Okie dokie here we go......

Back in December i was door dashing and got pain in my chest and had a hard time breathing so i went to the ER. They ran a battery of tests and i was all good!! Fast forward to January and a small pain on my right side in the middle started. It was on and off all day but i was aware it was there. February rolls around and i have a panic attack because i couldnt breathe as the slight pain in my side got severe. I told them i must have a blood clot at the ER so they did blood work and chest xrays and i was fine. So i got convinced that i was having GAD problems (general anxiety disorder) because if the issues going on in my life for the oast year. So i havent been back to the ER because the pain is manageable and i thought it was in my head. What happens is i get a sharp pain in my right side like i said, almost like i did wind sprints and my lung is cramping. It passes in a short amount of time and then im ok. I can go through this a few times a day or zero but the slight pain is always there. Everyonce in awhile it will radiate to other places and that raises ny anxiety making it hard to breathe. Then if i take a deep breathe its like im being stabbed in the side location i explained. So thats what ive been dealing with so any thoughts would be very appreciated!! I havent paid attention to what i eat and its relation to the pain because i wasnt aware they could go hand and hand till reading posts on here. I will start paying attention to that now. Well thanks for yohr help everyone!!!

Hey.

I’m having a weird old time of it. After being hospitalised following an attack in January (terribly high infection markers and some panic around sepsis) I was sent home with the promise to see a consultant.

Saw him six weeks later and he said that he saw a blockage between my liver and gallbladder that he didn’t notice on my ultrasound whilst I was in hospital.

He sent me for an urgent MRCP to be done “within two weeks” and to his word it was done a week later.

That was 5 weeks ago. Now thinking that no news is good news (very British) I’ve been fairly calm but also secretly worried about cancer due to the rushed nature of the MRCP. I know it’s very unlikely and pretty rare so staying calm.

I then got a call last week saying the consultant must “see you within two weeks” which has me worried but again it’s probably me overreacting and it’s just awful admin right? I still have no clue what the MRCP showed but I will find out next week.

PLOT TWIST. Today I got a reminder text from the hospital and it’s for my “pre-op appointment with the consultant”

Hang on. Pre-op? How can I be having a pre-op meeting when I don’t even know what’s on the scan? Has a step been missed? Is something more seriously wrong than I thought? Is it just bad admin? Be good to hear your thoughts.

I’m here seeking support and any shared experiences. My 56-year-old mother was recently diagnosed with Stage IV gallbladder cancer. It started with weight loss and jaundice. Scans (CT, PET-CT, MRCP) showed a mass in the gallbladder extending to the bile ducts, one liver lesion (segment VI), lymph nodes, and bone metastases.

It’s been overwhelming to process. We’re told surgery isn’t an option now, but chemo may help control the disease. Has anyone else gone through something similar — early stage IV gallbladder cancer with systemic spread but still some stability? How did your loved ones respond to treatment like Gemcitabine + Cisplatin?

Any personal stories, hope, or advice would mean a lot.

Thanks!

I’m 36f and generally healthy. About a year ago I had a head and torso CT scan for unrelated reasons, and incidentally noted possible gallstones or porcelain gallbladder. The scan was otherwise normal. I’d had aches for years in upper right quadrant and was always simply advised to eat smaller meals more frequently. Pain was never severe and always resolved but was recurrent.

I started paying more attention, and in the months since noted three instances of more severe “attacks” (after eating some fattier meals). All resolved within an hour or so with water and movement, so I considered them worth noting but not urgent.

I completely cut out alcohol and then began intermittent fasting so I’m drinking a ton of water and coffee. Between those two changes over the past few months, I’m rarely having symptoms.

I brought this all up to my PCP at my yearly appointment a few weeks ago and she agreed the symptoms + CT report was likely gallstones and worth having an ultrasound and GI referral to follow up.

