Gallbladder Stones or Reflux?

[Tina414]

Over the past four months, I have had four severe abdominal attacks during the middle of the night.  The symptoms start like a burning sensation in my upper stomach, but quickly become severe spasms (doubling up in pain) lasting up to five minutes, then reside for a few, then come back.  The first initial attacks lasted two hours each, but the one I had two nights ago lasted four hours.  The pain is so severe that I almost went to the ER, and reminds me of contractions I had during child labor.  I can't lay still and have to get up and walk around, then double over in pain as I get each spasm.

The doctor today diagnosed me with Reflux and gave me a Pepcid AC perscription.  He did schedule an ultra-sound for next week and is running blood tests to rule out gallbadder stones because I was so persistant.   I think he is wrong and am concerned that I'll have another attack in the next couple of nights sending me off to ER in the middle of the night.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of severe abdominal pain?  Can reflux cause severe spasms that come and go and last up to four hours?  This isn't just indigestion that goes away with tagamet or rantidine.  Each time I got an attack, I took several antacids and drank lots of Pepto without any relief.

Thank you!

[Ani50]

Be carefull if it is your gallbladder, i had mine removed after a year of extremely painful contractions and i still get attacks of that pain. Only now they think it is my spincter muscle spasming.  I wish i had dealt with the gallstone problem in a more holistic way. Have found herbs and such on the internet that will cleanse them out. And change your diet, high fat is bad for them. Please research carefully! My doctor is still trying to fix me.

[kazwoo]

The other two responses are probably more helpful, but I did have something similar not long after having my 3rd child.  He was just a few weeks old and I woke up in the night with what at first seemed like heartburn (reflux) but antacids didn't help at all, then the pain in the lower chest/upper abdomen got worse and eventually turned into spasms that felt like labour contractions in my chest, extremely painful, doubling over, and air was being pushed up out of my mouth after the spasms.  I called a health line and they sent the medics as the symptoms sounded like it was a heart problem.  The medics checked me out, said my heart was fine but that it was probably muscle around the heart caused by stress/exhaustion.  I was told to get some time out for myself, get people to help me out more and just try to de-stress, as the attack could be a warning that my heart was under pressure from stress.  I had follow up tests on my heart to confirm it was fine.  I haven't had any repeat of the symptoms.  So if it turns out it's not your gall bladder, take the advice I got from those medics.  We weren't meant to be supermums.......

[JP40]

Sounds like the same for me.  It's stones in the gallblader - if your having that many attacks I'd diffently have it removed.  I've only had like 2 in the last 3 years so I haven't done anything about.  Mostly because mom's don't get time off.  DO THE SURGERY !!  I thought I was going to die the times I had it - the pain was crazy.

[UncontrolledSarcasm]

Hi!
Sounds like the attacks I had with my gallblader. I was first told it was "gas" and given antacids. They never helped or even came close to providing any relief. I have never given birth so I don't know how contractions feel, but I know that this was some of the worst pain I had ever had. I would pass out on occation from it. I suffered for 10 years with these attacks, even passing out on occassion from the pain, because I felt like an idiot complaining about gas. I finally went to the ER one morning when one lasted all night. It was then determined to be my gallbladder. I was shot full of pain meds and scheduled for surgery. I had mine removed laprascopically, was in the hospital 36 hours (would have been less, but I had a reaction to the aneistesia--sp). Recovery was fast.  
Have the test done as soon as possible. If it is you gallbladder, there is no reason to continue to suffer.
Good luck. Take care.
K