Sternum pain Gallbladder attack after removal??

I think I may have the answer,


My wife had her gallbladder out and had these exact attacks for almost six months. No one could figure it out and many people seemed to think she was crazy. I knew she was not as I would see doubled over in agonizing pain for 30 minutes at a time every few weeks. We had used a great acupuncturist who had helped us get pregnant. She went to see him and hediagnosed her with costal costochondritis at the chondrosternal joints. Costochondritis is inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone or sternum. The condition causes localized chest wall pain and tenderness that you can reproduce by pushing on the involved cartilage in the front of the rib cage. He pushed this area when she went in and she screamed in pain like having an attack. I think pushing on her during the operation or maybe the incision effected this area and certain things trigger these attacks. Dr. Du has been treating this for the past 5 months and we have only had one attack since (1 month after the first treatment). It has been a God send. If you have questions or want to talk to me, feel free to email me . Our doctor is in Roswell, GA and his name is Tianlong Du. Dr. Du is the man. I’d like to help anyone who suffers these terrible attacks so if you want a quick phone call, I’m glad to call you to discuss. Best of luck!

acid reflux can also cause severe chest pains simaler to what feels like a heart attack try taking two or three tums when the pain starts it could be a life changer hoprthis helps

i have had these same chest pains after my gall bladder surgery what i have found out is acid reflux causes these same pains it feels like you have a muscle cramp or charley horse in the middle of your chest and is severe try taking two or three tums when the pain starts it may just be a life changer for you i hope this helps william h

Yes, my symptoms are the exact same. The attacks started days after having my gallbladder removed and now (2 years later) I still have no fix. The attacks start with a funny feeling in my stomach followed by an extremely strong amount of tension in the center of my chest that gradually becomes more and more intense. The pain moves up into my back and down my arms literally incapacitating my upper half. The only trigger that I can figure out is having an empty stomach. As soon as I feel the pain coming on I eat something, this seems to help slightly. I've found that sitting down with my upper torso angled back (propping a pillow behind the lower back) helps the pain dissipate quicker. Of course I've had upper endoscopies, CT scans, colonoscopies, ultra sounds, and blood test. I've been on every medication for what doctors thought the pains could've been caused by including: antacids, ulcer meds, IBM meds, muscle relaxers for my intestines, and natural methods of fixing the attacks including a never ending list of vitamins and diet regimens. The doctors have more or less given up on my case. The medical bills aren't worth it, I promise. I'm only 20 and have spent the past 2 years wasting my money on trying to find a fix for what now seems incurable. To deal with this on a daily basis sucks more than most will ever know, but you can either choose to control it or let it control you. My advice is simple: push through with a positive attitude and most importantly, don't underestimate the power of mind over matter.

Hi Guest, I had my gallbladder removed several yrs ago and was not told to follow any diet. But if I take certain pain medications such as codiene and now even morphine gives it to me I get the most violent pain under my rib cage or bread basket as I call it and it makes me vomit because of the pain. I need morphine relieve the pain but they have to give me extra as morphine gives me the pain also. I have constant pain in the sternum area, the neck and across my shoulders. I sure wish someone would come up with an answer, sometimes I think I am having a heart attack but all is fine with my heart. (sigh) surely there must be a dr out there that has an answer....Best of luck.

Evelynvvv wrote:

Guest wrote:

I had my gallbladder removed 4 weeks ago and 2 days ago suffered the worst pain that I had ever experienced, this included pain in my chest and under my rib cage followed my vomiting. This started 30min after taking cold and flu medicine and lasted 4 hours. I have since been told that this is because of codeine in the medication. Did anyone get told not to take codeine?

Hi Guest, I had my gallbladder removed several yrs ago and was not told to follow any diet. But if I take certain pain medications such as codiene and now even morphine gives it to me I get the most violent pain under my rib cage or bread basket as I call it and it makes me vomit because of the pain. I need morphine relieve the pain but they have to give me extra as morphine gives me the pain also. I have constant pain in the sternum area, the neck and across my shoulders. I sure wish someone would come up with an answer, sometimes I think I am having a heart attack but all is fine with my heart. (sigh) surely there must be a dr out there that has an answer....Best of luck.

