Has anyone experienced gallbladder pain in these areas? Is this normal?
Pain is not in just the right rib area ANYMORE...that's where it all started two months ago...but now both left & right ribs--front & back. In stomach area, even in the back directly behind stomach... Chest, sometimes left or right of sternum. Both shoulder blades...stiff neck. These pains are all intermittent...never all at the same time. Also don't have to eat anything greasy at this point to have pain off & on. Of course it does get worse after I make the mistake of eating greasy food.

The Dr's want my gallbladder out & so do I...but it this normal for gallbladder related pain? Help!!

Thanks in advance,
Heather

Hi there - so sorry for your suffering. Unfortunately, GB pain can cause "referred" pain meaning that the pain is felt somewhere else than where it actually originates.

I had pretty typical upper right rib pain radiating around to the back, but due to my GERD, I also midabdominal pains that went right through to my back, and over to the left.

Have you been checked for GERD and/or pancreas problems?

Just a thought. Good luck to you,
Katie G

Hi Katie,
Thanks for your reply. I had an upper endoscope, colonoscopy & a barium enema 4 weeks ago. All was well in that area...no ulcers, inflammation polyps, nothing. I've also had a ultra sound & two cat-scans & they saw nothing with my pancreas or liver. No gallstones either, just a small 3/4mm polyp. A couple blood tests reveled only very slighted elevated ALT liver enzyme...which the Dr's did not seem to overly concerned about. It had went down by the second test. I just hurt & feel miserable all the time.

Heather

Blue Streak,

Welcome to my club. I have the hurt and feel miserable most of the time but my location is almost always the upper right quadrant area. Katie made a good point too and that is referred pain. It's especially important when it comes to digestive problems. For example, appendictis is tough to diagnose. The reason is that it can cause pain all over when the affected organ is actually located in your lower right quadrant. The best thing to do is to stay on top of the issue and get more tests done. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply actudan. At this point I've pretty much had every test they can do for my gallbladder...Hida & the above mentioned ones. The Dr's just want to remove the gallbladder, but I of course am hesitant, since all my tests come back normal. Hida came back at 67%. I have no stones, no inflammation they can see...but from what I've read the gallbladder can be diseased despite all the negative tests. Going to a second surgeon for a second opinion on all this pain...

Blue

Thanks...I've pretty much had every test they can do for my gallbladder...Hida & the above mentioned ones. The Dr's just want to remove the gallbladder, but I of course am hesitant, since all my tests come back normal. Hida came back at 67%. I have no stones, no inflammation they can see...but from what I've read the gallbladder can be diseased despite all the negative tests. Going to a second surgeon for an opinion on all this pain...


Following my footsteps exactly. I don't know what my HIDA results were except for that the test was "normal". A second opinion and maybe a third is a great way to go. Take care!

Blue_Streak,

I have an inflammed GB with a bunch of polyps(but no stones) and I suffer from nausea, backaches, pain under right rib cage that goes to left side and back. I had a Hida Scan also and it came back normal (dr. said that it emptied 90% of its contents). I have had blood tests, barium swallow, endoscopy(mild gastritis) and dr. finally decided it's my GB to blame for my symptoms. I am scheduled to have it taken out on March 22.
I agree on a second opinion.

-Donna

Hi again blue streak. I didn't mention in my last post, that like you, all my GB tests were "normal" too, so my surgeon sent me for a 2nd opinion. He knew & I knew that it was my GB all along, but he couldn't operate until someone else said it was my GB too. I got a 2nd opinion and was in surgery 3 days later.

I've posted my story so many times on this board, that I didn't want to bore you with all the details again. But if you review other GB related posts, my story will probably be there.

I was so glad to have mine out even though I did develop bile salt diarrhea. But that's another story posted on here too.

Good luck to you - get that 2nd opinion, and don't let yourself keep suffering. "Normal" tests don't always mean that things are ok. My GB was severely inflamed and covered in scar tissue, but this wasn't found until I was in surgery.

Katie G

Thanks dimaond79 & Katie for your replies. It really helps to hear others experiences. So much I've read online never describes all the weird referred pain you can have. Probably will be a week or two before I can see a second surgeon for a second opinion...ugg...

Heather

Has anyone else experienced a lot bowel pain along with their GB problems? Seems when I go for a few weeks without an attack, all the referred pain & right sided rib pain, eases up...but the bowels still pain me...

Also before I knew I was having GB problems...for a few months before the attacks ensued..I'd also have a few nights a week that I'd have the worst...what I thought was horrible indigestion or heartburn an hour or two after dinner... My stomach felt like it was burning & cramping... Did or has anyone experienced this before things got bad with their GB? I also remember waking up a few nights in the weeks proceeding my first attack with heart racing/palpitations...

