I had my Gallbladder removed in March 2003. It was removed due to a low ejection fraction. No stones were found, just sludge. Before surgery I experienced a pain three inches to the right of my belly button that spread to the back as well as severe heartburn. The pain would come every so ofter then dissapear. Well now the heartburn is gone but the pain is still present. This last episode has lasted about six weeks. There is a new wrinkle which is the pain shows up about 30 seconds after I begin eating. I have had a CT scan and blood work all of which are normal. My doc says it is IBS. Has anyone experienced this type of pain with IBS. Any help would be appreciated.

I have suffered with URQ pain for years as well as reflux, which was out of control. I too have IBS. I have constipation IBS. After going through many many tests including two scopes last week, I have discovered that the IBS is the root of the problem. As long as the IBS is under control, everything else is too. It is like a chain reaction. The IBS aggrevates the reflux which in turn aggrevates the gallbladder. (I have no stones) It is a vicious cycle. I take Nexium, Miralax, and Xanax. I seem to at least for the time being, be under control. Does this sound like you?
Vic

I've read quite a few posts about people experiencing IBS after gallbladder surgery. Some have problems with severe diarrhea and others have problems with severe painful gas. You may want to read through the posts under digestive disorders and the liver section.

I had my gallbladder removed in April 2003. I didn't have stones or sludge I had chronic cholecystitis. A HIDA scan also revealed a low ejection fraction. My gastro Dr. was certain that once I had the gallbladder removed it would take away my pain. However, I am still experiencing RUQ pain, that radiates into my back. I have had a lot of medical tests on my stomach. I had an endoscopy, colonoscopy, small bowel follow through, ct scan, mri, mrcp, ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound, also a test that I can't remember the name of it (I had to eat scrambled eggs that contained a radioactive dye and then they did an xray every fifteen minutes to see how long it took me to digest them). Finally, I was referred to a research hospital and they did an ercp which showed I have Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. They cut the Sphincter to enlarge it and put in a plastic stent. The stent came out after a few weeks. I still continued to have the pain. I had another ercp and they cut the sphincter again. I still have pain but have been able to manage it by following a low fat diet and not eating red meat. Do certain foods seem to make the pain worse? Does your pain feel the same or very similar to the way it did before the gallbladder surgery?

Thanks for the feedback. I do also have mild reflux. I think I have had every test but the egg test and the ECRP. This pain is similar to the pain I had pre Gallbladder removal only this last episode is more intense and has lasted longer. I cannot say that for sure certain foods cause more problems than others. I do know that one time I ate ice cream it was terrible but the next time the discomfort was only minor. I did ask my doc about SOD but he seemed to rule that out due to the fact my Liver blood results were normal. Lavenderfields your symptoms sound very similar. Did you have any blood work done? Does your pain hit immediately after starting to eat?

Sounds like the same symptoms that I have been having since September. I have this slight stabbing pain under the right ribs. It's mostly a prickly feeling and it burns a lot. It radiates towards my navel and around my back too. The Dr. kept wanting to test my urine for a kidney stone - nothing showed up though. I've had a HIDA scan done on my gallbladder - it only functions at 9%. I have not decided to have it removed yet though. (More scaried than anything!) I watch what I eat due to the gallbladder, but I ate Fettucine Alfredo last week and the pain is now back!!! My friend asked me if I was gluten intolerance. I don't know anything about it. Have you been tested for that? I know I am lactose intolerance. Good luck!

I constantly have a dull ache. But more severe pain can start anywhere from when I first begin eating to 30 minutes after. I also had my liver enzymes checked everytime I went to the Dr. they were always normal, that's why my Dr. ran all the other tests before the ercp. However, when I went to the research hospital the day before my ercp they did blood work and my liver enzymes were elevated this was the first and only time they have ever been elevated. I had the severe pain the night before because my husband and I ate at a restaurant and I have no idea the fat content of the food probably was very high. I read some posts I'm not sure if on this healthboard or another one that the timing of the blood work is important. It needs to be done within a certain period of time after the pain begins, I can't remember exactly what that period of time is. I have been tested for gluten intolerance and the results were negative. My son is lactose intolerant and he does experience pain when he eats ice cream but his pain is lower below his belly button and they are more like cramps he also experiences diarrhea. ELDERPANTHER do you ever have a tight squeezing feeling with the pain that feels like a big rubberband is wrapped around your chest and upper back? I had this feeling when I had the severe pain before they cut the sphincter.

Never had that rubber band tightness, but do have a feeling at times that something is "stuck" in my RUQ. I have been checked for Gluten and Lactose intollerence and both were negative. It always seems like by the time my blood work is scheduled the pain has subsided. Thanks for the info.

I have URQ discomfort (and now LRQ too) for over a year now. I've had many tests and all I have been told is that I have IBS. I'm having to live with that diagnoses for now since there isn't much else besides surgery that can be done. Sometimes the discomfort is painful but most of the time it just feels like soething is stuck. If you press on my LRQ, you can hear all sorts of noises. However, I try not pushing on the area too often because it triggers a lot of discomfort after I do.