I'm pulling my hair out!

[mel3275]

For over a year I have been having problems with pain in my upper abdomen.  The bout I am having now is worse than any I have had and is mainly staying on the right upper side.  This bout has lasted 3 weeks and I hurt badly after eating (therefore I have no appetite), i am losing weight because I am scared to eat and I have diaherra and nausea.  The doctors have run all the tests and they come back normal.  I am having a Hidascan done next week but am afraid that it will come back normal too.  I can't take this much longer and I hate the looks of doctors after they get my "normal" test results back.  This is not in my head and it is causing some depression.  I dont know what to do.....

[Over_Dairy]

Mel, get the HIDA/CCK!  I had four (4) (I kid you not -- 4) "Normal" sono's that indicated my GB was "normal."  However, the HIDA showed that my GB is anything but "normal!"  For the first 4 hours it did not image.  Then, after they gave me a shot of morphine (to cause it to contract) it still took almost an hour to light up.  Finally, once they established I do indeed have a GB, they gave me the CCK and the ejection factor was 21% (doc said 42% is low average).  So, next stop is the surgeon. That said, last Spring my husband (normal GB ultrasound) had a HIDA that was only 17% -- they took out his GB and while testing the "seal" on the reconnect, noticed a stricture on his Common Bile Duct. One ERCP later, he was finally once and for all cured.  (He's a happy, happy man!)

Meanwhile, my Gastro recommended a no fat/low fat diet while I wait for the surgical consult.  The best diet I've found is on docsmed.com by Dr. Smedley.  (His theory that anoxeria is related to GB disease is a little unconventional but I've found him to be 100% on-the-money about what not to eat to avoid an attack.)   The only thing I've changed in the 6+weeks I've followed it is to add corn* to the foods to avoid and delete even the 1 tbs of fat a day.  Basically, I've been surviving on lettuce, cooked spinich, baked potatos, grilled chicken, lemon tuna, grapenuts cereal, strawberries, peaches and the occassional handful of raisans or seedless grapes. Deviating results in pain.
*through trial-and-error I discovered corn, especially corn-on-the-cob gives me pain even though I was eating lots of corn flakes without a problem.

[GhostOf1901]

If I were a betting man I'd say you have some kind of gallbladder dysfunction, most likely gallstones from what you say. Have they run an Ultrasound? Before they do the HIDA/CCK they should REALLY do the ultrasound. If that comes out normal, and you don't have gallstones, then the HIDA will likely show that you have gallbladder dyskinesia.

[Ferraro]

I had the same thing for a year and finally went to a doctor that took an ultrasound and found that I had gallstones and needed an operation.  Just had the operation done last week and feel great.  Get the ulatrasound.

[boron]

If the pain occurs mainly after the fatty meal, then its probably related to gallbladder, and having a HIDA scan is good decision.

Avoid fatty meals to avoid pain.