Heather

My first GB attack came without warning in Oct 2003. I ended up at the ER with severe pains in the center of my chest. My oxygen level was so low that the admitting thought I was having a heart attack. Three days in the hospital and all tests came back negative. I week or so later I had another attack. Pain so severe I could not handle it and had to call an ambulance. This time the hyda showed my GB was at less that 3%. No stones had ever showed in other tests...but a stone hid in a small duct wont always show up. When I was taking the Hyda the tech and I watched on the monitor and she would explain the path through the organs the fluid was taking. When the fluid got to the GB it just stopped. After a very long time she went to the Doc and ask what to do. He told me to drink a glass of milk and think of greasy food. Within 5 mins of drinking the milk the bile flowed on the chart. I was not in any pain while the fluid was blocked in my GB...maybe because of the morphine I was on :)

I opted to not have my GB removed. Mostly because of the stories I heard from others that still had probs after their surgeries. But also because of the milk. When I feel a little tightness in my chest...I just drink a glass of milk. Within a few mins the pressure would ease. Also I do liver/gallbladder cleanses. I feel great and have not had an attack since I started doing the cleanses. And I havent had the tightness feeling in almost a year.

I wish you luck with your surgery

Thanks lag_saxet for your reply. What kind of liver/gallbladder flushes do you do? This is something I've been thinking about doing, but have been unsure of it...

Thanks,
Heather

"Dr. Hulda Clark's" Liver Cleanse and Gallbladder Flush Recipe is almost 99% what I do. I was skeptical at first and a little worried since I am Diabetic. But the cleanses didn't affect me adversly. Infact...I feel like a million bucks after one. You have to follow it to the letter or it won't work. I learned that the first time. The cleanse I do tells you to stay in bed the second day til about 2 PM...that was the hardest part for me. Just don't plan on getting very far from a bathroom ! It is recommended to do a kidney and parasite cleanse first, but the first time I did it I didnt feel I had time to wait. That may be another reason it didn't work well for me the first time. I have done numerous cleanses since then with awesome results. I am planning another one this next week.

I look at cleanses for the body as I do cleaning my house or car. I have to admit tho...the first parasite cleanse I did I bought some stuff at the health food store that was like a 3 week thing .... almost killed me..lol.

I went back to Dr Clarks recipes.

Good Luck

Does anyone else have alot of pain after a gallbladder attack-- if they set for very long? I just have sat for 5 minutes & it's killing me... If I stay on my back it's better... Ouch!!

Heather

Hi again - sometimes my GB attacks lasted for a few hours before easing off; sometimes just a few minutes.

Katie G

Opps my last question was not to clear... My pain has lasted for a few days. Was wondering if setting makes the pain worse for anyone else? Mine is relieved by laying down or standing... Setting feels like it bending my GB in two...

I know exactly what you are talking about!! When I sit I have to be careful not to slump..Im getting some good posture sitting up straight. But it does help when I'm laying down with a heatpack.

I'm going away for the weekend and am worried about getting a attack so far from home. I plan to eat light while I'm gone.

Try & have a good weekend spongebobgamma. Hopefully you will be able to take your mind off your GB for a little while... It sure can consume ones whole being...

I know my pain gets worse when I sit at the computer kinda slumped over. I have to adjust myself so I'm leaning more on my left side. I find that laying in bed on my right side causes pain too.
I just found out my GB operation got bumped to the 29th... :rolleyes: another week of suffering for me!
Hospitals....gotta hate em!

-Donna

OOh thats terrible Donna!!! Hang in there...

Least I know I'm not crazy with the setting thing & the GB pain...

Take Care,
Heather

i have pain which the surgeon told me is definitely gall bladder pain! i'm not sure at all. there is one large gall stone present. a gastro specialist told me it has been there for years and i have an asymptomatic gall bladder. i have pain between shoulder blades (like cramping) neck pain - like glands in neck or throat swell up and pain in my jaw. all this since having Nissen surgery last Sept. Does this sound like gall bladder pain? surgery to remove gb is scheduled for thurs but i don't want to do it because i am not sure if this is what is causing problems. what if pain continues after it's out? i also need a dialation (sp?) of opening into stomach as it has been "over corrected" and i now have intra-oesophageal reflux. What next?

Bap,
With my first bad gallbladder attack I did have pain go into my neck & jaw on the right side. Also the pain between the shoulders & behind the blades. But I also have severe right sided rib pain, where the gallbladder is...(so does everyone I know that has or has had a bad gallbladder)...& pain in center of stomach. Maybe you should get a second opnion....I would... My surgeon wanted me to have all kinds of tests done before just taking out my gb... I've seen 3 Dr's who say it needs to come out...so am going to within the next week or so.

Hope things go well for you...

Blue

Hi Blue
Thanks for your reply. It seems what is missing from my symptoms is the pain near the ribs on the right. I do have right side pain but it's lower down and is like a stitch. The surgeon pressed under the ribs but there wasn't any pain there. I am also not nauseous at all. Confusing! Good luck to you too with your surgery.

Has anyone had this weird like gnawing or gripping pain in the center of the stomach between the ribs? It's irritating to wear pants...even elastic wind pants...uggg... My right side is not bothering me as much right now, but this pain is nasty feeling. Sometimes it even feels like someone is squeezing my liver stomach, etc....

Blue