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Could it be my pancreas or both it and gallbladder?

Posted , 4 users are following.

cstan72
cstan72

HIDA and ultrasound done waiting on a CT scan results next week to rule out most cancers.

What happened?

Had the flu and ended up in the hospital dehydrated enough that it kicked me over into DKA (even though my blood sugar levels were  not much higher than they normally are) got checked out after 3 days then home to recover.

While home began to experience pain on right side under rib but put it off due to severe coughing thinking I bruised something.

Pain did not go away and my  stools were turning yellow so visited my GP who thought it might be my gallbladder since I rarely ever have digestion issues and he ordered a ultrasound scan though the pain did go away about a 3 days later mostly.

Had the ultrasound scan 3 weeks later and it came back negative though still had occasional bouts of pain but no where near as bad so doctor ordered a HIDA scan and it found nothing wrong so went home.

Went  out with my brother to burger king  for lunch 2 days later (I know, its fatty  but these days I rarely indulge due to my diabetes) and withing 12 hours pain was back on right side under my ribs though it only lasted an hour or two and no where near as severe.

Pain began to dissipate on the right however began to experience a pain in the  middle just below the breastbone which  spread out a bit the left and lasted about 4 days.

Not as severe a pain as the gallbladder but annoying however it began to go away by monday though with  a few sharp stabs of pain that are all over from gallbladder area to my left side and under the armpit to down lower near my waste.

Also my  bowel movements are  not happening anywhere near as often though they are  still pretty  yellow.

So my question is could this be because further damage to my pancreas entirely or is it more likely  I am dealing with a combination of pancreas + gallbladder issues be it gallstones or sludge?

For the record I also was a 2 liter a day diet soda drinker which I stopped when I got the flu so not sure if that plays a part in it much.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • lynda20916
    lynda20916 cstan72

    Posted

    You said you had the flu, but I am wondering if you had diarrhea, and that's why you were dehydrated.   

    I think that the yellow fluid in your stool is bile.  An ultrasound does not always show small stones and sludge.  As for the HIDA scan, it might be possible that your gallbladder wasn't malfunctioning at the time.  Have you had blood tests to check your liver and pancreatic functions?  

    A malfunctioning gallbladder will affect your digestive system, including your liver, stomach, pancreas and intestines.

    I hope you find out what's going on.  Best of luck.

    • cstan72
      cstan72 lynda20916

      Posted

      No diarrhea or atleast not that much it was just that I was so ill I was not drinking as much as I should have been given that I had the flu.

      Anyway as an update I was stupid again yesterday and being in a hurry bought and ate some fried chicken and boy did I pay for it last night and even now I can feel a tiny bit of discomfort from it though not as bad. 

      Not with pain on the right side but rather in the middle to the left and it lasted until about 3 am plus my BGs were staying pretty low though that could be because the doctor just added Tresiba to my insulin regimen.

      All in all I will be glad when the doctor determines what the problem is.

  • Beenthruit
    Beenthruit cstan72

    Posted

    It is possible that a stone or sludge has become lodged in the common bile duct near your pancreas and is causing the pain you describe. Ultrasound often does not pick up small stones or sludge if gas is present. My pain was similar to yours- mainly central. I thought I had a stomach ulcer at first. It would spread a little to the left but mainly to the right into my right armpit and then into my right shoulder blade. I had attacks that would continue for days that were painful and debilitating. Surgeon had to slit my cbd, remove 60 + stones and stitch it back up to reduce risk of stones being left inside. My advice is just to stick to your low fat diet. I just face the fact that Burger King is not for me, nor any other fast food or takeaway food. I do eat out but I’m very selective in what I chose from the menu. I ate at Toby carvery all the way through my pre surgery period having roast turkey, veg and no Yorkshire or roast potatoes and I was fine. A year after surgery, I stick to a low fat, high fibre diet and have no issues with nausea or the dreaded yellow diarrhoea. I do get a little right sided discomfort but the surgery was definitely worth it. Good luck!
    • cstan72
      cstan72 Beenthruit

      Posted

      The pain on the left is mild at least in comparison to the pain I hand on the right though I am periodically checking for things like jaundice and fever just to be safe.
  • judy13495
    judy13495 cstan72

    Posted

    Hang in there...15 years ago it took the gastro guy 3 years to figure out I needed my gallbladder removed.   I know the tests are better now, but they can still take longer than you wish.   Good luck.
    • cstan72
      cstan72 judy13495

      Posted

      Shouldnt the Hida scan have detected that failing though? Right now the pains alot less and I am just having yellow loose stools with fat floating in it.

      CT came back and they said everything looked ok so not sure whats going on though I guess it could be the liver or the pancreas so what would you all recommend next? I am trying now to rule out if its one of my other medications since the hospital did not give them to me for 3 days when I was in there and I know side effects can happen at any time however I was also thinking of asking for an ultrasound endoscope for the pancreas to really rule out cancer.

    • Beenthruit
      Beenthruit cstan72

      Posted

      If you think the diarrhoea could be a side effect of meds, you can check contraindication on literature you should have been given by the pharmacist or you can check online. How you’re describing bowel motion sounds digestive issue, possibly gallbladder related. So many patients seem to be having problems just getting a diagnosis. You have my sympathy as there’s not much you can do until you know what is wrong. Just keep watching your diet and plugging away at your doctor. Good luck!
    • cstan72
      cstan72 Beenthruit

      Posted

      I have another question.

      Just before this all started I was coughing extremely hard with my neck snapping back and forth severely  due to mucus in my lungs from the flu and I tore something up in my neck  just behind the ear but down into the neck and I am wondering if it could have messed up the vagus nerve? If thats the case could a torn or strained nerve be causing the signals to the gallbladder and or liver to produce bile not be getting through?

      I mean it really really hurt when it happened and my voice went extremely hoarse for almost a week even though I was not having any nasal drip or anything else that could have caused it.

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