Henry, Did you ever have your gallbladder removed? If so, Did it help? I have been having the same simptoms you had and I also had a Hida scan . My results came back with a very low ejection fraction of 5%. My doctor and surgeon do not recomend removing the gallbladder at this time. I am suffering really bad. Please let me know how your turn out was. Thanks!
Laura
Laura
Hi All... Thank you for all of the posts. They've all helped me in making my decision.
I had a hida scan done two years ago that showed an EF of 8%. My sister who is an RNFA (RN first assistant in surgery) said I needed my gall bladder out. I've been putting it off hoping to find a holistic approach. Avoiding onions worked for a very long time, but now I'm experiencing pain/gas regardless of avoiding high fat foods and onions.
My mother had her gall bladder removed two months ago and my sister mentioned me to the surgeon. He smiled and said when she's had enough pain she'll call me. Needless to say I think I'll be giving him a call. I'm tired of feeling like c**p.
I had a hida scan done two years ago that showed an EF of 8%. My sister who is an RNFA (RN first assistant in surgery) said I needed my gall bladder out. I've been putting it off hoping to find a holistic approach. Avoiding onions worked for a very long time, but now I'm experiencing pain/gas regardless of avoiding high fat foods and onions.
My mother had her gall bladder removed two months ago and my sister mentioned me to the surgeon. He smiled and said when she's had enough pain she'll call me. Needless to say I think I'll be giving him a call. I'm tired of feeling like c**p.
so i am 24 with two little girls, i had a hida scan this morning, they called this after noon i was 9% i am so scared,ive had surgury before but it just seems to me after reading all the comments you can't really eat much after it's gone... please tell me some stuff you can eat after surgury? and how long does it take? is it a day surgury or do you have to stay over night? thanks
I had been having problems for over a year. I had all the test done they all came back normal a year ago. Last week I was so sick vomiting and couldn't eat. My drs admitted me to the hospital and ran all the test again...HIDA scan came back 19%...had my gallbladder out last Friday....It was the best thing I could have done......I have more energy....stopped belching....don't hurt. I am so glad I had it done....wish it didn't take so long to figure it out.
Thank you for posting this.
I was the guest who posted on 2/4/10. I went to the surgeon today and I am scheduled for surgery on 2/26. But I get back to my office then read about the PA Dem Rep who passed away due to complications from gall bladder surgery. I am back to being scared and not wanting to have the surgery.
I was the guest who posted on 2/4/10. I went to the surgeon today and I am scheduled for surgery on 2/26. But I get back to my office then read about the PA Dem Rep who passed away due to complications from gall bladder surgery. I am back to being scared and not wanting to have the surgery.
I have been having the same issues and am finally scheduled for surgery on 2/15. I had all the tests - ultrasounds, colonscopy, Upper Gi, Cat Scan, rounds and rounds of bloodork and also X-rays. All came back with nothing. Finally I was scheduled for a HIDA Scan on 1/25. That test finally showed a result and my gallbladder has a 0% ejection rate. No wonder I have been in constant pain for months now!!!!
I have only six more days and this is all over for me. I'm not even worried about the recovery since I have dealt with gastro issues for years (gastritis, IBS.. polyps). I think I can handle anything thrown my way after all of the pain this gallbladder has caused me. Maybe I am being naive, but I have to stay positive about this surgery and recovery. At first the doctors were hesitant to say it was my gallbladder since I am also having horrible pain on my left side, but I kept insisting it was my gallbladder! Even though we are not doctors I really do believe that we do know our own bodies better than anyone! I still think the pain on the left side is a result of the gallbladder not working at all. I do not seem to have any gallstones, just gallbladder disease. Since the start of this (I have been really sick since September 2009) I have found out there are 5 people on my mom's side and 3 on my dad's who all had issues with gallstones or gallbladder disease. So I was doomed from birth!! :-)
Surger_freese - please don't worry about the man who died from complications. Keep in mind he was 77 years old and older age is always going to be a complication with any surgery. I am 33 and otherwise I am a very healthy person. I eat right and don't have too much caffeine or fatty foods (I used to in my younger days, but have eaten very good for a few years now). I think just the thought of feeling like a normal person again is enough to make me get over any fears I may have had about the surgery.
Good luck to you and anyone out there suffering. I know it is strange, but I am almost excited about surgery just because I know that relief is in site.
