severe pain and gastro issues as well as barretts

[bellyandback31]

I am a 31 yr old female...i am slightly over weight but very active...last may i had my gallbladder removed..and was not able to return to eating normal since then i had to cut my fat back big time...i started to feel better in july...but by sept i was sick all over again..i started out with severe heart burn everything i ate or drank, that continued for about 2 weeks...that subsided, then everything i ate or drank made me vomit or have instant diahrea..this continued for weeks, i have had a endoscopy( revealing barrett's and acid reflux) , colonoscopy came back clear, milk breathe test base numbers were ok, i have cut out gluten and no releif, i am on nexium which helps most days, i am on percocer for the pain that is thru my ribs and lower back somtimes rises up behind my shoulders, i am now on librax, and colestipol ( up to 6 a day) and still having diahrea....i am at a loss, doctors seem to be at a stand still i havent been able to work in 2 months and the pain is intolerable at times, the vomitting has subsided from about 3 times a day to 3 times a week...i have no appetite, and my stomach bloates till it hurts and only able to eat a fist size portion of food...usually something soft because it is hard to swallow at times...if i can find any help or advice it would be greatly appreciated....this has taken over my life and i feel worse...

[mstanfordrn42]

I am so very sorry your having so many problems. I am just an OB nurse, so I can't offer much help.  Have they said anything about possible bilary duct blockage?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
You could be suffering from an inflammatory bowel condition such as Celiac Disease/Ulcerative Colitis/Irritable Bowel Syndrome/ Crohn’s disease. All these result in tender abdomen, loose stool or loose stools alternating with constipation, abdominal distention, cramps etc. Parasites in the gut like threadworm, tape worm, giardiasis etc can behave this way. Hence a stool test is a must. Problems of gall bladder and liver or that of pancreas too cannot be ignored. Possibility of H pylori infection should be looked into by carbon urea breath test.
A number of times a gastroenterologist is able to diagnose these conditions by clinical examination and detailed medical history. At other times a few tests are conducted. Blood tests to rule out anemia, stool test to look for white blood cells, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy etc are used to diagnose ulcerative colitis. Braium meal and follow through, endoscopy etc are done to rule out GERD, Crohn’s disease etc. Irritable bowel syndrome is diagnosed by elimination of other causes. Gluten is a complex protein present in four main grains---wheat, rye, barley and oats. If you have gluten intolerance, then you probably have celiac disease or Non Celiac gluten sensitivity. There are blood tests called celiac test to detect gluten intolerance.
Crohn’s disease is a difficult entity to diagnose. Along with gut symptoms skin disorders and arthritis too are commonly seen with Crohn’s. An upper GI series using barium dye is done to see the condition of small intestines. The degree of involvement of the large and small intestine may vary from person to person.  A biopsy is the most confirmatory. An elevated ESR, low protein, minerals and iron in blood are the other findings in Crohn’s which may or may not be present. A recent advancement in Crohn’s diagnosis is video capsule endoscopy. Discuss this with your treating doctor. Get liver function test, pancreatic enzymes and stool test also. Hope this helps. Take care!