gallbladder problem?

[egwene]

First, these are my symptoms:

-bloated stomach
-acid reflux
-gas
-constipation
-headache
-back pain (especially when stomach is hurting). like sore muscles or a knot in my back.
-feeling like the muscles or ribs on my right side need to relax or the joints need to be "cracked," or need to pop. it's almost like being ticklish there. sometimes it feels full or bloated.
-burning pain and indigestion across the upper part of my stomach, sometimes as if there is a hand clenching under my skin.
-acid reflux
-chest pain and difficulty breathing when the problem is at it's worst.
-yellowish substance in stool (not recently)
-sweating and chills
-during an "attack" period, sometimes my stomach muscles starting quivering.
-panic (probably because of pain)
-inability to eat many things (especially fatty foods) because of pain reaction.

i  have had stomach problems for quite a while. i was tested for h.pylori and did not have it. losec helped me in the past. at one point i lost 30 pounds because every time i ate i got sick, no matter what it was. i have anxiety problems which i am sure do not help.

in the past year i have changed my diet drastically. i eat mostly low g.i. foods, and stay away from things that contain too much fat and sugar.

the last time i ate something really greasy and drank alcohol, i had an attack 24 hours later.

i was wondering if this sounds like a gallbladder problem. i don't really experience sharp pains as much as pain in a band all the way around my upper stomach and my back.

it is very bothersome. i don't know how people deal with these problems for long periods of time. it's akin to torture.

[egwene]

also, i have been in counselling for quite a while. i am taking celexa (citalopram?), and have been for over two years. i don't know if that is a contributing factor to the stomach problem. i had blood tests last month for feeling generally ill and they came back normal. maybe the new test will show something different. i get tested every 6 months to watch my thyroid (all the women on either side of the family have thyroid problems)

[egwene]

ranitidine has never helped me, even the last time something like this happened

[egwene]

thanks for you comment. i went to the walk-in clinic today and the doctor felt around. he said it feels like there's something under my ribs on the right side. it was not particularly painful when he touched there, but it felt sensitive and weird. he did bloodwork and i have an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon. apparently i am not supposed to eat any dairy or protein, only salad, which is fine because i am scared to eat anyway. last night my ENTIRE abdomen was hurting for hours. last night i took a zantac and it made the problem  much worse.

[GhostOf1901]

Sorry, but "So to answer your question, yes, it sounds like it could definitelly be HEARTBURN related." should say "So to answer your question, yes, it sounds like it could definitelly be GALLBLADDER related."

[GhostOf1901]

Although some of the symptoms you describe sound slike a gallbladder problem (the tensing muscles in the back), I'm wondering about a few other things.

First, what you describe sounds less like gallstones and more like biliary dyskinesia. This is due to the lack of sharp pain. Of course, the biliary dyskinesia I speak of may also be something else, like a polyp or even Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction. This can only be verified using the right tests. I would recommend going to the doctor and at the very least asking for an ultrasound scan (to look for stones) and a HIDA/CCK. You might also want to ask about an upper endoscopy to check for GERD and any other possible causes for your acid reflux (such as hiatal hernias).

So to answer your question, yes, it sounds like it could definitelly be heartburn related.
- The lack of bile could cause food to stay in the stomach for too long, causing heartburn and indigestion.
- The heartburn, if it happens too often, can cause esophageal spasms and tightening,

Now, the panic is where I start to wonder about a more global root cause, something with a link to the autonomic functions of your body. In this case, I'd also recommend asking your doctor about having a gastric emptying exam done, since the gastric motility may be eiother at the root of the issue, or yet another symptom.

I'll tell you this, the panic makes things matters worse. I would recommend getting to an acupuncturist as soon as possible, one who's been well trained and uses herbs properly. (This shold be, preferably, a dedicated acupuncturist; I've not had much luck with the combination chripractor/acupuncturist doctors.) They may be able to help calm things down in order to let the medicine do what it's supposed to. In addition, acupuncture's been successfully used in this type of issue in the past, (I've used it with some success.)

As far as the panic is concerned, you may want to seek psychological counseling. Avoid, however, taking drugs like xanax, which may make the problem worse, particularly the GERD.

The shrot of it: Get to a gastroenterologist, quick. And if you can, get to a TCM (acupuncturist).