Chronic Right-Side Abdominal/Back Gallbladder Pain

Posted by mkl8425 @mkl8425, Oct 21, 2018

A quick little medical history about myself: I have had IBS for years and have been able to manage it well. I am lactose intolerant, with certain dairy products affecting me worse than others. And I have been seen by an ENT for a chronic GERD related cough for which I was prescribed Prilosec.
For the last two months, I have been feeling an abdominal pain that has moved around as it progressed. Even before this, I have noticed that I have been burping quite a lot. It first started in episodes that would come for a few days then go away and come back a few days later. The first episode was on the right side near my appendix but then went away on its own after a few days. Then it came back on the other side and another time it was more in the back near my kidneys. Now it is becoming more frequent and is accompanied by occasional back pain. All of the pains are relatively mild but are becoming more frequent now. I have been burping a lot more now and it typically gets worse after a meal. The pain now is predominantly in my upper center/left abdomen. I went to my GP about five days ago, and she put the stethoscope up to my gut and said she heard A LOT of gas in there. I also have not passed a normally sized bowel movement in well over a week. They have been infrequent and smaller than normal, very thin, but normal colored. I have taken Miralax once a day for five days now but still have not passed a normal bowel movement, just smaller infrequent ones. Anyways, she ran some blood work and urinalysis on me to check kidney, liver, and pancreatic functions. Everything came back normal (somewhat of a relief) and I have a follow up with her in two days. Since my last visit, I have tried to limit my dairy intake, and well as my carb intake, such as breads and such. I have also been eating more fiber-rich foods and nothing has changed, in fact, things have been getting worse since my last visit. The back pain now comes instantly when I get up in the morning but fades over the day. And the GI symptoms flare up after I eat anything, especially the excessive burping. I've still been eating the same amount of food and my weight has stayed the same, but these symptoms are not only uncomfortable, but they are causing me such much unwanted stress and anxiety.

Does anyone have any similar stories? Can anyone share any ideas as to what might be going on or what I should ask my GP in two days?
Thanks!

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Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Aug 6, 2022

In reply to @gabe4223 "ulcerative colitis," + (show)

That’s frustrating. Can you describe the pain you have? Where, when, intensity and related to good intake?

gabe4223 | @gabe4223 | Aug 6, 2022

I have had this pain way before IBS showed up, my older sister also has exact pain and the pain the same. Tenderness around gallbladder to touch and intense pain in back. We both would end up in hospital and nothing showed up. She lives in California and has been to specialist and no one can find anything wrong with the gallbladder, same as me. Last year had appendicitis attack along with gallbladder and they finally removed appendixes
but not gallbladder. the attacks were like once or twice a year but now it's every week! Not eating is only way to be able to go to work but i also am pooping 13 times a day with taking 2 biologicals, trying to find something that works with my IBS and arthritis.

mjemjm | @mjemjm | Aug 7, 2022

I was like you for about two years. Everything about gall bladder, etc was normal. HIDA Scan and CTs and Ultrasounds were all normal. Pain was always on right side midway back. I don’t know how many times I went to emergency room…even on vacation. I always told doctors it was my gall bladder, but no one listened. Finally on Dec 21, 2019, it hurt so bad and I was crying at my PC doctors office, he sent me to a surgeon that day. Probably because he was tired of seeing me for the same thing and hearing me complain. I had laparoscopic out patient surgery the next day. As soon as I came out of anesthesia, I knew it worked…no pain. The surgeon told he he was surprised at how inflamed my gall bladder appeared (I wasn’t). It had been “sludge” the whole time. One of the reasons it didn’t show on tests and it comes and goes. Since the surgery, no more pain. Good luck.

lisabobisa | @lisabobisa | Nov 12, 2022

In reply to @joshk "Hi all. Trying to find others who maybe have had a similar experience and figured out..." + (show)

@joshk

Hi all. Trying to find others who maybe have had a similar experience and figured out what’s wrong or how to deal. I have been have severe abdominal pain for months. A lot of the pain originates in the upper right quadrant of my stomach, right below the rib cage. I do have pain on the left upper quadrant and sometimes in the center (heart is fine). Also I have nausea with vomiting, regurgitation, heartburn throughout the stomach and cramps. My symptoms have been getting worse and worse and no diagnosis is on the horizon.

I am a 32 yr old male I had the lap band in 2007. I began to have stomach issues in 2016 and was basically in the fetal position for 3 weeks from intense stomach pain. ER and multiple drs couldn’t figure it out but the pain eventually went away and drs couldn’t figure it out and said come back if pain comes back. Few months later I began to have some discomfort and heartburn and pain. Thought it was the lap band. Had lap band removed March 2018 but nothing was wrong except the port was turned a bit. Had a harder time with recovery from band with pain in the middle of my stomach, next to one of my scars where the port used to be.

Heartburn started to affect me greatly after the band removal and started seeing GI. I was having some abdominal pain, with a lot of heartburn regardless of what I ate. Dr Put me on Carafate and omneprazol and told I have reflux. He also did a gastric emptying test which showed I have dumping syndrome.

