Can a blockage be misdiagnosed as a gall bladder issue?

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Ugh!!

I had started a thread about a blockage, but starting a new one as I'm not convinced it's not gall bladder issues.

I was sleeved 21 March 2012 and things were going ok until I had temperatures 2 weeks ago. Surgeon ordered a cat scan and it revealed I had pneumonia, but he said later, there was also inflammation in the stomach. Antibiotics... all ok.

Last Sunday night, I started to get a mild fever again. During this time, I've had issues with an awful feeling that makes my chest feel like it's ripping itself inside out. I had it mildly when I visited my surgeon last Thursday and he berated me saying it was a blockage from the food I had eaten. He said if it didn't clear, via chucking it up or it eventually breaking down, I'd have to come back and have some procedure done to push the food thru. Sounded positively ghastly!

He suggested coke might work, and I hate the stuff, but I drank a whole bottle. Other kind souls here suggested I try hot cups of tea, or milk will help. I chose the tea and it seemed ok. But last Saturday night, desperate to try and eat something again, I made up pureed potato, peas, bit of cheese & the inside of a mini pie. Blended the lot with water. I've not felt right since. I've been in such pain since!

I've tried to chuck up anything in my stomach... but there's nothing coming up. I can drink fluids, but I feel like the middle of my chest does a big flip over and it can be so bad I have to hold my chest, close my eyes and wait for the spasm to stop. The constant pain is in my right hand side, right where my bra would sit. Though I can't feel pain under my rib cage, I feel like it's in my right boob... so maybe that's under the rib cage...

Thing that is super weird though, I feel like I've got tonnes of food in my gut and get that same feeling of when I was pregnant & ate too much. The food sitting at the back of my throat. But I've not eaten anything since Saturday night. I've been drinking water, tea, supradyn made up with water, iceblocks & a cup of sustagen & skim milk. I tried the protein shake from Coles with Michelle from Biggest Loser on the tub... it's the worst god awful crap ever!! Cost bloody $26 for the tub and I felt like I was having flour & water glue!! ewwwww

Maybe I've just got a really bad case of reflux? I don't want the surgeon just chucking something down my throat without an ultrasound to see what's happening. I've been reading about gall bladder attacks, and though I've got some of the symptons, I have no vomiting or nausea. Just pains & spasms. It goes without saying, I have dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep over the past couple of weeks.

I don't know whether to just put up with it for another day and ring the surgeon tomorrow or go down & wait at casualty for an ultrasound to check it's not gallbladder... Crikey... I never thought things would be this hard going :(

Cheers

Ellen

Hi Ellen,

Just a thouht, maybe you are progressing too soon for your stomach???
You said you also had a hiatus hernia repair when you had the sleeve and thats about 5 weeks ago now.....
I know every surgeon is different but just maybe you need to be on a slightly stronger dose of ppi for a while longer, its worth discussing with surgeon or even having a chat with dietitian.
Maybe you need to stay on a blander diet or fluids for a little while.

Good luck!
Linda

Thanks Trishah :) I'll try some tomorrow I think

you can do either... its all pretty bland with a ton of healing nutrients... if you want you can drop some pasta into it and then wizz it all up.

If I were you I would measure everything I ate to the 1/4 or half cup measure to make sure the pressure is completely off the valve.

You can make up some jelly too

Drop egg soup is chicken stock cube in a cup of boiling water and when its boiling drop an egg into it and stir really fast.

You can wizz it after that to get the lumps down.

Your ears must have been burning Trishah. I just had a gaviscon then and you are right, they are much better than the TUMS. The butter chicken had no chilli in it. It was one of the baby foods you buy at the supermarket. The only way to get it to flavour up a bit was to add some soy sauce.

I will try the soup you suggested. I've just not felt like doing much cooking at all, not that I'm a great cook in any case lol. I used to love stir fries, but they'll be off the menu for a long time... lol

With the soup, do you just drink the liquid from it or make a watery puree?

of the two gaviscon is the better because it actually puts a protective lining on the tummy and esophigus as well as cuts the acid where tums just acts on the acid.

The chilli in the curry (butter chicken) will boil the acid up in your tummy Ellen you need super bland foods for a bout 2 weeks or you will end up with ulcers.

Aloe vera juice is good for healing the belly too.

