Pain in right side under rib

[Ellen]

I have been having pain in my right side, middle chest area and it radiates to my left and middle of my back.  This has been going on for a year or better.  I have had so many tests.  I have Mitral Valve Prolapse also, I have been to the hospital on two occasions because of chest pain.  I have been diagnosed with diverticulitis also.  But this pain will not cease and desist.  I just recently had an EGD and a Gall Bladder scan. The EGD was normal and when they called on the Gall Bladder scan, they referred to it as basically normal.  I would like to know how precise the scan is in detecting abnormalities in the Gall Bladder and if there is an additional test that can be done to determine if the pain that I am experiencing is due to a bad Gall Bladder.  I cannot in my logical mind just say, "Okay the test prove nothing so there is nothing wrong."  There is pain and severe at most times, where it radiates across my chest to the left and the middle of my back.  I just want to know what is wrong and have it taken care of.  Is that so much to ask.  Any help would be appreciated at this time.

Thank you.

~Ellen~

[Elizabeth]

I've never heard of using nitro to treat gallbladders! That is very interesting! How much do you take and how often?
                              Thanks,
                                   Elizabeth

[Tracie]

Elizabeth,
I really think he is giving me the nitro to cover two of his areas of thoughts of what is going on.  I think he feels it may be sphincter of oddi dysfunction or else calculi in the biliary ducts.  The nitro opens up the ducts through the whole body and for some strange reason it gives me relief.  That tells me that it probably is not the gallbladder itself.  All of my tests on the GB have been normal.  I read further in the archives of this forum on the sphincter of oddi and the symptoms described there are exactly what I have going on.  (That helps me so much to know I am not CRAZY!).

[Tracie]

I forgot to tell you, I take it on a p.r.n. basis when the pain is very intense.  I take l (.4 mg) and then in five minutes take another if the pain hasn't let up enough.  Usually two helps.  I've never taken 3 because it does such strange things to your body.

[phyllis]

Hi Ladies,

  I too was having the same pain. Still am actually.  Finally I went in for a CCK Hida Scan.  This test is specifically for the gallbladdder - done in Feb.99.  Came back fairly normal.  Then 2 wks ago I had another one done due to the pains coming back badly.  The repeated Hida Scan showed that now my gallbladder's ejection factor(which is what they measure) went from 30% to 12%!  It should be at 35%.  Which is why the doc questioned whether or not it was gallbladder after the first scan.  Well, it is and it is coming out!!

  So, what I am trying to say is keep on the doc about the pain.  I DO NOT have gallstones.  So, dont let them tell you because all these tests show NO stones that it is not your gallbladder.  I am living proof it is.  

  The pain I have goes from rt upper back, rt shoulder, rt upper quandrant (under ribs), lft shoulder and back and mid line stomach.  So, just keep after the doc!

Just by the by, I have read that once the gallbladder is removed and they do a pathology on it, gallstones are usually found.  It is just they were too small to be detected by any of the tests.

  Good Luck!

[Tracie]

Phyllis,
Is there more than one kind of Hida Scan?  I am not sure if they looked at the ejection thing on mine.  Is a CCK a certain type?  I don't know if they know how much mine emptied.  They said it filled and emptied fine, not how much.  It was quite large on the scan.  (?????????)  Can distention stretch it out?
We are a mystery.  Thanks for your input.   More to think about.  Will be curious to see if this does indeed take care of your pain.  God Bless You!

[phyllis]

Tracie,

  The CCK component in the hida scan I had, is a hormone your own body makes.  It is directly linked to the gallbladder and liver.

If you have had a hida scan and were told it filled/emptied fine, then you may have a problem other than gallbladder.

  From what I was told, the CCK hida scan, is pretty much the final diagnostic tool for checking gallbladder disease.

  Good luck to you.
Phyllis