I have only six more days and this is all over for me. I'm not even worried about the recovery since I have dealt with gastro issues for years (gastritis, IBS.. polyps). I think I can handle anything thrown my way after all of the pain this gallbladder has caused me. Maybe I am being naive, but I have to stay positive about this surgery and recovery. At first the doctors were hesitant to say it was my gallbladder since I am also having horrible pain on my left side, but I kept insisting it was my gallbladder! Even though we are not doctors I really do believe that we do know our own bodies better than anyone! I still think the pain on the left side is a result of the gallbladder not working at all. I do not seem to have any gallstones, just gallbladder disease. Since the start of this (I have been really sick since September 2009) I have found out there are 5 people on my mom's side and 3 on my dad's who all had issues with gallstones or gallbladder disease. So I was doomed from birth!! :-)
Surger_freese - please don't worry about the man who died from complications. Keep in mind he was 77 years old and older age is always going to be a complication with any surgery. I am 33 and otherwise I am a very healthy person. I eat right and don't have too much caffeine or fatty foods (I used to in my younger days, but have eaten very good for a few years now). I think just the thought of feeling like a normal person again is enough to make me get over any fears I may have had about the surgery.
Good luck to you and anyone out there suffering. I know it is strange, but I am almost excited about surgery just because I know that relief is in site.
Hi everyone I am so glad to find this site, I have been having problem with pain in the abdomen since I had my daughter two years ago. I have a severe muscle separation of the abdominal walls so I thought all my pain was related to that. I have been so miserable and bloated my husband finally got me to go to a dr about it. Dr found out I had a hernia and it needed to be repaired when I told him about the pain located below my sternum and the feeling of fullness he wanted to check my gallbladder before he did the hernia repair so he could do it all in the same surgery. I just got a call back advising me my test came back 9% and that it should be taken out. I too am worried about the complications but after finding this out and realizing how crappy I have been feeling is all related, its worth it I am miserable and nauseated all the time its got to be worth it to feel better. Thanks everyone for your input its good to know I am not alone.
Hello, I'm glad I found this site, too. Just so everone knows, the reference value for NORMAL gallbladder ejection fraction (EF) is greater than 35%. Mine is 15% and gallbladder removal (cholescystemy) is recommended. I don't know how those of you with 0% or 5% have managed your symptoms!
My story is that I have had almost no pain. My primary symptoms have been nausea and vomiting which have been constant since January 1st although I also had a bout of symptoms 18 months ago that resolved. There was one day a couple of weeks ago, though, when I woke up with such severe vomiting and generalized abdominal pain (had never had pain before) as well as diarrhea that I went to the non-trauma ER (more like an urgent care center but much higher prices!). The diarrhea resolved and now I have occasional upper abdominal bloating and more bleching than I have ever had in my life.
My bloodwork (bilirubin, liver enzymes) and abdominal ultrasound (liver, gallbladder and pancreas) were all normal. Then the HIDA scan found the 15% EF.
The condition which we seems to have is "gallbladder hypomotility" or "gallbladder dyskinesia." These terms describe the symptom (gallbladder dysfunction), but it is not clear what the underlying cause (etiology) is. In other words, I am curious to know why/how the gallbladder EF can drop in the absence of gallstones. I have some medical background, so I have just begun to investigate this, and I haven't found many answers yet. For the women with children on the forum, prolonged labor is a risk factor for gallbladder dysfunction.
I have an appointment with a general surgeon in a week. I don't like the idea of having surgery, but for those of you who have ever had a colonoscopy, it is somewhat similar. By that I mean that is it an outpatient procedure (in and out of the hospital on the same day). In fact, a recent research study just showed that the procedure can safely be done in free-standing surgical centers (not hospitals) at much lower cost. I can't recall the exact figures, but approximately 2 million cholescystectomies are done each year in the U.S. with only 5,000 deaths (that's a rate of .0025%, less than 1/10 of 1%), so it is one of the most common and safest medical procedures there is. I'm guessing that rate is similar to the number of death results from childbirth (which most women never think twice about).
The biggest downside is that for 10% of patients, gallbladder removal doesn't cure their symptoms. Nothing in life is guaranteed, and a 90% success rate is pretty extraordinary. The main adverse effect of gallbladder surgery is diarrhea. I'm not certain, but I think that it can be managed by 1) not skipping meals and 2) avoiding very high-fat meals. Can people who have had the surgery confirm this?
By the way, you absolutely do not need your gallbladder to live. It's main function is to store bile and act as a gatekeeper of bile flowing between the liver and small intestine. Without it, bile just goes directly from the liver straight to the small intestine. The main side effect that I have seen reported following If I find anymore informationa about the underlying cause or evidence-based alternative treatments, I'll let you know. My GUESS is that any alternative treatments might work for someone like me (whose EF is 15%) but not for folks with more severe dysfunction (5% or lower) because if the gallbladder is not working then bile is definitely backing up in the system.
Good luck, everyone!
