Endoscopy Pill Stuck

Hi,

I'm looking for some advice / confirmation. I am mid forties, diagnosed about 30. Have been taking Pentasa and 6MP. I recently took the Endoscopy Camera Pill. I had taken the Patency or test pill and it indicated that it passed through the system thus making the camera pill safe or so we thought. After a month or so I finally got around to the follow up xray and to my complete surprise the camera pill is lodged at the illeum. I continue to have no out of the ordinary symptoms, but now that I am aware the pill is stuck of course I feel every twinge and wonder if it is normal or the pill. Options given to me currently are a step by step approach. First we are hitting the prednisone in hopes that the passage opens. If that does not work, doing a prep next week to purge. I am not confident in either. Third option is as I'm told similar to a colonoscopy with the exception that you enter the small bowel and retrieve the pill. I have slightly more confidence there, but am unaware of anyone who has gone through it. Next option to double balloon with the oral snake. Next option surgery. I am scheduled to travel out of the country late November and if it comes down to the last option I would like to have it done when I return early December. I have read where these things have been lodged safely in the system for up to 2.5 years. Can anyone comment on the wisdom of this plan? What are the odds anything goes wrong etc... and will I be tripping up the TSA? If it does come down to the last option is this a laproscopic procedure or full blown out of commission for months? I've never had a surgery and am concerned to be mild that this will be my only option. Has anyone gone through this and if so, please give me your expereince as I'm obsessing on the path to take. Thanks.

I once had the camera pill and my doctor sent me for follow up xrays each day after ingesting it, untill it was out of me. He explained that incaase it did get stuck that the best procedure depending on where it was stuck was to either go in endoscopically or through a double balloon procedure. He never mentioned surgery for removing it incase it got stuck. I am not allowed to take the camera pill again because it was a waste for me. The camera turned off before it got to my problem areas.

I just went throught this test twice and both times the pill got stuck. So, easiest way to figure it out is to go in laprascopically. I am scheduled for surgery next friday where they will try and retrive the pill along with clear the block or just remove the diseased intestines. I wish you luck in you endevors!

Hi Dutch and :welcome:

I can't answer your questions but if it were me I would probably try the other options and only go to surgery if they failed. Good luck with the decisions you need to make and welcome aboard!

Please keep us updated!!

Take care,
Dusty

Hi Dutch
and welcome

I have no experience of this, sorry
but good luck on your decision! and come back and let us know how you got on
lotsa luv
Joan xxx

Awe Geez. I'm sorry that this has happened to you. I wish I had not found this post because I'm probably going to have to swallow a camera myself. They are doing an x-ray first to make sure that I do not have any "kinks" in my upper intestine. But with my luck, the pill will get stuck anyway.

Is it hard to swallow? How big is the camera pill? If it were me (and I did not have these painful open wounds near my anus) I would do the bowl prep to get it out.

Hi: So sorry the pill cam is stuck! I've been through the procedure that you mention that is like a colonscopy except they can enter the small intestine (it's called a double balloon colonoscopy). It takes longer than a regular colonoscopy but otherwise is fairly similar -- same prep, same low risks, but heavier sedation (I had general anaesthesia). I felt very confident in undergoing this procedure and the only after-effect was feeling like the GI had fished around a lot in my small intestines (this is because there was lots of inflammation that he had to work through). Hope this helps!

Hi All,

Thanks for your posts. After 40mg prednisone per day for over a week and one very ugly 36 hours of laxatives I have a clear xray. An incredibly stressful time, and I still can't believe it eventually pushed out.

BLM, please let me know how your surgery winds up. I still think my diseased area will eventually lead me to where you are. I wish you all the best as your date nears.

Mia Butta said:

Is it hard to swallow? How big is the camera pill?

Click to expand...

Mia - It's not that big. Think large vitamin. See my post in the thread http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?p=221833#post221833 for a picture of a pill cam next to a generic extra strength Tylenol capsule.

Pillcam is stuck

Hi all. Yesterday my NEW GI doc spoke with me about Humira and as he looked at my xrays and test results from Dr. Doolittle, he suggested I may not have Crohns. Humira is in the fridge --ON HOLD FOR NOW. This was good news although I have learned to only rely on tests because I have been disappointed before from Dr. casual comments. So....new tests coming including a Crohns test (??? duh???), immune system test, and liver/gallbladder tests --- AND a test to make sure camera pill is OUT.