The pain in my abdomen started growing in my upper right quadrant with sharp acute pain. Sometimes it felt like someone was twisting my insides, sometimes feels like a hot poker being stabbed into my stomach and other times like my stomach is being squeezed in a vice. I changed drs. Had an endoscopy , which showed grade B ulcers in esophagus with gastritis but no hpylori or Barrett’s. my symptoms started to get progressively worse and dr wanted to schedule capsule endoscopy but insurance wouldn’t pay until colonoscopy was performed. Had colonoscopy which was normal. As I was talking to dr after colonoscopy I was in tears to dr to schedule next test quickly because pain was becoming unbearable. I did not accept any pain medications from drs and instead use marijuana for the pain. Had a ultrasound a few months ago which showed 21cm fatty liver non alcoholic. I had a CT scan which showed prior infection damage to my small bowel. Every time I would look down or bend over I would get very nauseous with vomiting and My wife just gave birth in August so I look down a lot.

Very shortly after my colonoscopy I started to become unable to finish a meal. Food started to loose tase and eventually I stopped eating altogether. This was Around December 23. Since then I have lost 30 lbs. I am maybe able to push down 500 or so calories a day. Usually only after I smoke a lot of marijuana and even then I usually only have a few bites. I don’t feel hungry at all, even after smoking. It feels like my stomach/abdomen is always clenched and shut. If I do suddenly feel hungry if I grab something and try to eat I loose the sensation immediately and in mid chew the food tastes horrible.

My nausea and heartburn have subsided because of the no food but come back with anything I try to eat ( anything including plain rice, plain oatmeal and plain bread). But I still have regurgitation if I try to have anything or even with eating nothing. The pain is normally constant unless I smoke. I recently had a capsule endoscopy which showed gstroparesis (directly opposite the gastric emptying test) but a normal small bowel.I switched to a new dr in New York City whom is the head of the gastric dept in his hospital. He gave me peppermint pills and suggested CBD and ordered a new upper GI to see if my stomach is being pulled by anything. He took me off a lot of meds. I don’t know if the peppermint pills work but at least when I burp or regurgitate my throat tastes like peppermint.

I can’t keep living my life like this. My memory is shot to hell from the weed or the constant pain, take your choice. I own my own business and can barely function. I become unable to do anything or respond sometimes when the pain consumes all my thoughts.

From the lack of eating my energy is starting to diminish, I am getting migraines if I wait too long to eat something and I am starting to have a rash on my face. My sex drive however has increased. I have been getting lightheaded when I stand suddenly and the rest of my body is starting to ache more. I am trying to not go to the hospital. I don’t believe they will do anything aside from make sure I am stable and send me home to follow up with dr. Anyone have anything?

As a small aside- two days ago I ate a small amount and took a pull from my marijuana pen. As I stood up I let out the smoke and my vision got very clouded, my ears started ringing loudly and I began to sway. I felt like I was almost loosing consciousness. I grabbed my table and chair and held on. After 10-15 seconds my vision and hearing began to clear. This has not happened since and scared me deeply.

Any input welcome. Thank you!

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This was posted in 2019, I’m hoping your doing well, if you still have issues get checked again for h pylori. It can give false negatives, the breath test is the most accurate.

lidiana | @lidiana | Nov 12, 2022

In reply to @mjemjm "I was like you for about two years. Everything about gall bladder, etc was normal. HIDA..." + (show)

My MRE said “sludge” and I’m still on lots of pain and other debilitating symptoms. I haven’t got a HIDA tho. My local urologist also suggested to get a laparoscopic exploration since my bladder had a spot on the back thinking it could be endometriosis. But my pain started on the left upper quadrant. I’m so glad you got the help you needed 🙏🏻 Blessings

pchoff92 | @pchoff92 | Nov 30 9:16pm

In reply to @cookiegnias "I have gastroperisis did u ever have a gastric emptying test to see if u have..." + (show)

My 66 yo husband has just been diagnosed with Gastroparesis, after 10 months of the exact pain and symptoms you are describing down to the losing consciousness. He never threw up, but constant nausea, pain and no appetite. He has lost 40+# in 10 months, has no appetite or energy. We have been to the ER 4 times, had blood tests, xrays, cat scans, mri's, upper GI, colonoscopy, youname it, they all came back with no issues! Finally a Gastric Emptying test showed he has 25% still in his stomach after 4 hrs. He tried Marijuana but didn't like it, to CBD gummies help. Now that we know what he has, we are trying hard to get a handle on this. Following a strict Gastroparesis diet helps a lil bit at this time, he still has no energy, pain still persistent. We follow up with his new GI in 2 weeks., so hopefully he gets better soon. Like you he is at his wits end and isn't coping well with all this. He did find out he also has diverticulitis & had a severe case. We didn't even know he had any issues prior to this.
We are told it takes a while to heal. Just praying he has the strength to hang on, he is very depressed and says life is not worth living if it continues like this. I tell him he has to want to live to get better. He has to put the effort in, not just me doing all I can for him. Prayers you get answers and my husband heals.