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Avatar universal

Is it my gallbladder?

I'm not sure if this is related, but back in May 2011 for a couple days I had severe abdominal pain that almost prompted me to go to the ER (but I didn't have insurance at the time).  When I was sitting or standing I felt like I had a brick in my stomach weighing me down, but lying down flat I felt fine.  This went away after about 2 days.  Then over the summer I would have mild intermittent pains all over my abdomen.  These pains feel like dull burning pains.  Now for the past 2 months the same pain is focused right under my right rib cage.  It is a dull burning/aching pain that is constantly there when I first wake up and when I go to bed.  When I eat even a small meal I feel nauseous and my stomach bloats out for a couple hours and the pain gets worse.  I also sometimes get a sharp, burning pain between my shoulder blades like someone is pinching my muscles very hard, but after a few minutes my muscles feel fine.  It doesn't seem to matter what I eat I always have the same feeling, also no change in bowel movements.  I went to a new Dr for a physical and she basically blew off my symptoms and didn't take blood work or anything.  My husband's Dr is very good but won't see me until January, so a couple weeks ago I went back to the same Dr and got her to do blood work: all of my liver panel was normal so she told me I might have GERD and put me on prilosec.  She told me to come back in a week and tell me if the prilosec helped (which it didn't) and when I showed up a week later she had cancelled my appt and wouldn't come out to talk to me the secretary told me to call her if I had more pain.  I haven't had any GERD symptoms, no pains or anything above my ribcage at all, no regurgitation or anything like that.  I am thinking of calling and requesting she refer me to a specialist and an ultrasound.  Based on my symptoms I think it is gallbladder or liver related.  Is a gastroenterologist the right specialist to request?  She is not a very good Dr so I am trying to figure out what the next step would be myself, any other ideas besides seeing a gastro dr and getting an ultrasound?

PS - my aunt (mother's sister) had primary biliary cirrhosis diagnosed at my age (25) and now just had a liver transplant. Also I am on the NuvaRing, no other meds.
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2827584 tn?1340579696
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I am amazed at the stories of some of my patients. I had a fellow that came for some completely unrelated problem that had been followed by several pain clinics and was looking into some whacky clinic in Europe for his 8 year history of horrible epigastric and right upper quadrant pain. He had given up on any hope for finding a problem. When I looked at his record, he had had a HIDA scan 7 years previously that had a 99% ejection fraction and had precisely reproduced his pain. Because the ejection fraction was over 35% the radiologist's report said normal so the primary care doc had never referred him to a surgeon, thinking that gallbladder disease had been ruled out. Once his gallbladder was removed the issue became how to taper and stop the narcotics that he had been on for 6-7 years.
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Avatar universal
I had same pain for 10 years. Every diagnostic test done you can imagine. 2 hida scans, MRI's, X-rays, CT scans, bloodwork, endoscopies, etc. Every test came back NORMAL.
Finally sent to supposed "top GI specialist" for EUS. Woke up and told that too was normal. Said "minimal sludge" was found and that everyone has sludge. I was ready to end my life at that point as he said I had "visceral hyperalgesia" and to go home and take an antidepressant. (what an egotistical jerk!) He spent 5 mins with me and never asked one question about my symptoms and dismissed me as crazy. BTW: It was suggested to me to have my hubby videotape the discussion with the doctor as I would be doped up from anesthesia and could review the video later. This was a fantastic suggestion and I think everyone should do that. When I reviewed my video later it was obvious and clear to me just what an incompetant and egotistical a-hole he was.
Not once did he review my records, ask a question, and when findings on records were brought up he dismissed it all.
He didnt even try to help me, nor did he care at all.

It was so hard to face my family, I felt like they must think I am nuts.
I ended up in pain 2 days later, it wasnt any worse than before but I just couldn't take it anymore. For some reason I forced myself to go to Urgent Care.
I didnt have alot of faith in doctors anymore but I went anyway. I got lucky and saw an Urgent Care doc that flat out said he disagreed with the specialists findings and stated, "Sludge is not normal and in the absence of diagnostic findings the patients symptoms cannot be ignored" He referred me to a surgeon, surgeon said show me paper that says sludge and I will remove your gallbladder.
Of course this was a very traumatic and was a huge decision for me. I mean I had a supposed specialist saying one thing and two other doctors saying the complete opposite. Plus the decision to have surgery and remove an organ isn't an easy decision. I was a wreck the week before surgery, so torn if I was making the right decision and worried the surgeon would go in and all would be normal.

Well surgery was a success. The gallbladder was severely adhesed to the liver and upper intestines. It was white and not really recognizable. After surgery the surgeon said he did not expect to see what he saw and seemed blown away that all tests had come back normal.
His diagnoses was Chronic Choleycystitis from years of infection, inflammation, and stones that were missed.

I never had "classic" gallbladder attack symtoms. Never threw up at all.
I had wierd mid back pain all the time. It was like my back hurt but I couldnt locate where. I would rub it and couldnt find the source. I had right rib pain that hurt to breathe or move. My pain would always wake me up in the morning and I felt like a crippled person. I would get queasy never nauseaus.
I was fatigued all the time. I had no appetite and headaches alot.
I would get rt. scapula pain at times that felt like my shoulder blade was being peeled off. I also would get scary chest pain at times that felt like a heart attack and hurt to breathe at times. I also had wierd stools that floated but were never super pale like I read about.

I went to ER a few times but they always said IBS or fibromyalgia. This all started in 2003 when I was pregnant and suffered an "attack" but was told there was nothing wrong. I tried for years to get answers and I just got lucky. If I hadnt gone to urgent care that day God only knows what the outcome could have been.

Like so many others, I too searched here for answers before the surgery and was hopeful I would come across a post that was helpful. What I found so frustrating is no one ever came back after they got answers to share thier outcome.

That is why I share my story, no one should ever have to go through what I did and I hope I can help others in thier search for answers.

I was told by the surgeon HIDA scans are not reliable in cases of Chronic inflammation and are better for finding Acute.

In the absence of diagnostic information you must find a doctor willing to not only listen to you but to listen to your symptoms.
Too many doctors get caught up in the tests and forget to hear thier patients, it is far too common.
If your doctor wont listen, then fire him/her. Dont waste your time.

We know our bodies and nothing is worse than a doctor convincing you it is "all in your head"
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

Did you mean you have pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen? Right upper quadrant pain could indicate disorders in the liver or gall bladder. If you have jaundice then it could point towards an obstructive disorder like gall stones. The referred pain could be due to the diaphragm getting irritated by the inflamed liver or gall bladder. The other causes for pain could be GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease), where the acid contents of the stomach came up into the esophagus and peptic ulcer disease. Discuss these options with your consulting doctor.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It appears that your doctor is one of many medical students that graduated at the bottom of their class and is still called Doctor!  Don't waste anymore of your time on her, and see a Gastroenterologist who will get right to the problem which sounds like your gallbladder, and nothing like GERD!  Good for you for questioning this doctor, and seeking out a specialist!  Make an appt. with a GI doc and he will get right to the problem as this is their area of expertise whether it's your gallbladder, live etc.  Hope this helps and that you get some relief quickly.
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