Do I Have Bile Reflux?

Do you have an upper abdominal pain that may be severe?

Do you have a frequent heartburn (a burning sensation in your chest that sometimes spreads to your throat, along with a sour taste in your mouth)?

Do you have a burning sensation in your stomach?

Do you have nausea and vomiting?

Do you vomit a greenish-yellow fluid (bile)?

Do you have an occasional cough or hoarseness?

Have you lose weight unintentionally?

Do you have a diagnosis of peptic ulcer or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)?

Did you have a gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) or a gastric bypass surgery?

Do you smoke or drink heavily?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have bile reflux. Bile reflux is a medical condition in which bile flows upward from the duodenum into the stomach. Bile is a greenish-yellow fluid created by your liver and stored in the gallbladder. When you eat food that contains fat, bile is released from the gallbladder and comes to the duodenum where it mixes with food. There is a valve between the stomach and the duodenum that opens briefly and lets only a small amount of food into the duodenum. When this valve is weakened, bile can return from the duodenum into the stomach.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have bile reflux. Bile reflux refers to a medical condition in which the bile flows in a direction opposite to normal. Bile has an important role in digesting fats, and every time you eat something fatty the bile is released into a part of the small intestine called the duodenum. If bile from the duodenum goes into the stomach, symptoms of bile reflux occur. Bile reflux often occurs along with acid reflux. Your doctor may diagnose a reflux problem based on your symptoms, but distinguishing between bile reflux and acid reflux can be challenging and requires additional testing.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have bile reflux. Bile reflux is a medical condition that refers to the retrograde movement of bile into the stomach. Bile reflux usually occurs when the valves that control the transport of food from the esophagus to the stomach and then to the duodenum are damaged. Bile reflux is common in people with peptic ulcer, in those who have had their gallbladder removed or who have had stomach surgery. However, bile reflux can also be found in people without prior gastric surgery and is called "primary bile reflux." Bile reflux can be treated with medication and surgery.