My GP is referring me for an ultrasound scan. I'm not sure if i have a gallbladder problem but my symptoms are a discomfort under my right rib, radiating to my back and inbetween shoulder blades. Could this be a gallbladder problem or a pancreas problem? i'm getting quite worried now.
Sounds like the way mine started. I thought I'd pulled a muscle near my ribs the first time it happened. The second time was more severe and ended with me being sent to hospital. After having an ultrasound and an mri scan I had my gallbladder removed a few weeks ago so hopefully no more pain. I hope you get sorted soon.
Did you have this for a while? mine comes and goes and has been getting steadily worse since last year. I guess an ultrasound scan will reveal all, i just can't wait to have it now.
Don't worry
you are showing mild symptoms of gallbladder or gallstones...
if you have gallstones they rub together to irritate the lining of the gallbladder making it sore and inflamed ...this sounds like your symptoms..
if a stone gets sqeezed into a bile duct your symptoms are absolute agony like broken ribs projectile vomiting for up to 6 hours and inflamed stomach ..that's a colic attack ..generally these occur every few months or maybe annually often misdiagnosed as food poisoning ..but they suddenly stop when the stone dislodges ...
liver and pancreas problems show up as infection so high temperature general malaise and pale almost white stools and yellow skin jaundice ..this is rarer and if you were at this stage you would of rang an ambulance ..
so try not to panic many of us on here had the symptoms colic attacks pale stools etc on and off for many many years before a doctor actually diagnosed it as gallbladder ...sounds like you have a good gp ..
to help it settle eat no fat ..no red meat no caffeine all these things cause the gallbladder to spasm sqeeze extra bile for digestion ....when it sqeezes it rubs the stones together or worse sqeezes one into a duct ..
if you have stones cutting all fat out will quickly cause your symptoms to settle
hope that helps
sally ...had mine removed a year ago after 15 years of being misdiagnosed ...feel great now
I only started getting symtoms last September. I had two really painful attacks with them, the last one lasted 8 hours, the pain was unbelievable. I was given the option of leaving things as they were and hope for no more attacks or I could have them out. I decided to get rid of them and had my gallbladder removed at the beginning of February. I feel great now and am glad to be rid of it.
So Sally, did you have 15 years of discomfort before gall bladder problems showed up? I also suffer from GERD and have been confusing my symptoms blaming it on the reflux but hopefully i will know soon enough what it is, if anything. I must admit i don't like the thought of having an operation. The last time i was in hospital was 27 years ago when i gave birth to my daughter and the last time i was "put under" was when i had a D&C due to a miscarriage :-(
Hi
15 years ago I had a terrible colic attack agony vomiting called doc out injected me with anti sic med said food poisoning ...in the meantime had terrible indigestion was told by gp stress gastritus possible ulcers so much burning pain when I ate fruit , spice , coffee etc ..so ate bland ate gaviscon got put on proton pump inhibitors seemed to manage it ..but generally once a year massive attack of vomiting ..told gp I keep getting this she said some people can't stop vomiting once they start you seem to be one ( load of rubbish) gave me anti sic meds to take if attack and said be careful what u eat ...so for the ext few years lived on boiled potatoes boiled veg no fat no fruit very bland food seemed to avoid attacks and had mild indigestion all the time ...then had a massive attack dropped to the floor pain through the roof no vomit fainting sweating etc ..went to doc ulcer ...took meds continious gnawing pain under rib in back and shoulder felt like a mouse chewing felt billious a lot ...went to doc ..gallstone ..scan ..oh my youve had these for years and years they are big and so many your gallbladder is packed ..had removed ..new woman ..no gastritus, no indigestion burning , can eat fruit spice etc stomach solid ..no gallbladder pain .. I wept when I recovered I felt well and I had felt rough for so many years ... So don't be frightened of op day surgery in and out I one day keyhole... But rest don't lift for 6 weeks you'll feel good but you are healing inside ... This if it is what you've got May make your quality of life I improve ..👍😀
Thanks for that Sally, i didn't realise that gallstones / gallbladder problems can go undetected for years. Since i was diagnosed with GERD i have not had any tests to confirm this ie no endoscopy, no scans, was just put on Omeprazole and that was it (12 years ago). I may now be experiencing mild symptoms of gallstones or gallbladder problems but the scan appointment can't come soon enough now so that at least i will know what is causing this generally 'yukky' feeling i get most days when i wake up. Will keep you all posted and thanks for your posts, i do appreciate being able to chat about this.
