Distended Abdomen

Hi everyone. I am new to the site but I have read some of the feedback and thought I would seek some feedback. For the past five months I have been having problems with my stomach swelling. I look like I am ready to give birth. The doctor has had an ultrasound done...nothing major there. I have also had an upper GI...nothing. A few weeks ago I went away shopping and became really ill. (hanging out the side of the car). I decided not to eat anything just in case it was a bug or something. Anyways I kept having the nausea and vomiting occasionally. (Usually bile and mucus). The next day, I ended up in the emergency by ambulance cause I couldn't seem to breathe properly. They checked me and sent me home. I told them everything but they said everything was okay. Came home again and later that week, feces started coming and coming. I thought I set off a bomb at one point. Went to the hospital again and they said I probably have a flu. Still the swelling hasn't gone down and I am still having a difficult time breathing. I went on the internet and found ascities and it seems to be what I have. Until I can get to my doctor, I have decided to take a hydrochlorothiazide pill which the doctor had given me before for water retention in my feel. Will it hurt me. I just don't know what to do anymore.

hi wenchjoanie,

i did not see if you had rec'd a diagnois of any sort. i have hep c. before this was determined i had swelling of abd, legs & feet.
you need to be dilligent in determining the cause.
just an echo of pink grandma's advice! good luck!

tld

Wenchjoanie, did you get to the doctor and what was the result? I was going to add that the HCTZ pill wouldn't help with the ascites. I know, as I take it for high BP, and I also had ascites. I was prescribed Lasix and Aldactone and that seems to work well.

Hi again and thanks for the information. I did go back to my doctors on November 24th and he checked my abdomen and even checked my ovaries. At this point in time we are both baffled as to what is happening. I have gone for more blood work and am now waiting to go for a cat scan on the 13th of December. I figured at first that what I had was a blockage of some kind...my theory...what can't go down...must come up. I have been taking stool softeners almost every day to make sure I don't get constipated. The weirdest thing is that I have suffered with chronic pain in my back and arthritis in my joints and since this has been happening I very rarely have any pain. The other day my shoulder started to really bother me. I could barely move it. I was putting cold compresses on it and was taking my tylenol for the pain. The next evening about 3 hours after I had eaten, I started to vomit everything I had eaten and then some. The pain disappeared and hasn't come back. Anybody have that happen to them? I understand that vomiting is regulated by a part of the brain and I wonder if it is having an effect on the pain centre of my brain....VERY WEIRD

They have already done an ultrasound on my gall bladder. They say there is a polyp there but my doctor says it could be stones. I also have a very narrow bile duct so stones wouldn't get through it anyway. I am not having any pain though, so I guess they are ruling it out for now until my cat scan. It will have to come out regardless but they just want to make sure there isn't something else there. My cat scan is on the 13th of December, so I will let you all know around the 18th as to what is going on. Thanks all for your responses. They all help. Nice to know I am not alone in this.

Wenchjonie,

I just got out of the hospital and was reading your messages and wanted to tell you my experience.   I was diagosed with AIH over a year ago and have been doing well at least I thought.  My hep doctor in Miami wanted me to have another liver biopsy since I had over 5 months of normal LFT's to be sure the inflamation in my liver was gone and she would then begin to slowly wear me off the predsione.  I am currently taking 20 mg.  Well last Tuesday I went for the biopsy had light sedation called (Versed) works great second time I had it wears off in minutes and you remember nothing.  A few hours after the biopsy I was rushed back to the hospital in terffic pain that they actually could not move me and had to cut off my clothes.  To make a long story short after many tests it ended up that it was my gallbladder by the time they operated on me my white blood count was thru the roof and my gallbladder was gangreous.  I also had a gallbladder ultrasound 14 months ago that was perfectly normal and never had any symptoms of gallbladder but since I came home I have been reading about the gallbladder and their sypmtoms and a lot of them are what you describe.    Somehow the blood supply was cut off to my gallbladder the surgeon said it could have happened during the biopsy that a stone moved or something but of course I will never know.  I stil have not even received the results of my liver biopsy and have no idea where I stand now with treatment.  I asked my doctor if maybe it was my gallbladder all this time and not AIH he said he did not think it was possible but all I know is before I went into the hospital my white blood count was only slightly elevated and a few hours later I have a gangreous glallbladder and servious infection.

So please have your doctor check your gallbladder again I also had the extended stomach and pain the in shoulder.

Jerry 

Hi everyone, after reading Jerry's post I thought maybe it would help to tell you all a little about the gallbladder.

 

The gallbladder is a small, muscular, pear-shaped sac just under the right side of your liver.

Cholelithiasis (ko-le-li-THY-a-sis) refers to gallstones, and cholecystitis (ko-le-sis-TY-tis) to an inflamed gallbladder.

Gallstones are hardened masses that consist mainly of cholesterol, blood, bile (fluid produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder), calcium, and other substances. The stones form in the gallbladder or in the bile duct leading into the small intestine. When bile contains excessive amounts of cholesterol, the unnecessary cholesterol separates from the solution and forms stonelike masses

Symptoms that do appear are usually chronic (long-term) in nature, including discomfort and pain in the upper abdomen, indigestion, nausea, and intolerance of fatty foods. Sometimes the gallstones may pass through the bile duct into the intestines to be excreted naturally. However, symptoms can occur when a stone that had been floating in the gallbladder becomes trapped inside the bile duct. In an acute gallbladder attack, a sharp pain (often on the right side of the upper abdomen) may travel to the back and under the right shoulder blade (causing shoulder pain and sometimes chest pain). Frequently, the pain develops suddenly after a meal and leads to fever, chills, vomiting, and possibly jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by the presence of excess bile pigment in the bloodstream). Serious complications of liver damage can develop if gallstones become lodged between the gallbladder and small intestine and block the flow of bile. Since the gallbladder is not necessary to maintain life, some doctors suggest removing a gallbladder containing stones even if they are not causing any obvious symptoms.

Liver disease can increase the risk of gallstones.

This information came from this site: health.howstuffworks.com

                                             Shelly

PS

I added the chest pain and shoulder pain because we see this in the ER quite frequently. The patient often thinks they are having a heart attack and based on their symptoms we think so too. After testing for possible heart attack we look at the possibility of gallbladder problems.

Wenchjoanie, It sounds like you might be feeling a little better. I hope so. I will pray that the doctor's find the cause of your illness very soon. Take care.

Jerry, that is absolutely great news!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a Christmas gift that is. I am thrilled for you.

                          Shelly

Hello Jerry, and congrats. It's so good to hear that you are doing so well! Have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.