Gallbladder Removal

[toiaphi]

I am 23 years old and have been having GI problems for quite some time now. I figured I would give my GI history before asking my question. Last year I started to experience all the typical pains associated with gallbladder problems/attacks. I would get pain under ribs on the right side and was having a lot of indigestion and regurgitation. My doctor recommended a gallbladder ultrasound which came back negative for stones. I was also given prilosec for the nausea, belching, indigestion, heartburn etc. I was fine for essentially the whole year. This past September I began to have all the same problems and would actually be running for the bathroom because I was afraid my food was going to come back up. I ended up in the emergency room with all the same pains and had yet another ultrasound. Once again it came back negative. I had a stool culture done because I was having discolored stools and weight loss almost 3 lbs a week increasing to 5lbs a week I went from 180(August) to 163(Current). It was found that I had C. Diff. bacteria from some antibiotics I had taken. I  took a 10 day cycle of Flagyl and all my pain had subsided and I thought I was back to my normal eating habits. I began eating pizza and cheeses and other fatty foods to try and gain the weight back. Not 5 days after being off flagyl i was having the same pains and couldn't even eat. I went and saw a GI doc and did a HIDA scan and it came back at 14% ejection rate, the size of the gall bladder is normal and my liver and bile ducts are fine with no stones. i have an appointment with a surgeon in two weeks and I have been all over the internet looking up information as to whether or not I should have it removed. I have been dealing with this pain for months now and would love to be somewhat back to normal. I should also note that gallbladder issues run in my family; my grandfather had his removed, my sister has gallbladder issues with an ejection fraction of less than 11% and she has since modified her diet(which works for her being that she wants to eat low fat and lose weight). I am a person who does not like to lose weight (weightlifter/bodybuilder) and to see the scale go from 180 to 160 in less than 5 months is a huge blow to my self esteem when I am trying to continue bulking. Essentially I am asking If I should have my gallbladder removed since I have been experiencing this pain and my EF is 14%?

[sdbinoshkosh1]

I had my gaul bladder pulled out last year. I had the same problems as you for many years,  nothing showed up on xrays or ultra sounds and the doctors were prejudice against me because I liked to drink, they allways blamed it on the drinking.   last year they found somthing that they called digestive sludge in my gaulbladder. I had it removed and havent had any problems since then. I think it mayhave been genetic, my mom and grandma both had theres removed. it was a simple operation i was in and out of the dr in about 3-4 hrs with a checkup two weeks after.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

In HIDA scans the gall bladder gets filled in 5-10 mins and sometimes longer. The emptying usually happens within 2 hrs. That's what happens if the test is normal--if something is blocked then the progression stops flowing along--usually either the gall bladder never fills or it never empties in an abnormal scan. CCK HIDA or HIDA with ejection fraction (EF) is seen to check for gall bladder ejection. If gallbladder ejection fraction is below 35% is considered to be gallbladder dyskinesia.

If there is gall bladder dyskinesia, you should be having fatty food intolerance and sometimes pain in the right upper quadrant if there is evidence of gall stones or inflammation of the gall bladder. If due to non-functionality of the gall bladder, there is stasis of bile, it could predispose to gall stone formation.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.