Gallbladder and Anxiety Issues

[hyposteph]

I am a 24 y/o F and am pretty healthy but must admit I dont eat healthy nor do I excersize.This past May,I started feeling really tired & just had a general sick feeling.I went to the Dr's anyway.He told me that It was just allergies & did complete bloodwork which was normal.He did an EKG wich was normal for my palpatations.He gave me some alavert & told me it was allergies.A couple weeks after that I developed a headache that lasted for a couple weeks w/body aches & joint pain.So back to the Dr's I went. Took a bunch of other blood tests for Lyme, Fifths, Mono, etc. All came out normal. Soon the headache subsided but I was just still feeling really lethargic.My social life went down the drain & it stayed like that all summer.One other doctor I did see perscribed me Nasacort which helped w/ the headaches,etc.Some other symptoms I had during this time were: Ringing/fullness in ears, sometimes pain in ear but no infection, one day I had bad vertigo, ears are sensitive to noise, increased floaters/flashing lights, sinus pain, back/neck pain, IBS, racing thoughts & cant concentrate sometimes. Now this brings us to where I am now.I got rid of the job that I had during that time because I thought it was stressing me out.This was in August. I took a vacation week off & then started an office job. September I started having a pain near the right rib an inch from the middle.More nagging then painful(2 on a scale of 1-10)Sometimes it just feels like a gas bubble is there or a cramp.So I let it go for a while then I started getting nervous about it.So back to the Dr.'s again.He told me to come back for an ultrasound and prescribed me Lexapro for the anxiety.So I took it that night & had a bad reaction. Woke up in the middle of the night in a severe panic attack felt like my skin was gonna go on fire. Now, I have had panic attacks before but nothing like this. He then had to prescribe me Xanax to help with the attacks.I would still wake up in the middle of the night in severe panic. During this time I was still having slight pain under my rib which added to the anxiety.So I went to a different doctor and had more blood tests done which were normal and an ultrasound which was also normal.This still didnt ease my mind.I also been getting weird heat sensations and feel weak and I am always hot.So I went to a third doctor and she ran other tests as well (normal) and put me on Zoloft also dx me w/ MVP.I been on it for 13 days now and it seems to help me with my anxiety but I still have unanswered questions w/the pain in my rib.
1. Does this sound like gallbladder? It doesnt seem to change when I eat anything.I feel it more when I bend or put a strain on it.
2. Does GB problems cause any other symptoms I have? Like the heat sensations?Feels like a flush on my neck and arms, sweaty palms
3.Does GB problems cause the sinus problems I explained? Neck pain?
4.Does GB problems cause your heart to beat faster after you eat? Or have any relation to causing anxiety?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

To answer your questions:
1) Gallbladder can possibly lead to the symptoms you are describing.  An ultrasound would be the appropriate test to evaluate this.

2) I am not aware of the gallbladder leading to heat sensations.

3) I am not aware of the gallbladder leading to sinus symptoms.

4) I am not aware of the gallbladder leading to palpitations.  Further evaluation of the palpitations can be done with an echocardiogram or cardiac event monitor.  I would consider these tests, along with the abdominal ultrasound.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

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

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_

[hyposteph]

I also would like to add that I do eat fatty foods (not any more) and my grandmother had gallstones (my mother no problems at all). I tried to do some excersize the other day and the pain got really bad and I couldnt take it I had to stop. That was the only time the pain was unbearable. Mostly the pain is just there and its annoying. Some days its not even there. The pain is usually worse when Im hungry and then is usually relieved when I eat. Sometimes I actually feel a gas bubble there and then It will come up and the pain will go away for a while. One of the days I had yellow-ish diarrhea as well.. I also sometimes have a weird flutter feeling when I wake up in the middle of the night that usually puts me into panic cuz  I dont know what it is.. There is a posibility that It could be IBS or im just making this all happen worrying that theres something wrong with my GB.I am exremely afraid of surgery and my doctor doesnt seem to think that its my GB due to the fact that the ultrasound was good. The Zoloft is helping with all the anxiety that I have but since im such a worry bug, I keep driving myself crazy about this. I used to be so healthy and eat whatever I want and go on with my life. Besides the IBS and anxiety I was able to live with it. Then ever since May I just have not felt like myself. I never had any health problems not even heartburn! Nothing ever..I used to get bloated a little bit because my IBS caused me to be constipated alot, but that was it. Now all of a sudden I have Mitral Valve Prolapse (which I am extremely upset about) and now might have a gallbladder problem. I am not overweight...I am  5'7" and 125 pounds. So the strikes against me are my diet and the fact that gallbladder problems run in my family. Any answers will help...Thanks for reading my rambling!! Have a great day  =)

[Lauries]

I have some experience with gall bladder problems and natural treatments. I am certain that when I eat foods that disagree with my gall bladder, my heart speeds up. My doctor says that eggs, sugar, and any fatty foods will upset the gall bladder. I was surprised at the eggs and sugar, but I've found that if I eat anything with even a tiny amount of egg (like a scone or cookie), I get the heart racing. If I stay off those foods I don't get it.

The heart racing does promote anxiety. It's important to have a clean and gentle diet, which I know is hard to do, but you really might feel better if you get off sugar, eggs, and fatty foods. But substituting artificial sweeteners will just create other problems. A clean diet, without chemicals, food additives, etc, is what will ease your symptoms. The gall bladder and liver *hate* food additives and artificial flavorings, msg, autolyzed yeast extract, and artificial sweeteners. I can have a little honey or maple syrup as sweeteners now and then, but mostly eat fruit for sweetness.

best wishes--hope you find what you need.

