Common Misdiagnoses of Habba Syndrome

Habba syndrome is a gallbladder disease which causes chronic diarrhea due to malfunction of the gallbladder. Typically, there are three or more bowel movements per day which are watery. They are not bloody and there is typically no pain involved. The condition causes physical weakness which may ultimately be fatal.

Chronic Diarrhea

While chronic diarrhea is a symptom of Habba Syndrome, it is also a symptom of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The difference is that IBS does not require that you eat for the diarrhea to occur; the Habba Syndrome occurs shortly after eating. Additionally, IBS is generally associated with pain while Habba is not. Fasting can relieve Habba, but has no effect on IBS. Because of the similarities, there can be confusion in the diagnosis of Habba, often diagnosing it as IBS. Most of the diarrhea associated with Habba occurs during the day and rarely at night.

Diagnosis

Misdiagnosis of Habba Syndrome is common and most often it is confused with IBS.  However, standard treatments for IBS do not work, but all too often doctors continue to look to intestinal disorders rather than to gallbladder dysfunction. There are significant differences that should indicate to physicians that the patient is not suffering from IBS.

• No cramping or pain
• Diarrhea only occurs after eating
• Gallbladder function is poor
• The patient is not responding to standard IBS treatments, but responds to bile-acid binding agents

Tests are simple for Habba, but physicians need to recognize and consider the possibility that the patient is not suffering from IBS or Crohn’s disease. They must also be attentive enough to check the function of the gallbladder and not just look to the intestinal tract for problems. The tests include blood work, X-rays and a colonoscopy.

Misdiagnosis or Late Diagnosis

Because of its similarities to IBS, misdiagnosis is not uncommon, and likewise neither is late diagnosis. The assumption that chronic diarrhea is IBS can be costly for the patient who does not respond to treatment for IBS. With only doing intestinal testing and disregarding tests for gallbladder dysfunction, the real problem and the proper diagnosis can be found much later than necessary. 

This can cause emotional problems, embarrassment, loss of weight as a result of not eating, and even death from the severely weakened condition. Once the syndrome is identified, the condition is treatable with the medication cholestyramine, a low risk drug with relatively few side effects.  The medication is very effective and can show positive results within a few days. Removal of the gallbladder is not a good option as symptoms often continue without the gallbladder present.

Legal Assistance

If you have had your gallbladder removed as treatment for Habba Syndrome, seek the assistance of an experienced malpractice attorney to consider an unnecessary surgery claim, or worse if the surgery resulted in death, injury or a worsened condition.