Sphincter Of Oddi Dysfunction

[Marlene]

I'll try to keep this brief. Diagnosed with gall bladder malfunction last spring before realizing I was gluten intolerant. Became much worse after gall bladder removal which led to dx of gluten/casein intolerance. Have done research since then and realize that gluten intolerance can cause gall bladder malfunction. Continue to have pain under my rib cage including a feeling of pressure like something is going to burst. Afterwards will often have frequent/loose bowel movements which (seems to me anyway) contains a lot of bile (acidic). My theory is that gluten intolerance has damaged the sphincter of oddi (muscle which regulates when bile is released into small intestine, activated by CCK - same hormone which causes gall bladder to empty) which now constricts the sphincter of oddi, keeping bile from flowing through. When it releases, too much bile is sent into the small intestines resulting in messy BM's. Does anyone else know anything about this? There is a procedure that can be done to cut the sphincter of oddi but it is rather dangerous, has a 5% fatality rate, and can result in pancreatitis. I have been gluten free for 6 months now and would love to resolve this.

thanks!

Marlene

[Mtndog]

  Marlene said:

I'll try to keep this brief. Diagnosed with gall bladder malfunction last spring before realizing I was gluten intolerant. Became much worse after gall bladder removal which led to dx of gluten/casein intolerance. Have done research since then and realize that gluten intolerance can cause gall bladder malfunction.

Continue to have pain under my rib cage including a feeling of pressure like something is going to burst. Afterwards will often have frequent/loose bowel movements which (seems to me anyway) contains a lot of bile (acidic).

My theory is that gluten intolerance has damaged the sphincter of oddi (muscle which regulates when bile is released into small intestine, activated by CCK - same hormone which causes gall bladder to empty) which now constricts the sphincter of oddi, keeping bile from flowing through. When it releases, too much bile is sent into the small intestines resulting in messy BM's.

Does anyone else know anything about this? There is a procedure that can be done to cut the sphincter of oddi but it is rather dangerous, has a 5% fatality rate, and can result in pancreatitis. I have been gluten free for 6 months now and would love to resolve this.

thanks!

Marlene

Hi Marlene- Couple of things. Often times a trauma to the body like surgery is enough to set off the celiac symptoms. And like you said, celiacs can cause gall bladder troubles.

I had my gall bladder removed in May after being diagnosed with gall stones. I know that after you have your gall bladder removed, your liver (which produces the bile while your gall bladder stores and regulates its release) takes some time to catch up and realize your gall bladder is gone and releases bile and gives you diarrhea. For some people it's a few weeks, months. In others it's chronic but there is medication you can take. You should DEFINITELY talk to your surgeon.

I don't know about the pain or the sphincter of oddi but I would definitely put in a call to your surgeon. B

[Marlene]

Hello and thanks for your reply. After I had my gall bladder removed, I had chronic diarrhea -- worse than before which is one of the main reasons I had been going to the GI specialist. 6 days after going gluten free, the diarrhea slowed down considerably. However, the pain (which I described in my first post) comes and goes. Sometimes I will just get one episode and it's over in a few hours. Sometimes the pain and the pressure just seems to build and it lasts for days. While it has improved going gluten free, it's not completely gone. I had a really good spell where I had no pain or diarrhea for over 2 months, then I took some homeopathic remedy to build up my digestive system and the pain and diarrhea has returned. It really feels like pressure, like something is building up right behind/ under my sternum and ribs. Ironically, this is the pain that made doctors think it was my gall bladder. I didn't have any gall stones -- but my gall bladder was malfunctioning.

I have been back to my surgeon once for the pain, he did an ultrasound which (of course) did not show anything. He just kind of shrugged it off and said something about IBS, intestinal motility. I feel he took out my gall bladder without enough investigation and I don't want to back to him. He is "scalpel happy".

Marlene

[IreneBean]

Marlene - if you still post here, please contact me as I have similar symptoms as yourself.

Thanks,

Irene

[Generic]

Irene, if you are wondering about the spincter of oddi thing, I had it. I had the surgery done twice. They make a bigger deal out of it than it really is. That is if the Dr. knows what they are doing. The first procedure was unsuccessful with me. The second time they made a bigger cut. I had to beg the Dr. to do the second procedure. Low and behold a 5 mm stone fell out as he was pulling the camera out. I am still having pain so I have been referred to the big hospital in Seattle that knows what they are doing. It has been since Christmas 07 that I have pain every day.

[IreneBean]

Hi Generic,

Thanks for your post. I have had this pain for five years, but it is much more recurrent and starting to affect my life (missing work when I have "attacks", can't function well when it is happening). I have had my gallbladder removed over 20 years ago and it puzzled me why I would be having pain in about the same place.

If you have more info on sphincter of Oddi dysfunction or know of some good link,s please do let me know. I will be making another gastroenterologist appt to go over this info I have found. Previous, he hasn't really told me what this pain could be from.

Thanks,

Irene

[Judyin Philly]

Hi

Here is a link to a forum for that issue

A friend of mine who is also on this forum is over there

Open Original Shared Link

good Luck

Judy

[Generic]

Thanks Judy. I have a link saved that I received from Itchy girl, but it isn't working now.

Basically most Dr.s don't want to mess with it or they don't believe it is real. It is very painful and can feel similar to a gall

attack, but not neccassarily. There is a pancreatic enzyme that will help give you relief if that is the problem. The brand

Viocase is what you need. It can't be the buffered or the time released kind. my insurance wouldn't pay for it, they would

only cover the time released, buffered kind. So that may be a problem for you. It isn't cheap but it will bring relief if that is

the problem. If you run into that, the Dr. may be willing to write a prescription for 10 pills to let you see if they work.