Gallbladder question

[kimluvswdw]

How do you know if you are having a problem with it? Where would the pain be and how bad? I may be having a problem with mine, but not sure.

My pain is like an ache about 3 inches to the right of my belly button and up to my ribcage. It also is in my side and around the back. I had my appendix out years ago. I went to the doctor but he said he didnt know what it was to come back in a month if it still bothered me.

Thanks for the help

 

[gregokdisney]

Sounds like it could be - the main symptom of my gallbladder problems was right upper quadrant pain. I'd have minor pain almost all the time, and then occasionally have severe attacks - hours of severe pain.

Have your doctor send you for an ultrasound of your gallbladder, but don't be surprised if gallstones aren't present. I had gallbladder disease for almost a year before an actual stone was visible. My primary care doctor said it couldn't be a gallbladder problem unless an stone was visible, but the surgeon who took out my gallbladder says that you can have pain and problems before a stone forms - it's called sludge.

Oh - eating foods high in fat worsens the gallbladder pain and can cause an attack - and even today, ten years after my gallbladder was taken out, a high fat meal can give me a lot of pain in that area - due to "sludge" in the common bile duct.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Sounds like it could be your gall bladder!

I had an attack on Oct. 10th. It must have been bad because when I went to the ER they admitted me and I had mine removed on Oct. 12th. I had never had an attack before!

Better get it checked out!

TC

 

[Ohiodislover]

I agree that it sounds like your gallbladder. Were you by chance, eating pork yesterday (being NYD)? That is what usually triggered mine.

Get it checked out. Mine was misdiagnosed as GERD in the ER, and then a year later I had an attack on Christmas Eve, and was in a different ER 3 weeks later having emergency surgery.

 

[curious3069]

When mine acted up, it was intense pain, bad enough to make a flying trip to the ER. After that it was more general discomfort 24 hours a day...kind of like you describe, an ache that just never goes away.

My Dr was like yours, not sure what it is, but if it doens't get better, come back. That lasted about a week and I was done waiting to see if it would get better. Good thing too, after pushing the issue and requesting additional tests, the hida scan (test that shows whether your gallbladder is emptying all the way) showed that my gallbladder wasn't functioning at all, something the surgeon had never seen.

It might be your gallbladder (sounds like the pain I was in too) or something else, but do get it checked out. No need to be in pain and discomfort!!!!!

 

[kimluvswdw]

Thanks for all the advice. My insurance does not start until Feb 2, but I am not sure what to do if the pain gets too bad. I am not sure if there is anything I can do. My husband said to go to the ER if it gets too bad because they can't refuse me treatment. We just moved to Florida and we have had to wait the 90 days until we can get on the company insurance.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Right side along the rib cage.

If you are trying to nurse it along then cut out the fats. Lay off the red meat and only eat chicken breast.

 

[Tuffcookie]

If insurance is the problem I would try to hang in there until you are covered. Watch your diet and keep it as low fat as you can! No fried foods!

TC

 

[gregokdisney]

Right side along the rib cage.

If you are trying to nurse it along then cut out the fats. Lay off the red meat and only eat chicken breast.

Totally agree with this - if you want to avoid an attack, eat a very low fat diet.

 

[JoyG]

Sounds like gallbladder to me.

Although my pain was more center, right under my breast bone. I couldn't schedule surgery for almost a month after finding out it was definitely my gallbladder.

I ate a very lowfat diet (and lost 13 pounds....yay me!) and was able to stay pain free until the surgery.

 

[krcit]

My first attack was bad pain in my back and just feeling 'bad'. I actually called my DH and had him come home because I thought I might be having a heart attack. It was horrible. I was just about to go to the hospital but decided to give it a few mre minutes and I fell asleep. Still felt 'off' the next day but much better. The following weekend after having pizza, it happened again but I was much calmer this time because I knew it wasn't a heart attack. Went to the Dr, had a u/s in which they saw stones but also something in my kidney so had to have a CAT scan and then an MRI before they would operate to make sure that there was nothing going on in my kidney. By the time I had the surgery, I was eating only plain chicken and rice and crasckers. Anything else would cause an attack. Feel better and I hope you can hang on until your insurance kicks in.

 

[lesroi]

Get it checked out. Mine was misdiagnosed as GERD in the ER, and then a year later I had an attack on Christmas Eve, and was in a different ER 3 weeks later having emergency surgery.

OMG, that could be ME writing!
I was mis-diagnosed with GERD in the ER earlier this year. (Even though I just KNEW it was my GB) Then on the 22nd I was at the ER again while out of town, where I enjoyed a lovely CT with contrast (Along with some pain medication that juuuuuust barely took the edge off.)
They discovered the gallstones at that time. I am hoping to be rid of this gallbladder by next month. Unfortunately, as the snowbirds are here in full force, and they no longer do "emergency" gallbladder surgery (WHY!?!?!? It hurts like an emergency!) the Dr. can't even get me in for the preliminary appointment.
Anyway, your pain sounds like gallbladder (TERRIBLE pain, RUQ around to the back and under the shoulder blade) Of course, it could be anything, so get thee to a Doctor!

