foodie
08-19-2002, 12:40 PM
Well, I had my endoscopy on Thursday and everything was clear except some inflammation of my stomach. He took a biopsy, and he told my husband that it looks like I have an ulcer brought on by an infection. We shall see. My ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday to determine if I have any gallstones. Can anyone out there share some of their gall bladder symptoms?
Michelle :)
Michelle :)
Sponsor
Kamden
08-19-2002, 02:17 PM
I had pain on the right side right under my ribs, also in the middle in my stomache, and around to my back. It was a steady non stop pain. I have heard that many people have nausea with gallbladder problems. This is all I had, and it went on for hours untill I got into surgery, but luckily the pain med. they gave me worked very well. If you look up gallbladder on the internet, you will see all the normal signs of gallstones. Good luck
foodie
08-19-2002, 03:31 PM
The pain is steady and dull, kind of like a muscle ache. My stomach feels unsettled and full and the back pain is on the right side and up between my shoulder blades. I just want the gall bladder out if they find stones. I have a feeling that they will.
Katie G
08-19-2002, 05:34 PM
Hi, foodie. My gall bladder symptoms were nausea, severe stabbing and/or dull achy pain up under my ribs which sometimes radiated to between my shoulder blades, loss of appetite, weight loss, mid-abdomen tenderness, and diarrhea. My ultrasounds were normal because I didn't have stones, but after mutliple doctor visits and a second opinion, my surgeon removed my GB in '97. He told me it was severely inflamed and covered in scar tissue - indicating multiple and previous "attacks." Do any of the symptoms I had match yours?
Good luck to you,
Katie G
Good luck to you,
Katie G
foodie
08-19-2002, 07:32 PM
Well, I haven't had any bowel issues. Mostly an unsettled stomach, nausea, pain on the right under my breast bone radiating to my back and up in between my shoulder blades. I haven't had much of an appetite and have lost weight. I went to the ER last week and both the ER doctor and the ER nurse think that I have a gall bladder problem, but they couldn't remove it unless it was infected. He told me to go back to my GP and ask for an ultra sound, but I am going to ask about a hida test too. I hear this test can tell whether the gall bladder is functioning properly or not. I have heard you can have a non operating gall bladder without gall stones! Just more pushing I will have to do. The doctors probably think I am some kind of whinner! But I need to be pushy.
Michelle :)
Michelle :)
Katie G
08-20-2002, 05:24 PM
Hi, foodie. Yes, keep pushing until you get results! No need to suffer. It took 2 ultrasounds and 2 hidascans until I had surgery. Althought the hidascan showed my GB appeared to functioning "normally" (my ejection fracture was within normal), the tech elicited the same stabbing pain of an attack when she injected me with CCK during the procedure. That's when my surgeon knew it was the GB, and after a 2nd opinion was able to operate. Once again, no stones, apparently "normal" function, but once inside the doc noted severe scarring/inflamation.
Good luck and keep us posted,
Katie G
Good luck and keep us posted,
Katie G
penquinlady
09-04-2003, 08:56 AM
over 10 years ago I had similar pain and symptoms. I ended up having my gb removed. Over the course of the p[ast ten yrs the pain was still there. I went to my doctor and she prescribed anti-spasm pills...which sort of work. I had most tests done and nothing found. The pain last fall started to increase and ended up in emerg few times..once by ambulance. I now take percocet for the pain. I want to find a solution since gb removal did not solve my problem. The pain is from under the breast bone and raduiates to between my shoulder blades in back. Any help would be appreciated. I think it has something to do with my pancareas but doc says no...Help please!!
actudan
09-04-2003, 10:26 AM
I am going the gallbladder way myself right now. When I was first diagnosed, I was told that I had an ulcer and gastritis. I was put on prevacid and did well for about a month. During this month, I could feel what I call a slight muscle pull under my right rib but nothing too bad. After a month from my first dx, I started having severe upper mid abdomen pain again and another scope showed nothing. My gi doctor keeps saying it's stress but I totally disagree. Anyway, over time the mid upper abdomen pain has settled but the discomfort under the ribs has gotten worse and I am nauseated all the time. Also, the pain under the ribs has been shooting to my back lately. The back pain is located where you would come out if you stuck a long needle through where the fron pain is and came out the back. The back pain often shoots under my right shoulder blade. Anyway, right now the nausea is the worse and herbs and supplements haven't helped so I will talk to the doctor today about a prescription.
