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Crohns, Gall Bladder & CCK Test in the A.M.

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 8/30/2007 7:58 PM (GMT -6)
Hey Guys & Gals...

Been a stressful month & I'll have to catch up on everyone when I get a chance to breath.

Question:  Had what I believe to be a gallbladder spasm attack about 10 days ago that sent me to the ER in the middle of the night.  ER ran a CT scan with no contrast or dye.  Results showed no stones.  GP scheduled a followup abdominal CT with contrast/dye and a CCK Padida test in the morning.  I understand that the CCK injection is supposed to envoke symptoms of a gallbladder attack/spasm as they are montoring the gallbladder function.  Yippee!  What the heck is in the CCK injection and does anyone else have any experience with this test?

Figure if it turns out to be a gallbladder problem that requires surgery....just yet another spare body part I'll have to give up!

Thanks in advance for any input!

Posted 8/31/2007 6:30 AM (GMT -6)
The standard test is to give you an IV infusion that simulates eating a fatty meal, which will trigger a spasm in your gall bladder as it tries to add appropriate digestive enzymes to your intestines. They take a series of snaps via Xray and calculate your "ejection fraction," which basically means how efficient your gall bladder is in emptying itself of the enzymes. If the EF is low -- say under 30 or 35% -- that is pretty much all they need to say the GB needs to come out, even in the absence of obvious stones. Sometimes gall bladders just get wimpy without stones and should be removed. And of course the incidence of gall bladder disease is elevated in females, in people over normal weight and in Crohn's patients.

Posted 8/31/2007 6:40 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Hope you make out alright with your test thank goodness surgery nowadays is so much simpler for that. Hope things are going good otherwise for you. lol gail
Posted 8/31/2007 1:16 PM (GMT -6)
To add to what MikeB said, CCK (cholecystokinin) is a hormone that triggers contraction of the gallbladder.

http://www.mcg.edu/radscape/CaseStudies/Jennifer_Fry/CCK%20Discussion.htm
Posted 8/31/2007 2:04 PM (GMT -6)
It's a good thing that they are doing this test, trust me! After my first GB attack the ultrasound should no stones either. So I went a year thinking it was okay. Nope! A year later I got another sever attack and sure enough this time they found stones. Had I did that test they would have caught it earlier and I would haven't suffered like I did. My GB was also very bad off since I waited so long.

Doesn't sound like a fun test I know (what was is these days though!). But I think it's one that's probably worth it if you do end up having a problem.
Posted 9/1/2007 8:27 AM (GMT -6)
Hi How'd it go . lol gail
Posted 9/1/2007 9:10 PM (GMT -6)
Hey Gail-

They must have seen something on the abdominal Ultrasound. The tech asked about halfway through which one of my doctors ordered the test. Then, when I got to the CCK test, they loaded me with contrast, did the scan, however, they did not give me the CCK as planned. Of course the techs can't tell you anything. Also, during the ultrasound they had another tech come sit in, watch & took notes? Not a student?! I have a follow up appt. with the dr. on Sept. 12th. As for now, just a little sore from all the manipulation.

Thanks again, everyone!
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