Depressed!

Digestive health
1

Hi all, I just am feeling very down at the moment (not like me!) - since Feb I have been unable to digest fats, went to GP who put me forward to for an ultrasound which showed no stones, sooooo, then referred to a gastric consultant who says he wants to do more tests for malfunctioning gallbladder.  I would love to hear from anyone who is or has gone through this, horrible pain, bloating and now abdominal pain. Although I don't want to go through surgery I also feel my life is totally on hold at the mo. Thank you.

 

2

Hiya I'm the same as you the bloating and wind is bloody awful I'm un decided yet to have the operation hard decision to make today I've been fab yesterday was in a mess so undecided 😢😣😞

3

All I can say is hang in there, I know how you feel it was 3 months of negative tests before I took hida scan and it came back positive only 9% functioning for 3 months all I would do is worry and stress out like I was crazy but finally got some results to get me moving in the right direction. Ask for a HIDA scan.

4

Hi, I totally understand. I went to the GP in November and have had blood tests, colonoscopy all clear, ultrasound showed gallstone. Eventually got to see a GI consultant but he's not convinced all my symptoms are all gallbladder related ( bloating, pain under right rib, shoulder pain, continual tiredness, feeling very sick and unwell). Now wants a stomach endoscopy which I'm having on Monday. I understand the depressed feelings. Keep with it, enjoy the moments that you might feel a bit better and ask for all the help you can get. It seems to take a very long time to resolve these problems.

5

Hi Carol, thank you so much for replying, I really am at a low, in so much pain, unable to eat anything and my mind is running away with me this evening.  This whole thing sucks, all the very best with your decision, do keep in touch.

 

6

Thank you Jane I really have never been so low, like you say this all seems to take so long and pain medication really does nothing.  I appreciate just to know that other people have gone through this. Thank you again.

7

Ure welcome my family all want me to have the operation easy for them haha.I've cut bread potatoes out and don't have Chinese any more I'm sticking to what's agreeing with me at the min .I hate it it's awful I will stick it out for as long as I can sending you a hug x☺

8

I find some days better than others. Sometimes all I can eat are dry crackers. I find buscopan helps as does keep up with regular paracetamol and occasional codeine. I try to eat healthily but almost totally avoid fat. Even drinking water hurt yesterday though! I'm quickly losing weight which seemed fine to start with but now I'd like it to stop!

9

At the min I don't eat breakfast at 1.30 after work I have a toasted teacake at 4pm I have 2 small slices bread toasted with a low fat spread for tea at 7pm I have toad in the hole and veg then grapes and low fat sweets at the min this is agreeing with me haha touch wood ☺

10

Hi Joanna,

Sorry you're going through this.  Having symptoms and not knowing what's going on is the worst! Sometmes ultrasounds don't pick up extremely small stones and sludge--which is basically like mud.  A CT scan often does better.  And your symptoms do sound like a malfunctioning gallbladder--though the usual symptoms are pain the same as you described, nausea and vomiting--every one's different.  There are lots of us on this site who have had your symptoms.

But, as your doctor said, you will need to have additional tests before they can make a diagnosis.  Waiting for tests to be performed and then waiting for results can be very stressful.  

At the minimum you may have blood tests to test your liver and pandreatic functions and a HIDA scan to check how much bile is being excreted by your gallbladder.  The consultant might also want to perform an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, though it's my understanding that colonoscopies aren't usually performed in the UK if there are no symptoms of problems in the large intestine.  The endoscopy will check conditions in your esophagus, stomach and on to your duodenum, where your small intestine begins.

Please try to take it as easy as you can.  In addition to eating low fat, you can try small frequent meals, and avoid acidic drink and foods.  Some people cannot tolerate dairy or coffee.  

Best of luck to you, and please let me know how you get on! 

  

11

Thank you Lynda,yes, like you say not knowing is the worst, I will let you know how things go and hopefully the sun will shine again soon.

12

I am really feeling relieved that I am not the only one who can't eat normally, I am living on oatmeal made with water, some blueberries, strawberries, nothing else, in the evening I have some more fruit and homemade vegatable soup, this has been since Feb and believe this also part of the reason for my depression tonight, I just would love a normal chicken dinner - fed up!! friends and family just don't understand, unless you have this you never can. bless you.

