Re: Surgery or Medicine????
From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Sun Mar 31 17:17:26 2002
Caroline, You said: "Every time I eat more than a very small amount of
food, I am short of breath. Can't take a deep enough breath in, and
don't feel like I can let enough air out."
I know there is an adhesion condition, known as Fitz-Hugh-Curtis (FHC)
Syndrome, that does cause breathing problems. I am not saying FHC
syndrome is causing your breathing problem.
I suggest that you read the following message - as well as other
websites I will try to post. Then you will have a better idea as to
whether your breathing problems could be related to FHC Syndrome.
~ ~ ~ ~
FITZ-HUGH-CURTIS SYNDROME: D. Ashley Hill, MD - January 19, 2000
"Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome is named after two doctors, Fitz-Hugh and
Curtis. The "syndrome" designation is kind of a misnomer, because, in
my experience, the majority of patients who have violin-string adhesions
of the liver have no symptoms at all. Some, however, get pain when
taking a deep breath, and I have had a couple of patients get mildly
elevated liver function tests (like the SGOT you mentioned). If
asymptomatic the adhesions do not need treatment. However, they will
not go away on their own.
"Possible causes include infection like ruptured appendix, gonorrhea,
chlamydia, pelvic inflammatory disease from any source. About 75% of
PID is from either gonorrhea or chlamydia, but 25% are from
endogenous(from your body) bacteria. It sure sounds like somewhere in
your past you developed a rip-roaring pelvic infection that damaged your
tube(s) and caused liver adhesions. You will probably never know when
that was, since it could have been your own bacteria, or chlamydia that
was accidentally treated with antibiotics for some other reason (like a
cold or sinusitis). Regardless, if the adhesions are not bothering you,
I would be reluctant to suggest any intervention."
http://forums.obgyn.net/womens-health/WHF.0001/0654.html
~ ~ ~ ~
At Sat, 30 Mar 2002, Caroline wrote:
Hi, I'm new - and enter as a frayed knot at the end of the rope. 13
years ago I had my gallbladder removed, the archaic way (6 inch scar). A
couple years later, a lap/laser for dx and tx for endometriosis. Five
years ago a hysterectomy for the same (left the ovaries in). Two years
of glorious pain free living and then BAM. Constipation/diarrhea back,
pelvic pain back w/a vengeance. Pinching in my bladder, burning and
stabbing pain in lower left and right side of pelvis. Recurrent cysts,
and the pain gets worse the more active I try to be. Sitting is bad.
Walking hurts after 20 minutes. It feels like a combination of a
pinched nerve and perpetual pulling/twisting to varying degrees.
Sometimes I'm merely annoyed. Other times I am incapacitated. Worse at
night than in the morning.
CT of abdomen revealed nothing but a cyst. Colonoscopy revealed polyps,
benign and removed. CA-125 negative, MRI of abdomen, nothing but the
cyst. The pain is unresponsive to motrin and celebrex and the worst
anxiety provoking symptom is one I can hardly bring myself to confess to
the doc b/c I now think I am nuts on top of it: Every time I eat more
than a very small amount of food, I am short of breath. Can't take a
deep enough breath in, and don't feel like I can let enough air out. My
breath sounds are unremarkable, however. My gyn is trying her best to
help w/out surgery, but she has NOT helped relieve pain.
My question is this: Medicine (pain management/lupron) or surgery or a
combo? I've never been diagnosed w/adhesions, but it certainly has been
talked about as a possibility in conjunction w/the ab surgery and
previous endo treatment. I don't want to get in a cycle of neverending
operations but I cannot live in this much pain all the time - especially
if there's a possibility that it isn't necessary. What do you think?
Thanks --Caroline
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