Good afternoon,

I’m hoping to connect with others who have dealt with chronic right upper quadrant pain, biliary colic, or possible Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

I’ve been struggling with RUQ pain for over 20 years. Until recently, it presented as flares a few times a year. On 7/24, I had my gallbladder removed in hopes this would finally resolve things. Unfortunately, the opposite happened — the pain is now far more severe, much more frequent, and has become an almost daily issue.

All imaging and labs continue to come back “unremarkable.” While the pain itself can be intense, what’s wearing me down the most is the constant fatigue, the mental toll, and the ongoing sense of hopelessness — especially not knowing what’s actually wrong with me.

There doesn’t seem to be a clear trigger. I’ve eliminated alcohol, carbonation, high-protein meals, and other common offenders, but the pain persists regardless. I was referred to Mayo Clinic by my PCP, and I truly thought that might be the place where someone would finally do some real detective work. Unfortunately, I received a letter stating they were not interested in taking my case.

At this point, I feel dismissed by many specialists — either because the case is “too complicated” or because the testing doesn’t show anything obvious. I’m exhausted and honestly at the end of my rope.

If anyone here has experienced a similar course — especially worsening pain after cholecystectomy with normal imaging — I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts, experiences, or anything that helped move things forward.

Thank you for reading.