Adhesions in gallbladder

Digestive health
1

So im 24 hours post op of having my gallbladder out.

Ive been sick over a year and a half with upper right quadrant pain and pain drilling through to my right shoulder. very specific pain that didnt move in the area of the gallbladder and murphys sign was excruciating. Dizzy spells and pain in my breast bone that sometimes felt like i was having a heart attack.  pain in my left leg and in my arms occasionally.  Belching alot but could eat anything and pain appeared to come and go randomly but would last for days on end, sometimes weeks.  Also i feeling in my throat that i cant quite describe,  like it was closing up and a tickling feeling in my right lower lung.

I had Normal test after Normal test and over 20 Emergency room visits where i was basically told i have anxiety and have imagined pain due to stress.

Test I had are: 

7 or 8 ultrasounds normal

2 ct scans normal

endoscope normal

At least 20 blood tests for liver, pancreas and kidney function normal.

Multiple x rays normal.

Hida Scan normal.

my gp in spain from day  1 said it was my gall bladder and 1 consultant in the Emergency room thought the same but all the other doctors put it down to anxiety.

After finally being offered a investigative lapsroscomy the plan was just to have a look internally and only remove gallbladder if abnormallities were spotted which would be highly unlikely due to all the previous test results.

So after speaking with the surgeon today after having my gallbladder removed he said my gallbladder was squashed onto my liver and had to be dissected from the liver.  He said it was full of adhesions across the whole internal gallbladder and that it was the worst gallbladder hes seen in a young healthy male in 25 years!

The relief of him finding something and removing the gallbladder has lifted a huge huge weight off my shoulders.  I knew i wasnt crazy.  No one goes from active and healthy to housebound and in pain 24/7 if there is nothing wrong.

There are lots of people on this forum that describe similar things as myself of pain but all normal tests.  All i can say is persevere and listen to your body, you know if you are sick and dont be made to feel like you are imagining things.  The doctors in the UK just wanted me on antidepressants which i refused and docs in spain just said i was constipated which i wasnt.

My case isnt straight forward as im not overweight, dont smoke, drink only moderately and im generally extremely fit and well.  i didnt fit the box for gallbladder disease.

I still need follow up tests in a few months to check if every thing is healed up and that nothing else has been missed.

I hope those of you in similar position to myself also get answers.  If in doubt push for investigative laparoscomy maybe the eye can see what the scans cant...

2

Wishing you a speedy recovery and hope all goes well.

I just got out of hospital after being there 5 days, after having a colonoscopy which left me in a lot of pain and still am experiencing pain.

I was diagnosed with my gallbladder back in July 16. My gallbladder was aggravated again whilst I was in hospital so they decided to give me another ultrascan. The same woman who scanned me in July expressed to me that she did not find any findings of the 2 stones and sludge I said I had. I even said I have it in black and white what was found . She wouldn't have it. I'm back to see the surgeon the end of this month. I feel confused. But I know my body and I know my gallbladder is not right.

I'm also not over weight and eat a good diet but my mother had to have her gallbladder removed and they say it can be in the genes. Thanks mum! 😩

3

Glad you have managed to get this one sorted.

Take care

Keep in touch

Sarah

4

Hi Stephen,

Glad you got it sorted. I am waiting for my daughter to come home from hospital today after her op, she's 29 and had been treated for indigestion for over a year until I insisted on her gp sending her for a scan( im a nurse), it showed a compacted gall bladder.

Hope your recovery goes well

Michelle xx

5

Hoping for a speedy recovery and a healthy life Stephen!!

I'm glad you posted your odd case - it's important for people to realize that tests don't mean everything and sometimes common sense needs to prevail. I hope this helps you!!

6

Stephen, I was wondering how you developed adhesions? Usually it's scarring from previous surgery. I'm just curious.

7

I myself have been to the dr over and over again since Thanksgiving. I've had CT scans, ultrasounds, pill cam, colonoscopy, hida scan. The dr found nothing. I continued to stay in pain. My dr said he thought it was gall bladder but none of the test proved it. Eventually my dr referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon looked over all my test and asked tons of questions. He too, said it was my gall bladder, but the test didn't show it. He decided to do the surgery anyway. When they got in there my gall bladder was attached to my liver, muscle wall, and stomach. He said it was the weirdest and worst gall bladder he had ever seen. I too am very active, small, and otherwise healthy. If I had not been persistent that something was wrong, I would still be enduring the pain, vomiting, bloating, and blood pressure issues.

