Epigastric pain one year out with normal testing

AmberHeart96 · December 9, 2016

Hi, I was hoping someone here would have an idea of what may be happening or any testing I could have done. I am 20 years old and last year I had roux-n-y and hiatal hernia fix with my highest weight at 299. I had intense pain in my epigastreum especially when I ate for an entire month right after the surgery and lost 40lbs till my doctor did a upper GI swallow study which showed a Mesocolic stricture. He fixed the stricture and did a cholecystectomy which was full of small stones then nearly everything was perfect. I have had increasing pelvic pain every month and the occasional painful stomach again when I eat. I also have developed orthostatic hypotension which I practically had to beg to be put on something and am now on fludrocortisone and have nearly no symptoms of I take it every day. The most current problem and the one worrying me is that a month ago I had some awful bronchitis with hypoxia then put on steroids for a week which cleared it all up but since then I have been having again the intense epigastric pain that waxes and wanes but especially bad whenever I try to eat. I have had two ct chest/abd which only showed an ovarian cyst then the rupture of the ovarian cyst, a normal endoscopy of my pouch, another upper GI which was normal, a UA which showed that I was dehydrated and had ketones, and my blood work showed elevated chlorine, high absolute lymphocytes, high absolute monocytes, low total Protein and low albumin. My surgeon admitted me to the hospital for four days and they were only able to finally document the postparandial hypoglycemia that I had been telling him about. Neither of us want to do surgery again but he says that if I continue to lose so much weight so quickly (I lost 7% of my body right in three weeks) then he will go in and put in a g tube. I am barely a year out and I would very much like to avoid a g tube so if anyone has any ideas about what this may be I would really appreciate it!

Hammer_Down · December 9, 2016

I know this may not be what you want to hear, but we are a community of weight loss surgery patients - not doctors.

It sounds like you really need a second opinion from a doctor and not a bunch of opinions from lay people on the internet.

I sincerely hope you're able to get some resolution and come back to let others know what the cause/cure was.

Good luck.

Hiraeth · December 9, 2016

Hi, I was hoping someone here would have an idea of what may be happening or any testing I could have done. I am 20 years old and last year I had roux-n-y and hiatal hernia fix with my highest weight at 299. I had intense pain in my epigastreum especially when I ate for an entire month right after the surgery and lost 40lbs till my doctor did a upper GI swallow study which showed a Mesocolic stricture. He fixed the stricture and did a cholecystectomy which was full of small stones then nearly everything was perfect. I have had increasing pelvic pain every month and the occasional painful stomach again when I eat. I also have developed orthostatic hypotension which I practically had to beg to be put on something and am now on fludrocortisone and have nearly no symptoms of I take it every day. The most current problem and the one worrying me is that a month ago I had some awful bronchitis with hypoxia then put on steroids for a week which cleared it all up but since then I have been having again the intense epigastric pain that waxes and wanes but especially bad whenever I try to eat. I have had two ct chest/abd which only showed an ovarian cyst then the rupture of the ovarian cyst, a normal endoscopy of my pouch, another upper GI which was normal, a UA which showed that I was dehydrated and had ketones, and my blood work showed elevated chlorine, high absolute lymphocytes, high absolute monocytes, low total Protein and low albumin. My surgeon admitted me to the hospital for four days and they were only able to finally document the postparandial hypoglycemia that I had been telling him about. Neither of us want to do surgery again but he says that if I continue to lose so much weight so quickly (I lost 7% of my body right in three weeks) then he will go in and put in a g tube. I am barely a year out and I would very much like to avoid a g tube so if anyone has any ideas about what this may be I would really appreciate it!

Gosh, I am so sorry you're going through all of this. I've read up on some of your blood work. High absolute lymphocytes can indicate a viral infection, a bacterial infection, and sometimes leukemia (this does not mean you have it). High monocytes can indicate stress, viral fevers, inflammation and organ necrosis, etc. (but your doctor should read the actual numbers on these results to determine which it could be.) Honestly, if I were you, I'd probably get a 2nd opinion. You should not be having pain only for the tests to come back "normal". It could just be inflammation or scar tissue. I would be most worried about your gastric organs not getting enough oxygen, especially since you recently suffered from hypoxia. If I were you, I'd try to find the best gastro doctor in your area for another opinion.