Gall bladder disease (chronic inflamation)

[Faze]

I am 23 and have been diagnosed with gallbladder disease (chronic inflammation of the gallbladder) with no stones after an ultra sound.
I have had on and of symptoms for a bit over a year now, last year I had the vomiting, nausea, lost of weight, abdominal pain, chills and fever. I got an ultra sound and my doc then just said it was a small inflammation no need to worry.
I got better for a well then got worst again that summer and didn't have health insurance do I started going to an eastern/ Chinese medicine doc whole made me feel 100% better but it got to expense and i figured since i feel better I stopped going to the sessions.
that was a year ago, recently I started getting pains again nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and abdominal pain again, especially in my menstrual cycle. Now that I have insurance I went to a doctor and got an ultrasound she said I have a chronic inflammation of the gallbladder but no damage to the other organs and no stones. She found it weird that some one my age who doesn't eat fatty foods would get that so she thought it was genetic but no one in my family suffered from it . Any who, she placed me on a strict diet were I cannot eat anything fried, fatty and no dairy foods, some vegetable such as broccoli and beans, from the cabbage family, no meats only turkey with no fat and a lot of water. She didn't want to tell me about surgery just yet she wants to see how my body functions with this new way of eating I have to go back in 3 weeks.
My concern in I have been going through this for a long time and being someone who does not eat fast foods or fatty foods I guess I wonder how this all came to be and also is there anything else that can help the healing process.
Another thing I don't have sex but I do get the urge to like most but since all this started over a year ago I lost my urge, is that  normal I am only 23. Also recently I did start getting a discharge of a brown goo but it doesn't smell bad and its not all the time. Could that be cause by all the symptoms I have been having?
thank you

[Laura22]

I also wanted to let you know that i am 22 so the age thing doesnt matter. My dr. said they are seeing it in a lot younger women now but ecspecially women whove had babies so maybe it is triggered by your hormones because when you have a baby that is what changes. Dont let it get worse like me. A week in the hospital was horrible. I had TWo ERCP's, Hidascan and then my surgery. My hospital bills are rolling in and i owe almost 100,000 dollars. its insane.

[Laura22]

I was in the hospital for a week with an emergency gallbladder removal bc it was infecting my liver and organs. Its a dangerous thing. Most causes are out patient surgery and you get to go home the same day so in my cause it was bad. i personally think it sounds like you should get your gallbladder removed. but also ive heard of a duct being blocked, Its rare but could happen and most dr. dont look for it.
goodluck. i know the pain is Horrible.

[VanillaBeanGonzo]

I am 23 years old, a college student, and was just diagnosed with gallbladder disease at 6 weeks of pain and suffering, weight loss, and nausea. I have however NOT had any of the problems related to my cycle...I would consult your OB/GYN. It does sound like a hormonal problem.

I have been scheduled to have my gallbladdre removed October 31st and am looking forward to freedom from it and all of the suffering it has caused me. My disease has also been said as being genetic.

Good luck and let us know how things go.

[Jaybay]

Your gynecologist can do basic hormone testing; however, an endochrinologist is the doc who specializes in hormones.  The specialty gets even more narrowed for people who have infertility issues - that specialist is a reproductive endochrinologist.  They can be somewhat hard to find outside of major medical centers, but hopefully your gyn can get to the bottom of whatever hormone issues you may be having.

As for your gallbladder, you obviously have a problem there.  It may just be localized to the gallbladder itself, or there may be a problem with the ducts between the liver/ pancreas/ gallbladder that got the problem going in the first place.  A good gastro doc should be able to sort it all out for you.  Do you know anyone who can personally recommend a gastro doc for you?  Since you're so young, you may need a parent or an older friend to ask around.  Give it another 20 years and it will seem like everyone you know has seen a gastro doc at some point.  :-)

[Faze]

thank you for your responses. I think I will go see a gastroenterologist, I do agree that my doc is holding of because of my age, which is not good because illnesses do not discriminate. I also think she is holding off until I get worst (which I do not want to wait till) to then to take it out, I would rather just get it done with then deal with the pain. But I will go see a specialist and see what happens then. I think you are right about the causes this GB problem didn't just appear and I have always had digestive problems my whole life, even as a child, and general doctors always blew me off, and now I'm worst.
Do you Jaybay by any chance know who I can see for imbalance of hormones? I do not have sex there for I do not take any birth-control.

[Jaybay]

One of the reasons we females tend to have more gb problems than men, is because of our hormones.  Many women who are pregnant experience gallstones because of the hormone changes. The hormones tend to make the bile a bit thicker (increased cholesterol); therefore, if you already have gb troubles, the thicker bile makes the symptoms more noticeable.  Many women who take birth control hormones will also have greatly increased cholesterol, even though their diets remain unchanged.  So yes, it's conceivable that your symptoms worsen during menstruation.  The discharge could be an indication of an underlying hormone imbalance causing spotting.

I am concerned that your doc is willing to hold off on surgery after you've had trouble for so long.  Chronic inflammation, without evidence of gallstones, means you probably have a chronic infection.  Inflammation doesn't just occur without some reason: trauma of some sort, irritation from stones, or infection.  Since you mentioned you experience fever, that tells me you have an infection somewhere, and it seems logical that it's your gallbladder.  

Certainly, maintaining a low- to no-fat diet should help keep the symptoms minimized, but the underlying condition is still there.  It's a way to try to manage your symptoms until you absolutely must have surgery.  If you are not happy with your current doctor, you'll need to see a gastroenterologist - or a different one.  Your docs so far seem to be just blowing you off because of your relative youth, in my opinion anyway.  Hope you get some real answers very soon.

[Avas Mom]

Im pretty sure any gallbladder probs doesnt make you have probs with your period..idk why you have probs when you seem to eat healthy? im assuming you dont have kids? after a woman has a baby alot of times they start having probs with their GB. I had probs after my daughter was born. I had attacks on a nightly basis for a month straight. Ended up in the e.r. and had it removed. Mine too was a diseased Gb no stones. DOnt you want it out? It seems your food restrictions are pretty much everything out there!!