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Gallbladder

I've been diagnosed with the gallbladder diskinezia, my gallbladder is contracting only 18%.  My doctor whant to remove it.  Is there any other treatment available?
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1519223 tn?1500812986
A related discussion, Gallbladder was Removed was started.
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A related discussion, What could happen was started.
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I have had pain in my right shoulder since this summer.  I had horrible abdomen pain on 10/10.  Went to Dr. and they did palpatation of area suggested GB and put me on a type of antacid. had more pain on 10/11 called Dr. She ordered ultrasound-Turned up negative for stones and thickening of lining.  Had HIDA/CCK done last Fri.  I felt the nausea first then terrific pain in rt shoulder and armpit, pain in left shoulder and then pain in GB area to the point of doing Lamaze breathing.  Will get results on Mon or Tue. I haven't known of anyone else with the shoulder pain and armpit pain.  Has anyone out there had this. Thanks
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Can someone address gall bladder causing itching ?
I have had several gall bladder attacks in the past few years and have decided to have surgery.  I am waiting for my appointment to see the surgeon in 20 days (who's counting).  Meanwhile I itch from head to toe, so much so that I want to scratch my skin off.  It's worse on my feet and at night.  Right now it's 4 AM and I can't sleep because of the itching.  I thought it was unrelated to the gall bladder, but internet research has shown me it is a common sympton.  Is there anyone else out there who has experienced this?  If so, how do you deal with the itching without going insane ?
Thanks.
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Avatar universal
Can someone address gall bladder causing itching ?
I have had several gall bladder attacks in the past few years and have decided to have surgery.  I am waiting for my appointment to see the surgeon in 20 days (who's counting).  Meanwhile I itch from head to toe, so much so that I want to scratch my skin off.  It's worse on my feet and at night.  Right now it's 4 AM and I can't sleep because of the itching.  I thought it was unrelated to the gall bladder, but internet research has shown me it is a common sympton.  Is there anyone else out there who has experienced this?  If so, how do you deal with the itching without going insane ?
Thanks.
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Avatar universal
I am 3 days post-op with a laprowcopic gallbladder removal. I think I was mis-diagnosed 3 years agp with a hiatal hernia, but received Prilosec which must of kept things in check for a while. Within last 2 months, my pain which occurred very infrequently at 3:00 if taking Prilocec 40 mg consistently, went ballistic. The times even changed as I started having attacks in the morning upon waking up, in the evening and these babies lasted 112-24 hours. Had all the tests which all showed nothing wrong with gallbladder...my scan was called the PiPida scan and the first one tool forver for by gb to show up but when it did it emptied at 81%. Then I went into ER after an attack that included about 18 hours of vomiting (I noticed with others that they really seemed to oberve and do more if on was vomiting with these gall bladder problems). Surgeon said let's take it our after couldn't get it to visualize again on second scan at all. He did not expect their to be a stone, but their was a very large one! He responded when I asked why none of the tests showed anything especially the ultrasound and he answered politely that it could have been due to my weight as a large woman (he was large as well). One lady asked if pain could be more epigastric and between rib cages and mine was unless a doctor touched and manipulated me under the ribs and by rib cage. I feel fine and consider my surgeon a hero at this point. I hope that I don't have a residual problem as some of guys have, but at least after reading this site I will be alert to more things. Thank you all. Molly  ***@****
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Avatar universal
I went to urgent care yesterday, because of severe pain around the heart region radiating around to the left side.  I had an ekg done-with no problem there-, and a chest xray, the doctor thought I might have a collapsed lung, and thank God, that wasn't the case either!  My pain was so severe, I could hardly breathe without excruciating pain.  The doctor didn't even think of checking my gallbladder out, and I didn't suggest it, but I wish I would have.  The doctor gave me meds for pain, and an anti-inflammatory, and told me it was probably a pulled muscle, and if it didn't go away in a few days, to see my regular physician or go to the er.  So far it hasn't gone away at all, but as long as I stay on the pain meds I don't feel the pain.  I'm thinking that it might be my gb, but through all the things I've read, everyone says their pain is on the right side.  Does anyone else share the symptons I have, and if so what are they doing about it.  If anyone can give me a clue as to what's happening, I'd really appreciate it.  If someone else has a clue, dwill you please email me at [email protected]?  I'd appreciate hearing from you.
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Avatar universal
My question was, "what are the symtoms of a gall bladder attack?" This site came up on the computer. Every symtom I had from a "fist or grapefruit under the right ribs, soreness/tenderness, even to thinking it was hunger pains, which surprised me to the pain being so severe that one would do most anything to find relief. I'm on my way to the doctors now. Thanks for the other information concerning either total removal or just the stones and the possibility of pain after the procedure. I have enough information to ask intelligent questions. Many Thanks. Is there any other information I need to know about this problem?
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Avatar universal
To Susan on 12-29-99,
I too experienced the pain and nausea from the gall bladder scan. The technician administering the test was about to give me a morphine shot (which supposedly opens up the gall bladder) when it did finally open. My pain happened shortly after this. When I had the second shot of the CCK, it made me extremely nauseated and again I had the pain. This went on for most of the day. The test result came back negative and the gastro doctor does not feel it is my gall bladder. I'm curious to know if you ever found out what caused your problems, as I am still suffering with my symptoms(pain in the upper right side after eating, gets worse when I lay down, orange and yellow colored stools) and the doctor tells me he is at a loss as to what the problem is. What other test can I have that would find out what is causing this, I've had the scan, ultraound, upper GI, and a scope into the stomach only. This is extremely frustrating and I can't live with "I'm at a loss" there is something definetly wrong! Can anyone give me some advice?
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Avatar universal
I had my gall bladder out 2 weeks ago via Laporascopic surgery. I had the surgery on a Monday and was released from hospital on the Tuesday. Tuesday afternoon I started feeling nauseous. By 2am Wednesday morning I was in excruciating pain and was not able to even tolerate water without vomiting. I was taken to Emergency and have since spent the last five days in hospital on a drip and a mixture of morpine and anti nausea drugs. I have not been able to eat for any of this time. It is now a full week and I am still not able to eat solid food without feeling sick.
I am wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and if so how they have overcome the sickness. Will it just go away with time or is medication required.
Please email me at ***@****

