back pain after gall bladder removal

I had my galbladder out just last week. They had me on HEAVYDUITY pain killers "dilotted" i believe and i felt no pain at all for the first week.......then the pain meds ran out.........my stomach and chest feel fine but my mid back is killing me! I went to ER and they said it was constipation or digestion issues but im not constipated. im now taking 2,000mg of tylenol every 3 hours and it barely scratches the surface of the pain. i went to my post op with my surgeon and he told me to just take tylenol and i would be fine..........how can doctors call this fine! im a 24year old Marine! i've been shot......stabbed.....set on fire........blown up........i can handle pain........but this wont stop no matter what i do, i can barely walk to the bathroom with the pain.............almost thinking i should have kept my galbladder :-(

lunajam wrote:

:cry:
I think that i have had the worst experience with this surgery. This has been a nightmare and it just keeps getting worst.
I had my GB removed in April, it is now Aug. I have bad back pain that just doesnt want to go away. It started about to two weeks after surgery. Ive had Xrays, CT scan, 2 MRIs done and they cant find anything wrong. IM GOING CRAZY. dont know what to do. I was told that i mmmwould be out of work for 2 weeks. WE ARE GOING ON 5 MONTHS. Has anyone seen/heard of anything like this.........

Quote:

posted 9.3.2010. You think yours was bad l had my operation 2 years ago. I had open surgery when l woke up the pain was horrendous, they tol me to press pump with green light for morphine, then went onto ward. The pain was worse than me having kids. I was all weekend in agony then on the sunday then pain relieve doctor came round to check my pain relieve, the pump was completly broke so l was getting no medication, the bag l had on to drain the fluid was full all the time, after 5 days in agony i was sent home even though the fluid was still draining, 1 week later l was rushed back into hospital , when the surgery was first done the surgeon had CUT another tube or pipe etc, and this was draining into my stomach my left side had swelled up the pain was terriable. By now l was taking 30mg of very very strong painkillers oxiconte l was taking them like dolly mixtures. The surgeon would not say he had balls'd it up, so he said every body has a bile duct, but 1% of people have 2 , and l was that 1%. Where he had cut the gall bladder out he'd stitched one bile duct up but left other wide open. It was'nt that it was total neglect. So much so when they drained the othe rbile duct of the surgeon came and held my hand. 2 years on and my scar is still very very tender to touch :( and the pain is still there. So you are not on your own, l have now got to go back and get this pain sorted out and I'm terrified.xxx CB

I had my gallbladder removed in 2000 and still I sometimes experience the pain that I felt before I had it removed. I don't understand why I still have this pain since I have no gallbladder, but just thought that I would post something that helps take the pain away for me. I drink a couple tablespoons of maalox and it takes the pain away after a few minutes. I don't understand why this works, but I am comforted knowing that there is something out there that I can keep at home just in case.

HI I HAD MY GB TAKE OUT 11 MONTHS AGO. I STILL HAVE ALL KINDS OF PAIN.THEY GIVE ME ALL KINDS OF PAIN KILLER. SOMETIME MY STOMACH HURT WERE MY GB SUPPOSE TO BE. I STILL CAN NOT EAT HOT OR FRIED FOODS. IM HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE HOSPTIAL SENT MY SURGERY.

did anyone get a solution.. I am having terrible pain in my back ..I get relief only when I release out all gas from my stomach by farting hard or going to the restroom ?...any solution people..please answer..

I came upon this site because I think I am having a gallbladder attack. In reading some post I remembered my Grandmother having her GB removed and several years later having surgery and removing more stones. So I think you guys should go have test or scan to see if you still have stones somewhere blocking some ducts causing the same pain before your surgeries. Sure hope I don't need surgery. I have also read there are some natural remedies for GB attacks.

Hi everyone, ok --- lets see if we can resolve this problem once and for all shall we?