[hyposteph]

Thank you to your responses. I understand that some people who have the gallbladder issue cannot eat certain foods. The problem im having is that it doesnt matter what I eat the pain never seems to change or get worse. I eat eggs every morning and it doesnt seem to bother me. The other day I ate MCdonalds 2 double cheeseburgers and some chicken nuggets and nothing happened. The pain never got worse or anything. Thats why I am confused. I already did have the abdominal ultrasound and they saw nothing. So I am stumped as to why I am getting this. I seem to notice it more when I sit down. My body was always used to standing up and running around at work. Now that I have a job where I sit all day, Im starting to get this Just within this last month or so. I am just really scared that it could be something that the doctors are missing. I have seen 4 different doctors since this has been happening and none of them see anything. They just take a look at me and see a healthy young girl and say "your fine go home" Im starting to get irritated because I want to figure it out before it gets worse. Maybe this could be the beginnings of something being wrong with my gallbladder and its going to keep progressing. (i hope not) I also tend to lift alot of heavy things while I was at my other job..Could this be a hernia? Another thing I thought it was was just gas bubbles. Being that I do not know how to burp (dont know why) maybe they get caught somewhere in there and cause that pain/discomfort.  Anyone one who is experiencing some of the same symptoms please feel free to input and make me feel better! Thanks in advance!!  =)

[Brooksey]

Hi.  I just happened to come across this forum tonight and read your post.  You are NOT going crazy.  For atleast 5 years I have had the same symptoms.  I am 41 years old.  For 5 years off and on I have had the following symptoms.  Vertigo, severe fatigue, headaches, chronic neck/shoulder pain, strange numbness and tingling face/harms and legs, ventricular bigeminy (premeture heart beat between normal beats), anxiety attacks, dry mouth and eyes, chronic sinus congestion.  5 years ago when it first started I was tested for everything known to man and everything was normal.  I started on Xanax for anxiety and Celexa for anxiety too.  It took a couple of months for me to get out of bed from the vertigo being so severe but finally things seemed to improve.  I went back to work and in 2 years I felt I could function "normally".  I did have small flare ups when I was sick with a cold, flu, or illness.  I still couldn't exercise like I use to but was functioning normally.  This past May I started having stomach problems.  Pain high in my stomach, nausea, fatigue.  The pain wrapped around to my back.  all the gastro tests came back normal but tomorrow morning I have a HIDA scan to see if the gall bladder is functioning OK.  I don't have stones.  I do know that all of the symptoms I mentioned above can be part of a condition called Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  This condition affects the muscles in the body and might possibly be the link between our weird symptoms and the gall bladder.  Not sure, but I think the gallbladder is part muscle.  Anybody know??  your symptoms sound a lot like mine.  I have several tips that seem to help.  I have to get to bed so I can get up for my HIDA scan but would send another message if you would like tomorrow.

[T-rae]

I have had very similar symptoms...intermittent racing heart, fatigue, headache, body aches and right flank pain.  Last January I had an ultra sound and a CAT scan to see if I had gallstones.  None were found.  I was put on ulcer meds.  I have had these symptoms on and off for over a year.  This October they started up again but worse than ever.  I went to a different Dr. and he told me to get a HIDA scan.  This test showed that my gallbladder was releasing bile at 2% instead of the normal 35%!  My gallbladder was inflamed and dysfunctional, a precursor to gallstones.  I was shocked and a bit irritated that the other Dr. did not suggest this last year.  I have had much anxiety over this as I thought many times I was having a heart attack.  Many of my friends and family think I am a hypochondriac.  However, I finally have piece of mind that I know what it is. And I proof that it is not all "in my head". My advice to you is to get a HIDA scan.

[alamaz]

Interesting. I am 28 yr. old female and have been to numerous drs. over the past 5 or so odd years about very similar issues. I was always given free samples and a perscription for the purple pill and shown the door. talk about frustrating! i don't take perscription pills unless it's an antibiotic so i've been living with the bouts of anxiety, pain in numbness in my right hand, indigestion, migraines, pain in my right shoulder blade, fatigue, acne...the list is so long i generally forget to name a few. i am too call and schedule a HIDA scan ASAP. I finally found a doctor who didn't rush me out the door and is still genuinely interested in being a doctor. i'm so excited! maybe i'll finally be on the road to healing. as with every one else all of my bloodworks have always been perfect so every one thought (including myself) that i was making it all up. thanks for the posts!

[candi77]

I am so glad I came across this site.  These are my symptoms exactly.  The anxiety results from wondering what is going on all of the time.  I had a similar bout about eight years ago, when I still had healthcare, and they ran a bunch of tests and nothing came up so it looked like I was a hysterical or something.
I never had one of those HIDA tests however and it sounds like that would reveal a lot.  Because I have to be careful with money at least now I will know what to tell the Doctor I want done, instead of all of that unnecessary work.

[pzar]

I had a hida scan done about a year ago and it revealed that my gall bladder wasn't working. I also was set up for an ultra-sound that day too and it showed a gall stone that was blocking my bile duct. At the time, (it's wierd) but the hospital said that as long as I wasn't complaining about pain that there was nothing they could do. Now, a year later I have the same symptoms, i,e. sinus issues, heart palpitations, dry mouth, anxiety and so on... This has been going on for about 4 months now and at first I thought it might have been my type II diabetes, but I think I am in pretty good control of that and leaning towards my gall bladder problems. I am going to follow up with my Dr. again, and I may suggest blood work to rule out anything else. What kind of blood work would did you do to follow up on your symptoms. I am at a lost.

Peter

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