thank you
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Avatar universal
Lisa, the first part of this post is for
you. I have tried to e-mail you at conner
@mpsi.net but it says it's an invalid e-mail
If you read this please post e-mail again.
I also suffer from the same symptoms as you
and many others on this forum. I will also
be going for the Hida-scan, How did yours
turn out?  Does anybody know if your GB isn't
contracting right if this would cause the
URQ dull pain so many of us are experiencing?
  
Karen you posted that you feel as if there was
a grapefruit under ribs, have you checked out
your GB yet? Sonogram? Have you gone for a liver
panel? I only ask cause these were the tests that
were preformed on me.
    
Lauren I also have the weight gain and problems
with BM's but no itching.  Have you gotten your
GB out yet?  I heard you loose weight afterwards
but might have loose stools for a long time.
  
Susan what did doc say about your Hida-scan? Is
he suggesting GB removal? Did you get it out?
  
I ask all these questions because I have learned
alot from you guys.  I have asked my doc ques-
tions that w/o this site I would not have known
to ask.  I think its important that we follow
up w/ our progress w/ the medical world. We can
help each other!  I HOPE YOU GUYS RESPOND
Your friend w/ URQ pain.....Georgie
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Avatar universal
My problems started about three months ago, with pain just under my rib cage on my right side and then going around both sides to my back. I had an episode three times every other night.  My doctor put me on zantac and told me to come back if the problem persisted. Well i didn't have another attack for six weeks but ever since i average about two a week. I then went to prilosec which didn't do anything, then went to robinul which didn't do anything either. I then had a ultrasound which showed a very constricted gall bladder after fasting for sixteen hours with two small stones. My doctor set me up to see a surgeon, the surgeon did a gastroendoscopy and found nothing. Then I had a Hida scan which showed the gall bladder emptying at 70%. I had another ultrasound which showed fine with no stones. The surgeon  thinks that I'm lactose intolerant all of a sudden, and my doctor thinks he's nuts Mydoctor today put me on something called  Dicyclomine.                                                       I have just about had it. All I know is I get this tremendous pain usually six to eight hours after I eat and lasts sometimes for four to eight hours usually in the middle of the night. But once its gone I'm not even sore. Any suggestions? ***@****  P.S. I think it"s my gall bladder too.
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Avatar universal
A-a
I just had my gallbladder out last week.  My doctor daignosed it as gastric reflux several weeks earlier.  By the 3rd emergency room visit I was jaundiced and admitted to the hospital.  The gallstones blocked my liver.  The four days I had to wait for my liver to become unblocked so I could have a laproscopy instead of the more complicated procedure were the hardest of my life.  The post-op surgery pain was pain but is getting better and nothing like the gallbladder pain.  I couldn't eat anything until my gallbladder was out.  If I could have had my gallbladder out before it reached emergency proportions, I wouldn't have spent 5 days in the hospital and gotten jaundice.  I wish I would've had that option.
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Avatar universal
I am 29 years old and 140 lbs/5'8" tall, I had my gallbladder removed February 98 in London, Ontario (where I lived).

I first noticed pain one day in August/97, it came on so fast I fell to the floor...it felt like very bad hunger...just below my breast bone...this continued for about a half hour and then I got another one.  The next day I went to the Doctor and she said it was an ulcer...without doing a blood test first!  She wanted to start me on medication...but I wanted to wait for the test.  It came back negative.  

In September/97 I had another 5 attacks, I went back to the Doctor and she said it was stress....hmmm, I thought...ok...it could be.  So I took anti-stress seminars...didn't help!  Then the attacks started to last several hours at a time.  They were very intense, no highs or lows, and it was difficult to breathe, walking made it worse, so I sat at the kitchen table for hours, praying for it to go away. Stress???

So I went back to the Doctor again in October...she said it was stomache acid!  ok...I thought.  I avoided chocolate, alcohol, tomatoes, citrus etc. still it didn't help.  She finally sent me for an ultrasound in November/97.  It came back positive for multiple gallstones.  She said it's minor surgey and not to worry about it!

So when I went to see the Surgeon in December/97 he asked me how many attacks I have had so far...I said 19 (I didn't think anything of it)  he was astonded and ordered surgery asap!  That didn't take place until Feb/98!

I did learn finally at the time of seeing the surgeon, that fat causes the pain....I lost 22 lbs before the surgery.  I was terrified of eating anything, as everything gave me pain.  I was scared to go out anywhere for having the pain in public.

After the surgery, when I was at home...I must say that the incisions (4) were REALLY sore!  It took me 2-3 months to be able to sleep slightly comfortable.  It was very sore to walk, laugh, reach up, down, turn door knobs, sit on the couch...getting up from the bed or couch was a real chore!

That was nothing, until one day in March when I had my first post-surgery gallbladder attack!  Yes it can happen afterwards!  The surgeon didn't believe me...come back when you have had 5 attacks....!!!  5 came and went...he did nothing...  I was really mad at this point...I'm not waiting months again for someone to do something....

I ended up visiting the ER MANY times throughout the next 2 months.  I had another 16 attacks....these all lasted 4-5 hours each!  They finally refered me to a Gastroenterologist, he did an ERCP after many weeks of waiting on the list on May 27/98.  It came back negative!  

Since then it has taken a long time (Aug.99) to be able to eat anything I want to.  I have no pain, no attacks, no cramps, and no diarrea.  I had several months of heartburn and reflux...but everything seems to be fine now!