I know everyones case is a bit different, and everyones health was different pre-surgery and we're all have different pre-existing stuff we might not have known about or what have you -- but lets see if we can figure this one out to the best of our knowledge. I just finished reading every single post from the beginning of this thread to this point and I want to give you a re-cap of what is happening to me.

I am a 28 year old male, and I just finished having gallbladder removal surgery 5 days ago. Before hand I was in good shape, Im 5'10, ate right, (sandwiches, veggies, fruits, no junk food, no soda, do not drink, no not smoke) and was at 21 BMI (mid-normal range) I did not have any pre-existing condition, nor did I have any previous surgeries. I noticed pain and had a few attacks on my right side a few months before and after tests they found that I had multiple gallstones in my gallbladder -- which is hereditary in my family. I also had lost approx. 55-60 lbs in the several months beforehand because I had started to get a belly and so I put a stop to that by exercising and eating right. -- However, a few months ago I noticed the gallstone pain - so I had it checked out and well --- fast forward to 4 days ago - I have it removed.

Later that day, I wake up and am in pain (on a scale of 1-10 I was about an 8) but was hooked up through IV so I received medication through that. Later that night I was released (my pain was down to about a 4) and they gave me vicodin for pain. I rested that night and did not (and have not) taken any vicodin. I didnt feel as though I needed it because I felt as hours and days went on, the pain from my side was improving.

HOWEVER -- the 2nd day I noticed that my stomach was still very bloated from having the air they pumped into me from the surgery, (I almost looked pregnant!) so I looked everywhere online, reading forums and questions about it, and I came to the conclusion that most people after doing easy exercises that "release gas" help. So I did that, I did squats, duck walks, walking around the couch, and other exercises that I could do without straining myself or putting myself in pain since it was still the 2nd day. I however did feel a lot better so I was able to walk around and do stuff, I ate light stuff, like water, gatorade, jello, watermelon, cream of wheat, crackers, and light sandwiches (bread/lean turkey slices/lettuce).

So far no nausea, or pain, or discomfort really -- the bloating has gone down tremendously as days go by and my stomach is almost back to normal.

NOW FOR THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION ---
Do I have back pain post-gallbladder-removal-surgery?

Yes, I started to notice the "burning" / "weirdness" sensation in my upper-back area right between my shoulder-blades on the end of my 3rd day. Yesterday I noticed it off and on throughout the day, wether I was sitting down or sitting up. If I sit down at my computer I have to look down slightly (SLIGHTLY) but if I stay in that position for 10 min or so I feel the weird pain between my shoulders, and if I stand up and stay in that position for a while I feel it, and if I lay down I feel a LITTLE better but if I really focus on it, I can feel it still there sometimes. The only real position I can be in that I found is comfortable is a reclined position for my back and body, (like in an EZ Boy chair)

Now mind you -- I am still feeling overall better from the surgery pain -- but the back-pain is now coming to become more dominant in my healing process. Today, when I woke up I felt perfectly normal. I thought the back pain was gone but as the hours went on I noticed it started to come back. Now that it is evening time and I am about to go to bed its just there and I cant seem to understand why. I have not done anything strenuous nor have I eaten anything greasy, oily, fatty or anything of the sort -- just the foods I listed above.

I read this forum as well as others and noted that one of the most common responses from doctors post-op about this back pain is:

1) that its "trapped air" from the surgery. But after reading everyones submission even MONTHS afterwards I am not quite sure that is the case. I am HOPING thats all it is and with due time it goes away for me, but after reading everyones post I'm starting to have doubts -- but HOPE.

and

2) that it could be "stuck bile stones" that were left behind that is trapped in the passage-ways near the where the gallbladder was thats causing the weird sensation and pain to be near the back.

I have a post-op appointment with my surgeon in 2 days, so I will continue to monitor my health and inform him of this thread and what I feel. As soon as I get some answers I will report back and give all the important details of what it could be. This thread has been going on for 3+ years and no one has any answers yet -- I hope I can help others by using myself as an example.

