GALL BLADDER?? help...

[aimee1233]

Hello. I hope someone responds to this, I could really use the advice =)

Back in July (after eating an entire buffalo chicken pizza with ranch..ew.) I am pretty sure I had a gall bladder attack. It started out as a stomach pain at night, and then by morning I couldn't even stand up straight because of the pain below my ribs on the right side. I was having a hard time taking deep breaths to relax and the drive to the ER was extremely painful. They gave me painkillers and knocked me out for the rest of the day, which obviously didn't solve the problem!

Anyhow, my mom has had problems with her gall bladder in the past and she travelled three hours to give me her meds (Rubinol?)-- and they worked within 15 minutes.

Ever since, everytime I eat something it will hurt. Usually it's a very dull, mildly tense pain...sometimes (when I pig out!) it's very short and sharp. I have had an ultrasound (no stones) and a HIDA scan (no functioning problems). Everything seems normal..and it's so frustrating because I know it's not normal to feel so terrible after I eat... I get really nausiated and I've thrown up several times after eating... and I get really, really tired after eating *sometimes*. I don't know..maybe it's not even my gall bladder..maybe it's something else..but my doctor doesn't seem too eager to find out--I certainly am...its annoying! What do I do now .. the doctors keep telling me I'm normal!

Frustrated,
Aimee

[CalGal]

Try sticking to a low fat diet for awhile - and that may mean quite awhile - and see what happens. I know that doesn't sound like a great alternative, but the statistics on people who have their gallbladders removed without the presence of gallstones having post-surgery problems is really high. in fact, even in a lot of people with only a slightly lowered ejection fraction and no stones, the numbers aren't great.

In many it may be due to an underlying condition that causes muscle spasms on the common bile duct or sphinchter of Oddi - the muscular opening that leads to the duodenum. Unfortunately at the current time there's little that can be done for it except to take anti-spasm meds (similar to what your mother gave you I believe), but in a lot of people it could be they've got some 'thickening' of the bile in the gallbladder. When that happens small crystals can form, and when those crystals get expelled from the gallbladder they can irritate the common bile duct or the sphincter.

No one knows at the present time why it happens, but some people are finding if they can eat low fat and keep their cholesterol numbers down, they don't seem to have as many problems. It's not a quick fix, but it may help.

[sunnie1949]

go to another doctor.  It sounds like your gallbladder or could be an ulcer.  Either one needs attention quickly.

I have had both and I know they are not fun.