Gallbladder Problems? (gall bladder, pain, surgery, doctor)

[Dollbaby24]

Does anyone else have gallbladder attacks, or has anyone has theirs removed? I had some trouble with mine a couple of years ago and then it pretty much went away, and now I am having bed chest pains and pain on my right side and my upper back between my shoulder blades. I have had an EKG and a stress test done and that pretty much ruled out any heart problems so I am thinking it is my gallbladder again. My chest feels really tight when sitting or lying down and sometimes it is a burning pain too. Anyone have similar symptoms?

[yellfire]

Sounds like gallbladder. Ever get nausea or vomiting after you eat? How old are you? Do you have kids or are you on hormonal birth control? any chance you are female, caucasian, and (this really is a legitimate question) overweight at all? Those are all risk factors for gallstones/poorly functioning gallbladder.

If you can, get a right upper quadrant ultrasound. Not as definitive for stones as a CT scan but also not as expensive. If the u/s is negative, ask for a HIDA scan with ejection fraction, that test looks at gallbladder function, not just structure.

Obviously not meant to replace the advice of your doctor. Anytime anyone has chest pains the best course of action is always to go to the ER.

[Dollbaby24]

Originally Posted by yellfire

Sounds like gallbladder. Ever get nausea or vomiting after you eat? How old are you? Do you have kids or are you on hormonal birth control? any chance you are female, caucasian, and (this really is a legitimate question) overweight at all? Those are all risk factors for gallstones/poorly functioning gallbladder.

If you can, get a right upper quadrant ultrasound. Not as definitive for stones as a CT scan but also not as expensive. If the u/s is negative, ask for a HIDA scan with ejection fraction, that test looks at gallbladder function, not just structure.

Obviously not meant to replace the advice of your doctor. Anytime anyone has chest pains the best course of action is always to go to the ER.

I am 26, female, on birth control, and not overweight. I had the HIDA scan done a couple of years ago. They said my gallbladder doesn't function quite as well as most, and suggested removing it but didn't say it HAD to come out. I guess it's happening all over again now...I really don't want to have an organ removed from my body

[asonnier]

I was diagnosed with gall stones right before I turned 40. My pain was lower right quadrant of my abdomen spreading up to underneath my right breast. The gall bladder has to come out when you have stones or they could come out on their own and cause more problems. You cannot wait for removal and they wouldn't go away and come back later. I went from diagnosis to surgery in less than a month. Do you have any other symptoms? Maybe an ulcer?

[harry chickpea]

Better to have it out when you have insurance than to wait. Removal is expensive, no matter how they cut you.

[momof2dfw]

Had mine taken out a year ago. Had minor acid reflux I happened to mention to the doctor one time and they checked me for something else. That came back good but my levels were off and the indication was it was my gallbladder. Had an ultrasound done for stones, no stones. Did the other test for the functioning of it and that was it. A few days later I had the sudden "attack". It hurt to breath and with every breathe my chest got tighter and tighter. I'd already been told by many that had gallbladder issues that they thought they were having a heart attack and went to the ER and it turned out to be their gallbladder. Since I had just been diagnosed w/ it I knew and just wanted to go home. It finally subsided. Went to my appointment w/ the surgeon a few days later and w/in a week I had surgery to have it removed. Went to DisneyWorld two weeks later.

I'm 43, not on birth control, not overweight and don't normally suffer from any indigestion.

[pitt_transplant]

Try drinking apple juice to soften them for a couple weeks and then eat some food with a lot of olive oil in it. That can make them pass.

There is also chanca piedra (herbal) that can help break them up for passing.

I would try a liver flush if none of that works while you have benefits to cover any serious things like a blockage.

[AVTechMan]

I had gallbladder issues too at one time. Had pain in the right midsection and used to happen when I ate certain foods. Ultrasound later revealed that I have some stones, but I haven't had mine removed. I think that certain fatty foods that contain grease can trigger the bladder and the pain. However, as of now and the last few years I have not had any gallbladder attacks whatsoever. But I definitely have experienced that kind of pain, and let me tell you its not pleasant at all. I was on my knees in intense pain and just kept thinking thoughts of the pain subsiding.

After its over I had to eat light foods for the rest of the day and just take it easy. It can really weaken you when those occur.

[momof2dfw]

If she has already had the tests a few years ago and they determined that her gallbladder was not fully functioning then......... there is not really any need to "flush" anything. She probably doesn't have stones and it is just the gallbladder acting up. Or rather NOT acting . She really needs to head to the doctor and get all of the tests done to find out for sure.

[Dollbaby24]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

If she has already had the tests a few years ago and they determined that her gallbladder was not fully functioning then......... there is not really any need to "flush" anything. She probably doesn't have stones and it is just the gallbladder acting up. Or rather NOT acting . She really needs to head to the doctor and get all of the tests done to find out for sure.

Hi, I am "she" I am going back to the doctor tomorrow. The doctor put me on acid refux medication a couple of weeks ago and that seems to have helped somewhat. But like someone else posted, the pain was so bad I almost went to the ER on two different occasions, but for the fact that I would have had to sit there for 3 hours first!
It is not nearly as bad now, but I am afraid if it is the gallbladder and I don't have it removed, that something serious could go wrong down the road. But then, there is a post on here about people who have had theirs taken out and they are still in a lot of pain...argh...if only it was a simple fix!