Hmmmm.....how delectible brownies are again!!!!

***@****
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Avatar universal
Hi, I've been reading the postings and now I'm afriad to go for the scan mentioned to see if the gallbladder is working properly. For the last three days I have been getting a painful attack about one half hour after I eat and it lasts for 4 hours. It is under my right rib cage and around to my back and now I'm afraid to eat. In june the same thing happened to me and lasted for one week, then went away till now. I had a stomach virus four days ago which seemed to trigger this. In June I had an ultrasound and was told my gallbladder was ok. Could someone please explain the tests for me? I'm a big chicken. Does anyone know if a stomach virus could affect the gallbladder? Thanks for any responses. Martie
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I am a 52 yr old woman who has had the above symptons..pain under my right ribcage that sometimes feels like a large grapefruit!  It does not matter what I eat and acts up without notice!  This has been going off and on for about a year.  the last few months has been the worst.  I have a lot of gas, beltching, etc...most of the time I can not stand anything around my waist.
I have had a colon-scope(because of my age) which was fine..am scheduled for sonogram on Monday, the 10th.

In the meantime I have has a miserable week, went back to doc's and he put me on prilosec.  This was just yesterday.

I am exhausted most of the time, afraid to eat, and just plain sick of being sick!

Would a stomach ulcer cause the same pain?

