Clarification on the Stomach Spasm please

[Guest guest]

I have been reading all the posts on this and am wondering if the

pains feel like gall stone pain. I have made 2 trips to the ER in

the past 5 months with this type of pain. I have to say that I have

had these pains on and off for many years, starting about 2 years

after I had my gall bladder removed in 1987. I have been woken out

of a sound sleep with them, and sometimes they hit so fast I can

hardly warn my hubby that one is approaching. Otherimes I can feel

a tightening at my diaphragm area that spreads white hot across my

lower ribcage. Usually they last only 5 to 10 minutes. One in

January lasted for 40 minutes and last weeks back to back episodes

lasted about 15 minutes each with about 10 minutes between them.

They have come on shortly after eating, and they have come on hours

after a meal. Hydration doesn't seem to be a factor here. The last

two episodes I have had blood work done and my ALT and AST levels

were up. Last weeks levels were ALT/111 and AST/136. I had my 1

year follow-up on Friday with my sugeon and he said that if it were

a problem with my liver, like my PCP thinks, then my biliruben

levels would be up, not the AST and ALT. Go figure. I look forward

to your responses.

[Guest guest]

Lately I have read several reports of people who have had intestinal

blockages attended with necrosis of sections of intestine. The

blockages (kinking of the intestines) could have killed them

(literally). Problem is that it does NOT show up on X-Rays or even

CAT scans, and only exploratory surgery can detect it. In some

cases, the intestine gets caught up in defects (holes) in the

mesentery (the membrane that keeps your innards in place), and the

blood supply to that section of intestine gets cut off, leading to

the necrosis. In some of the cases, the intestines just kinked up,

and the ER staff were able to coax them into un-kinking (don't ask me

how).

The instances I read of were all DS folk, but the RnY intestinal

construction is similar, and mesentery defects are introduced in all

lap surgery (though some surgeons are beginning to sew them up as

they withdraw their lap instruments). The cases were pretty well

reported on the DS_PostOpFriends and DS_PostOP_Problems lists.

Symptoms are not unlike what have been described by some of you:

terrible episodes of pain. This is nothing to fool around with!

--Steve

[Guest guest]

> The instances I read of were all DS folk, but the RnY intestinal

construction is similar, and mesentery defects are introduced in all

lap surgery (though some surgeons are beginning to sew them up as they

withdraw their lap instruments).

*I've had adhesions twice which is as you described a kinked intestine

strung together by gooey threads of internal healing scar tissue. they can

not be seen or felt. I know one lady, also an open rny, who just had this

mesentery necrosis - she had to have more intestine bypassed.

I was given the option by docs to 'sedate and medicate' and see if the

intestine would unkink or just go to surgery. I picked surgery since I don't

have the patience to sit in a hosp. bed for 5-7days waiting while doing

liquids and demoral. and in both cases my surgeon said the intestine could

not have 'righted' itself.

but - leading up to the first emergency surgery I had 8 episodes of pain

lasting 2-8hr. each over a 3.5month period before the last episode took me

to the hosp. around hour 15 and to my surgeon at hour 24. this isn't any

help for those suffering stomach spasms now but if the pain becomes wave

like [like labor but worse] and you start dry heaving and it goes on for

hours - find a hospital with a surgeon who knows bypass.

sue

[Guest guest]

I think this has happened to me, too, but so far just one isolated incident.

It was back in January, after having a BM, I got this intense cramping to

the left of my belly button. The pain just got worse and worse so ended up

in the ER. They did a cat scan to check for kidney stones and the usual

blood and urine tests, but nothing could be found as the problem. It hasn't

happened since. Hope it stays that way.

Jeanne in WI

Age 39 - Dr. T. Chua

Open RNY - 5/21/02

314/212/199 or less

djgraves@...