Hi everyone. I've been away for a while, sick husband, etc.

A few months ago I was diagnosed w/"Nutcracker Espohagus". Basically, it is an overactive esophagus. I could never keep a fill, kept closing up & having to be unfilled. I had upper GI, endoscopy & the definative swallow test, momonotry. So I have a small fill (.5cc's), small restriction, which I can live with. The medication for nutcracker is Calcium channel blockers, which I've been taking. Side effect is major constipation. The fill level is loose, but at least I don't close up anymore.

Anyway, lately I've been having pain both in my lower abdomen (which I THINK is mostly from the constipation) but more recently in the stomach area. It starts hurting after I eat, but I don't feel any added restriction or any problem w/the food going down, etc. It seems to be AFTER the food's gone through the band. It's not a sharp pain, but defintely there.

At first I called Dr. Ortiz & told him I thought the nutcracker was acting up again & he first said it might be time to have my band removed, but last time I spoke to him he said to come down for tests. It's not that easy to do from here, so I'm thinking I'll go to the gastro I know here who's familiar w/the band & at least schedule a barium swallow. He also did my last endoscopy, so he could do one & see if anything's changed.

After all that, has anyone else experienced pain in the stomach area like I've described? Does it sound anything like slippage or erosion?

Thank you,

Way to go on the weight loss! I hope that your hubby is feeling better.

It might be gallbladder? I have heard that gallbladder symptoms kick in after eating. Gallbladder problems seem to be pretty common in weight loss patients...especially those that have had WLS.

I am no doctor, but, the gastro will be able to tell you and schedule the necessary tests. If he suspects gallbladder, a sonogram would be in order.

Best of luck to you!

Hi Karen,

I don't have any ideas for you but wanted to wish you good luck with everything. It's so unpleasant when we're not feeling right and don't know why!! Good luck with the gastro and I hope he finds out what's wrong, and that's it's a whole lot of nothing. :hug:

I never thought of gallbladder. Does that hurt in the middle? It almost feels like my band hurts, not that I really know where it is.

Thanks for the congrats, Michelle. I KNOW this is all worth it, even if it means ultimately losing the band. Yesterday I had to go suit shopping (yes, a woman who despises shopping) and every single 12 fit. What a shock!

This pain is getting worrisome, as it seems to always be there. I vow to call the dr. tomorrow. My insurance has changed to a semi-HMO, and this gastro isn't in my network, of course. But he is one of those rare doctors that takes whatever the insurance company pays. I say "semi-HMO" because at least I can go to a doc outside the network, at reduced benefits. This HMO stuff is all new to me; I don't even know if I'm able to get a referral to a doc who's out of network!

I think I'm putting off tests because I went through all this a few months ago to diagnose my esophagus problem, but if it were anyone else asking I'd tell them to hurry up & go.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

My gallbladder troubles were closer to my chest.

I know I get a lot of abdominal pain from being constipated... I didn't have any "pain" from either of my slips.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

I never thought of gallbladder. Does that hurt in the middle? It almost feels like my band hurts, not that I really know where it is.

Karen,

ABSOLUTELY! I just went through nearly 5 months of suffering. I was told I had esophageal spasms and that I was just "overly sensitive" to the spasms for some reason and to "seek counseling".

My pain was in the center of my abdomen. (normally, they're in the right side of the abdomen even up under the rib cage and around to the back) In fact, I kept thinking I had something stuck in my band. I had never had anything stuck so I had no point of reference, but I was convinced that's what it was. The pain always started about an hour, maybe an hour and a half after I ate. It varied in intensity sometimes growing to the worst kind of pain and pressure that I wanted to die. I realize that my symptoms were not "text book", but we're human not machines and besides I think having the band also contributed to my unusual symptoms.

I'm not familiar with "nutcracker esophagus" so I can't comment on that, but I have become very well-versed in gall bladder. Obesity is one of the leading contributing factors to gall bladder disease and rapid weight loss is a direct cause of stones. Why doctors do not consider this and do a simple ultrasound is beyond me.

You have all my sympathy and support.

Good luck to you. I hope they find whatever is causing your pain.

Pain in the lower stomach area could be related to your constipation; the pain in the upper stomach area could still be from constipation...specifically the "transverse" section of your colon.

I went through five (5) gall bladder attacks and your lower back is in pain and you sweat and you feel hot..really hot! And you usually fall to the ground and stay there since you cannot walk...worse than childbirth pain, per the doctors.

If constipated (aka less than two-three BM's per day), drink a lot of water (1/2 of your body weight in ounces of water...weigh 100 lbs. so then you drink 50 ozs. of water) and get about 20 min. of walking in daily...no exercise and no water =no BM's. If still no BM, email me and I will tell you what else you can do that requires no drugs (colon irrigation, enemas, etc.).

Definately good advice about the water. & thanks for the gallbladder description. It's NOT that bad. I've started taking Senecot every other day & it does produce results. I notice the worse the foods I eat, the worse the pain. I also have not been excersising officially, although I do train & subway steps everyday, so that counts for something.

I'm going to drink a bottle of water now & call the dr. tomorrow.

Thanks for the good words & I'll keep you posted after I talk to/see the doc.