Re: Surgery or Medicine????

From: Helen Dynda (olddad66@runestone.net)
Mon Apr 1 16:57:02 2002


Dear Caroline,

I have tried to post the information I have about Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome, which is an adhesion-related disease (ARD).

I tried to post the list of websites 2 times on Saturday and 3 times on Sunday.

Today I resorted to sending an email to one of the people, who can answer questions about the IAS Message Board. I also sent the list of websites along with that letter.

Now it's only a matter of waiting for a reply to the subject of my letter: "I need to knnow..."

Caroline, if you want more information about FHC Syndrome, you can write to me and request this list of websites. Send your email to me at olddad66@runestone.net.

In Friendship, Helen

At Sun, 31 Mar 2002, Helen Dynda wrote: >
>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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