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Pain in upper right abdomen under ribcage

For 6 weeks, I have had stinging pain in this area.  At times it seems to move around the area, I have difficulty finding a specific location.  It can be exacerbated by eating/swallowing, but not always.  I have had an ultrasound of the area (no gall bladder or liver disease detected by the exam).  Also had an upper GI xray exam, followed up by endoscopy of the eso, stomach and duo. Dr. found stomach polyps presumed benign (I have been on Nexium for years with GERD) and some mild gastritis, mild hiatal hernia.  So far, nothing important found.  Yet, I continue to have pain and I don't normally have weird aches and pains.  This pain seems to have a spasm component -- when I sorta belch or do that sort of movement.  I can tamp down the swells of sharper pain by somehow controlling what feels like a bit of a spasm in the area, maybe stomach or maybe diaphragm.  Any ideas?  
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Avatar universal
Although all fats should not be avoided, bad fats such as trans-saturated and polyunsaturated fats should be avoided. These fats inhibit the gallbladder to produce enough bile into the intestine to properly digest consumed foods. Instead, omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in tuna, salmon, sardines, walnuts and flax seeds, should be substituted because these are healthy for the gallbladder in moderate amounts.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation.  I'll keep my fingers crossed...LOL


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Avatar universal
Thank you very much for your help.  It would seem to me that cholecystitis is a leading, if not the leading, remaining suspect. I have no impact on bowel habits.  All other tests seem to find nothing in terms of pathology.  The only remaining issue is a moderate candida infestation in the stomach (I was told late Friday), which is common apparently in people who have low stomach acid due to long-term PPI use, which is me.  I began taking pills for that today, but the Dr. says this is an unlikely cause of my pain.  

I can live with this pain for awhile while we figure it out.  I need to leave teh country for ten days for a long-planned vacation, then immediately to into work when I return.  I hope this is not the sort of thing that can flare up in a day or two and require surgery in a foreign country.  I am presuming that, in the absence of gall stones, cholecystitis is not so likely to flare up to the point of needing emergency treatment on the road, though possibly uncomfortable.  

Do you know if there is anything I can do to "settle down" and inflamed gall bladder for some time?  Do NSAIDs have any impact in controlling inflammation?  Can drinking cranberry juice (or something like this used to control urinary tract infections -- you get the idea) help?

Again, thank you for taking time on this.  
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Avatar universal
Hi, the link below will explain that NOT everyone who has gallbladder problems will
have gall stones.  You may have what they call cholecystitis.  Often it is gallstones that cause the problem, but it can also be infection, injury, or tumor.
Learn more about this at the first site below. I wish you luck with this, and be persistent with your docs to run every test available on you gallbladder.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholecystitis/DS01153

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/gallbladderdisease.htm
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Avatar universal
Thank you.  Yes, polyps were biopsied and are benign.  I had blood work to check liver function (all results were WNL, except there was a trace of ketone, and I am not diabetic), but I was not told I had blood work to check for gall bladder inflammation.  The ultrasound showed no stones.  I tend to think this is something gall bladder, maybe I should ask for another blood test.  If so, what should be tested to be sensitive to gall bladder inflammation?  I have no fevers, my energy level is the same -- good, I do major bike rides.  Appetite is unaffected. I haven't tried any high-fat meals to see if it worsens.  Different positions of my body seem to affect the pain.  Deep breathing has no impact, but something like the motion of a belch does.  Dr. said the duo is fine, but did not detail the sideways looking feature you mentioned.  Thank you very much for your commentary.      
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Avatar universal
You say your doctor found stomach polyps presumed benign, did he biopsy them?  This would be the only way to know if they are benign or not.  Have they done any blood work to determine if there is inflammation of your gallbladder?  I think they need to check your gallbladder further as inflammation is not always detected on an ultrasound, and find out if your polyps were biopsied.  Polyps can also be found in the duodenum, so you need to know if your GI used a "side viewing" scope to look at this area.  I'm sorry you're enduring this, I know it's frustrating.  But keep going until you get answers.
Best of luck and take care!
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