Has anyone here had gallbladder problems?
#68513 - 05/07/04 10:32 AM
|
|
|
|
Vicam
Reged: 02/24/04
Posts: 1955
Loc: Ontario, Canada
|
|
|
I may have gall bladder trouble, so I'm looking for anyone whose had trouble with theirs or had it removed to give me some advice. My GI doc didn't want to do an ultrasound to look at my gall bladder (despite the fact that I had what I think was a gall bladder attack, upper right abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting etc) so I asked my primary care doc to do it and while they didn't find stones they found sludge and thickening of the gall bladder wall. I did some research and found that's very common in people who have gall bladder disease and/or have had stones.
Anyways, my primary care doc couldn't really interpret the results, so he said he'll need to forward them to the GI for follow-up (the one who wouldn't even do the test) and so I'm a little concerned. Because there aren't stones in there now, is it nothing to worry about? Because I was under the impression that you can have trouble with your gall bladder that can cause D, cramping, bloating and gas, even when you don't have stones.
Any advice would be great!
Thanks,
Kelly
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
In 2000, at age 26, I had my gallbladder removed due to 3 large, passage blocking stones. The attacks started when I was 23, but had no health insurance and figured it must be the start of an ulcer, so I self-treated with Pepto. After getting health insurance and seeing a doctor right away, they prescribed Previcid, which worked great most of the time and they started the battery of tests that found the stones. My pain was increasingly excruciating. It was about as you described yours, but I also had a lot of pain in my neck and the back of my left shoulder, which the doctor said abdominal pain tends to show up in the oddest ways. (My ex-husband's kidney stone attacks prevented him from lifting his arm at the shoulder.) My gall bladder attacks started coming fairly often and one night I made myself stay up all night just so I wouldn't have one. They were driving me insane. My IBS is thought to have been triggered by years of eating disorders accompanied by diet pills, laxatives, and antidiarreals. Since removing my gallbladder and as I get older, acid reflux, indegestion and heart burn have become prevelent, but I've also learned what I can eat and what I can't and what to take if I do. If your gallbladder is still functioning then I can see why a doctor wouldn't want to remove it, but I can almost guess that there will be stones eventually. Stay with the same doctor, so there is a medical history and keep a journal of the attacks or at least note them on a calendar regarding time, what you'd eaten, what you were doing, what it felt like, etc. Good luck.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Kelly,
My son had gallbladder problems, too. At first, he thought it might be an ulcer. He was in severe pain radiating all the way to his back. A couple of times when he had an attack he went to the emergency room and they gave him morphine. Finally, he went to the doctor and had tests run.
He had sludge(no stones) also and his gallbladder was barely functioning. He had it removed and has never felt better.
Hope this helps
Barbie
--------------------
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hey, sweetie, I've seen lots of posts about it. Did you do a search?
How ya feelin today?
--------------------
Laura
Keep it simple!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hi Kelly,
I have had mine removed. Mine deteriorated pretty quickly. In two years went from a normal ultrasound of gallbladder to a has to be removed immediately gall bladder. I had pain right under the right chest bone that radiated through to my back. Nothing made it better. Things like pizza or other fatty foods would trigger an attack. Finally one night I was up all night with the pain and then starting peeing orange!!! Called the doctor and was rushed into the ER. Only morphine took the pain away. I had stones in my ducts so I had to have those "blasted" first and then had my gallbladder removed six days later. The orange pee was from bilirubin being dumped from my liver. The stones got into the ducts and affected my liver and pancreas...very bad news. The ER doctor was apalled that I had been released earlier that day from my doctors office and told to take advil.
Not to scare you but follow your gut and get a second, third opinion if you have to. It is not something to fool around with.
Good Luck,
Cindy
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Hey LS
#68564 - 05/07/04 12:43 PM
|
|
|
|
|
Vicam
Reged: 02/24/04
Posts: 1955
Loc: Ontario, Canada
|
|
|
I didn't do a search, I will do that. And thanks for asking, I'm not doing too bad, but not great. Had a not so nice conversation with the nurse at the GI's office today, pretty frustrating, I'm so unhappy with the treatment I'm getting I may actually wait the 3+ months to see another specialist. I also just found out that I could got and get practically all the tests I need done at this special facility they have in Toronto, but it would cost me $1200, so I'm toying with that idea...but it's pretty pricey 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Erin, your history sounds so much like mine. I am 49 and have just been prescribed Aciphex which has totally alleviated all the symptoms you just mentioned since your gallbladder removal. I have just had 3 precancerous polyps removed from my colon and am now awaiting biopsy for a lesion found during a endoscopy. I have no proof of this but I sincerely believe that these problems may be caused from coping with reflux and indigestion for so long with just over the counter Tums ect for relief. Have you mentioned to your doctor that you are experiencing reflux? I would mention acifex or one of the other scripts on your next visit. Reflux can evidently damage the esophagus to the point of cancer and if that can be avoided it would definitely be worth it. Good luck.
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Re: Hey LS
#68599 - 05/07/04 03:36 PM
|
|
|
|
LauraSue
Reged: 01/14/04
Posts: 4812
Loc: New York City
|
|
|
Sometimes I'm not sure who's more frustrating to deal with, the nurses, the doctors, the drug stores or the insurance companies!! Maybe we should do a poll!! 
--------------------
Laura
Keep it simple!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Hey Vicam,
Yes, I had my gall bladder out about 3 months ago. I had SEVERE pain under my ribs on the right side. The pain also radiated into my back. This pan was like nothing I had ever felt before. Kinda like gas but oh so much worse. I made 3 trips to the ER before someone FINALLY did an ultrasound and found gallstones. They removed my gallbladder immediately. You may need a second opinion from another docas to the removal of your gallbladder. You certainly don't want it to get worse and the surgery was a snap - only 30 minutes. I was completely recovered in one week but really felt better in about 3 days. It was nothing.
--------------------
Dana
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