13

Hi Joanna, I'm sorry you're going through this as it is a nightmare. I had the following tests which all came back as normal, gastroscopy, CT scan, MRCP and there was only a slight abnormality in my blood result so not enough to ring any alarm bells. They also gave me a test for addison's disease due to the amount of pain in my back and luckily that came back as negative. At that point I was loosing all hope and wondering if I was imagining my pain which was gradually getting worse so that it was constant in my right side going upto my shoulder blade and hardly eating anything. Everything was low fat, no take aways (not that we had many, about 2 a month) small amounts of food, nothing spicy or too rich. Early on my husband and I went out for a really expensive meal for his birthday and it ended up going down the toilet! 

I had a HIDA scan just before Christmas and I couldn't believe it, it actually came back as abnormal with an ejection fraction of 14% so I was very pleased. Due to Christmas I didn't get to see the surgeon until the beginning of the new year and he was more than willing to go ahead with taking the gallbladder out due to it not functioning properly but because I would wake up in pain and it was constant he did say that it was unlikely to take all the pain away.

Before surgery I ended up missing lots of work and being self employed this wasn't easy. My weight dropped dramatically and I wasn't over weight or needed to loose any so this caused me problems as I needed to eat something otherwise I'd end up in hospital due to the weight loss. 

I had surgery at the beginning of March and unfortunately as the surgeon said it hasn't taken all the pain away.

I know you probably don't want the surgery but once your gallbladder starts to malfunction its not going to get better and will need to come out. The surgery itself was really easy, the staff at the hospital were fantastic and looked after me really well. It is generally only a day case, I was there first thing and then released in the early evening as my blood pressure dropped very low.

Do you know when your going to be seen yet and which tests?

I know its a really bad time but speaking to people on here has really helped as people understand when perhaps those closest to you don't, even though they try.

I didn't really have bloating but lots of pain, front, back, shoulders and it was never bad enough to to go to a&e but wasn't far off a few times.

Sorry this is a bit long winded but unfortunately none of this is quick.

Keep me updated with your progress x

14

Has anyone been diagnosed with abdominal adhesions after gallbladder surgery? If yes were you able to get rid of ?

15

Thanks for replying Katherine, I really do appreciate everyones comments, like I have said, I feel very alone with all of this at the mo. The consultant chap I saw is going to do a endoscopy first then a type of ultrasound whereby he does one with no food and the other after fats?? last time my bloods were done my liver and kidney function were fine. I like you am not overweight but am now struggling to keep weight on due to the enforced diet, if I eat fat I get horrible explosive events that I don;'t want to go into plus abdominal pain.  Unfortunately I am under the NHS which although brilliant it is all slow, the Dr is away on anual leave at the mo which doesn't help, I spoke to his Secretary yesterday and she hopes tests will start by the end of April, hhhmmm, no words really.  I am so pleased for you that you got a result in the end and like the other lovely folks hopefully I can get sorted.

Many thanks and I wll post on here as to any progress.

16

Hi Joanna, don't feel alone, all of us on here will help and support you through it so don't feel afraid just to let us know how your feeling. Yes mine was under the nhs and unfortunately it is a waiting game. 

You will get there just keep eating things that don't make you feel ill. Fingers crossed you don't have to go through too many tests before you get a result that you need.

take care xx

17

Hi Patricia,

I was not diagnosed with adhesions, but I do believe that I have them...pressure and discomfort from where my gallbladder used to be; my test results are normal.  It's very worrying. Happens when I sit down for a long period of time or at times when I've eaten a bit more than usual.  (I try to eat small meals mostly.)

I have been informed that adhesions can be removed by surgery, but that they usually come back; sometimes more severe than they were .

18

You're welcome!  Please let me know how you get on! xx

19

Sorry to hear that Lynda

I've been trying to figure out why I have so much pain in that area for almost 2 years now. Doctors don't know. Just started getting massage therapy. I wonder if that's what other people are experiencing with the under rib pain after gallbladder surgery.

20

I'm on the same boat you are. Near constant feeling of being bloated, gas and sometimes(rarely) nausea. They only discovered one gallstone in my case and the doctor told me that my attacks(which cause cramps in my stomach area for hours) do not really sound like gallstone attacks. I occasionally also have some very mild pain under my right rib. Endoscopy was all clear,blood test all clear too apart from eleated bilirubin(gilberts syndrome). I don't think they do HIDA scans here but i will ask. I suspect even if mine looks healthy, it's not functioning correctly. It sucks not being diagnosed! Hope we all get better soon !