you can reach me at pappa_tom***@**** need help!
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Avatar universal
I just had a HIDA scan and CCK test ran on my gallbladder. The tests came back normal and I am emptying at 45%, but during the test my GB wouldnt empty and the tech made me sit up and drink orange juice during the test, and it took about 10 min for my GB to start emptying.  When I looked at the monitor my GB was HALF the size of my liver!!!!  The report did not mention this and my Gastro Dr brushed it off. Has anybody heard of this happening during this test????
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Avatar universal
Hi Lauren,
Yes, I get intense itching every once in a while. My goal bladder is working at 25%, and its coming out. I am in horrible pain most of the time, and I am always bloated, but I am losing weight. I workout a few times a week and for months now I feel like going to bed after working out instead of feeling like I can take on the world. Hope you feel better soon.
Susan
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Avatar universal
My GB functions at 22% capacity.  WHy?  I don't know.  I always feel like  I have a heavy softball right under my ribcage. It always aches, I have no relief.  I do not have the severe sharp pains but the ache is bad enough from morning till night and inbetween.  I have gas, bloating and intense itching.  I am an excercise (freak) and do weight training but I am gaining steadily for no reason.  Had all the bloodwork and tests to prove nothing else was wrong.  I have been telling people for over a year that I can't digest food, I just knew something was wrong.  Now they want to remove the GB.  
Has anyone had the itching, weight gain thing before removal?
thanks, lauren
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Avatar universal
I have also for the last 3 months have had URQ pain, and the doctors beleive it's my gallbladder, but all my test some back fine, the doctor says that we just havent hit the test at the right time. 2 1/2 month ago when I had my first HIDA scan done my liver, gallbladder, and small intestines showed up in 5 mins and the test was over within 45 min. Now yesterday I had another HIDA Scan done and this time it took 45 min before my gallbladder showed up, they also injected me with CCK which made me a little crampy and naueous, but it was 2-3 hours after I received the CCK that I had horrible cramping pain, and I felt like some one just kicked me in the middle of my back and right shoulder and I suffered for most of the day, now today I am sore. Has this happened to any one eles after a CCK hida scan and would the difference in the time it took my gallbladder to fill from 5 min, to 45 min mean that something is wrong with the gallbladder. Thanks!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!
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Avatar universal
I am also glad that I found this site.  I've been having pain in the center of my ribs were they come together and down to my belly button.  Some times I have had some pain to the right of my ribs but not all the time.  This has been going on for about 2 months.  I have had the ultrasound - Normal, an upper GI- Normal, I had a Hida scann/CCK done today 12\27\99.  Some of the info I have read on this sight if anyone ever has a doubt on what your Dr. is doing for you or "NOT".  Ask for this procdure.  I will not find out the results untill tuesday or wednedsay about the function of my GB.  My pain is also like a brusien feeling all the time, some gas, some belching, I have had two bad attacts so far.  My Dr. put me on Pepcid at first and it seem to help sometimes but a couple weeks ago I ate some chicken strip's from sonic and I had a bad attact the next day.  Thats when the Dr. started the tests, hopefully this will tell them something about my GB.  If any one else has any suggestions for me contact me at
***@****
THANKS A BUNCH FOR EVERYONE'S INFO
LISA CONNER