Xray came back today - camera pill definitely stuck! It was very helpful to read all the options above --- if it weren't for this group, I would never have found the new GI who I initially approached to ask about innoculation options before starting Humira. I have found a good physician finally so I hope the camera issue is resolved easily. And I'm hoping the strictures I have are not from Crohns but from aspirin abuse for 20 years which could be a player. If it is Crohns, I didn't see ulcers near the strictures photos so I will be greatful for that. Thank you group!

I currently have a pill cam stuck in the terminal ileum. It has been there since April. We tried pred with no luck and then just waited. Now the Doc wants to do surgery. There was never any discussion of double balloon colonoscopy. He wants to remove a 12 inch stricture in the same area anyway. I am a bit resistant at this point. I had twenty inches of ileum removed 30 years ago and my bladder repaired from were the ileum communicated with the bladder and a fistula formed. My surgeon is concerned about the prior surgery. She said the operation could make me feel better, worse or the same. She might be able to do it laparoscopically or maybe need to cut me wide open like they did with the first surgery.I have had constant pain in my left side and around to the back since shortly after swallowing the damn thing.

That's what I think might be waiting for me. I have little sensations here and there --- a pin prick -- a pulling feeling when I sretch in a direction....a little sore spot. Who knows where the darn thing is? Small bowel followthru will tell all. Obviously there is a tight stricture there and it's jammed near that....I'm thinking if they have to go in, might as well do a strictureplasty on that bad spot...but who am I? Just a mere patient. Are you a candidate for strictureplasty your bad area?

Afterthought --- if it's in the terminal illeum, can't they go in with a scope thru the large bowel? Cause I was actually hoping for that area. (or is that the same as the double balloon thing you mentioned?"

From the little bit of research I have done, it sounds like they can get to it with a scope.

That's good. I am hoping same for me - it's been a month - and my new GI found it -- old GI didn't care. I read in Great Britain they do a dummy pill first - if it gets stuck, it just dissolves. I think they must have better care over there eh? We had plans to go away for a week until I found out about this. I'm afraid it will shift and block my bowel and I don't want to be 800 miles away from home if that goes down. So we have cancelled our vacation. Disappointed - but I just want-it-out!

I had an attack of some kind right after the camera pill test....we once again were out of town. It was a horrible experience -- got some pain pills called in and felt better within a few days. Now that I know about the issue, I suspect it was that.

After years of stomach problems, several doctors, medicine etc. and hearing that my problems were probably a result of the radiation I had 20 years ago I was finally sent to a GI doctor. Once again, more medicine, x-rays and send home to try meds and call if I dont notice any improvment. Back I go still having issues, next suggestion is colonoscopy. Three attemps at that not even a pediatric scope would pass due to strictures, Next suggestion is pill cam. Go in swallow pill, four days later it still had not passed, stomach pain, vomitting, and back pain. Off to emergency room, x-rays and sent out of town to surgeon. The blood supply had been cut off from pill cam getting stuck in a stricture and ended up having large intestine, part of small and and iliostomy. A month and half later back to er with pain and vomitting. Closed loop in small intestine. Now recovering.... be VERY careful when considering this pill

Wow. I had no idea how serious it could be. I am very lucky because it ejected after I had the intravenous medicine for the HIDA scan. My GI told me they can "eat thru your bowel" sometimes so I am so thankful. I too had an "attack" of terrible pain that lasted for a few days --- they put me on Tramadol as I was out of town. But my former GI never considered the pillcam even though I said I didn't feel well since the exam. Current GI had a brain. He has told me "No more pill cam for you!!" Thanks for sharing.

You are very lucky I am 45 and now have the life of living with an iliostomy the rest of my life due to the fact that what is left is probably not going to allow me to have a reversal. I wish I would have researched a little more before doing this. Lesson learned.

I am surprised that they encountered issues with severe stricturing and still gave you the pillcam. I've had a similar horror story so I feel your pain. My physician diagnosed me incorrectly with Crohns......and put me on Humira. Just before I started the injections to dismantle my immune system, I went to a Humira expert who said...Crohns? I don't think so....I was fortunate to give away $1000 worth of unused Humira injections to someone needy. Close call on that one too.

Best of luck to you. Keep faith that there are advances in medicine all the time and you at least have your health and in fact, your life. Other's who are victims of medical mistakes are not as lucky as you and I, eh?