My story is that I have had almost no pain. My primary symptoms have been nausea and vomiting which have been constant since January 1st although I also had a bout of symptoms 18 months ago that resolved. There was one day a couple of weeks ago, though, when I woke up with such severe vomiting and generalized abdominal pain (had never had pain before) as well as diarrhea that I went to the non-trauma ER (more like an urgent care center but much higher prices!). The diarrhea resolved and now I have occasional upper abdominal bloating and more bleching than I have ever had in my life.
My bloodwork (bilirubin, liver enzymes) and abdominal ultrasound (liver, gallbladder and pancreas) were all normal. Then the HIDA scan found the 15% EF.
The condition which we seems to have is "gallbladder hypomotility" or "gallbladder dyskinesia." These terms describe the symptom (gallbladder dysfunction), but it is not clear what the underlying cause (etiology) is. In other words, I am curious to know why/how the gallbladder EF can drop in the absence of gallstones. I have some medical background, so I have just begun to investigate this, and I haven't found many answers yet. For the women with children on the forum, prolonged labor is a risk factor for gallbladder dysfunction.
I have an appointment with a general surgeon in a week. I don't like the idea of having surgery, but for those of you who have ever had a colonoscopy, it is somewhat similar. By that I mean that is it an outpatient procedure (in and out of the hospital on the same day). In fact, a recent research study just showed that the procedure can safely be done in free-standing surgical centers (not hospitals) at much lower cost. I can't recall the exact figures, but approximately 2 million cholescystectomies are done each year in the U.S. with only 5,000 deaths (that's a rate of .0025%, less than 1/10 of 1%), so it is one of the most common and safest medical procedures there is. I'm guessing that rate is similar to the number of death results from childbirth (which most women never think twice about).
The biggest downside is that for 10% of patients, gallbladder removal doesn't cure their symptoms. Nothing in life is guaranteed, and a 90% success rate is pretty extraordinary. The main adverse effect of gallbladder surgery is diarrhea. I'm not certain, but I think that it can be managed by 1) not skipping meals and 2) avoiding very high-fat meals. Can people who have had the surgery confirm this?
By the way, you absolutely do not need your gallbladder to live. It's main function is to store bile and act as a gatekeeper of bile flowing between the liver and small intestine. Without it, bile just goes directly from the liver straight to the small intestine. The main side effect that I have seen reported following If I find anymore informationa about the underlying cause or evidence-based alternative treatments, I'll let you know. My GUESS is that any alternative treatments might work for someone like me (whose EF is 15%) but not for folks with more severe dysfunction (5% or lower) because if the gallbladder is not working then bile is definitely backing up in the system.
Good luck, everyone!
Thank you twarner and everyone else who posted. I have my fears, but have been asking God to help me with them and to help me with my anxiety. My sister also informed me that the surgeon she recommended is one of the best in our area. While I am still a bit apprehensive, I'm also looking forward to no more pain and hopefully being able to eat onions again without wanting to throw up two hours later. I just need to relax! LOL
twarner, thank you so much for the information regarding surgery. It helps! :-) ... FYI during my first pregnancy, 17 years ago, my labor lasted for almost 36 hours before they decided to do a c-section. I have had issues ever since, but I didn't know that it was my gall bladder until two years ago. Looking back I now realize I have been experiencing gall bladder attacks for a very long time, I just didn't know what they were.
I hope the guest who had surgery yesterday will post an update as to how they are doing.
Kim
twarner, thank you so much for the information regarding surgery. It helps! :-) ... FYI during my first pregnancy, 17 years ago, my labor lasted for almost 36 hours before they decided to do a c-section. I have had issues ever since, but I didn't know that it was my gall bladder until two years ago. Looking back I now realize I have been experiencing gall bladder attacks for a very long time, I just didn't know what they were.
I hope the guest who had surgery yesterday will post an update as to how they are doing.
Kim
I have been having horrible acid reflux since October 2008. I have been on every acid reflux medication known to man and still no relief. EGD done showed gastritis. My mother had just had her gallbladder out for the same issues and so my doctor decided to check my gallbladder. My ultrasound came back negative for stones. Hida Scan came back @ 12%. I just met with my surgeon and have scheduled to have my gallbladder out March 9th. I'm anxious about the surgery but know the chance of relief makes it worth it. My symptoms have been getting worse over the past two months (intense migraines, backaches, bloating, nausea, acid reflux). I also have two children who both had 36+ hour labors. Glad to know I'm not going crazy as I often felt in the wee hours in the emergency room. If your symptoms are the same, please consider having your doctor check your gallbladder. I'm so glad that there is relief on the horizon!
Hi All.... Well I didn't make it till 2/26. Last Wed and Thurs I was having severe gb attacks 2-3 hours after every meal. I called my surgeon Thurs evening and he said if I thought I could make it through the evening to come into the hosp the next day. So, last Friday 2/19 my gallbladder was removed. I was so scared, but I have to say I am so happy I can actually eat without pain. My reflux has disappeared, severe belching and pain is gone. I haven't taken any pain meds since the surgery, everyone is surprised at that, but then again the surgery pain is NOTHING compared to what I had from my gb.
