Upper Right Abdominal Pain

[gina_m]

I am a 22 year old female with a history of good health. For the past few weeks, I have experienced severe pain in my lower right pelvic area just above my hip. I consulted my doctor and he ordered a CT scan which showed a 2cm ovarian cyst on the right ovary. I waited until I started my period to see if the cyst would rupture on it's own, as they normally do. The last day of my period was Saturday and on Sunday I started having severe pain just below my ribs on the right side. I've been "gassy" for the last week and have felt very bloated. I can only eat a few bites at a time, if I eat at all, because I feel very full or nausiated. My right shoulder is achy along with my right hip. The most concerning of all is the lightheadedness that I feel when I stand up or take a deep breath. This pain seems to move from my pelvic area up to my rib cage on the right side. I know things usually move "down" so I can't really explain these symptoms. Thank you for your time.

[queenkong]

i hope if it is the gallbladder that you get to do the "keyhole" surgery   My surgery was in Feb and went from "keyhole" to 6 hours of open because I had stones that had traveled everywhere   Huge incision and a long and painful recovery,,,, i still dont feel all that well but everyone says its takes awhile after such a drastic procedure and having moved my liver and everything else around.  the good news...i havent had any digestive problems at all  that at least has gone smooth...

[Jaybay]

Dr. Kevin is right - you need to get that gallbladder and liver checked out.  Since you have never had any surgery before, you may even have endometriosis causing this pain.  That really can't be firmly diagnosed without a look-see with the scope.  Also bear in mind that even if an ultrasound of your gallbladder shows you have no stones, it may be infected and not functioning properly.  

An inflamed gallbladder is called "cholecystitis" in medical parlance.  I had no stones or sludge, and the Hida scan showed a low-end of normal functioning gallbladder.  However, when I insisted on an exploratory laparoscopy (I KNOW my body!) the stupid thing was so infected it was ready to rupture, and I had masses of scar tissue all over my intestines - still a problem to this day.

The point is, you know your body.  If something feels wrong, it probably is wrong.  I get so tired of doctors relying completely on test results and not listening to patients.  Endo and adhesions usually don't show up on any scan yet conceived by man, so even if your tests show up as completely normal (as mine did) keep on trying!  Most people do very well after gallbladder removal, and any problems such as diarrhea following a fatty meal, tend to resolve after a few weeks.  Don't let fear of surgery stop you from pursuing answers.  Now go get 'em!

[Mark M.]

Hi,
I too have upper right quad pain just below my ribs. I am a male, 46yrs old 6ft and weigh 175. My pain come and goes and has for about 6 months. It is not severe pain, but at times is more annoying than anything. It feels like there is something in there pinching me. I went to an internal med MD in July. He ran blood tests that all came back fine. He sent me to have an abdomianl ultrascan which showed only "healthy" organs. No dilated bile duct, no gall stones, liver enzymes were in normal range. It is 4 months later and the pain is still happening. When I sit, or bend at the waist, I can feel the pain. It is not a deep, internal pain, but seems close to the surface, just to the right of that little cartlidge/bone that splits the rib cage...just to the right of the stomach. What the heck could it be? My MD put me on Nexium, thinking maybe it is peptic in nature, but 60 days of Nexium and still the pain persists. I am freaking out because my dad passed away this past March due to a rare appendix cancer that several MD's could not find nor diagnose properly once they found it, another story in itself...so you know how the paranoia sets in. I don't have a lot of faith in MD's right now. Anyone out there have any input? Can the liver be screwed up for this long and still avoid being detected? Can inflamation be detected by ultrasound? It feels like it's burning, not like heartburn, but a firey sensation...hard to describe. Someone, please help me settle my fly away brain...thanks.

[Felix'sMum]

Mark, it certainly sounds like gallbladder disease to me. Is the pain worse at night? That would be typical of gallbladder problems. As JayBay said, ultrasound doesn't always tell the whole story and it may be that your problem is more to do with the function of the gallbladder than whether or not it contains stones. Could be infection or spasms are causing the pain. You should take this up with your doctor again and have him do a laparoscopy and/or other tests to check gall bladder function.In the UK we have a medicine available over the counter called Buscopan which is an anti-spasmodic often prescribed for IBS. You might find some relief from something similar (any anti-spasmodic will help) while you await your doctor's decision. Good luck...

[Felix'sMum]

...also, Mark, that odd sensation you're describing is common in gallbladder disease and may indicate a small stone stuck in the bile duct. Many of us experience it as a bubbling, fizzing, burning sensation not unlike the one you get when you are absolutely starving hungry and haven't eaten for hours. Also, re your worries after your dad's diagnosis...remember the appendix is in a very different pace from where you're experiencing the pain; I doubt it could POSSIBLY be connected in any way! And as for liver disease going undetected so long - no way Jose. Enzyme secretion/liver function is well-understood and blood tests would pick up liver trouble in a heartbeat. Don't worry too much...hope you get a diagnosis soon and am pretty sure you have a gallbladder problem only which is simple and easily solved.

[gina_m]

Update...
Well, I had my lab work done and I'm still waiting on the results...you know how that goes. They are testing my liver and gallbladder functioning with the blood work that they ordered. My Gyno has referred me to an internal doctor because I think he's stumped as far as my symptoms go. I know he only specializes in gyn/ob and general med. to a certain extent so I don't blame him for sending me to another doctor. Since my last appointment with my Gyno, I've been getting stools with green mucus in them. I haven't changed my diet nor have I eaten anything with green coloring in it. I have no idea what's going on with my stomach! My CT scan that I had which showed the ovarian cyst reported that all other organ functioning looked normal but I don't know if the fact that I couldn't keep any of that nasty, chalky Barium contrast down had any affect on the results. I tried so hard to think "happy thoughts":-) to keep it down but I just kept throwing it up! Thanks for all the advice. It's really helped me to know that I'm not crazy and I'm not the only one with this problem.