Gallstones are actually a hernia/ulcers

[MusicalFurbaby]

Hi everyone, hope you are all as well as you can be.

I had my endoscopy this week to see if they could find the suspected gallstones. Instead they found a large hiatus hernia, plus multiple stomach ulcers. This explains why I have been in so much pain, in a constant state of nausea, and off work for the past month.

The ulcers have apparently started to heal, probably due to the Somac I have been taking. But the hernia needs surgery. It’s pretty big at 12cm (apparently ‘large’ is 5-10cm) so it’s understandable the surgeon wants to repair it. He also took a tonne of biopsies and I get the results in a week.

Anyone else ever gone through hernia surgery? Also—anyone know about lupus connections to hernias and stomach ulcers? Can lupus cause general inflammation and weakness to the stomach area, making me more susceptible to these sorts of things? Or are these just things anyone can get?

[StriatedCaracara]

Sorry to hear about all you have been through. All the best as you make decisions on the op.

Now they know properly what is going on, and don't just assume 'gallstones' I hope you get the right treatment.

I have always had a hiatus hernia (for me, prior to known CTD) and it is affected by lots of things, stress, food, and sometimes the meds we take, as is likely the health of the stomach lining. The hiatus hernia I have comes and goes. They found it doing a barium meal, so I guess there are uninvasive ways of monitoring.

I'm feeling constantly sick at the moment. Once someone suggested gallstones to me..right age, race gender..sometimes that is all they look at..common patterns not the most important wider picture, like having CTD.

Wondering if sometimes issues start lower down in the gut, and then peristalsis is affected, pressure would then build up and the whole gut does not work.

Found this paper on cystitis of interest. Although talking about gut influencing the bladder..the other end of the body, I guess a similar mechanism further up might affect the stomach as well.

healthunlocked.com/lupusuk/...

[MusicalFurbaby in reply to StriatedCaracara]

Hi SC, thanks for the link, will have a look. That’s interesting about pressure building up in the general area. I’m wondering about inflammation in the general area too. I had a barium swallow about 3-4 years ago which found nothing, so I’m guessing the hernia has developed since then. Goodness knows how long it’s been there!

Thanks for sharing your experience of a hernia, I understand that some are manageable with meds and some are so small they are asymptomatic! Hard to imagine right now…I nearly went to hospital again last night, I was in so much pain…but I guess my hernia has been ‘asymptomatic’ prior to this past month! All the best with your ‘gallstones’ and I hope you get some relief from the nausea soon…nausea is the worst…will keep you posted on how I go.

[KittyJones]

Hoping the surgery is a big success, sorry to hear about all you have been going through.

I think having lupus increases your chances substantially of experiencing problems with your gut - acid reflux and IBS, for example, are quite common problems among people with lupus. As well as problems caused through chronic inflammation, some medications for lupus can also cause problems with the gastro-intestinal tract.

Wishing you all the very best x

[MusicalFurbaby in reply to KittyJones]

Thank you KJ, yes I figured lupus could be at least partly to blame for inflammation in the general gut area. I don’t have reflux or IBS, but I do get bouts of gastro uite frequently, and I’m sensitive to certain foods. Thanks for replying x