Honestly make up the chicken soup I mentioned or some drop egg soup to eat for the first couple of days to help it start to heal

You can get vanilla infused roobos too from coles and woolies

Yes if you treat this right you will be over it in 2 weeks but if you dont it will be a long term thing that will predespose you to worse things.

Oh... poor bugger!!! Have you got some Gaviscon or TUMS? I wouldn't buy that optifast dessert... I couldn't think of anything worse :( lol I've still got some of the chocolate shakes & soups in the cupboard. I didn't do so well on it before the surgery.

I just took a bit of the Butter Chicken out of the bag, put in a cup and heated it. I then added some boiled water to make it a bit more liquidy. Because it's bland, I added some soy sauce. I've had a bit but my sternum is doing the twisting again and the pain my back as increased again. Darn.... it tastes good too! :(

I bought the foods for 10 months + I looked at the one with spinach but it didn't have my name on it lol. Honestly, I don't think it matters what the hell I eat, if I can, it's all going to hurt.

Can you take some panadol ?

Glad you're feeling a bit perkier.
I tried the baby food, chicken and spinach or something. BLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUURRRGH! So I went for a very UNdiluted lemon dessert optifast and got about four teaspoons in. I'm feeling a bit sick now and a bit light headed - I think it's because I've only had two shakes and a few sips of water for the day. My chest still feels raw. Bugger!
Hope the Rooibos does it's job for you! :-)

Thanks Caroline :) I think we should call Trishah, Dr. Trishah or Guru Trishah from now on. I've only had a slight twisting since I took another Zoton (ppi). Just come back from town and had 2 TUMS which are the same as gaviscon. I bought the 2 because one is orange flavoured, the other peppermint. Just sipping on a cup of Roobios tea. Interesting smell... it reminds me of something... like wet grass! That's it... Well, if it works, I'll try anything right now.

I had no idea about the decaf coffee Caroline and it's a shame you had to find out the hard way too :( I knew not to have green tea as it's a no no on an empty stomach. I'm going to try some of the baby food dinner tonite to see how that goes down. But I have to say, just with the advice from Trishah today, I feel a bit better in the sternum area already. I still have the back pain and it still hurts when I breath deeply, but it's nowhere near as acute as it was when I started this post, or when I woke up from my long nap.

So am I understanding Trishah, this is a temporary ailment? I've got inflammation somewhere?

How you feeling Ellen?

bah its an absolute bitch. Once you get the inflamation down you will be fine and can go back to all your normal stuff.

Caroline if the yogurt etc isnt effecting it then keep having it.

I found if I stewed up chicken breast with some potatoes ( cauliflower makes it worse) and some carrots and celery, turnips, no onion...some salt and pepper and either had it as soup or runny puree it was good and soothing.


Plain steamed fish is also good as are poached eggs


No capsicum either it hurts like hell

Hi Ellen
I had no idea decaf was a no no. I also like decaf pomegranate and green tea so they're both off the agenda now!
:-(
Trisha's just a little mine of information - WE LOVE YOU HUN!!!
To be honest the only relief I had was by upping the pariet, which I was given in hospital and sleeping sitting up (so not comfortable, but better than lying down...urgh). I'm also on REALLY soft food, like runny custard, optishit shakes, and runny yoghurt. That is so milky though, so now I'm wondering if I've done the right thing. Like you I'm going to try some of those pureed baby foods in the little pouches.
I hope you feel better soon hun, it is miserable.
Love Caroline (aka cherryripe and chub).

I'll just get changed out of my pjs now and head into town :) I'm willing to try anything at this point.

bananas and honey used to kill me... I couldnt eat them for the pain it would cause...vegemite was painful too

bananas and honey used to kill me... I couldnt eat them for the pain it would cause...vegemite was painful too

Yes you can buy them at either coles or woolies.... the tea is in the tea section and gaviscon is in the medicine section...you can get gaviscon in liquid if you prefer

Thanks Trishah, for your input. Can you buy Gaviscon & Roobos Tea at the supermarket? I've just stopped drinking the cup of soup now.... as I reach for a glass of water. Maybe I'll take another of those tablets, I have Zoton which I think was given as a generic. The script is at the chemist. It's one you can suck on.

