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What Causes Upper Abdominal Pain And Vomiting After Surgery?

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Posted on Mon, 27 Feb 2017
Question: Please help with my upper abdominal pain and vomiting after babies c-section and gallbladder surgury! Its been 3 months!

Symptoms-

Extreme upper abdominal pain/pressure that radiates to my back between shoulder blades and behind my stomach after eating that causes nausea and vomiting within minutes after eating or drinking anything including water sometimes. Forced vomiting has also occurred to alleviate some pain because of how severe it is. I also have belching and high blood pressure and 1 test shows slightly elevated liver enzymes. They also found a small sliding hiatal hernia which they say is not enflamed and would not cause this.



Lab Work-

I have had several CAT Scans (approximately 4) from 2 different hospitals, a barium X-ray, 2 endoscopies from 2 separate gastrologists , an ekg, a catscan of my brain, and tons of blood work including endoscopy biopsy and everything is apparently fine besides what was mentioned in the symptoms. Before my gallbladder removal I had a hiatus scan that they said showed my gallbladder was not functioning. (This is why they chose to remove it but obviously has not fixed the issue and is currently getting worse.)

When it started-

This all started after excess vomiting during my pregnancy. I ended up being diagnosed with pre-Eclampsia that turned into helpp syndrome (Really high blood pressure, protein in urine and high liver enzymes and ended up emergency delivering a month early by c section November 22nd 2016.) Before leaving the hospital after the babies c section I ate a decent sized meal again for the first time in several weeks and ended up with what they said was a gas bubble and got sent home where my symptoms slowly got worse each day eventually causing me to go to the ER on several occasions. I eventually ended up getting my gallbladder removed 3 weeks ago after a hiatus scan and was great for 3 days on oxycodine. I have since been hospitalized 4 times where each time they did testing gave morphine for pain and never find anything in the ER. Each time they Released me without solving the issue. I am currently and finally still admitted from my gallbladder surgeon (whom I really like and I can tell he really wants to help) who got me admitted finally after begging but I am going home tomorrow after 4 days and tests at the hospital because they say there is no other tests at the time. I am scared and really want help. Morphine and oxy or any pain med for that matter is the only thing that helps once it kicks in.

Again I can be fine all day sometimes and eating anything will immediately return my symptoms while other times I can eat a few bites and feel ok and an hour later have a sip of ginger ale or ensure and feel immediate pain again. The pain is on my upper middle abdomen and middle chest and radiates directly to my back as well between my shoulder blades and behind my stomach.

Are there any other suggestions or tests? Any possible things to check for as well? Please any advice will be great! Nothing NOTHING is making this go away and it is unbearable. If I go home again I will be back in the ER within 3 days with dehydration because without IV my symptoms get worse each day to the point of extreme dehydration from vomiting and pain.

I will also state that since the 4 days in the hospital I have extremely improved but this has happened before and the second I get home I end up here again! The only reason I think I’m improving here is because the pain meds allow me to eat small portions (liquid diet) without the pain. (Without the pain meds the pain will NOT go away)

I also threw up blood that looked like coffee grounds about 3 times or so but they said its normal because of the amount of vomiting I am having. If I’m not in the hospital and it gets bad, the pain and nausea become so bad I vomit every 15 minutes and end up going to the ER from the pain and fear of dehydration.

History-

I have a history of gerd and was on nexium for a whole year (still on it)

Prescriptions-

I am currently prescribed klonapin for anxiety from all the stress, bp medicine as needed and oxy as needed for when I do try to eat or drink while in the hospital. I was recently removed from morphine which I was on again for the past 3 days and the oxy seems to be working just as well.


Extra notes-

I am 27 years old and female

Pre pregnancy weight is 170LBS I am now 145 LBS. (Down 72 lbs since my 217 birth weight)

No fever has ever been recorded

Current BP in the hospital is 120/90 and 110bpm heart rate

BP before I was admitted this time without the pain meds was 175/114 consistently until I got blood pressure medication.

Liver enzymes are still slightly elevated but have gone down since my 4 day stay in the hospital began.

My BP has been quite normal since then without BP medication though.

Please help!

doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Klerida Shehu (16 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Medical reports are required..

Detailed Answer:
Hi
I read carefully all your concerns and I am sorry for the situation you are in .
It is a complicated situation. This is why I need to check your medical reports.
Please can you upload to me all your medical reports.

I would like to ask you about EUS (endoscopic ultrasound).
To my opinion your situation may be related with biliary tree issues.
EUS is the best diagnostic procesure4in such cases.
This is why I strongly recommend it to you.

Hope it was helpful to you.
I am waiting your medical reports.
Dr.Klerida
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Klerida Shehu (11 minutes later)
Is sphincter of the oddi a possibilty? Would endoscopy ultrasound find that? Is it the same as ERCP? Another online doctor mentioned sod and I feel like its very very possible with the elevated liver enzymes and no other answers.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Klerida Shehu (11 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Please follow..

Detailed Answer:
Hi back,

Your symptoms may be due to:
-biliary sludge or small biliary stones
-biliary tree diskynesia included and sphincter oddities disfunction.

Eus can detect small stones and sludge in biliary tree .
It can not detect sphincter odds disfunction but it can rule out the most important cause of your symptoms.
If there is sludge or small stones than ERCP and sphincterotomy is recommended.
This is why I suggest to perform it.
Hope it was helpful to you.
Dr.Klerida
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Dr. Klerida Shehu

Gastroenterologist

Practicing since :2006

Answered : 2266 Questions

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What Causes Upper Abdominal Pain And Vomiting After Surgery?

Brief Answer: Medical reports are required.. Detailed Answer: Hi I read carefully all your concerns and I am sorry for the situation you are in . It is a complicated situation. This is why I need to check your medical reports. Please can you upload to me all your medical reports. I would like to ask you about EUS (endoscopic ultrasound). To my opinion your situation may be related with biliary tree issues. EUS is the best diagnostic procesure4in such cases. This is why I strongly recommend it to you. Hope it was helpful to you. I am waiting your medical reports. Dr.Klerida