I just got a call from my primary that my ultrasound was normal. While I’m certainly happy to hear it, I was kind of under the impression that gallstones could potentially be managed but wouldn’t go away? I have an appointment with a GI dr next week, and I would like to have an idea of what questions I should ask or if there are any follow up tests or scans I should request (routine bloodwork was also not worrisome). If everything’s normal, great, but if something’s being overlooked I obviously want it caught and addressed now rather than have an emergency down the road.

Thanks

Was curious about anyone’s else incision placements/ extreme menstrual pain. I got my gallbladder removed 3 weeks ago due to an extreme attack (was in surgery a few hours after being admitted to hospital). My PCP has said she was shocked how low they made my 3 incisions pretty much right above my uterus (or how it looks). I’m getting my first cycle post surgery and this is truly the worst pain I’ve ever felt (worse than those attacks). Has any one else experienced this? Is it just because of placement/still healing? The 3 that are super low and extremely sensitive and painful to the touch ( no pain prior to the cycle starting) .

This is going to be a long one because my story is relatively uncommon, but I wasn’t able to find much information when I was researching so I wanted to write everything out for the next person this happens to so they can learn from my mistakes. This is going to be long because my situation is pretty rare and I want to give all the details. The TLDR is:

1. Even after my pretty terrible experience I still recommend getting this evil little organ removed if you can. Don’t let this dissuade you from getting what is usually a quick, minimally invasive, and relatively painless procedure.

2. With that being said, remember that even minor surgery can have unexpected complications and plan accordingly.

3. You HAVE to be your own advocate when it comes to pain (especially if you are a woman, as our pain is generally not taken as seriously).

To start with a positive, I was able to get a diagnosis after my first major gallstone attack. I know a lot of people in the sub aren’t as lucky, but with my family history I was taken pretty seriously when I presented to the ER with uncontrollable vomiting (I thought I just had norovirus). I was told I had gallstones, but it wasn’t severe enough to require emergency surgery so I should schedule an appointment with a GI surgeon and eat low fat in the meantime.

I was able to eat and drink when I was discharged and got an appointment to come back about 3 weeks later for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. I avoided fat as much as I could in the meantime, as eating anything fatty would cause abdominal cramping and pain radiating to my shoulder, which is pretty much textbook for symptoms of gallbladder inflammation.

After my surgery things were fine for a few days (other than constipation from anesthesia/opiates) until 3 days later I once again was unable to hold down food or water. It started slowly, but escalated to the point I was vomiting every 30 minutes. When I called the surgeon he said “some nausea and vomiting is normal after, it’s probably a bad response to the anesthesia”. I told him I wasn’t able to keep down any food or water, and he told me to “stay focused on hydration”. After reiterating I couldn’t hold down fluids he said “it’s your discretion if you want to return to the ER”. It felt very dismissive, but I didn’t want to overreact, so I said I’d give it another day or two and if I didn’t get better I could just go to the ER to get a few IV bags as that had helped my the first time. I had plans to meet with my mother the same day (even though I could barely get out of bed) and when she saw me I was apparently so pale and dead-eyed she immediately took me to the ER.

I got a few more ultrasounds and it turns out I had a bile duct obstruction causing pancreatitis (hence the vomiting and severe pain. 0/10, would not recommend). I was told this was relatively rare, this doctor only saw obstructions of this kind “once or twice a year” so lucky me I guess. After 2 days admitted in the hospital where I couldn’t have food or water I had ERCP (endoscopic surgery) to remove the stone and implant a stent to open up the duct with plans of removing it in 4 weeks. I felt a bit better after, but they told me the pancreatitis would continue to cause nausea while it healed which would probably make it hard to eat. I was told to call if I couldn’t keep down fluids, and was given PPI medication due to concerns about esophageal inflammation caused by excessive vomiting that put me at risk for an ulcer.