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Avatar universal
I am so thankful I found this site. I just came out of the hospital in MEXICO and no time for a second opinion. I have always had stomach bloating (I am 43 female) and sensitivity to foods - it seemed everything i ate caused discomfort. I might add that I am (WAS) a sugar/carb addict. In October I was in St. Martin and ate some rice and green beans. After that I was never the same. That night I had the most excruciating pain and for the remainder of the week. I went to Miami and one of the people i was with suffers from gastritis and said that is what I have and gave me one of her pills - in Spanish it is called Espacil. It worked. When I returned to Cancun (where I live) I had a few very minor episodes and just shrugged it off as gastritis but then 1 1/2 weeks ago I had a major attack. The pain was more centralized between my ribs and all the way behind my navel and more on the left side. I took a sleeping pill and passed out and went on with my life the next day. Then a week later - 5 days ago I ate some rice, cauliflower, carb soda and 2 small cookies and went home. As soon as i got home the pain started so intense. Worse when lying down. The only position that i could stand to be in was on my hands and knees. I suffered this excruciating pain till 5am and then woke up my landlady to take me to the hospital. I went to emergency and there was no one there to do a ultrasound (welcome to Mexico - they didn`t work on Sunday). The doc suspected gallbladder. I had to wait 35 hours in ER till someone came that could operate their ultrasound. They just kept loading me up with valiums and I just kept passing out and then waking up in terror.  I just wanted to be back in the good ol USA. Finally when they looked at the screen they said I need immediate surgery - I had palups on my gallbladder and fluid had formed around part of my intestine. The doctor said I had to go to a different clinic for the surgery because they had a laproscope there. He said he would come back for me in 1/2 hr. - he came back 2 hrs. later! I was there 2 nights and I am glad I did it. Even tho it was a nightmare - I think the final result will be worth it. I have just been eating jell-o and a little bit of papaya but that didn`t feel good. At least now I will be forced to eat a proper diet. I am still in pain but the surgery was 2 days ago. I cannot see anyone suffering that pain - as one person had said, I just wanted to cut myself open and get that monster out of me.
The doctors here say its from drinking alcohol but I don`t realy drink so they are very misinformed here. Thats all they kept asking me in emergency, "do you drink, do you smoke?" I was very uneducated on this and this site has helped ALOT with all my fears. Just don`t go to a hospital in Mexico. Thanks all.
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Avatar universal
Sorry,  I'm new to the site and I got confused.  I was asking another question.
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Avatar universal
I have noticed that most of the time when people have gallbladder trouble they say they have pain on the right side.  My doctor sent me for a emptying scan because he thinks my gallbladder is not contracting right.  My question is if its my gallbladder how come I only have pain in the middle of my upper stomach, between my ribcage.  I also have bloating,my stomach swells out bad!  I used to be able to take Gas-X and it would help, but not anymore.  Also, I could control it with what I eat before.  I was eating the diet prescribed for acid reflux.  But, now no matter what I eat it hurts most of the time.  The doctor put me on prevacid...now I'm waiting on the results of the other test.  I do not have heartburn either, so I am confused on why he suspects my gallbladder.  I tried to find someone else with the same symptoms as mine on here but couldn't.  Please help if you can.  Thank you!!!
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