I bookmarked this website to make sure I do not forget to update with any new news, any other details and remedies and facts about yourself/your diet/your symptoms/pre-existing conditions will help others so be sure to be very detailed with your posts! I know its a lot and people want just quick simple answers since everyone seems to be getting the run-around but let's try to put our heads together on this one - if theres anyplace on the internet that would have the answer first about this mysterious back pain problem after gallbladder surgery - it would be this one.

the 8) is really an eight. sorry about that -- formatting was weird.

just wanted to follow up from the other day, I did go to the post-op appointment with my surgeon and explained the back problem in detail and he confirmed it was trapped gas from the surgery when they inflated my stomach with gas. He says that a lot of walking and light exercise should do the trick, he also mentioned to try blowing into a balloon a lot since that would make my lungs expand and breathe out the excess gas I might have. It is now the following day of my post-op appointment and I do feel some relief, the discomfort in the back is still there from time to time if I sit in a certain position for a while but overall it is subsiding (although very gradually). So I plan on doing the following things today to try and rid the discomfort and see what works.

I will be trying the following today:

- Walking for a couple hours
- Blowing into a Balloon
- Drinking Ginger Ale
- Getting a Back Massage


I will report back my findings afterwards.

iFeelYourPain28 - I am anxiously awaiting your reply. I am on recovery Day 5 and feeling the same upper back pain that so many have mentioned.

My incisions are healing well and I really only take one or 2 Advil a day now just if I've done too much. Feeling very good actually except for the back pain of course. I do not have a post-op appointment until the 6 week mark. I was suprised at that. I don't have stitched just steri strips that I take off myself at Day 10.

I was told I can eat what I want except the actual day I got home although I do find the less greasy, the better my stomach handles it. I have never had a good stomach or bowels anyway so this is nothing new for me.

Anxious to see if any of that helps with the upper back pain. May try some of it myself.

-Melissa (Surgery May 27, 2010)

I am going to reply now to my above post as I am now on Day 8 after surgery and back at work since Day 6. (I sit in an officce chair)

I found the replys helpful on here except that no one replied that they were well with no problems. I guess those people are not searching online for answers. So I thought that now that I am feeling better, I would keep updating.

Steri strips still on, well kind of. They are slowly peeling off at the edges. Can't wait for Day 10 so I can take them off and have a bath.

I have to say that the back pain or burning or somethign stuck in your troat feeling, whatever that wired pain is, has now disapated. I find that it is gas that can not escape and if I stand up and start walking or even swithch positions in my chair I tend to burp and the pain wil subside. Very wierd feeling but my discomfort is manageable.

Pain with incisions is gone except when I sneeze or cough. Then it's a little tender on the inside. For women, wearing a bra is a pain in the butt with that top incision. Mine tends to rub the stri strip and stick to it. Not pleasant. Don't wear anything big and fancy.

As far as my stomach with food, not too bad. I find some things are ify but most is ok. Back to morning coffees thank goodness.

-Melissa (Surgery May 27, 2010)

All of the above too. Thankfully found others with these awful symptoms and able to perhaps learn a few remedies. 3 years since the keyhole for BG removal and suffered every day since.

Prior to that for 6 months the pain was unbearable after eating anything slightly fatty. 4 hours after the meal and woh!.. I was told by a nurse that the pain compared to giving birth! I'm a male so I cannot compare! So this was the decider for the surgery, and I deeply regret it ever since.

Irritable bowel doesn't help since I have suffered with this since very young and it just seems to have amplified it. I think IBS is more common than I think. Gas is a BIG issue with a lot of pain since it puts pressure in places, particularly nerves and may cause a shoulder tip type pain as with post surgery and the issues with the Co2. Most attacks include both flatulence and burping but I can't say it relieves it completely, I live with it every day, and most of all constipation also. I can never seem to find a reliable remedy.

Trevor
Male:6'2":53:101kg:UK

My daughter-in-law is having this same problem and has had since her surgery about 4-5 years ago. I went online and wanted to share with everyone what I found. I pray it helps.

