Nausea + Gall Bladder Emptying Study

[rubytuesday]

When I had my follow-up with the cardiac specialist in dysautonomia, I'd mentioned the persistent nausea that really gets bad with near syncopal events or when the BP tanks. I'd had a 90 min. gastric emptying study but the specialist suggested a (?4hr) complete gastric emptying study (with the small bowel follow through) and a gall bladder emptying study. My CT and abdominal ultrasound didn't show any gall bladder problems--just pancreas is fatty and liver has fatty cysts. Specialist said gall bladder can appear normal on those studies but not be functioning correctly, ergo the need for the emptying study. She added the dysautonomia can affect the gall bladder, too, causing nausea (if I understood correctly).

I did some reading and seems like there are two sides of the fence with this--some people are found to have dysfunction and have their gall bladders removed only to find the nausea persists (from the ANS failure). Anybody able to share their experiences with this?

This specialist was going to add DDAVP to my Midodrine (until I reminded her of my allergy to it), then she said Florinef (which I reminded her was tried in 2009 and it made me too hypertensive and critically low in my potasium. So she is trying Lexapro. She thought my purchasing a cooling vest was a good idea (forgot to ask her for a Rx to claim the deduction on my taxes). I told her summer scares me to death. This time, instead of waiting 6 mos. for a follow-up, I go back in 3-4 (near end of summer so they can see how I did--unless I need them before).

[fc3schick87]

if you remove your gall blatter. there is no blatter for the bile to go into. you will have an ever flowing bile duct.

i recently had horrible horrible pain and suffering from what i thought was acid reflux and indigestion. i had many tests done, doctors couldnt find anything but i was suffering and i went out finding my own answer.

i was in pain for 3 months. from october to december. i lost about 15-20 lb because i could not eat much.

otc medications were not helping. even at perscription doses.

i started on nexium along side zantac. the both, together, worked great. i then changed my diet since anything i ate left me in such horrible pain..

after speeking to an older friend of mine they said something about vinigar. apple cider viniger. he said to take a sip or 2 of it... so i did. and guess what it worked...

i then went into researching bile issues. turns out there is acid reflux. as well as bile reflux......

bile is alkaline. ant-acids wont help the pain. but guess what will? vinigar.. if you dont want to drink 2-4 oz of vinigar. try vitimin C tablets.... they work just the same! the vinigar helps remove the pain. the vitimin c tablets help prevent it. i drink orange juice with every meal and i have very limited symptoms.

i stopped drinking vinigar and my symptoms returned slowly. so i started back on drinking orange juice with meals. i still take nexium, but i came off the zantac.

you said

"I'd mentioned the persistent nausea that really gets bad with near syncopal events"

this is because when your blood pressure drops the blood rushes out of your stomach. when i have my blood pressure drops i too feel really really really sick to my stomach. it usually lasts about 20-40 min then slowly goes away. the easiest way to solve that issue is to increase blood volume by increasing electrolyte intake. please check with your doctor before increasing your sodium and sugar intake by drinking Gatorade. it is a delicate balance.

[CharmedLinz]

I've had the Gall Bladder emptying scan, mine was the HIDA scan.

My Gall Bladder does NOT function well, only 13%.

My GI Doc who I trust completely said he feels it's from the interrupted loops and rythms from the Dysautonomia.

He feels better not taking out my Gall Bladder because he's had patients with this problem go both ways.....some feel better without it......others feel a million times worse.

I'll keep it for now.

[rubytuesday]

if you remove your gall blatter. there is no blatter for the bile to go into. you will have an ever flowing bile duct.

i recently had horrible horrible pain and suffering from what i thought was acid reflux and indigestion. i had many tests done, doctors couldnt find anything but i was suffering and i went out finding my own answer.

i was in pain for 3 months. from october to december. i lost about 15-20 lb because i could not eat much.

otc medications were not helping. even at perscription doses.

i started on nexium along side zantac. the both, together, worked great. i then changed my diet since anything i ate left me in such horrible pain..

after speeking to an older friend of mine they said something about vinigar. apple cider viniger. he said to take a sip or 2 of it... so i did. and guess what it worked...

i then went into researching bile issues. turns out there is acid reflux. as well as bile reflux......

bile is alkaline. ant-acids wont help the pain. but guess what will? vinigar.. if you dont want to drink 2-4 oz of vinigar. try vitimin C tablets.... they work just the same! the vinigar helps remove the pain. the vitimin c tablets help prevent it. i drink orange juice with every meal and i have very limited symptoms.

i stopped drinking vinigar and my symptoms returned slowly. so i started back on drinking orange juice with meals. i still take nexium, but i came off the zantac.

you said

"I'd mentioned the persistent nausea that really gets bad with near syncopal events"

this is because when your blood pressure drops the blood rushes out of your stomach. when i have my blood pressure drops i too feel really really really sick to my stomach. it usually lasts about 20-40 min then slowly goes away. the easiest way to solve that issue is to increase blood volume by increasing electrolyte intake. please check with your doctor before increasing your sodium and sugar intake by drinking Gatorade. it is a delicate balance.

Wow, good information. Question: you said one or two sips of vinegar, but someplace else you said 2-4 ounces--which is it? Do you take it straight or mask it in something? I may be able to handle a tablespoon or two and flush the burning with fluids. I'm on omeprazole and ranitadine but they don't manage the GERD and of course do nothing for the nausea. I do drink a lot of Power Ade of Gator Ade. mainly as I get tired of water sometimes. I have to restrict my sodium and I do not tolerate fried/fatty foods at all. But I don't feel pain in the gall bladder--just the never ending GERD and fullness.

[rubytuesday]

I've had the Gall Bladder emptying scan, mine was the HIDA scan.

My Gall Bladder does NOT function well, only 13%.

My GI Doc who I trust completely said he feels it's from the interrupted loops and rythms from the Dysautonomia.

He feels better not taking out my Gall Bladder because he's had patients with this problem go both ways.....some feel better without it......others feel a million times worse.

I'll keep it for now.

That is kind of what my thinking was. I don't want surgery 'to see' if it helps. I would only want it as a last resort. Thank you so much for sharing. I just had not realized that the ANS affected the gall bladder too. Makes perfect sense the way you explained it. Thank you.

[jackiemxoxo]

I agree with CharmedLinz... My neuroendo said that my gallbladder is not working as well due to the dysautonomia. However, this was after I had it removed due to an ejection fraction of 17% or something like that. I was having pain especially in the abdominal area and right shoulder. After the surgery, it did not help and things seem to get worse. I now have diarrhea quite often which i contribute to that as well as the dysautonomia. Also, I saw the pathology on my gallbladder and it said very mild cholecystitis which i dont really think is true because otherwise it was perfectly normal. Even after the gallbladder removal, I had many gastric studies and eventually ended up with gastroparesis for 3 months. I am much better now 2 years later but it def took some time. I would investigate all other factors and make sure it is your gallbladder before getting it removed. In my experience, if you see a surgeon about your gallbladder and say you have any pain, they are going to tell you to remove it.