Need Help - Puzzled w/ More Symptoms Post ERCP - Digestive Disorders Message Board

MidlineNotFine · 07-19-2007, 04:56 PM

I've posed a few times. Been battling midline (and more recently) right quadrant abdominal pain. Had my GB removed 2 yrs. ago now (1" stone). Since surgery I still have had pain and the dreaded diarrea from a lot of different foods.

Ok - have had post-op ultrasounds, many MRIs, an upper GI, two upper endoscopies and recently (one week ago) an ERCP. My common bile duct was 18 mm (I was told the norm was 5 mm for my age/size) so they performed a sphincterotomy. In recovery I was in a lot of pain but the painkillers worked so it wasn't pancreatitis. Now my concern - not for the squeemish ...

Before surgery, my stool had turned a clay color which I believe indicated problems with bile flow and bile duct scarring. Now since the ERCP I have very dark green or black stool and my IBS is much more pronounced. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I think it could be too much bile in my system moving through too quickly. Oh - and the pain is unchanged - lucky me.

I am scheduling my post ERCP visit with my GI specialist but was looking for any hits for common experiences as well. I expect them to do one or more of the following in addition to a stool test at this point - another MRCP, another ERCP or a colonoscopy. I'm only 33 and normal weight. I certainly feel worse off now than when I had a GB.

Any help is appreciated. Btw - I've never lost weight unexpectedly, had yellowing of the eyes, skin, etc. I'm just miserable with pain and now the "newest" symptoms. Not sure what to do or even what to ask anymore. I am pretty dejected in doctor/patient meetings in fact - almost like "here's your money - what's the point and what invasive test is next". Thanks.

sam78 · 07-19-2007, 05:54 PM

well this wont sound good to ya but have you had a lot of this stool? And is it extremely smelly? I had a GI bleed from the sphincterotomy they did. I had a GI bleed for a couple days post surgery.

MidlineNotFine · 07-19-2007, 06:26 PM

sam_I_am,

Thanks. News is good ... even if, say, unpleasant!

Yes, I would say that has been but my experience though all "urgent" evacuations since my GB surgery 2 yrs ago seem to follow that trend. Now my GI is really jumpy - not just after meals - but during more stressful times at work. I am 7 days post ERCP. I didn't start having this problem until 6 days post. Did your issue resolve itself with time? That's what I am hoping for since they said it could be 2-4 weeks for full results ... which is also good b/c my pain, etc. is not better ... if anything worse - even though the pictures they took seemed to clearly show that my common bile duct was basically closing itself off. They say it's genetic with me but it's another educated guess in a long line ...

Hoping for good news,

MNF

sam78 · 07-20-2007, 12:27 PM

MIdline, yes my bleed resolved it self after a couple days. But it is pretty unlikely to develope this problem so far out from your ERCP. As you will read on here, there is a significant amount of people that have problems even once their GB is taken out. You might read some of those and see if you get any insights. I know how incredibly frustrating this is, I have been there and still am there. However if your GB duct is closing itself off, I would think a stent would help. I would guess that would be the next course of action for you. I had the sphincterotomy, still had pain and pancreatitis and so they put a stent in for 6 weeks. But for me it was the pancreas side not the GB side. You might ask about the stent at your next visit. But again read some of the posts on here about pain after GB removal, you might find someone else that is experiencing the same symptoms.

MidlineNotFine · 07-20-2007, 02:20 PM

sam_I_am,

Thanks. I have read a lot of posts to find a match. I found one on an Internet search that seemed to fit me exactly from 2005 - pain, GB removed, pain & IBS, medications, continued pain, tests - tests - tests, more pain and IBS = unresolved.

The ERCP surgeon opted to not implant a stent even though he said it was a possibility before the procedure. I have slow GI tract movement from pain medication which could explain the delay in bleeding being noticed according to my doc's office. I'll hope. No fever, jaundice, etc. - silver lining.

The most common element I can see here is that we are all pretty sick of feeling sick and that one supposed "fix" just creates a new problem. Living it, it's amazing to me how much medicine is still an art as much as it is a science in some aspects. Now I'm relegated to not eating anything at work which I can't imagine is "healthy". The combination of work-stress and GB-removal and post ERCP "whatever" simply makes eating impossible without significant repercussions. I can even have a problem without eating anything these last seven days and that's with medication that slows my GI tract down!

I'll keep searching and trying different things and post if I find anything useful. Crazy condition and I'm only 33! Yikes!

Thanks again for the support. I really appreciate it.

mnf