Unlike many of you, I suffered from gallbladder attacks from my early teens on. The symptoms were always vague and varied. Going from the troubles in my pregnancies and raising kids I dealt with the attacks for many years after the initial test results(blood work) showed no trouble and trusting doctors as the experts, lived my life in pain.
It became worse and worse and an ultrasound ordered showed no stones in my 30s, so off I went to live some more with these attacks of which I had heard of because my mother had to have her gall bladder removed in her 20s due to stones, of which she told the story.
Finally in my 40s, and 75 lbs later, I insisted something be done about these attacks I had been having for over 20 years. When a nuclear test was done, in 05, it showed my gallbladder functioning at 10%, and the procedure made me feel like I would die from the pain of it all. I was told at that time, a normal gall bladder operates at 75% and surely now, the doctors would HAVE to address it.
So, my gall bladder was removed that year early, and the surgeon told my boyfriend on the phone that it looked healthy. Indeed the lab confirmed it was diseased, and a few weeks later, the pain intensified and caused problems of which certain the extreme pain was the most of, so they did an ERCP.
Now, after however long it is, years, I have been plagued with the upper right, under my rib cage pain, I have brown urine and guess what?!! Other than slight swelling in the biliary ducts shown on a full abdomen CT scan done last week, ALL MY OTHER TESTS ARE NORMAL!!!!!! I am at my wits end, joined this site, as I have a myriad of other troubles with my health, like some here, fatigue, do not even check for fever, but asked one of the doctors online, like I think I could get a real answer!
I live on Welfare for the disabled and now am so limited to even find a regular physician, as noone will take the insurance I have so if anyone hears information, please let me know.
My wife has smae pain issue and i am thinking to go for colo rectal surgeon.
yes I also have that problem only all my little incisions had stitching coming through...was told not to worry and now I have a infections and feel like c**p...lots of pain in my stomic and in my back...don't get it...
I, also have had my gallbladder out for 38 years. When I first read your letter, I wondered if I had already replied to someone's letter and didn't remember doing it. I, too, suffered from diarreah, but that finally went away after about 5 years. I quickly learned I couldn't eat fried foods, lettuce or chocolate on an empty stomach. If I ate at a restaurant, I would sit and wait about 20 minutes until I had to go to the restroom. I knew better than to get up and try to leave any sooner than that for fear of not finding a restroom in time. I'd say I've had this pain under my right rib cage that goes around to the middle of my back for at least 37 of these years. There's a constant burning that never goes away, and a need to take tylenol every single day. I have given up a lot of normal housework. Thank goodness my husband does the mopping for me since I just cannot do it anymore. When I strip the bed, that's my days work. I'm unable to do anything else for the day. Starting Thanksgiving day I was having stomach pains so severe that I had to force myself to vomit to get relief. I had the same pains and the throwing up about 5 more times, about 10 days apart. I was very, very careful of what I was eating since I didn't want to throw up to get relief The last vomiting attack I had was the 30th of December. Since that time I've had CT scans on my stomach and pelvic area, on my spine and on my back. I've also had the upper GI and a colonoscopy. The only thing they've found is I had a small polyp, hienial hernia, and have diverticulitus. I go back to my doctor tomorrow morning for----well, who knows what reason. I just feel like I'm wasting my time, and I also fear Medicare may hire a hit man for me since I'm 78 years old. It was necessary for me to have my gallbladder removed since I had a lot of large stones, but I hope and pray none of my children or grandchildren ever have to have theirs removed. I feel sure my doctor will want an MRI done on my spine, and of course, I'll have it done, but I feel like its useless. I just think I'm gonna have this pain until the day I die.
I have comfort after laproscopic removal of gallbladder full of stones black color Crystals. wounds are healing well but few times I feel cramps on my left side chest down? As well I have back pain in upper spinal till neck posting to shoulders.
Well well very interesting posts.....we should all start a gang lol
I had my gallbladder removed in 2005 and have been dealing with the same type of intense pain the rest of you have been talking about all these years. I had to sign a wavier just to get the surgery as none of the doctors believe me about the pain and nothing should up on the CT scan or ultrasound. When the doctor went in he found that my gallbladder was in terrible shape and had been that way for a while and needed to come out. Surprise surprise....doctors not doing anything to help....shocking I know.
Since then I have been to so many doctors I have lost track, I have had a half dozen CT scans, lots of ultra sounds, liver biopsy, colonoscopy ...you name it with zero found that would explain my abdominal pain. Over the last 6 months I had resigned myself to the fact that it was probably Cancer or something really bad that would end up taking my life as my mother died of Liver Cancer at the age of 59. I have no medical insurance now so I can't even go in for further testing though I don't believe that would do any good anyway. I am somewhat relieved to hear I am not alone with this issue as it would seem that perhaps while the pain is real it may not life threatening which was my biggest fear as a parent.
I am overweight and do not watch what I eat at all and by readying a lot of these posts it sounds like adjusting my diet and taking these enzymes you all talk about might relieve some of the pain and other symptoms so I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction as far as a website that might have further information about the dietary side of this??
Thanks
tRY GOING TO A GASTROLOGIST. ReAD UP ON BILE N IRRIATBLE BOWEL SYNDROME. I AM GETING FROM READING THAT SOME IS FROM OUR THYROIDS. gASTROLOGIST FOR BILE REFLUX
I had horrible pains too but that could be due to the artificial air or gas used during surgery if it was recent...and if it was done as a coelioscopy...
Yes I have had that pain and it was due to the artificial gas used for the coelioscopy...was rushed back to the private hospital in an ambulance since the pain was excruciating and felt like dying (I don't know what it feels like to feel like dying lol but it was that bad). I was under morphine and pills for 2 extra days before it went away and I could finally go back home....