I'm happy to drive into town to the only chemist if that is going to help... I'm so over feeling like this :(

3 years of this sort of pain! I'd die!! I did have to have a hiatus hernia repair during the surgery too. I was on nexium for a while and all my stooge GP had said, without tests, was that I had a diseased gut. Funny, the surgeon didn't mention that. Until the surgery, I'd get pains from eating bananas, honey... can't remember what else now, but certain foods would trigger pain.

ellen as a quick fix try some gaviscon. If its reflux pain it will ease it down somewhat.. but if it is really irritated it could take a couple of tabs to do it over a few hours.

It really does sound like acid to me. Milk and milk products will make it worse.

Roobos tea is good and helps settle acid. Stay away from green tea, it will put it through the roof. You can also take Zantac at the same time you take a PPI so you can try that and see if it helps with the pain till you get to the doc.

If you have injured your eosophigal opening it can take a week or two to settle which means sticking to low acid irritating foods and soft foods or liquids so you dont put any further pressure on it. If you google the low acid foods it will be easier than me listing them.

At this point if it is acid you need to try and sooth the irritated area and the pain will feel like you have an axe in your chest, it is very painful.

I put up with this for 3 years and know it backwards so Im not picking at you just trying to help.

So google the foods to stay away from... tomato...onion...cuppa soups...milk.. tea...herbal or normal ( except for rooibos it is good for settling reflux)...coffee decaff or not.

And try the Gaviscon....and see your doc I would say you need to up your dose of PPi till you heal or it wont get better.

Thanks so much for your support ladies. I went back to bed to read (sitting up) and ended up asleep by 10am. I've just woken up again and trying to sip some soup.

The pain is constant, whether I'm eating or not. When I started to raise myself out of bed, the pains were shooting up on the right hand side and the middle of my rib cage felt like there was an alien trying to get out! I meant to say earlier, when the pain is squirming around in the middle of my chest, I get radiating pains from it in my ears & forehead too. When I try to breath deeply, it really hurts.

I've just managed to take some panadol to try and ease the pain. As I leaned over to fix the rug on my chair to sit down at the laptop, I got the same chest breaking feeling. It's not going well at all.

I'm loathe to go to the hospital being a public holiday... We live on the NSW South Coast with a big population & tourists levels are up today. I've decided to go one more day, with panadol, and ring the surgeon first thing tomorrow. Even if I have to drive to Bowral so he can order the scans close to him and then decide what to do.. I'll do it.

Chub, is decaf no good? I gave up drinking coffee a couple of years ago, and though I miss it, I just stick to tea now. Is an obstruction the same as a blockage? Sounds like we have some similar symptoms. Is the pariet the tablets they send you home with? I was given a different lot, but they are probably the same thing. The only way to rule out a leak is a cat scan... totally unpleasant the the intravenous dye :( I hope you do get some relief shortly Chub.

Ahhh.... Angel... that's what the area is called... Sternum or breast bone. That's exactly where the twisting is. I'm not throwing up at all, so it's probably not gall bladder. You had yours out, didn't you?

PiercedM, Coke... I HATE coke! Filthy stuff! It was the surgeon who suggested drinking it to clear what he thought was a blockage last week. I got some more from the supermarket yesterday and drank it warm & flat last night. It was a challenge and to be honest, it has made jack bit of difference. It's done absolutely nothing :( I guess I won't know what's going on until I get some scans & tests, hey. My blood pressure has been great since the surgery and I've not had to take meds. I haven't checked to see if it's low or not.

While at the supermarket yesterday, I decided to buy baby food and just stick to that... it's nutritious and safe IMHO. Early this morning I had a bit of the pureed apple/peach/mango. So I got some food in... yay!!! What surprised me was the flavours they are now doing in baby foods. It's like they are catering to an adult market! I did hear about some diet which involved eating baby foods only... crazy people... who would want to live on it for a diet!! Arrrggghhhhhhh

Oh you poor sausage.

I hear where you're coming from. My reflux feels exactly like that, at least that's part of what I think it is.

