Post gallbladder surgery pain

[Echo]

Three weeks ago I had my gallbladder removed by laparascope.  I was recovering very well for the first few days.  Had some pain in the upper right abdomen, right under the lower rib cage, but thought that was to be expected.  After a week this pain started getting worse.  I have not had a fever, vomiting or anything out of the ordinary.  The pain has been very severe and is exaserbated by movement.  If I'm sitting in a chair and get up it will sometimes double me over, like being stabbed right under the rib cage.  It radiates into the back.  I have been on 1200 mg of Advil for 8 days.  The Dr. thought it was possibly inflammation, but the Advil doesn't seem to be helping.  I can't walk much without pain.  I can't sleep on either side.  Laying flat on my back is made more comfortable by pulling my knees up.  This pain feels like something gets caught and jabs me when I move wrong.  Most of the time if I'm sitting still I have no pain.  I feel great otherwise.  I've had an ultrasound.  There isn't a stone in the duct.  I would appreciate any insight into what this might be.  After 3 weeks I'm still unable to move around doing normal activities without severe  pain!

[Genevamom]

I did have the pain you describe on the right side and it subsided after about three weeks.  My doctor said it was just fluid buildup around the diaghram.  He was right, it went away.  I hope yours is the same thing and goes away soon.

[aman2hgnks]

I had an ercp done 2 1/2 weeks ago and i had my gall bladder removed the very next day.  in the past week i have had pain in my upper left side under the rib cage and right now i am having that same sharp stabbing pain in my right side where the gall blader was...  i signed on this forum to see if it was common. while i see it is, it doesn't help the pain!!  arrggh!  if i sit very still and breathe lightly it's ok, but i cant do deep breaths because it goes right to the pain.  i'll have to put a call in to my doctor.  I had 3 stones removed during the ercp...i wonder if they missed any?  i've been feeling fine otherwise.

[Lor]

It's not uncommon to develope pancreatitis after gallbladder surgery. For me the pain was more intense on the left side. It did spread across the rib cage and into the back. I found that sitting up and not moving was the best position to be in. Also holding my fist right into the left side where the pain was gave a little relief. I did double over to walk ,and also had to pull my knees up when I tried and failed to lay down.
Pancreatitis isn't the same in all people. I had an elevated pulse,low blood pressure,vomiting and the pain. I would describe it as the worst stomach ache you ever had. Some run fevers because the white blood count goes way up. If you feel you may have it don't wait a few days to see the Dr. I went to the ER and was admitted. Its nothing to mess around with. The sooner they catch it the less damage your pancreas has. The treatment is no food for a few days, IV fluids, pain medicine( I took demerol). I didn't even think about the food. Just was happy to feel better. Go to google.com and search pancreatitis for more information. Hope you feel better soon

[taylee]

Why do I have pain after eating and DRINKING fluids? I am 4 months past my gallbladder removal and no answers except that an ERCP should be done.
I have right sided upper right pain, radiating into back and side of right rib. Some intermittent bouts of nausea.
My leg goes into spasm with it, and sitting down aggravates the pressure. Standing  helps a little bit. It goes away after a while, but as soon as I drink or eat, it starts all over.
ANYONE? I am really to scared to do the ERCP as I am down to my lowest weight ever, and afraid if I do get pancreatitis, it would be life threatening. (I went to the Best GI clinic in Boston by the way) and even though they are supposed to be good, they still scared me.
Said they could check for SOD> and I didn't have stones in the gallbladder, just severe scarring so much that it had attached itself to the liver and bowels and the surgeon had to cut it out.
ANYONE else?
please help!
Need support, and not a single person can understand the agony of dreading the next meal.
Thanks,
Taylee

[Lor]

You should read up on SOD. You can search it on google.com
I have SOD my pain was brought on by not eating. There were also times that eating made the pain much more severe. By going on and not being tested you stand a higher chance of losing more weight. A normal ERCP will not show SOD you have to have the pressures measured with the ERCP with menometry done. Look into it. It really has changed my life

[taylee]

Lor,
Thanks for the immediate response. I am literally scared to death to have that procedure done. My dr's kept saying you don't have pancreatitis, you probably don't have sod. etc.
But I have researched it on google over and over, and they said I could have type 3 which does't respond well to cutting. So then what? Keep being sick? I really thank you for posting to me, I am at my wits end.
You said not eating could also trigger the pain? Hm, that is interesting. I also have a friend who is having similar problems and has a gallbladder and not a single solitary dr. can help.
Do you get pancreatitis over and over Lor?
This has now been going on for over a year, had the surgery in Feb and feel like a shadow of my former self.
Thanks for responding.
( I kind of stopped posting because I was afraid that the Patriot person would tell me to get a liver flush again)
I think the part about not eating was interesting, I will pass that along. It also seems to worsen with each passing meal or drink as the day goes on.
Thanks again Lor
Taylee

[Lor]

I had a Dr tell me for sure my problem wasn't biliary. It couldn't be SOD, because that isn't even a real illness. I suffered with pain that got only worse and closer together for another year. I really think because I had to wait so long for a diagnosis I went from probably a type 3 to a type 2. People trust Drs too much I think. I learned through all this. In order to get help I had to steer the Drs into the direction of SOD. Tell some symptoms leave out others. It took 5 Drs before The last helped me. He couldn't believe the others had missed it.
I had to eat. For a year and a half I ate my pain away. The pain would come on and I'd eat. Most times the pain went away as soon as I swallowed. That was a symptom I had to start leaving out, because it was leading them in the direction of ulcers or reflux. The strangest symptom was the attacks were the worst right around the time I had my period. Yep leave that out too. I dreaded that every month, because the pain was so intense. Through all of it I gained 30lbs. SOOO depressing to watch the scale go up and up. I wasn't small to begin with.

You can get pancreatitis again and again. When I went in for my ERCP with menometry. My Dr was treating someone with repeated pancreatitis the same way he was treating my SOD. Somehow the back up of bile from the SOD gets backed up into the pancreas and liver. I wish you luck. I know it is so frustrating to go through all of that pain with no answers. I so agree about the liver flush thing

[s.mcm]

Do not take Advil if you are having any kind of stomach problems.  It causes inflamation (inflammation) and can give you more pain.  I have had to stop taking Advil because although it helps my with the immediate pain (stomach pain or headaches) the Dr. told me it was very bad for Gastritis, Ulcers etc.  Take Tylenol or have the Dr. perscribe something stronger  Codeine or Percoset if it is that bad , until you get to the bottom of it
good luck