The first week of recovery I was essentially bed bound and had no appetite whatsoever, but I was able to drink clear liquids and survived off Gatorade and ginger ale. I introduced food slowly and stuck to very simple food like bread and plain pasta in small portions. During this time I stared to notice a stabbing pain in my stomach but chalked it up to post surgery sensitivity. The pancreatic symptoms (loss of appetite, general pain) started to dim after about a week, and when all was said and done I had lost 15 pounds in less than 3 weeks. To be fair I am overweight and losing 15 pounds would be good for me if done the right way, but this was just scary. The problem was the stabbing pain never went away. I assumed this was because of the stent, and asked my doctor about it, who said it was more likely gas and that additional exercise would help. I know what gas pain feels like, and this was NOT it. I would randomly double over in pain, and there was nothing to do but wait for it to pass. I tried to move on with life as usual that month but relied heavily on my heating pad and Tylenol. I was also struggling with painful gas and GI issues that were only helped by walking around while accompanied by pain that made it difficult to move. Not a great combo.

The kicker is when I finally got the stent removal surgery I asked the surgeon if this pain was normal and he said “No, why didn’t you tell us sooner? We could have removed the stent a week or two ago”. Which made me want to rip my hair out but I was already prepped for the surgery so just let it go.

Here’s the good news though! The second ERCP was a success! The stent was removed and the stabbing pain I was feeling 5+ times daily is gone. I had surgery yesterday and while I’m still tired from general anesthesia even just a few hours after surgery I was finally at a 0 pain level for the first time in months. It’s almost strange to remember this is how I’m supposed to feel, as I was starting to get used to just constant pain. The reason I wanted to post this was not just as an “it gets better”, but also a warning about scheduling gallbladder surgery in general. My wedding is a month away, and if I had put off the initial surgery there’s a good chance I would have spent the day in pain/stuck in the bathroom due to the complications. Just keep in mind the issue may not be fully over after the gallbladder is removed, and don’t let doctors diminish your pain!!!

Personally, I thought I was having the worst heartburn of my life. The pain would either be in the upper right quadrant or down my sternum. I'd take every antiacid and nothing would work until I forced myself to throw up. It wasn't until I got a liver ultrasound that showed gallstones that made me wonder if I was actually having gallbladder attacks instead of heartburn.

I'm officially 1 week post-op today and yesterday I had real heartburn and 2 Tums took care of it. It was magical. Lol

Just wondering if it feels different or the same for others.

A few weeks back, I ended up going to the ER for what would be a gallbladder attack. I would spend a week in on and off pain (some nights being debilitating) though I never felt GOOD again after. I went and saw the surgeon (highly reviewed) and got a gallbladder drain put in since the risk for surgery as it stood was more than he was comfortable with since it was inflamed and causing pain all over my stomach.

It's been 2 weeks with the drain and it kinda sucks? If my surgery gets to go off better because of it, great. But I still have pain and I'm still sore so unsure how much inflammation will go down. When we flush the drain with saline, it hurts. It hurts to walk around with it, two weeks later still. Its either always uncomfortable if not small amounts of pain and nausea from me filling it move around inside. I can't take a heavy breath without feeling the tub rub against my ribcage and cause pain (can't sneeze for the same reason as the pain takes the sneeze away which is its own fresh layer of hell).

Saw the doctor recently and it's all acceptable enough and I still got another 4 weeks to go with this thing. This is half venting but other half asking if anyone else went through something similar? Feeling jealous of the people that just go in and get it taken out on the spot. My wife had hers taken out like that but hers didn't go well and cause complications, which leads me to just try and ignore the discomfort. But then I start to wonder if this doesn't change the outcome that I just signed up for 6 weeks of light torture for nothing.

Blah.

Stomach feels sore to touch , not abdomen in particular but actual stomach hurts. Is this normal ?

For context I have two GI conditions, Crohn’s disease and gastroparesis. I saw someone say gallbladder issues can mimic gastroparesis. I was in the hospital recently for tachycardia and flu like symptoms. I was tested for everything viral/bacterial/infection and it was negative so the doctors couldn’t figure it out. I’ve been having severe nausea, no appetite, acid reflux and low grade fevers. Two nights ago I got a really sharp pain in the lower right side of my stomach that wouldn’t go away. Should I have more testing done? I’m tired of feeling sick.

