Gallbladder or not
 

Has anyone had experience with gallbladder issues? For several months I've been getting nauseous for no reason for days at a time. Went to the doc, he put me on nexuim. Then sharp pains in upper right side of my abdomen so I had an ultra sound which looked fine they said. Starting feeling better for a couple of weeks but two days ago I developed a constant pain in the upper middle area of my abdomen so now my doc wants me to have another gallbladder test which includes some kind of dye. I just want to feel better. Our LSV is coming up soon and I don't want to be sick! This has been going on for months. Does this sound like gallbladder behavior? Just thought I would ask here because you good folks seem to know a whole lot!! Seriously! Thanks for your replies!:wave:

The gallbladder may still be the problem. I am a Family Practice Doc in Wisconsin and have seen this many times. The symptoms fit with gallbladder problems - the GB is a storage tank for bile from the liver. Bile aids digestion, particularily fatty foods. If there isn't enough then you get nausea and gas. If there are stones in the GB then you can have pain too. You can have gallstones or just a gallbladder with no stones but it doesn't work. Ultrasound looks for stones and the second study, usually called a patency study sees if the gallbladder works properly. If both tests fine, its probably not the GB. If it is bad the usual course is to remove it. I would go with the second test. Hope that helps and good luck.

reply
 

Thanks Doc !


I have the same symptoms along with belching. I have suspected Gall Bladder all along. The second test sounds like a good idea .

You don't have to have gallstones to have problems. My ultrasound was negative for stones so I had an old-fashioned test and was found to have sludge in the GB. When the GB was removed the surgeon found some very small stones in addition to the sludge. Good luck.

I have flair ups at times with the same, some pain, but when its really bad and the GB shuts down liquids will not stay down after a certain point..So a NG tube is inserted for few hours and takes care of the problem...you need to watch your diet very carefully....there are some food that you can not eat or should not eat. Google for diets or look at Ozs site for a good insite on what you should be doing

Ok so Ive got a hyda scan scheduled for this Friday! Im so hoping we can get to the bottom of this! Ive got to get well! Thanks for all your comments and well wishes!

Been there, done that with G.B. issues. The first time, I woke in the middle of the night feeling as though I was having a heart attack. HUGE pain in the upper quadrant of my stomach area. I had 2 more b/4 I went to my doctor! Had an ultra-sound then surgery. NOW the surgery is a piece of cake compared to when I had mine...big incision and long recouperation. Today it's arthescopic and you're up and around in a day or two.

Have a relative who was told they didn't have "stones"...but when the surgery was done, there were thousands of small granules. Everyone's experience is different. I wouldn't let it go....it can be serious!!!

Gall Bladder
 

Your symptoms sound like those I had. When I went to the doctor's office they thought I was having a heart attack because of the severe pain. I was taken to the hospital and shortly after all the heart tests, it was determined to be my gall bladder. Bye bye gall bladder...no more problems since. All the best with your situation! You definitely want to feel well for your visit here!

Keep us posted Dreamer61 - will be thinking about you.

That's exactly how my husband felt about 20 years ago. He had returned from a long weekend up at deer hunting camp (lots of cheese, pepperoni and strange "woodchuck" meat stews that all the guys contributed; I sent up a big pot of chili..........on the Monday thereafter, he had pain up and down his arm and tingling.........plus gas, belching, pain, etc. He thought he was having a heart attack and drove himself to our hospital which is very close by...........when we all got up to the emergency room he was sitting up in bed, laughing and joking with the nurses. Didn't look like a heart attack patient to us.

They admitted him for four days of tests.......for the heart, etc.
He was in Intensive Care and couldn't even get out of bed, hooked up to all kinds of machines. Long story short, he had 3 gallstones the size of strawberries. He refused surgery.

I have no idea if they passed or what. For a short while he had gas and belching every now and then..........but finally, all the symptoms left as quickly as they came. That was twenty years ago.

He's fine now. He obviously had eaten too much junk up at deer hunting camp.

When I saw my doc, I wanted to refuse surgery. He told me that would be a bad idea..."IF" the stone(s) got lodged that worse case scenario would be gangreen and some other bad stuff that could be possible. Some years later I heard of an acquaintance's mom dying because she didn't act on her symptoms. Gall bladder issues aren't something to be trifled with! Wonder if the doctor on this thread could contribute his ideas with this!?!

Gall Bladder reply
 

Those who had the gall bladder taken out, (Surgery ) have any problems after surgery. Gas , belching, Bowel problems ??

I hear you and I understand......but he had a mind of his own.
It was twenty years ago when he was 48. The surgeon/internist who sat next to his bed, while I was in the room, to tell him about the gallstones
they had discovered were actually neighbors of ours a few streets over.
Everyone in this town knows each other. They did want the gallstones removed. Again, he had a mind of his own.

I still remember them saying that the three gallstones were the size of strawberries.......well, I buy super big California strawberries, but who knows what size they were referring to. Again, his symptoms subsided and his gallbladder has never bothered him again in the past twenty years.

To play it safe with the heart...they sent him for a stress test and he did very well on it........his heart and circulation, etc. were fine.....they still are.

But, for the ones that gallstone distress mimics heart attack symtoms, I can vouch for that.

For all of the issues cited in previous threads it is prudent to remove the galllbladder with the advice from your physcian . The type of surgery will depend on the individual. Most cases can be handled by mimimum invasion while some have to go the full measure

I agree. We should NOT make any major decisions about issues like this from the advice of strangers on a forum. We should consult a physician we trust and follow his/her advice.