Confused

[Critter Mama]

Its a long story...here goes...Dec 19 I had back and rib pain all evening, felt like gas really, so I took some gas pills, no relief. Went to bed and couldn't sleep, got up and ended up with diarrhea followed by vomiting and at times both at the as e time...sorry for the TMI..for the next 12 hours it was only vomiting, my husband took me to the ER cause I was hurting really bad and was so sick. I thought gallbladder honestly. I got IV fluids for dehydration, Zofran for nausea and morphine for pain....2 rounds of each didn't help. Blood work caused them to do CT. They said I had something viral and the lymph nodes in my back were inflamed to follow up with my PCP for possible lymphoma. I was scared, my husband was scared, it was Christmas, so we didn't tell family, we just tried to make light of it by saying no way could it be lymphoma I had no noticeable weight loss. Anyway, PCP did labs, nothing wrong, perfectly health. My period was 2weeks late, Gun found 2cysts, said nothing to worry about, give it a week. It showed the next day....so this past Saturday those same gas like pains were back..I told my husband I had a bad feeling and got out the phenergan from January. And I was vomiting...only...every 2 hours. We decided to play it safe and go to the same ER when I neared the 12 hour mark with no relief and increasing pain. They acted like I was dumb. I did get IV fluids, Zofran and something for pain, they said my blood work was fine must be viral and sent me home even though we told them about December. I haven't been to work all week, I can't take off mulch longer. Since I'm 3 weeks late for my period this time I went to my Gyn thinking huge cysts was the cause and nope....no big cyst, he don't know why I'm so late, asked twice if I was sure I wasn't pregnant...I've taken tests every week multiple times for a month..all negative. So now I'm waiting for my PCP to call back to tell me what I need to do. I don't understand. I'm used to hurting, I don't typically complain or take anything cause nothing helps. But this is keeping me home from work, I cant sleep. I have to force myself to eat. Anyone else have anything similar?  Just hearing someone say yes helps, gets old hearing I don't know or you don't fit the textbook example for anything. I'm not making it up, I don't even want pain meds they barely help and then I end up constipated... Sorry tmi again, but you all understand what I'm talking about with frustration and feeling crazy.

[eija]

Haven't faced anything like that, sorry. Also, I don't know your age or meds or diagnoses (many of us list themon the bottom of posts, you can add them by modifying your profile), those would greatly help with any wild guesses. But wild guessing it is:

Have you been checked for endometriosis? That can cause irregular menstruation along with horrible pains. I didn't have endometriosis, but my periods always were painful, abundant, long lasting and irregular. Eventually they found out I had a huge myoma inside the wall of my womb. I was happy to have a hysterectomy!

Another one... abdominal pain that radiates to back, may also be pancreatitis. It can be a complication from autoimmune disease. Don't know if that causes delayed periods, though...

What ever the case, I hope you'll find the reason soon and along with that all possible relief.

[irish]

I guess I don't remember if you have a Sjogrens diagnosis or other diagnoses. The first thing I thought of was what hit me a couple of times over the years. I ended up in ER with terrible nausea and diarrhea but no vomiting. I seldom vomit for some reason. Had the IV's the meds, etc and sent home and looks that told me I was a little crazy. Also told me it was flu. I knew it wasn't flu. They sent me home and meds wore off and I was back in ER in about 6 hours.

A different doc saw me and he gave me Flagyl orally plus an antibiotic. The object was to kill of bacteria that have overgrown in the colon, The Flagyl kills off the bacteria that are anerobic which means they don't need air to survive. That did the trick. I have had this happen a couple of other times and I end up telling the docs to give me the flagyl and it helps. I think that we Sjoggie patients have such weird mucus in our mouth, stomach and gastrointestinal tract that we don't maintain a normal bacterial count. We normally grow about 700 different types of bacteria in our mouth and with Sjogrens and our abnormal mucus the healthy bacteria growth is interrupted and then we get infections.

This is just one thing that it could be. Something to think about. Irish

[sassygal]

Hi Critter Mama,
i have been going though similar symptoms and have had a GI work up including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, and video capsule endoscopy. All results were fine with the exception of a stomach full of fundic gland polyps caused by 12 yrs. of Prevacid use...another story for another time.

Currently I am being treated for SIBO, small intestine bacterial overgrowth with suspected causes being GI tract motility issue secondary to neuropathy or low acid from the prevacid. I am on day 6 of a 10 day course of Flagyl which is giving me me horrendous gas and bloating, but the diarrhea has stopped and the nausea reduced.

I agree with Irish and think that our GI tract, which is where the majority of the immune system is
gets out of whack with the bacteria. Oh, I also have never fit the textbook example for anything. I hate the ER.

Hope you get relief soon.   

[irish]

riI agree with you about ER sassy. Those of us with these autoimmune diseases do not react to things like others do and we have to argue and right or way to diagnosis.ER is not the place to do it cause they are so used to having things be pretty well spelled out and much more easily defined. Example: right lower quadrant pain is suspected appendix and chest pain is heart. Just a simple example.

We all have such weird things and the things we have often come to plague us and then leave only to come back again. It drives us and the doctors crazy. Thanks. Irish

[Carolina]

Dear Critter Mama,

I am sorry you are having such a confusing and painful time.

It will help me to read your posts if you make several short paragraphs with spaces between them. 

I have trouble reading into a very dense paragraph and I'm also very lazy.

Thanks.

Hugs,  Elaine

[Critter Mama]

Sorry, its been a while, but my PCP finally figured it out. Xrays showed degenerative disc and a CT with contrast showed it was indeed my gallbladder. I saw the surgeon the day after my CT and had my surgery first thing the next morning...which was yesterday. I had a lot of scar tissue around my gallbladder and it was seriously inflamed. And there was no female issue, it was just stress and the back and gallbladder pain. Now, I just have to heel up and learn how to eat better so I don't put extra stress on my liver and get sick every time I eat..I've been reading about the need for dietary changes after gallbladder removal...I'm hoping I can eventually go back to morning coffee and some of the other things I'm currently having to avoid.  I love my PCP, even though my symptoms weren't textbook,  she kept looking. She didn't have to order the additional CT, she could've let it go at degenerative disc, but she took the time to listen to me.  A doctor that listens and understands it's not always textbook is something special. Yes, you get bad news, you have a disease, but it gets a name and you get treatment if not a cure and you don't feel crazy.

[Judie P]

I am so happy for you!  I have a nurse practitioner that I adore and she always keeps looking into things for me.  Rest and get well!  Hugs, Judie