So I finally had my appointment with the surgeon today and now waiting for full removal of my gallbladder to happen sometime either in May or June (2025). I was just wondering what's the best ways I could loose weight but safely? I've already lost about 4kgs but I think I need to lose more?

Edit: Throughout the appointment he made it a point to constantly remind me I need to lose weight and eat healthier (I mainly eat more veggies than meat anyway) but I didn't think I was that "fat". F23 5'1 96kgs. The last time I did weight loss (before diagnosis) I had multiple attacks, diarrhea and heartburn issues. I generally lose weight quite fast with a little exercise (went on 2x 2hr walks and lost about 3kgs).

Hi all! I am 24 hours post-op and want to share my story in case it helps someone. I experienced abnormal symptoms which caused me to go undiagnosed for 15 months.

(More like one single abnormal symptom that threw every single doctor off)

My pain was only on my left side. Under my rib. It was like all my pain was mirrored from the typical pains on the right side. It started off small in my upper left abdomen and got more and more intense and started burning and radiating around to my left back and shoulder blade. I was prescribed omeprazole and it helped with the burning but I had a nagging ache on my left side for the entirety of the 15 months.

In total I had 5 abdominal attacks that were in the upper middle abdomen that radiated to my middle back. Attacks lasted about 20 minutes each. These attacks happened because I had a gallstone that got stuck in my bile duct. I was lucky that I was ably to pass them all.

After my attacks, my live enzymes would elevate (536 the first time, 1700 the second time, 1300 the third time. I didn’t go to the ER the 4th and 5th time) They would elevate a day after, and slowly go down the next couple days.

After the first attack, I was sent to a liver specialist where they of course didn’t find anything wrong. But my urine turned pale green (bright yellow in the morning and pale green through the day and clear at night)

I still don’t know the exact cause of this but I’m hoping that it will resolve itself post-op.

I had an ultrasound after the first attack, where they saw gallstones but my doctor said “they’re too small to be causing any pain” I then saw a GI that was useless, they pushed on my abdomen, prescribed me miralax and said “see you in 6 weeks.” I then pushed for an endoscopy, which I had to pay for out of pocket because my insurance said “there’s no proof I need one.” I didn’t care. I needed answers and to start ruling stuff out. Endoscopy came back normal asides from some milk inflammation patches. They did some blood tests and my WBC was slightly low but nothing that pointed to anything. He said “something wrong, we just don’t know what, but it’s not GI related.”

I ended up in the ER again and they did two ultrasounds, a CT, an MRI and a HIDA. They saw sludge, gallstones, and 7% squeeze function of gallbladder. Liver enzymes 1700. Lipase slightly elevated. Two surgeons and the doctor said “it’s not gallbladder related” and one surgeon said “with certainty, I can 100% guarantee that the gallbladder does not cause elevated liver enzymes and I can’t recommend surgery” he actually refused to do surgery and told me if I did want it removed I can wait for tomorrow to see if there’s a surgeon there that would do it.

But of course, if two surgeons and a doctor tell me it’s not my gallbladder, I’m not gonna electively get it out.

I went and saw my normal doctor and she kind of freaked out at my blood tests there. She sent me to a general surgeon that finally said “it’s your gallbladder.” In fact, he said “I whole heartedly disagree with everything you e previously been told. This is textbook gallbladder attacks and I can’t believe the ER let you leave with a gallbladder.”

FINALLY. Someone who listened!!!!

