Advice if this is what I might expect and some questions
Posted , 3 users are following.
Well moved across from the knee replacement forum! Feeling a bit down on my luck having had 65 years as a non-smoking, slim, sport playing male with no illnesses whatsoever to having a knee replacement and being diagnosed with atrial fibrilation and gall stones in the space of six months!
Anyway, a scan has shown some small gallstones after I went to A&E with the worst stomach pains I have ever known. Nothing was established at the time surprisingly to me now and I am awaiting some sort of consultation about it. But this last 10 days I developed a steady stomach ache and have had three desperately painful episode lasting from 2 to 5 hours. The pain is sharp upper right under rib cage but severe all over abdomen. Can't lie on right side and only on back really due to the pain. But when it goes it goes suddenly and am not too bad afterwards. Have lost 10 lb in ten days but mostly because I haven't eaten much. Trying to keep fluids up as urine is a bit orange but frightened that any food, not just fatty stuff, is setting it off. All except one episode have been at night. Obviously I've read up on it and am surmises these symptons are most likely biliary colic? Are these typical of what I might expect. Also what exactly happens? Is it the same stone going backwards and forwards in the duct or am I passing a new one each time? If it is so painful why does it stop so suddenly. Does it always go after a few hours? I could be suicidal if it lasted much longer.
Any thoughts on this from more knowledgeable people would be welcome at this stage.
Thanks,
Dave
1 like, 8 replies
sally14335 Dcweather
Posted
I just want to say, I hate that you are having this kind of pain. I identify with it, especially when you say it can't go on much longer. I'm concerned about a couple of things, even though you don't, as yet, have a diagnosis. Surely they have given you some sort of meds to take when this pain stops? My other, big concern is if they haven't checked the urine problem, they should. Hoping you have answers very soon.
cynthia89958 Dcweather
Posted
Can empathise! I'm early 60s and looked after my health, or so I thought then had knee probs, gallstones, a fall and other things all in the last year.
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Do go back to your docs and insist upon adequate pain relief and further investigations. I have found we have to be very assertive about this or can sometimes be fobbed off. Explain how you are feeling unable to cope with the pain level. Not everyone gets frequent or repeat attacks.
Eating small amounts of bland non fatty food can help sometimes and many sufferers find acv helps during an attack as well as easily available meds like buscopan. Not eating can also make things worse. It may be stones moving around that cause the pain to stop and start. The consulltant told me to go to A & E if the pain was severe and persistent with fever, or jaundice. These are red flags for needing further urgent treatment.
?I hope you will soon be feeling better and receiving any treatment needed.
Dcweather cynthia89958
Posted
Thank you for your kind replies. One of the issues is that the hospital that sent me for the ultrasound scan after I was in A&E still haven't, despite three phone calls, sent the results letter to me or my GP six weeks after the scan. Joys of the UK NHS The technician said he had found small gallsones and the secretary said "it showed nothing to worry about" ! She wouldn't say that if she lay in bed like I did delerious with pain for nine hours last night! The problem is that the GP was waiting for the letter before he can refer me although after a call today he is going to anyway. Bear in mind this has only escalated suddenly in the last two weeks so he is not to blame. He is going to prescribe me with Tramadol instead of codeine for now and I pray it takes the edge of it.
Supposed to be going on a once in a lifetime holiday with my family to Hong Kong on Thursday but fear they will have to go without me unless I get lucky and it stops suddenly.:-(
Dave
P.S -Didn't we exchange comments on the TKR forum Cynthia - leat of my worries now!
Dcweather
Posted
Well I have to tell you this escalated as the pain didn't go and I started to go yellow. I had to go to A&E, cancel my flight to Hong Kong and send my entire family off on holiday without me! There were no other options. It was a nightmare in hospital (Basildon, Essex). After initial pain relief with injected morphine was stuck in a surgical referral unit with three older men two shouting and screaming due to dementia (not their fault I know) . I had an x-ray and an MRI scan that revealed a competely blocked bile duct. Couldn't get any working pain relief for three days with further episodes and had to force my self to bring up bile to get temporary relief. After three more episodes and permanently on Paracetamol, saline and anti-biotic drip I managed to finally persuade a doctor to give me another morhine injection. After that I improved pain wise and got moved to a very nice modern ward. So after six days I had an ECRP endoscopic removal of the gallstone which appears to be very successful. Went home two days later and no further problems and got my appetite back. After 10 days of living off just tepid water it tastes good! Now on the waiting list to have my gall bladder removed.
My knee felt good after the rest and I am nice and slim having lost over a stone in two weeks!
Best wishes and good luck to you all,
Dave
Dcweather
Posted
Now a month later and after some respite it has kicked off again. Every time I eat anything I am getting severe stomach ache. Not quite as crippling as before and goes after a few hours but comes back after next food. Operation not due till February so not sure what I can do? Should I go back to A&E or try and contact the consultant at the hospital who saw me? My understanding was they can't do the op if it is swollen or bile duct is blocked again so I guess I should tell them?
Dave
cynthia89958 Dcweather
Posted
Hi Dave, Sorry to hear you are having more bother. I did not catch your last masg when you asked about comments on the TNR forum - more than likely me, yes!
Have you rang the out of hours or gone to A &E? If not, hope the pain is receding now. Sadly, most docshave no idea of what some of us go through with these gb conditions, or as you say, they would not fob us as nothing to worry about.
?I have no news of my gb surgery other than will be in 2017 now! It is likely going to hold up my TKR as they need all source of inflammation and infection sorted. Well, that justs adds to time unable to get sorted with a new job - too young to retire but too old and rickety for most employers.
?Enough about me, though, as you have your own issues, looks like maybe biliary colic or a stone getting stuck, hopefully not. Sometimes they dealy the op if there is infection etc but there ahould be time to sort it out?
?Do post how you get on and hope all will be well, Cynthia
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cynthia89958
Posted
PS sorry you missed the trip with yr family
Dcweather cynthia89958
Posted
Thank you - you are very kind. Well today's bout only lasted a couple of hours but was excruciatingly painful then the pain just dissolved away in 30 swcs. (As it has before on occasion). Why does it go so quickly? I'm hoping it was more painful because the stone has cleared through.
Funny(sad? that I am in the same situation as you. I see the knee surgeon in January to go on the list for the other knee TKR and the gall bladder op is estimated for february so i was wondering the same. I think I will just go for whatever comes first.
Dave
P.S - Knee is great now after four months. It suddenly straightened more and no pain at all. Won't bend past abou90 still but I think it might a bit. How is yours?
PPS - got my money back for flight from my travel insurance :-)