Have a question.

JoAnn:
I am sorry to hear that you have yet another medical test pencilled on your calendar.

Barium is never tasty to swallow, but you’ll make it through one sip at a time. Know that we are here for you in support and kindness.
Karen

Susie,
No, I didn't think of colon. Maybe esophagus. Because of the hurting under ribs and now its in the middle of breast bone too.

Jo Ann, when you say you had your gallbladder checked out, what test did the dr have you do?

Hmm, I am not familiar at all with the scan you are talking about. In a couple of my posts above I posted about the two tests I had done to see if I had a gallbladder problem, which I did. I had mine taken out. The upper GI drinking barium/contrast showed no gall stones, the HIDA scan checks the function of the gallbladder which was my problem.

Jo Ann have they ever checked you for a Hiatal Hernia? Allot of the symptoms you describe sound allot like a Hiatal Hernia. Have you seen a Gastroenterologist? If not I would think that would be a good next step. Anyway I was reading over your post and allot of your symptoms sounded familiar, and I was just wondering if anyone had checked you for that? And if you had been checked out by a good Gastroenterologist? I wish you well! And Goodluck to You!!!


White Beard

Jo Ann, there are a few test that can be done to check for a hiatal hernia. One is drinking the barium too. I am glad to read you are being seen by a gi dr.. I suggest going to MayoClinic.com, type in hiatal hernia & read up there about this condition. It gives good info in detail. Take it a step at a time, try not to anticipate anything, keep your stress level down.

Take care.

JoAnn:
The wheels of medical care always seem to move slowly when scheduling for a diagnostic procedure. You see a physician, who decides on a test or study. Then you wait for scheduling availability, sometimes waiting weeks. It is natural for anxiety to creep up with waiting.

A physician once offered a helpful perspective to me when I was in a similar mode of waiting on concerning symptoms. His caveat: “Whatever is that may be amiss with your body, already is. The scan (in your case, a barium swallow) will give us information on what already is. No amount of worry can change what the scan may or may not find. We will know more by looking than by not looking.”

That you have a GI specialist finally addressing your symptoms is good - and long overdue.

I had symptoms of sharp upper gastric and flank pain that radiated to my right shoulder, nausea, and inability to eat with steady weight loss. I saw a GI specialist over a span of 9 month, where I was given a slew of antacids and anti-spasmodic medications and had both an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. Finally, he ordered a CT scan. Viola! The scan showed a cloudy and darkened gall bladder. The GI hemed and hawed. More waiting. I felt increasingly punk, adding a fever and denching sweats. The GI ordered a HIDA scan. The scan showed complete blockage of the common bile duct with significant standing/inflammation. I was admitted that afternoon and started on IV antibiotics and had the gallbladder removed shortly thereafter. The relief was immediate when I awakened from anesthesia. Sure, I was sore and uncomfortable. But the pain that had been consuming me was completely gone.

Gallbladders tend to “go bad” over the course of weeks or months. The gallbladder accumulates either bile sludge or bile stones. Symptoms come and go as the sludge/stones move and shift as liquid bile is secreted. Symptoms become acute when the sludge/stones temporarily block a bile duct.

One thing is certain . . . A gallbladder that is identified early-on as problematic in that it is shows evidence of sludge/stones will never get “better.” The gallbladder will never rid itself of the sludge/stones present. The gallbladder will, more likely, become more stricken with sludge/stones, a gradual build-up, that will eventually lend to a sudden acute attack or increased frequency of bouts of symptoms.

All to say . . . If you had a suspicious gallbladder pointed out to you 2 years ago, it would be prudent to have your gallbladder re-evaluated via a HIDA scan.

Abdominal/stomach pain and nausea/vomiting accounts for the majority of all visits to an emergency room. “Abdominal/stomach pain” is one of the more difficult differential diagnoses because of the wide range of possible culprits and because pain/sensory awareness in the gut is neurologically primitive and not well-localized.

Work with you GI physician by making notes about your symptoms as they occur, just as a detective would take notes at the scene of a robbery. Your narrative will be very helpful as it gives voice to what your body is saying and trying to tell you.

Do not settle for this new GI physician to discharge you from his care until you have a diagnosis and/or treatment plan that makes sense to you and that begins to righten the daily course of how you feel. You deserve as much after 2 years of gastrointestinal distress.

Once you have a diagnosis and/or plan in place I think your anxiety/stress will begin to ease. I always do better once I have a plan and know what I am dealing with.

