Gallbladder, what to do?

Hi,

I'm a 33 year old female of normal weight (127 lbs and 5' 3''). The only medication I take is birth control pills.

For almost a year (on and off) I've been having what I consider to be gallbladder symptoms:

- Upper back (shoulder blade area) pain (sort of muscular kind of pain)
- Dull pain on my right side behind the ribs (front and back). The area has also been tender when examined by doctor.
- Nausea after eating and in the middle of the night
- Symptoms are triggered by fat intake
- Loose stool (I used to tent to be constipated)

The pain is never too bad, just nagging. It sometimes wakes me up in the middle of the night, if I'm laying on my right side, but it goes away if I change position.

I've also had weird symptoms like:
- pain on my right buttock (muscular pain)
- pain on my right thigh (also muscular)
- pain on my right underarm (it feels as if I had a bruise)
- fatigue
- fast heart rate (always above 75 bpm)

My doctor did all sort of blood and urine test (the latest last week), but they all came back normal. I had two ultrasounds  last summer. The first one showed a small (2mm) stone. The second one didn't show any stones, but they said I have two cysts on my gallbladder and liver. Both ultrasounds showed a healthy looking, normal size gallbladder, liver and kidneys.

I just don't know if I should just assume that it's nothing serious (since all tests came back normal), and just limit my fat intake to alleviate my symptoms when they flare up, or if I should maybe switch doctors and find someone who will be more aggressive in finding out what is wrong with me?  And if it's not gallstones, what else could it be?

Thank you

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Further evaluation can be done with a HIDA scan with CCK stimulation to evaluate the gallbladder function.

I would also consider an upper endoscopy to exclude GERD, ulcers, or inflammation of the upper digestive tract.

An abdominal CT scan can also be considered for a more thorough imaging of the abdomen.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patients education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com

[JimK3145]

You might want to ask your doctor to have a HIDA scan done on your gallbladder. This test shows will tell how well the gallbladder is functioning. Even though there are no signs of gallstones, your gallbladder might not be fully functioning.  In addition, you might want to have a CT scan done also to see if the gallbladder is distended. Hope this info helps.

[coopersita]

Thanks for the suggestion Jim, but I live in Canada... Just to get the ultrasound I was in a 3 month waiting list. Just to see a Gastroenterologist was another 3 months (and he didn't do anything for me because he was retiring). I'm afraid complex tests like that would take at least 6 months to get, and I don't think I'm in enough pain that a doctor here would put me in the wait list. Heck, it took six months of me wining for my family doctor to send me to the retiring Gastroenterologist.

The system here is so bad, you have no idea.

[mikcin]

Maybe you should get on the waiting list cause this could get worse.  I had my GB removed thru emergency surgery in 04 which was less painful of a process than I thought.  The stone in your gallbladder can lead to more pain as time goes on (only my guess).  I am from the US and yes I had to wait and it took 5 years to get to the bottom of my pain and suffering, in March of this year I ended up with high liver enzymes and had stones impacted in my CBD at the pancreatic head.  I was told if my son hadn't taken me to the ER when he did this last time I would not have died had I waited another 2-3 days.  Don't give up!!  The tests are practically painless.  Atleast they are better than the increasing pain that I went thru for 5 years.