Problem with pain and nausea

Question

I am 25 years old. for the past 3 weeks I have been throwing up every 10 minutes. I have ended up in the emergency room twice due dehydration. I have been in severe pain on my right side, right underneath my rib cage. At first doctors though it could be my appendix (since I had my gallbladder removed a year ago). But the CT scan came back fine. My blood work was fine (my white blood cell count was a little elevated but they said that was normal with vomitting). They even checked my liver and pancreas with these blood tests....and still not sure why I am having this pain and nausea. They said it could be flu or food poisoning.

Well a week went by and was still in pain and throwing up. The phenergan was not working for the nausea, and I was on a limited diet that consisted of plain toast, when I could eat...and broth when I wasn't feeling well. I had a fever of 102, which went away 4 days later. Every once in awhile I feel very light headed, sweating a lot, like I am going to faint (in which I did twice).

I have had other blood work done, which has all come back fine. I can't do anything but rest. I am finally on Zophran which is helping more than the Phenergan...but still a little sick to my stomach (and I am for sure not pregnant). The pain is still there and I am starting to get worried.

I have gone to the doctor many times...and now it's time for a GI specialist. My problem with GI doctors, is it took 4 to figure out what was wrong with my gallbladder. (Background story from a year ago: had the gallbladder scan twice, was in excruciating pain during the test, but test came back fine. Fought with 3 doctors, convinced the fourth one to perform the surgery....result...gallbladder was black completely twisted, and huge ball of scar tissue underneath the gallbladder.)

Any ideas on what could be wrong with me now?

This discussion is related to Problems after gall bladder surgery.

redgirl7_77 · Answer

OMG!  I am so sorry for all of that!  That is crazy!  And you are absolutely right - they aren't the ones suffering (or in my case, witnessing the love of my life suffering) and so life goes on for them!  Be careful with medication - sometimes the cons outweight the pros in taking some meds. My husband was kept on Diluadid for over four years and he's had two stomach emptying tests done - only to be told by a motility specialist in another state that he couldn't help us until he came off the narcotics and had another stomach emptying test done - why? Because narcotics slow and even paralyze your entire digestive tract!  Heck, I knew they could constipate you but I didn't know that's how it constipated you!  Jerks...

I pray for some resolve to your illnesses!!! and for a better doc!

Bunnypuffs · Answer

not being able to trust doctors is an understatement... In Aug, 2007 I started heving severe pain in my stomach and leg. I was told by every dr..dozens... that I was just overweight.. It turns out I had an a 10 lb abcess in my stomach... then when my surgical wound healed and my leg was still in agony.. it was again my weight... took them 4 months to find that I had an infection in my hip bone that had reached my kidneys...I had to be in the hospital for 4 months and they performed over 30 surgeries.... I was so sick and throwing up that I lost 200 lbs over this year.... they removed my gallbladder after i figured out I was sick from it... now 6 months later for 7 weeks now I can't keep food or drink down and am having severe pain in the same area as my gall bladder...refered to a gastro dr. they found hiatal hernia and slow empting of my stomach..still no real idea.. on phenergan, zofran. and compazine ..none work and my dr.s treat me like i have the problem becuase they arent as worried as me.. thry don't throww up 15 times a day.... sick and tired of being sick and tired

redgirl7_77 · Answer

I'm sending you a message with my contact info if you want to "talk" more...

I can so well understand your frustration.  My husband and I have been through a lot and doctors not listening and having an ego just because they have a pHd and we don't is so agrivating (I was going to say something else, but I'm sure it would be deleted! LOL).  I hope you can get some answers!!!!

tiffanyfaith1986 · Answer

what is your blood pressure like and whats your pulse like?

Bellachica · Answer

I truly appreciate all your help and advice. This whole thing has been very scary and miserable for me. It seems that no one is understanding what I am going through, so they are only able to give me sympathy but they are unable to give me advice.

Thank you

redgirl7_77 · Answer

My husband has had severe acute pancreatitis and gastritis and gastroparesis... we are pretty fed up with doctors as well.  I wrote a journal - briefly explaining his plight over the past four and half years.  He has severe upper left quadrent abdominal pain, especially after eating, vomits undigested food, has severe diahrrea (we just found out today that is being caused either all or in part of a bacterial overgrowth in his small intestines - Lactatose breath test is the test for that).  And again, just because pancreatic enzymes are normal in the blood doesn't mean that your pancreas are working properly.  The endoscopic ultrasound, or EUS, is an outpatient diagnostic procedure.  My husband was put under full anesthesia and they sent a camera-ultrasound device down his throat and into his stomach.  They can see with the camera the esophogus and stomach and part of the small intestines and the ultrasound device can look at other organs the camera can't (like the pancreas).  This is better than a regular ultrasound becase it's closer to the organs and less in the way to block the view.  I highly recommend this... maybe it can help pinpoint any remaining issues from the gall bladder removal...

Bellachica · Answer

I know they checked my liver and pancreatic enzymes, which all came back fine. (Thank you for the link to info about SOD.

What is a MRCP?

CalGal · Answer

If the pain is continuing in the same area in which the GB was in, you may need to focus on that now non-existent organ. It could be continuing issues with your biliary. You may want to talk to the doc about SOD, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. Check the following link: http://hopkins-gi.nts.jhu.edu/pages/latin/templates/index.cfm?pg=disease1&organ=3&disease=12&lang_id=1

Make sure your docs check the liver and pancreatic enzymes. You may also want to ask for an MRCP.

Bellachica · Answer

My fever is gone now, which is good. The only tests they have done so far are blood work (many times), and a CT scan. I was wondering if there is also something wrong with the surgery they did to remove my gallbladder.

I am so sick of doctors right now, but I have to get back to work. And right now can't get out of bed for more than 4 hours.

What is an endoscopic ultrasound? Does your husband have these same problems? And if so, have they figured out what is wrong with him?

redgirl7_77 · Answer

I am so sorry to hear that you are suffering so much!  Funny about the Phenergan and the Zophran - it's the opposite for my husband - only the Phenergan works! LOL  My first thoughts are pancreatitis, gastritis, gastroparesis, any lingering gall bladder tissue/duct if it was not completely removed.  The fever is of serious concern... of course your white blood cell count it up!  Duh!  Sometimes doctors are idiots and have the ego roughly the size of the planet Jupiter... we have had to deal with some like this - what's worse is PA's that are like that.  Like they have a Napolean style complex because they aren't really doctors! LOL

Has anyone done an EUS (endoscopic ultrasound?).