15-2003, 12:36 PM

Well I went out and found a new Doctor and am glad I did. She pretty much wanted to start from scratch so she ordered all new Gal Bladder test. She said the fact that my previous Hida Scans were 41, 37 and then 91 indicated that the last one needed to be repeated. So I go back in for Hida Scan next Wed. This is good because the pain is really getting bad.

She also pointed out an interesting thing about the Aciphex I am taking. It works better if you take it after eating a meal with some protein in it. I tried it her way and she is right. I suppose this applies to all PPI's.
Thanks for listening,
Nitehawk