Is Removal really the only answer to Gall Bladder disease?

[Carole__0]

  I am a 28 year old female recently diagnosed with a dysfunctional Gall Bladder.  My symptoms began in Feb. '98 with a single sudden onset of abdominal pain which doubled me over, yet only lasted for a minute or two.  I again had this pain one time in March.  I felt fine until May, at which point my Family doctor ordered blood tests and a sonogram which ruled out an ulcer or Gall Stones.  In early June I went on vacation, splurged a little and consumed things I normally don't...Fattening foods, caffein and alcohol.  I started getting nausia in the evenings and thus thought I might be pregnant.  I didn't have morning sickness with my first child, so I thought maybe that was the answer.  After 4-5 days of this, the nausia ended and I started to have the pain I previously experienced, but it was less severe and lasted from early afternoon until I finally fell asleep.  It got worse every day.  Back to the Doctor, he told me I had reflux and prescribed Prilosec.  Even though I had never in my life had heartburn or sour stomache, I took the med.  The Pain went away after 3 days, but then I started feeling like I really had Reflux, experiencing heartburn and sour-upset stomache.  I decided it was time to see a GI specialist.  A week ago, He did a Gastroscopy which revealed a very mild case of reflux.  He also ordered a Hepascan which showed 18% elimination.  The administering of the CCK caused me no discomfort.  My questions are...(1) Is it definately Gall Bladder Disease?  (2) Is removing it the answer?  (3)With a reading of only 18 on the scan, is it risky to try Homeopathic remedies first?
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Dear Carole,
Abdominal pain is due to gall bladder disease.  It has been observed that the more classical the pain, the greater chance that cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) will cause the pain to disappear.  Typical gall bladder pain (biliary colic) occurs approximately 45-60 min after eating.  The pain is localized in the right abdomen under the ribs. Occasionally pain will radiate to the tip of the shoulder blade.  The pain is constant anfd increases in a step-wise fashion over 30-60 min before gradually subsiding.  Although the classical teaching is that the pain is precipitated by eating fat, in fact many different foods can cause the pain of biliary colic.  Acute cholecystitis is a more severe abdominal pain that is associated with physical findings of gall bladder inflammation.
As you describe in your e-mail, there has been uncertainty regarding the cause of your discomfort (?esophageal reflux, ? gall bladder).  Did you have an ultraosund of the gall bladder that revealed gall stones.  It would be very unusual to have gall bladder disease, in the absence of stones
If your pain is from the gall bladder, the only definitive treatment is to remove the organ, a simple procedure today.  However, everyone should feel confident that the gall bladder is the cause of your problem.  Other correspondents to this Forum have written about the pains and frustrations that occur after gall bladder surgery does not result in improvement.  Based on the material provided in your email, there is no obvious risk to trying diet modification and other homeopathic remedies.  However, before initiating this treatment make certain that your liver tests are normal.  Be certain to see your physician if the pain recurs or becomes more severe.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: abdominal pain, biliary colic
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