Chest Pain Under Right Lung, Ever Since Gallbladder Attack

[Zaul]

Hi,

I'm a 22 Year old Male, Slightly overweight, 5'11, 220 Pounds.

About 3 months ago after a Pizza I had the worst Gallbladder attack ever, however once it occurred something strange happened, I developed a pain in the right side of my chest that for the life of me has not gone away since.

After my Gallbladder removal ( Key Hole Surgery, 2 Months Ago, October 10th ) The pain went away and I was fine for a little while.


1) I am having bowel cramps, ones that no meal imp articular seems to trigger, They can be very severe and they are stopping me from working and leading a normal Lifestyle. I'm not having Diarrhea but my Stools are very greasy, almost lubricated if that's the right term for it. The Pain is right under my bellbutton and feels like I'm digesting a Rock. Near where my Surgical incision was made.

2) I am having Right Chest Chest Pain again, It seems to move around but it's always there, It feels like there's a tremendous pressure under my Right Lung and sometimes a burning sensation, Almost like a balloon is inflating under there. It only seems to happen after fatty meals and once I get it it can last for weeks and weeks. When I had it checked in Hospital they had mentioned I had carbon pockets of air in my lungs from the surgery, however it's been 2 months Post Op now and I was under the impression the gas would of escaped by now.

The Pain is almost exactly the same as when I had my gallbladder attack, It's just a dull aching under my chest that feels like something really isn't right under there.

My Liver Test has said I have fatty liver, but That wouldn't cause the pain. The Gastro I visited yesterday seemed to not think it was Pancreas or a faulty Sphincter related, so I'm all out of Ideas.

The Pain is not lung related as far as I know as I can breath just fine, I've been checked for Pulmonary Embolisms and all chest problems and it's all come back negative.

What could be causing these Chest Pains? It's only ever in the right side.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Recurrent right upper quadrant abdominal pain after laparoscopic gallbladder removal is concerning for a number of possibilities.  In that area are the following organs: common bile duct, liver, pancreas, stomach, lung and intestines.  

Common bile duct can have problems even after gallblader removal, with stones, leak, or cancer causing discomfort.  A second opinion with a gastroenterologist can help differentiate, possibly with a HIDA scan.

Liver problems such as fatty liver, alcoholic cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, drug induced hepatitis, or autoimmune hepatitis are possible causes of pain.  A second opinion with a gastroenterologist can help differentiate, possibly with lab tests and liver biopsy.

Pancreas issues such as inflammation (eg. from alcohol), infection, or cancer can cause pain. A second opinion with a gastroenterologist can help differentiate, possibly with lab tests for enzymes and a CT scan.

Stomach & esophagus can be irritated by acid, and antacids and proton pump inhibitors can help.

Lungs can cause chest pain from infection, inflammation, infarction or cancer.  Infarction is ruled out by d-dimer test and CT scan.  Infection can be evaluated by chest XRay and labs.  Cancer can be ruled out by CT scan.  A second opinion with a primary care doctor can help differentiate these.

Intestinal inflammation, ulceration, infection or cancer can cause pain, although it's less likely in the right upper quadrant.  A second opinion with a primary care doctor can help differentiate these.

Get a second opinion!

[Zaul]

Well I thought the pain had gone, less than 5 minutes after eating a small meal this morning the pain has returned.

I'm starting to wonder if its diet related.

[Zaul]

Thanks, I'll go get a second Opinion.

I dont know if this is related, but the pain has seemed to travel alot, sometimes appearing in my stomach, shoulder, and even the left lung.

I had a Scan the other week and it was revealed I had alot of Carbon Dioxide Pockets in my Lungs from surgery.

Would it be likely I would still have Carbon Dioxide in my System 2 Months Post Op? If so how long till it goes away, and is there anything I can do to get rid of it faster?

[Zaul]

I should also Mention -

In my surgery Report there were no complications, my Bile Duct wasn't nicked or sliced at all and It was a complete success in that regard.

I'm currently not on any Medication, My Gastro has put me on 40mg of Nexium for 3 months as he believes it's heart burn. I tend to disagree as the pills haven't really helped and that I'm not getting indigestion or anything related to my esophagus.