Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Right-sided Abdominal Pain And Fatigue After Gallbladder And Appendix Removal?
Question: I was in the er for pain in my upper abdomen right/center and was told that my pancreatic enzymes were up. I have had serious spells of fatigue that comes over me and I feel as if I will drop on the spot and then it just passes. I had a CT scan that came back normal and have since had my enzymes retested and they were normal. I've had my Gallbladder and Appendix removed so I know it's not either of these that are causing the pain. Yet I still am getting these pains and the sensation of pressure and the feeling as if something is jammed up under my right side rib cage. This seems to occur most often when I eat something but it's not gas because it happens immediately with food intake.
Brief Answer:
it might be gastric ulcers.
Detailed Answer:
Hello, thanks for posting on HCM.
I read your question in detail and also your history provided along with. As your gall bladder and appendix is already removed there is no question of that causing any pain.
Pancreatic enzymes being high can point toward pancreatitis but that also came normal on repeat test so that is also not possibility.
According to my knowledge and from what I understand, there might be 2 possibilities.
1. Pain occurring immediately after eating any food may be due to presence of gastric ulcers which get irritated due to presence of food and thus cause pain in middle of stomach. Also you have history of gastritis so I suspect you to have gastric ulcers.
2. Secondly in some percentage of patients whose gall bladder has been removed, they have difficulty in digesting food stuffs containing high fat content because gall bladder is removed so there is no concentrated bile to digest the fat in diet. In that matter, pancreas has to work more, secrete more enzymes to get the work done of digesting the fat. This might be the reason for increased pancreatic enzymes at start which normalized after retesting.
So, I suspect that you might be having peptic ulcers in stomach probably due to H. pylori infection which is causing pain after having food. For detailed workup and confirming a diagnosis, an endoscopy will be of great help and consultation of gastroenterologist will be much helpful.
It will be advisable to take antacid syrup and proton pump inhibitors like pantoprazole or rabeprazole which will coat the gastric mucosa and see if it helps. If it does not, then what I suspect might be true and you need to consult gastroenterologist for further management.
I hope I have given a satisfactory answer to your query, if you still have any more queries, kindly write back to me and I will be happy to help.
Thank you
it might be gastric ulcers.
Detailed Answer:
Hello, thanks for posting on HCM.
I read your question in detail and also your history provided along with. As your gall bladder and appendix is already removed there is no question of that causing any pain.
Pancreatic enzymes being high can point toward pancreatitis but that also came normal on repeat test so that is also not possibility.
According to my knowledge and from what I understand, there might be 2 possibilities.
1. Pain occurring immediately after eating any food may be due to presence of gastric ulcers which get irritated due to presence of food and thus cause pain in middle of stomach. Also you have history of gastritis so I suspect you to have gastric ulcers.
2. Secondly in some percentage of patients whose gall bladder has been removed, they have difficulty in digesting food stuffs containing high fat content because gall bladder is removed so there is no concentrated bile to digest the fat in diet. In that matter, pancreas has to work more, secrete more enzymes to get the work done of digesting the fat. This might be the reason for increased pancreatic enzymes at start which normalized after retesting.
So, I suspect that you might be having peptic ulcers in stomach probably due to H. pylori infection which is causing pain after having food. For detailed workup and confirming a diagnosis, an endoscopy will be of great help and consultation of gastroenterologist will be much helpful.
It will be advisable to take antacid syrup and proton pump inhibitors like pantoprazole or rabeprazole which will coat the gastric mucosa and see if it helps. If it does not, then what I suspect might be true and you need to consult gastroenterologist for further management.
I hope I have given a satisfactory answer to your query, if you still have any more queries, kindly write back to me and I will be happy to help.
Thank you
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Sonia Raina
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