Question
I had my gallbladder taken out five years ago and I still get pain on my right side under my ribs. I have had all kinds of tests done and they can't find anything. If I eat fatty foods, chocolate, sauces and so on, I get the pain about twenty minutes later.
Answer
Unfortunately, you have developed a fairly common problem after gallbladder removal - that of recurrent right-sided abdominal pain. This is known as the Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome. Patients with this problem tend to have a recurrence of their original pain, or a variation of it, after the gallbladder has been removed surgically. There are many theories to explain why this occurs. The most likely reason is that the original pain had nothing to do with the gallbladder in the first place. Often patients see a physician for right-sided upper abdominal pain and the diagnosis of gallbladder disease is made just on the basis of seeing stones on an ultrasound. The problem with this approach is that many people can have gallstones without symptoms, and not all right-sided pain relates to the gallbladder. Before attributing such pain to gallstones, a proper history must be obtained and this must correlate with the results of studies done that support the gallbladder as the cause of the symptoms.
Another cause of recurrent pain is a different problem in the bile ducts. The gallbladder is just one component of the bile duct system that drains the liver. Stones can also occur, or pass into the other bile ducts, and the sphincter (valve) that regulates bile flow into the intestinal tract can also be too tight. Any of these problems can cause pain that is indistinguishable from gallbladder pain. Finally, there are other diseases that can occur after gallbladder surgery that are unrelated to the surgery and that can lead to right-sided pain. These include rib or chest wall inflammation, peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and others.
You should visit a gastroenterologist to get a full evaluation, to determine what is causing your pain. Additional tests (such as blood tests, a CT scan, ultrasound, or even endoscopy) may be needed to make the correct diagnosis - then the proper therapy can be prescribed.

I had my Gallbladder surgery approximately 3 years ago. I don't feel any better at all. I have had constant pain; as if I still have my Gallbladder with the gallstones. The last few months I has gotten worse. Sometimes it even hurts to breath or turn a certain way. I can't lay on my right side I have lost 40 pounds since the surgery and have changed my diet drastically. I don't know what to do and I definetly understand that all of you that have written about your situation has pretty much been going through the same thing that I am going through and it doesn't seem to get better. I thought about going to a health food store to see about doing a master cleanse for all the major organs in my body and doing some kind a juice diet for a few days to see if I can just get some relief and see if I can get my body cleansed of all toxins. I live on pain pills to deal with all the pain and I know that this isn't good for me or for my organs; but I have to work and it's the only way that I can. I have not told any one how bad I feel or the pain that I am in on a daily basis; I just suck it up and go to work and hope that I have a good day. I have wanted to go to the emergency room the last 3 days because of the pain; but I feel like they will end up telling me that nothing is wrong; just like all of you get told that they can't find anything wrong. I also have been diagnosed with IBS and that makes life even harder. I have gotten to the point that I am afriad to eat anything because how my body reacts to food. It's become the enemy and so I am on a lot of liquids. If anyone out their has any answers or idea's on what any of us can do to feel better and to live some kind of normal life please feel free to share any information with me. My email address is ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed **
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and I am open to hearing anything at this point.

Thank you,
InPain24/7
Kathleen

I just had my gall bladder taken out 3 days ago on the 1st March 2011. Today I started getting pain in my back towards the right side and kind of around my shoulder blade! Everytime I would twist my head or have my head straight it would be like a stabbing pain, it didnt feel normal at all! Also I have pains in my wrists! Feels like arthritis, even though I dont know what that feels like! Im only 19! But I took a codeine for the back pain and thats seemed to have settled down (for now). I didnt know there were so many complications after this surgery! My surgeon only told me a few things and one was that bile could leak from the liver... Does anyone have the same pain? I cant even lie down properly, I have to find a right position where my back is not affected! I cant even look after my 9month old son because I cant lift him due to the pain! Please help any suggestions??