The other day I was eating scrambled eggs and took a swig of decaf (without thinking) and was in all sorts of discomfort. It all sat in my esophagus for about an hour. Ever since it has felt like a cheese grater has been at my breast bone. My surgeon says I had an obstruction of the esophagus and it is probably bruised and feeling sorry for itself. He said it should resolve in a couple of days. He said to up my dose of pariet (ppi) from one 20mg a day to two. Today is day three and I was up all night last night with nausea and a mild fever and reflux. I'm out at the farm at the moment and was terrified that I was going to spring a leak or start some gi bleeding. Daylight always seems to make things better. I'm going on shakes for a couple of days till I feel completely well again.

Hope you feel better soon...sending good vibes your way.

oh u poor thing

i suffer the reflux too - drink too fast or eat too fast it sticks and feels like the rib cage is gonna explode esp in between boobs

i too have had gall bladder, and i tell u then pain makes ur throw up uncontrollably

and yes the pain does start in the sternum area and slowly moves around down the side or could it be early signs of appendix?

take urself to hospital - get the scans and ultrasounds done - let them get some fluids in u so ur not dehydrated. it could be one of many things hun.

good luck xx

Hi Ellen

Im sorry youre having such a rough time of it.

I am a firm believer in you know your body, and if you feel something isnt right, something isnt right.

My goodness. Coke? Wow - cant imagine that would help the tummy too much (but im not a surgeon!).

If you are still in pain and not eating- thats a sign something might be up.

I think either way- if you wait for tomorrow to speak to the surgeon or you go to casualty- you need to be checked out. I would suggest not waiting just so if something is wrong it can be addressed quickly.

I hope you get some relief soon.

Is it maybe you still have some pneumonia? I dont know but I have had gall bladder attacks (removed in January) and the pain made me pass out, dropping my blood pressure and other things. I also had pancreatitis with it. So I know the pain of gall bladder attacks. But I didnt have a temp with it= I thought temps were usually a sign of infections.

If you feel you need some treatment (and it sounds like you do), Id go to the hospital. Cant hurt to check, right?

Ugh!!

I had started a thread about a blockage, but starting a new one as I'm not convinced it's not gall bladder issues.

I was sleeved 21 March 2012 and things were going ok until I had temperatures 2 weeks ago. Surgeon ordered a cat scan and it revealed I had pneumonia, but he said later, there was also inflammation in the stomach. Antibiotics... all ok.

Last Sunday night, I started to get a mild fever again. During this time, I've had issues with an awful feeling that makes my chest feel like it's ripping itself inside out. I had it mildly when I visited my surgeon last Thursday and he berated me saying it was a blockage from the food I had eaten. He said if it didn't clear, via chucking it up or it eventually breaking down, I'd have to come back and have some procedure done to push the food thru. Sounded positively ghastly!

He suggested coke might work, and I hate the stuff, but I drank a whole bottle. Other kind souls here suggested I try hot cups of tea, or milk will help. I chose the tea and it seemed ok. But last Saturday night, desperate to try and eat something again, I made up pureed potato, peas, bit of cheese & the inside of a mini pie. Blended the lot with water. I've not felt right since. I've been in such pain since!

I've tried to chuck up anything in my stomach... but there's nothing coming up. I can drink fluids, but I feel like the middle of my chest does a big flip over and it can be so bad I have to hold my chest, close my eyes and wait for the spasm to stop. The constant pain is in my right hand side, right where my bra would sit. Though I can't feel pain under my rib cage, I feel like it's in my right boob... so maybe that's under the rib cage...

Thing that is super weird though, I feel like I've got tonnes of food in my gut and get that same feeling of when I was pregnant & ate too much. The food sitting at the back of my throat. But I've not eaten anything since Saturday night. I've been drinking water, tea, supradyn made up with water, iceblocks & a cup of sustagen & skim milk. I tried the protein shake from Coles with Michelle from Biggest Loser on the tub... it's the worst god awful crap ever!! Cost bloody $26 for the tub and I felt like I was having flour & water glue!! ewwwww

Maybe I've just got a really bad case of reflux? I don't want the surgeon just chucking something down my throat without an ultrasound to see what's happening. I've been reading about gall bladder attacks, and though I've got some of the symptons, I have no vomiting or nausea. Just pains & spasms. It goes without saying, I have dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep over the past couple of weeks.

I don't know whether to just put up with it for another day and ring the surgeon tomorrow or go down & wait at casualty for an ultrasound to check it's not gallbladder... Crikey... I never thought things would be this hard going :(

Cheers

Ellen