I had my gallblader removal 5 months ago and I feel pain in the right side , exactly where the gallblader gave pain before to remove it. The pains to me are almost always , in special when I am walking long distance, or stay stand up in the subway or any other public transportation. Also when up stairs , so at any effort. Now I am on the treatment for Candida and I have to take Fluconazole for 1 month. Two weeks already passed... I still have 2 weeks.. Since I take it, the pain is more violent , intermitent. For exemple in morning I feel it more bad after take the medicine. I believe the liver give me this pains. Is very bad, how could we live with this pians ??? all the life will be there ? Anyway, compared with what pains I had before the surgery , when I got 2 times per months accute pancreatitis ( pains + infection) , this is nothing, this is supportive for me compared with that Hell from before... ABOUT DIET : Dear all, we must to keep diet all our life ! not what the doctor say to eat anything ! Some doctros are crazy saying this as they no feel how the body work without gallblader ! Only a dr. who no have gallblader too can say to keep diet ! Diet it means : no pork meat, no any fat meat , just boiled meat or other style made but not with any oil ! You can not eat fat milk ! ( eat only 0-0,80 or maximum 1% fat milk) , slim yogurt also . Eat fruits, in special sweet fruits that can help the liver also. No citrics like ogange, lemon, etc.. ! Salads, but no maionesse ! No spicy condiments ! No papper ! Drink much water ! Avoid medicines as antibiotics used too often ! Avoid medicines that has writting in the prospect "attck the liver" or something similar !

i may have waited to call EMS till i took some pain killers and saw whether or not the pain went away if it didnt or i got worse symptoms blood in urine, crushing pain in chest, severe weakness etc then i would definitely call EMS

That's very interesting, I have just suffered the exact symptoms of each post on this topic and was beginning to think that it may be my bile duct or something as others were explaining ....until I read your comment!! This excruciating attack of mine came also about 1/2 hr after taking nurofen plus.... Which of course has codeine in it!!

Here you all make a big mistake ! Don't think that everyone has the same cause of pains.. about that codeine.. I didn't take codeine ever and still have this pains sometimes. So, is nothing relate to codeine. It is called postcolecistectomy syndrome and it can have several causes ! as diet, bile duct, or bodynerves response ! Some nerves there was used to be "tired" every time when you had gallbladder attack when you had your gllbladder an the body responde the same after the gallbladder eas extirped. It is because the nerves "learned the l;esson" and they "remember" your gallbladder . This is true medical explanation.

For exemple, my nerves respond the same pain ( but much less than before) when I am at my ovulation time . When I had gallbladder, I had terrible attacks at ovulation time , day 11-18 usually.and terrible [ancreatitis from this ! Always only used antibiotics because without them I would be dead now.. After surgery, without gallbladder, that nerves respond the same when is the ovulation time., but the pain is much less as the gallbladder is not there now. To women who has Endometriosis , this attacks can happen also often even no gallbladder, because there still some endometriosis tissue that responde in the same time with the uterus tissue and controled by hormones.

So, don't think that everyone here have pains because of codeine, this is weird. Some pills yes, can affect the nerves and give pains like this, but not all the cases are the same !

Aylin33 wrote:

Guest1 wrote:

That's very interesting, I have just suffered the exact symptoms of each post on this topic and was beginning to think that it may be my bile duct or something as others were explaining ....until I read your comment!! This excruciating attack of mine came also about 1/2 hr after taking nurofen plus.... Which of course has codeine in it!!

Here you all make a big mistake ! Don't think that everyone has the same cause of pains.. about that codeine.. I didn't take codeine ever and still have this pains sometimes. So, is nothing relate to codeine. It is called postcolecistectomy syndrome and it can have several causes ! as diet, bile duct, or bodynerves response ! Some nerves there was used to be "tired" every time when you had gallbladder attack when you had your gllbladder an the body responde the same after the gallbladder eas extirped. It is because the nerves "learned the l;esson" and they "remember" your gallbladder . This is true medical explanation.
For exemple, my nerves respond the same pain ( but much less than before) when I am at my ovulation time . When I had gallbladder, I had terrible attacks at ovulation time , day 11-18 usually.and terrible [ancreatitis from this ! Always only used antibiotics because without them I would be dead now.. After surgery, without gallbladder, that nerves respond the same when is the ovulation time., but the pain is much less as the gallbladder is not there now. To women who has Endometriosis , this attacks can happen also often even no gallbladder, because there still some endometriosis tissue that responde in the same time with the uterus tissue and controled by hormones.
So, don't think that everyone here have pains because of codeine, this is weird. Some pills yes, can affect the nerves and give pains like this, but not all the cases are the same !

Sorry for writting mistakes. I am very tired today.. Hope you understood the means .

No not everyone may suffer from taking codiene but do not be mistaken it gives me violent attacks. One Doctors wife always had a glass of wine with her dinner, until, she had her gallblader removed. Now she cannot have her glass of wine as it gives her the violent pain attack that none of us here want. I am in constant pain which (I think) is what you mean. This other pain I would not wish on my worst enemy. Thank heavens I mainly know what will set it off.....For me no codiene.