For those of you struggling with fears regarding surgery, I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel. Had I known that I would feel this much better I would have had the surgery two years ago when I had my HIDA scan.
For those of you waiting surgery, relax, don't read all the c**p and think positive. You will feel better!!!!
Kim
For those of you struggling with fears regarding surgery, I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel. Had I known that I would feel this much better I would have had the surgery two years ago when I had my HIDA scan.
For those of you waiting surgery, relax, don't read all the c**p and think positive. You will feel better!!!!
Kim
Hey everyone. I had an ejection fraction rate of 0 percent and just went through with the surgery today. I want say that it is no big deal! Dont be scared if this is something that you need to do.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Thanks to all who have posted so positively following surgery. I received results from my HIDA Scan yesterday...ejection fraction of 9%. Have appointment with surgeon next Thursday. Although I'm nervous, too, it makes me feel very hopeful to think that I can be rid of all these icky symptoms. ..bloating, gas, back pain, upper abdominal pain, just plain tired, too! I will post after my surgery and let everyone know how it goes.
I am very glad to have stumbled onto this site. It made me feel a bit better to read the stories and know I am not alone or crazy.
For many years now I have had bouts of unexplainable abdominal, chest and back pain...nausea, bloating, fever, chills, vomiting, diahrea, indigestion, and dizziness. They would happen only a couple times a year at first. In 1996 I ended up in the ER due to severe chest pain yet all heart tests checked out ok. (thank goodness). Since about 2006 the attacks became more frequent, approx once a month, until 2008 and then it was almost weekly. Finally in March 2009 I went to the Dr. They did blood work, an endoscopy and colonoscopy, which showed some acid reflux and a sigmoid colon twist which they straightened at that time. Then in November 2009 the attacks became much more frequent, approx 2 to 3 times a week. I put off going to the Dr until March 2010 and by this time the attacks are almost daily and sometimes incapacitating. Due to all the chest pain and a family history of heart disease a stress test was done which came back normal. Next was an upper gi which only showed the acid reflux so an abdominal ultrasound was set up. Four days before the ultrasound was done I found myself in the ER with abdominal pain so bad I was crying. They did more blood work and a ct scan. The scan showed a slightly distended gb and they suggested I follow up with the ultra sound which I did. It also showed a slightly distended gb, no stones. Now I'm waiting to get an appt for a hida scan. In the past month I have lost about 12 lbs due to not being able to eat and my abdomen is in constant pain and feels like a giant bruise. My chest constantly hurts and feels as if there is a ton of pressure in it. I am oh so very tired of feeling this way and hope they can figure something out soon!
For many years now I have had bouts of unexplainable abdominal, chest and back pain...nausea, bloating, fever, chills, vomiting, diahrea, indigestion, and dizziness. They would happen only a couple times a year at first. In 1996 I ended up in the ER due to severe chest pain yet all heart tests checked out ok. (thank goodness). Since about 2006 the attacks became more frequent, approx once a month, until 2008 and then it was almost weekly. Finally in March 2009 I went to the Dr. They did blood work, an endoscopy and colonoscopy, which showed some acid reflux and a sigmoid colon twist which they straightened at that time. Then in November 2009 the attacks became much more frequent, approx 2 to 3 times a week. I put off going to the Dr until March 2010 and by this time the attacks are almost daily and sometimes incapacitating. Due to all the chest pain and a family history of heart disease a stress test was done which came back normal. Next was an upper gi which only showed the acid reflux so an abdominal ultrasound was set up. Four days before the ultrasound was done I found myself in the ER with abdominal pain so bad I was crying. They did more blood work and a ct scan. The scan showed a slightly distended gb and they suggested I follow up with the ultra sound which I did. It also showed a slightly distended gb, no stones. Now I'm waiting to get an appt for a hida scan. In the past month I have lost about 12 lbs due to not being able to eat and my abdomen is in constant pain and feels like a giant bruise. My chest constantly hurts and feels as if there is a ton of pressure in it. I am oh so very tired of feeling this way and hope they can figure something out soon!
I just want to comment that acupuncture is incredibly effective at helping lessen these kinds of symptoms, if you are not yet at the stage where the GB has to come out, or if the tests are inconclusive. I have had attacks of terrible abdominal pain on and off for years, but hida scan came back normal as did the endoscopy and ultrasound. I find that if I get an acupuncture treatment, the pain goes away and doesn't recur if I get 'tune up' once a month. Best of luck to all of you suffering with this, it is not fun!