I have had an abdominal ct scan and ultrasound, 2 EGDs, barium enema w/ xrays, small bowel follow through, mutltiple blood tests, and I am sceduled for a HIDA scn next week. If the scan is normal, I don't know what to do. Today marks the week I started seeing a nutritionist and it also marks the week that I quit taking Nexium, but I really haven't noticed any difference.
I have had an abdominal ct scan and ultrasound, 2 EGDs, barium enema w/ xrays, small bowel follow through, mutltiple blood tests, and I am sceduled for a HIDA scn next week. If the scan is normal, I don't know what to do. Today marks the week I started seeing a nutritionist and it also marks the week that I quit taking Nexium, but I really haven't noticed any difference.
carebear73
09-04-2003, 03:28 PM
Hi foodie.. My symptoms are severe pain in upper abdomen.. like my stomach is going through a wringer, headache, nausea, diarreah, pain under right shoulder blade, weight loss, lack of energy, chills, achy pain under my ribs on the right side. Sometimes I can eat something without any problems then the next time I eat the same thing I get really sick. After 7 years, I finally know that it is my gallbladder. I went for a hida scan after alot of my own persistance and pushing my doctor. Sometimes I wouldn't get the pain for months so I would forget about it.. but it came back. My hida scan revealed that my gb did not fill up at all. So I am having it removed in 2 to 3 weeks. I have always had a feeling that is what it was and that it wasn't in my head. So if you have a particular feeling.. go with it.. it's a sense of intuition I guess.. and keep on persisting.. just because something doesn't show up on your ultrasound, doesn't mean that everything is fine. I had 3 ultrasounds and all of mine came back normal. My hida scan showed no stones. But I am still having it removed. I am so tired of the pain. It really exhausts me. I am very scared at the same time. I do have major anxiety which doesn't help.. When they call me for my surgery date, I hope my anxiety will not be too bad. We'll see I guess. Does anyone know how long the laproscopic surgery takes? I think it is day surgery now. Anyways, keep on pushing.. because you're the one that knows your body best. :-)
actudan
09-05-2003, 10:01 AM
I saw my doctor again yesterdy and he thinks that I may have a problem where the muscles come separated from the ribs. He gave a name for it but I am not 100% that is what it is. The reason being that why am I nauseated and why can food sometimes aggravate my problem. I am still having the HIDA scan but I believe if the HIDA and colonoscopy are normal that he is going to stick to his new dx.
Katie G
09-05-2003, 10:07 AM
Hi carebear. I so hope that surgery helps end your suffering - it did mine. I had all the exact same symptoms you did, but I only suffered for a year before my GB came out. By the time I had surgery in '97, I was in chronic and daily pain. No stones, just severe inflamation and scar tissue on the GB. Although I had some post-op pain - it was nothing compared to the GB pain I had suffered with. Although I now have bile salt diarrhea related to GB removal, (this only happens to about 5-10% of GB patients), I have had great control of it with a medication called Colestid.
The lap choly surgery takes about 30-45 minutes depending on the skill of the surgeon. My surgeon is great! I went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. and remember waking up in post-op about 5:45. I stayed overnight in the hospital since my surgery was so late in the day, but was discharged by 8:00 a.m. I know people who go into the hospital first thing in the morning, and are home by suppertime.
Keep us posted on how everything turns out. I wish you well.
Katie G
The lap choly surgery takes about 30-45 minutes depending on the skill of the surgeon. My surgeon is great! I went into surgery about 4:30 p.m. and remember waking up in post-op about 5:45. I stayed overnight in the hospital since my surgery was so late in the day, but was discharged by 8:00 a.m. I know people who go into the hospital first thing in the morning, and are home by suppertime.
Keep us posted on how everything turns out. I wish you well.
Katie G