I am sorry for this uncertain period that you are in. Hopefully the upcoming barium swallow will provide information and generate a plan.

The barium contrast, as Susie mentioned, will be something that you will want to pay attention to after the study. The barium has a tendency to stagnate in the lower colon like heavy, wet cement. Susie’s advice to drink clear liquids and hydrate, hydrate is wise. You want to have a steady stream of clear fluids to flush the barium contrast through and out of your lower intestinal tract. You may want to add in liberal dosing of Miralax or Milk of Magnesia to provide added effect. Do not delay. Begin with hydration of
liquids + Miralax or MoM in the hours after completing the barium study. Discuss with your GI aid he/she has particular advice on clearing the oral barium contrast.

Sending you lucky lady bugs that all will be well and that the diagnosis simple to treat,
Karen

Hi everyone,
The barium swallow test showed I have a small hiatal hernia. The nurse said that the Dr said that it shouldn't be causing me any problems. So this is not the problem either. The surgeon prescribed a short term of steriods. They have helped some. Almost through with them. I think I told y'all, ever since I threw up for the week, the middle part between my ribs and the left side of my ribs have started to hurt too. I don't think that gallbladder hurts on BOTH sides does it? Ive got to see the GI Dr next Thurs but there's no more tests she can do until the 6 mos is up. Going to primary Dr next week to get chest xray. I have lost 8 pounds since I was sick. Although I have not been drinking cokes, so maybe thats why I'm not gaining it back. My brother passed away from lung cancer when he was 42. His chest xray didnt show up his cancer. It took a ct scan. He was dead the next week. My Dr ordered a chest xray of me 2 yrs ago but wouldn't order a ct. Said it wasnt necessary. Even to put my mind at ease. Same with gallbladder. I am giving him one more try next week. If he doesnt order a follow up ct, if the xray is clear, I am finding another Dr. I am trying to hold it together, but I cry EVERY DAY because of the burning and pain under both sides of my ribs now. I worry my husband......I worry myself. Thanks for listening.
Jo Ann

Post Edited (AngelsMamaDorseysDaughter) : 2/2/2019 7:50:23 AM (GMT-7)

Anybody?

JoAnne:
Your ongoing pain has suggestion of irritation of the esophagus or stomach from corrosive digestive enzymes.

That you mentioned that the pain bothers you at night when sleeping is revealing as well as your mention of having been fond of consuming Coke-a-Cola.

When lying down, the pyloric valve that normally prevents the flow of gastric enzymes upward to the esophagus can leak due to aging and the added pressure of abdominal adipose tissue. Gastric enzymes are highly corrosive and can literally “burn” the lining of the esophagus. People can feel as though they are having a heart attack.

Remedy:
1. Purchase a 6-8” in height inclined foam wedge to elevate your head and upper torso when sleeping. This can easily resolve reflux and bring relief if digestive enzymes are a culprit.
2. Take a dose of the counter Maalox to coat and sooth the upper digestive tract, 2-3 times a day.

Carbonated soft drinks have no benefit to one’s health. They contribute to type 2 diabetes, obesity, erosion of tooth enamel, and gastric irrititation. Sugar-free or low calorie soft drinks offer no redeaming benefit.

Coke-a-Cola is particularly corrosive. Place a human tooth in a bottle of Coke and you can observe decayed effects over a period of 2-3 days.

Refraining from drinking Coke and similar carbonated soft drinks would be wise to ease distress to your stomach and referred pain.

Moderation with drinking coffee would also be wise. Coffee flavonoids are irritating to the digestive tract, in general.
Karen

Jo Ann, I don't have anything to add that would be of any benefit to you. I have heart disease on my father's side of the family. A massive heart attacked took him 6 weeks after an aortic heart valve replacement & triple bypass surgery. Cancer on my mother's side of the family. She died of terminal lung cancer 11 months after the dx. Lung cancer is often called a silent killer. I have cardiac disease & blood pressure issues. I was 28 years old when dx'd with blood pressure problems. I am now 65 years old & will most likely will die of something else. I know my family history & mine, I don't let it take me down the what if path. I know you are in the limbo of not knowing.

I read where you have previously tried Gabapentin without relief. Your situation is different now since having surgery. You may want to consider revisiting Gabapentin, often when something doesn't work the first time, it can a second time around.

Sadly your stress level is off the charts. Stress does us more harm than good & takes a huge toll on the body in general.

Hi,

The steriods have wore off and the burning is back, as bad as it was before the surgery!
Jo Ann