I found this website after dealing with many of the same symptoms you all are and having no answers.  Here's my story in a snapshot.  Before I was pregnant with my daughter (who is 6 now) I used to get a burning pain around the bottom of my ribcage every now and then, probably a couple of times a year, and would also throw up now and again for no reason.  When I was pregnant with my daughter I had morning sickness and threw up every day, however, after I had my daughter (6 years ago) I never really stopped getting sick in the morning.  I would say anywhere from 2-4 times a week after I woke up I would feel nauseous if I smelled something off or coughed/cleared my throat just right and throw up.  In February of 2012 I would get severe attacks of burning searing pain at the bottom of my ribcage that sometimes stretched around to my back.  The doctor put me on a diet to manage it, including cutting out spicy and fatty foods, coffee and chocolate - it didn't help, the pain still showed up any time of the day it felt like it no matter how I had eaten and lasted anywhere between 20 and 90 minutes.  The pain was debilitating and put me on the floor having to take short breaths and curl up in a ball.  I had blood tests, CT scans with dye, and ultrasounds done before they discovered that I had gallbladder disease with some stones but mostly sludge.  In early April 2012 I had my gallbladder out and thought my troubles would be over.  4 days later I was back on the floor in excruciating pain and in tears, my husband brought me into the ER, when we arrived my pain was so bad I couldn't get out of the car by myself or walk.  I was given pain meds which dulled the pain but did not make it go away.  Another round of blood tests, CT scans with dye and ultrasounds to make sure nothing was leaking from surgery and no answers.  The only thing that they told me is that it was either heartburn or acid reflux, they put me on protonix (a PPI) and sent me on my way.  A week later I was back in the ER again, same round of tests showed everything was normal.  This time they added sucralfate (for ulcers) to the protonix regimen and referred me to request a gasteroenterologist from my regular physician.  After a consult the specialist decided that I needed to have an endoscopy to see if I had ulcers and to take biopsies.  The results came back...no ulcers and the biopsies were normal.  That specialist referred me to another gastro specialist saying that I needed an ERCP done.  The second specialist lost my paperwork, took weeks to get back with me to schedule an appointment and when I finally had an appointment the office called me a few hours beforehand and cancelled the appointment and offered to reschedule it but the soonest they had was 4 months later.  I was NOT impressed so I found myself another gastro specialist.  This third specialist didn't like the images from the first endoscopy and said that they didn't take enough biopsies so he wanted to do another one...the first images showed some sort of green matter at the bottom of my stomach (it almost looked like transparent slime) he said he's never seen that before in his career and said that they should have tried to wash it away.  He also said he saw no reason for an ERCP.  In the meantime he put me on a different PPI, told me to quit smoking, lose weight and eat breakfast at the table with my children.  The second endoscopy was done and the results came back normal; no ulcers, mild gastritis, and the biopsies were normal as well.  I usually get this pain around 5am and am woken up by it.  It is a burning searing pain that starts at the bottom of my ribcage and then spreads to my sternum and across my chest.  Sometimes when the pain is bad enough it will spread around to the back of my ribcage.  This pain is not affected by certain foods that I have eaten but rather when I go too long without eating and have an empty stomach.  I know when it's going to come (except for when it wakes me up early in the morning) because it is a very gradual onset.  Usually if I eat something or drink a glass of milk and lay down for an hour or so with an icepack on my chest it will go away.  I just had my follow up today (late November 2012) and he says that it could be two things.  1) Papillary Stenosis.  He wants me to go without eating until I get the pain and then go into the lab to have my blood drawn while I'm in the pain so check my liver function.  2) Acid peptic pain due to smoking.  He also put me back on emiprozole (PPI) and sucralfate (for ulcers) to see what it does...  I have been on both of these before and they haven't worked...  We will see what happens I suppose.  Glad to know I'm not alone though.

hi guys. i had my gallbladder removed at 12years old to my doctors shock,youngest in new zealand .to this day at 27 years old i am still suffering gallstone attacks diet has had a complete makeover but i have 1 every year,lately ive had 5 in the past 2 months,am awaiting mrcp. im over these attacks there painful.

I had my gallbladder removed last year and still have pain in that area. Stop drinking coffee that irritates my digestion and makes that pain much worse. My pain is worse when I lay down or on my right side. I stopped eating anything after 5 pm and that has helped me. There are alot of people who have digestion issues after GB removal. I got on line and found alot of info about it. Some recommend a strict diet,meds that reduce reflux, drinking lots of water, also exercise. I don't know if theses will help but they helped me. I still have the pain but when I eat right, exercise, take reflux medicine and drink water it help.

Everyone needs to take ox-bile & enzymes with every meal to replace bile & enzymes. Health food store. Try it.