High Bilirubin - have I had a gallbladder problem this whole time? - Gallbladder Message Board

enigmatics · 10-21-2008, 04:59 PM

I'll try to make this as concise as I can. When I was a kid I used to get stabbing pains in my abdomen region that were so horrendous I couldn't even straighten out to walk. It was also over-looked by my family as simply just some "constipation" so nothing was ever done about it. None of the school nurses ever even made a peep about it during all the times I spent in their office. As I got into my teens, the incidences kind of stopped.

In recent times I've seen a lot of doctors for the overall "unwell" feeling I've had...... aches, low grade fevers, light-headedness, fatigue, digestive problems, etc. One consistent thing has turned up in all my labs - high bilirubin. The only doctor who even mentioned anything said that it was just some benign condition known as Gilbert's Syndrome. Other than that, my last doctor ran some tests and has determined that I probably have a condition known as "sticky blood" or Hughe's Syndrome where the blood tends to clump.

This month I had a major issue. I had these massive stabbing pains in my back that weren't muscle or bone related, discomfort in my abdomen region, and I was urinating like 7 to 8 times a day. A new doctor ended up running a blood panel then prescribing me 500mg of Cipro to be taken over ten days. The pains went away.....but I've still got this low grade fever, at times there's a dull feeling in my back, and my stomach still feels bloated. They called recently to let me know that nothing turned up, except the bilirubin (which was high) and they want to run some more tests.

Could this be a gallbladder or gallstone problem that has simply managed to go unattended this whole time? I notice that after I'm done eating is when the symptoms really kick in, especially if I eat a big meal.

Titchou · 10-22-2008, 06:58 AM

It very well could be. When I had the bad gb attack that finally sent me to the doctor, my billirubin was high. An ultrasound showed stones and we had it out. A month later, the billirubin was back to normal.

enigmatics · 10-22-2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titchou

It very well could be. When I had the bad gb attack that finally sent me to the doctor, my billirubin was high. An ultrasound showed stones and we had it out. A month later, the billirubin was back to normal.

What was it like before you had it out? Were you experiencing symptoms? If so, for how long?

AlanPi · 10-22-2008, 02:32 PM

You sound a lot like me. I had high bilirubin ranging from 1.5~2.0, and my Gastro Dr told me it's the Gilbert's syndrome. I have had stabing abdominal pain from time to time when I was a kid, and constantly have reds in the eyes.

I have had a lot of the stress symptoms you described recently, and had a HIDA test result of only 7%. I just had my gallbladder taken out 10/9.

They didn't find any stones prior to the surgery, but the Pathology report said I had stones, not sure if they actually found any. The pathology did say the gallbladder is bad, so there is not reason leaving it in.

Now I have problems with waking up in the middle of the night and thirsty, and sometimes my hands feel numb and tingling for no reason at night and in the morning...

AlanPi · 10-22-2008, 02:36 PM

I also had frequent urination, either after lunch or in the middle of the night.

You said you had pain in the back, is it behind the stomach area? If so it is best to have your pancreas checked out, perhaps via ultrasound and CT scan.