Snap...no tests done either ...
Omeprazole does help with gallstones as it stops the production of bile so your gallbladder isn't used as much ...I stayed on mine for a couple of weeks after surgery then weaned myself off slowly ...
all will be revealed when scanned have a look mine were like a bag of marbles lol ...let us know xx
It sounds to me like gallstones, I have them.
An ultrasound scan will show them up.
Take care and keep us posted.
Sarah
Hi,
It sounds similar to how mine started, I put the pain down to indigestion for months and finally plucked up the courage to go to the doctors where I was given Omeprazole for acid reflux, but I still got the pain - I went back and they gave me a higher dose. But I still had pains, I saw another doctor who did blood tests and booked me in for a scan at my local GP - which showed I did have gallstones. I then got referred to a treatment centre where the consultant said she want to double check and I had the camera put down my throat - it was inflamed so I was put back on Omeprazole and the consultant decided to take my gallbladder out. I had to wait 4 months on the list and I finally had it out 2 weeks ago on Friday. I'm glad I did it, I've always had a HUGE fear of being put to sleep - but all went well (so far). I'm 26 and rather have it sorted than spend my life worrying if I'll have an attack! They were horrdeous, pain lasted hours, I would have chills and would vomit. Good Luck
My scan appointment has now come through for 17 April but i know now that i will be whittling about it all wondering what it is that is causing my symptoms - what if it's not gall bladder problems? what else could it be? the soreness/burning feeling inbetween my shoulder blades (sort of halfway down my back) is now also worrying me too. I hope it's nothing serious :-( i am tempted to "google" my symptoms but i know it's the wrong thing to do.
Google gallstones and I found the Mayo clinic and bupa sites excellent you will see your shoulder and neck pain is a symptom ...
Try not to stress , stress causes gallbladder to contract xx
Today i feel, what i can only describe as a feeling like a pulled muscle which hurts when i turn my head to the right and it seems to be from my shoulder blade. Could this also be GERD related? i've taken an extra 10mg of Omeprazole today because of this. My scan is not until 17 April, am getting quite worried now in case it's anything serious :-(
It sounds like you do have gallbladder problems. This is how mine started. I've had some very painful (sometimes scary) flare-ups; however, I'm older and wiser now and really watch what I eat which means my diet is very narrow indeed. No fat at all; this has quite a knock on effect where your food choices are concerned, but once you've given yourself time to heal by being careful, you will be grateful. I will be having my GB removed at the beginning of April 2015 .....
how long did you have to wait until your operation?
wow Sally ..... although I haven't had my symptoms as long as you I too was very ill at the start of 2012 for about 4 months. GP gave me anti sick tablets, but it didn't help one scrap. Finally, after four months of feeling desperately sick and being sick I was ready to insist on a second opinion, but the doctor said he thought I had the onset on ulcers and prescribed Omeprazole. These certainly helped get rid of the sickness and all went fairly well for the next few years til last autumn. Now I have a date to remove GB ...... I can't wait to feel the way you describe " a new woman". Thank you.
These are the symptoms which i have been experiencing for years (about 12 years) which over the last few weeks have been getting worse. The symptoms are:- feeling that i have a lump in my throat when i swallow, wanting to burp/belch as soon as i have eaten or drunk anything, pain/soreness behind my right hand shoulder blade and inbetween the shoulder blades. I am just worried now that after years of suffering from GERD i may have damaged my oesophagus. I am due for a scan soon.
I believe I had gallstones back in 2012 - I was really sick for about four straight months, a lot of that being bed bound. I was given all the anti-sick tablets on offer, but nothing worked. Finally, one of the doctors thought I might have the onset of ulcers and prescribed Omeprazole, which I have to say helped the sickness no end. It wasn't until last autumn (2014) that I was diagnosed with gallstones. I had felt very sick all night long and in the morning I was finally sick, but all my food from the previous evening (over 12 hrs ago) was undigested. and my doctor sent me for tests (December 2014). I've had a few nasty flare-ups which were incredibly painful and also scary and which lasted over 11 hrs, though now I'm careful about anything containing fat and gradually I have felt somewhat human. I've had several tests, including MRI, blood tests, an ordinary scan, endoscope (rear end) and a camera down my throat and now I've just been given a date in early April for the actual operation.
Could be gallstones. I would have an ultrsound scan to check for this. Then atleast you know.
Take care
Sarah