Tracy

 

[Acklander]

I had the pain, center, just under the breastbone. It was pretty intense (I too, thought I was having a heart attack) and would get worse when I laid down. I opted NOT to have it removed and am doing just fine with a low fat diet. When it flairs up, I live on shrimp cocktail and rice until feeling better again, and then back to regular low fat diet. The worse thing for me was potato chips

 

[ORMom2Four]

I had pain in the same area off and on for about 3 years, and finally had what I called an "attack" this past August. THe pain was so bad that I woke Dh at 3am and we went to the hospital. I was throwing up from the intense pain and they had to give me morphine just to get it under control.

Haven't had an attack since then, and though sugery was recommended, I still haven't had it because we found out shortly afterwards that we were pregnant.

Try to change your eating to see what's causing the pain. My attack was caused by eating way to many homemade stuffed jalapenos

 

[erincon23]

When I was 6 months pregnant with my now-DS17, I had a major attack that I thought was early labor. I actually drove myself to the hospital (30-40 minutes away). They did a higher-level ultrasound and determined that it was gallbladder (quite a relief that it wasn't early labor). The doctor recommended that I have it out right after I delivered, but I didn't. I didn't have another attack for 13 years, and then had several over the course of a few months. Some were fairly mild, and one, I remember, had me wishing for death, and I've had nothing for 2 or 3 years. But I still haven't had it out. If you've done a really low fat diet plan, like Jenny Craig, that could have caused it (the gallbladder needs some fat to work, but I agree with PPs -- lower fat diets can help control it). Popcorn shrimp seemed to be a trigger for me several years ago -- don't know why, but I can eat it now without trouble.

The only thing I found that helped when I was having attacks was to lay flat on my back and press down on the area --for me it was left side, right under my breast. And remember that Lamaze breathing. The surgery nowadays is supposed to be fairly simple, but you really don't want to pay for it yourself if you can hold out for a month. Good luck! I'll hope you don't have another attack until you get insurance!

Erin

 

[Mad4Mickey]

Just out of the Hospital on Thursday from my gallbladder removal, I feel for you

I thought I was having a mild stroke ! My DH is a Paramedic and knew that it was a gallbladder attack .

I put off having the surgery for almost a year , after 3 trips to the ER in the last 6 months I gave in planned it for last week and had it torn from my body.
Lost 9 lbs the 1st week of waiting and eating only broth !

My gall stone turned out to be 3 golf ball sized stones , and my day surgery turned into a 2 nights 3 day stay .


It is really painful! I remember thinking that only childbirth could hurt that much

 

[jlmarr]

Low fat diet, you say? Not even sure what that would be, but it sounds like I should find out.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Sounds like it could be your gallbladder. I had mine out 5 years ago.

For me, the pain was right between my shoulder blades in my back where your chest is. The best wasy to describe it was that it felt like my bones were grating against each other. Fun, right? When I first went to the ER, they said I strained my chest from throwing up as I'd recently had the flu. Sent me home. Then 2 weeks later I was literally doubled over and rolling on the bed. DH called an ambulance and they took me straight to the ER. When I got there, the dr. asked me if I still had my appendix (I did) and then felt around my gallbladder area. I screamed in pain and she gave me some nifty pain killers. I was taken for an emergency ultrasound where they find tons of stones and a large one in the duct coming out of my gallbladder. That's why it was so painful, the dr. said my gallbladder was contracting like crazy to squeeze the stone out but it was stuck. Next thing I knew they said I was an emergency because my eyes started to turn yellow from the back up of bile apparently. After the surgery, the pain was gone! It was so wonderful. So, I'd definitely keep on eye on it. If the pain worsens, go to the ER. I know you're waiting for the insurance but you don't want to make it an emergency situation. Good luck!

 

[HelenePA]

This is the #1 reason I REALLY dont want anymore kids! (and 4 is enough anyway) I only had attacks during my last pregnancy. I actually thought the pain I was having was from an old car accident I was in.. Then I noticed a pattern anytime I ate pizza or eggs I would get this pain that felt like my back was being ripped in half. Nothing would easy it.. I got a script from my dr after begging crying and pleading for something for Tylenol with codeine which did nothing but help me sleep! I would stand in the shower for hours with the water as hot as I could handle it helped ease the pain a bit.. oh god.. unless you've had one of these attacks no one would understand that pain! Natural childbirth was in fact less painful.

 

[lizbaby007]

I have had pain center under ribcage for the past year and a half. It causes a lot of difficulty with my breathing. I had a CT scan done on GB 1 year ago. Came back clean. I went back to my Gastro 6 months ago with the same pain. He did some more tests including something called a HIDA scan. Come to find out that although I do not have any gallstones (which is the cause of most gallbladder attacks) mine only functions at 3%. He said basically it would become even more stiff over time and almost calcified like, yech! So the recommendation is to have my gallbladder out.

I have not made a decision on whether or not I actually will. I have found ways to control the pain and only have the occasional flair up now. Unfortunately I also have Thyroid problems and one way to control the gallbladder pain is to skip my Thyroid medicine which does not make my endo happy. Hopefully I will get it figured out sometime this year