Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Gastroenterology (Expert Forum)
Gall bladder trouble?
Answered by
Kevin Pho, MD - Internal Medicine
Kevin, M.D.
Boston - MA
This forum is for questions regarding Gastroenterology issues such as Acid Reflux (GERD), Barretts Esophagus, Colitis, Colon/Bowel Disorders, Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis/ Diverticulosis, Digestive Disorders, IBS, Stomach Pain.
|
Gall bladder trouble?
by arsegja, Dec 28, 2003 12:00AM
Hello,
I have a follow-up question to a discussion thread that I submitted a couple of weeks ago. I am a 39 year old male who has been experiencing the following symptoms for 8 months:
Dull pain in mid to upper right quadrant of abdomin
Occasional occurances of tingling in right arm
One episode of nausia followed by fainting spells.Occasional dissiness or light headedness when I'm having an episode.
My blood tests came back normal. I also have normal blood pressure and cholestoral. My upper GI showed reflux, and my ultrasound showed no gall stones. EKG showed no problems with my heart beat. My Hida scan was incomplete because I had a reaction to the CCK that made me ill. Therefore they couldn't determine the ejection fraction.
I've had these symptoms for 8 months now. My Gastro doctor isn't sure of what is causing it. He suspects a lazy gall bladder but isn't 100% sure. For the past 4 months my doctor has me on 10mg Metoclopromide to be taken four times daily.
Last evening I had another episode of tingling in left arm followed by dizziness.
Questions:
Can gall bladder problems cause tingling in my left arm and dizziness?
Can a person have gall stones even though the untrasound looks negative?
Is there any way to flush out the gall bladder if there are stones there?
Are there other medications besides Metoclopromide to help the gall bladder?
I have a follow-up question to a discussion thread that I submitted a couple of weeks ago. I am a 39 year old male who has been experiencing the following symptoms for 8 months:
Dull pain in mid to upper right quadrant of abdomin
Occasional occurances of tingling in right arm
One episode of nausia followed by fainting spells.Occasional dissiness or light headedness when I'm having an episode.
My blood tests came back normal. I also have normal blood pressure and cholestoral. My upper GI showed reflux, and my ultrasound showed no gall stones. EKG showed no problems with my heart beat. My Hida scan was incomplete because I had a reaction to the CCK that made me ill. Therefore they couldn't determine the ejection fraction.
I've had these symptoms for 8 months now. My Gastro doctor isn't sure of what is causing it. He suspects a lazy gall bladder but isn't 100% sure. For the past 4 months my doctor has me on 10mg Metoclopromide to be taken four times daily.
Last evening I had another episode of tingling in left arm followed by dizziness.
Questions:
Can gall bladder problems cause tingling in my left arm and dizziness?
Can a person have gall stones even though the untrasound looks negative?
Is there any way to flush out the gall bladder if there are stones there?
Are there other medications besides Metoclopromide to help the gall bladder?
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Pho, MD, Jan 04, 2004 12:00AM
, Jan 04, 2004 12:00AM
To answer your questions:
1) I am unaware of the gall bladder causing left arm pain, but it may be possible. More commonly gall bladder irritation may radiate to the right arm. I am unaware of the gall bladder causing dizziness.
2) Ultrasound detects upwards of 95% of gallstones in most studies. Thus, there is a possibility of gallstones being present with a negative ultrasound.
3) I'm not sure what you mean by flushing out the gallbladder. There are medications to dissolve stones and non-surgical methods (such as laser or shock wave lithotripsy to break up stones).
4) By "helping" the gall ballder, it would depend on what is wrong. If there are stones present, then oral medications can be discussed to see if you are a candiditate for stone dissolution. I am unaware of consensus studies giving clear support for helping a "lazy" gall bladder.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
1) I am unaware of the gall bladder causing left arm pain, but it may be possible. More commonly gall bladder irritation may radiate to the right arm. I am unaware of the gall bladder causing dizziness.
2) Ultrasound detects upwards of 95% of gallstones in most studies. Thus, there is a possibility of gallstones being present with a negative ultrasound.
3) I'm not sure what you mean by flushing out the gallbladder. There are medications to dissolve stones and non-surgical methods (such as laser or shock wave lithotripsy to break up stones).
4) By "helping" the gall ballder, it would depend on what is wrong. If there are stones present, then oral medications can be discussed to see if you are a candiditate for stone dissolution. I am unaware of consensus studies giving clear support for helping a "lazy" gall bladder.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.
Happy holidays,
Kevin, M.D.