It's wild that you and I have very similar stories. I hope you are still doing well!

8

Stephen - hope you are sorted now,

A note to anyone reading this - stick with it if you do suspect gallbladder problems as it seems getting diagnosed can be elusive, especially if you are  not considered to be especially susceptible.

Also bear  in mind you could develop into a worse state so it's important to follow up.

My experience is that it took a lot of pain and hassle before I was diagnosed properly due to being admitted to hospital with jaundice. Previous to that, for at least a year I had symptoms of some upper abdominal pain and what felt like severe acid reflux; including a bout of terrible pain and having to be take to hospital in an ambulance only to be diagnosed with viral gastroenteritis. I had a few visits to the Doctor and got nowhere.

It was six months later I had a bad pain attack and fever and was admitted to hospital due to jaundice.

Scans (Ultrasound, MRI) didn't show anything conclusive but I was booked in for GB removal, after a 6 month wait I got a cancellation slot which was lucky as I had GB adhesion, perforation, haematoma and an abcess. It took 3 operations and it was touch and go.....Still recovering after 4 months...!

So I can't empathise enough  with Stephen and say again stick with it if you suspect issues before they develop more...!!!

Mike

9

Thanks for sharing the details. I really like to know what symptoms really bothered you before the surgery. I have gallbladder with stones , but mostly with dizziness feeling. Did you had dizziness feeling ? Please post how the dizziness after surgery, i know you are still early to figure out as you are 24 hours post op.

10

I'm another with a long difficult journey to surgery for functional gallbladder disease. I had the op yesterday and adhesions were found on my GB too, Stephen.

It started with a year of acute bouts of biliary colic with months being pain-free in between. The last two years the problem switched to chronic biliary-type pain referring into my back, right shoulder, sometimes right side of neck and occasionally into jaw. Along with feeling really unwell, a weird sort of bilious nausea from time to time and general exhaustion. I had to change my life completely to cope: adjusted my hours in one job so I could rest most afternoons and put another job on hold. I'm a slim build, active, healthy-eating, late-40s female. My only problem prior to this has been IBS, inc gluten intolerance and reaction to common high FODMAP foods.

Medical appts went like this: GP referral for ultrasound showed no gallstones. Next GP consult we decided to wait and see if biliary colic happened again. It did, so then referred to gastroenterologist. He was happy to show me the door, as U/S was clear, but I insisted there was something wrong. Next I had stool tests for inflammatory bowel disease (negative result) and a HIDA scan which showed extremely low ejection of bile from my GB. I was so relieved to get an objective test showing a problem.

The last year was hardest. I was referred to a surgeon who refused to acknowledge the HIDA scan result and would not operate unless I had stones - repeat U/S negative for stones. I paid for a second opinion, which armed me with more info on functional GB disease and Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

Next, a robust discussion with the original surgeon who then agreed to operate so long as I had a clear endoscopy to exclude stomach problems. That was done. By then I'd been referred by gastroenterologist to specialists at UCLH to see what they thought, so no op until the original surgeon had their say. UCLH sent me for detailed MRI that showed no reason for my pain but they concluded "chop the gallbladder out" based on symptoms and HIDA scan. By this time another year had passed, original surgeon has moved on but the surgeon I paid to see is in same NHS dept and agrees I can go on the list.

Finally I have had the op with surgeon no 3! This surgeon (and the surgeon I paid for) warned that GB removal won't solve my pain if it is Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. However, my symptoms and then finding adhesions on my GB increased his confidence that I will be fixed. Time will tell. Hope you are feeling better, Stephen, and that this helpful to others.

11

Thanks for posting.    I have my surgery scheduled for Aug 6th.  I have been uncomfortable off and on for almost 2 years.  Every test u can have all normal or middle of the road.   No stones.  The discomfort keeps getting worse but no where like when people have GB attack.   So I have tried to stop complaining.  Lots of the symptoms of heart burn, pain in the back, pain after big meal in area of GB, then pulling feeling across the lower right side to the belly button to the GB area.  Like a triangle.    I really hope they find things you and others have spoken about...so afraid of taking out the gallbladder and it’s healthy.....will post after surgery.    Your post and many that have responded have made me feel better    Thanks 

12

i know it has been some time, but i was wondering how you are doing?