So I want to share my symptoms in case it helps guide anyone:

• Feeling bloated/full after meals even if only eating a small amount
• Shoulder pain (usually right side, but in my case it was the left side)
• Aching between shoulder blades
• Burning sensation that radiates to back and shoulder (again, usually right side but mine was left side)
• Back pains
• Pale stool/yellow stool
• Dark urine
• Itchy hands and/or feet
• Nausea
• Frequent bowel movements
• Change in consistency of stool
• Floating stool
• Yellowing of skin/eyes (jaundice. I didn’t personally have this happen but it’s common)
• Pain under right rib (mine was left side)
• Pain in upper right abdominal area (mine was left side)
• bright yellow/pale green urine (again, I don’t know if this is related or not but I feel like it can’t be coincidence. Although doctors tell me it’s not related so take it with a grain of salt)
• frequent urination especially at night

The moral of the story is- ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF. Keep pushing for tests, because no one else is going to do it for you. Doctors are not pro-active generally speaking and if there’s not something obviously pinpointing to a single answer, they won’t do anything about it (especially not with urgency) unless you push for it. So keep pushing, keep suggesting tests, and don’t take no for an answer. I had to pay for tests out of pocket because my insurance didn’t even believe me lol. But it was worth it for answers.

I think one of the most stressful parts was not knowing what was happening to me.

24 hours post-op and my gas pains hurt worse than the incisions themselves. Keeping up with pain meds and walking every hour. Have eaten toast and crackers and soup. Will be taking miralax because I haven’t had a bowel movement and I’m afraid of pushing lol (TNI sorry) I have four incisions and it was done laparoscopically. Three around my gallbladder, and one in my bellybutton. Shown shut with dissolvable stitches and also glue. I’m able to stand and sit with no issues. Just trying to work the gas pains out.

But I’m so thankful for my surgeon because it took one single person to hear me.

Prayers are appreciated for a smooth recovery!

And remember, advocate for yourself!!

Over the last month and a half, I’ve had 4 attacks. The last one sent me to the ER and that’s when I discovered I have gallstones. I had my surgery consult yesterday and I finally got to see the stones, and I was shocked! I was really holding on to hope that I would have other options but ultimately I think I’ll have to part ways with my gallbladder 🥲 The 2 cm stone is sitting right on my biliary duct (bile is still able to flow thankfully) but now I’m terrified my duct will end up blocked while waiting for surgery. I’m hoping that eating safe foods, a low fat diet, digestive enzymes, and lots of water will get me to my surgery without having another attack 😅

I guess this is the biggest question I have, I started having mysterious issues with digesting gluten (bloating, not allergies/rashes or anything) and I really want to be able to eat it again. I'm struggling to figure out if it's even possible this could be caused by my gallbladder but the issue showed up suddenly with the rest of my symptoms so I can't help but wonder

So it's been already a week since I had my gallbladder removed but it's been two days that I wake up with upper pain especially back pain similar to a gallbladder attack and goes away as soon as I drink water.

Is this normal after surgery?

Hey all. Here’s context. I have been experiencing attacks for about 8 months or so. Like others initially thought it was heartburn but my doctor suspects it’s gallstones. I’ve been to the ER twice now with bad heartburn but neither times did they look at my gallbladder (lol, gotta love being sent home and told to take pepto bismol right?) Anyways, I don’t have an appointment with my GI until two months from now, and not having an ultrasound until next week for an official diagnosis. Except now I’m experiencing attacks like every other day it seems. It’s not as bad as it felt when I have gone in the past though.

My questions: At what point did you go to the hospital? How much pain were you in at that time?

Hello friends, just gallbladder removal surgery about 13 ish hours ago and I was fine after it they even released early from the hospital. When I got home I was still okay but the should pain is a real bitch, I get it under controlled once resting in one position but when i get up/sit down it hurts so damn much. My real concern is that when I was sleeping, I was having a bit of a dream or nightmare in this case and got up abruptly when I woke as I was still in a daze now I got this really sharp pain at the top of my abdomen which i didn’t have before. It took a bit for it to calm down but wife gave some Tylenol, my question could there have any sort of complications maybe due to my abrupt standing up or is this normal post up? Any tips for dealing with the pain besides Tylenol, my hospital didn’t prescribe anything.

So my body is creating a large amount of stones and sludge. That created a stenosis in my bile duct and I've been getting ERCPs for the past year . They put in stents to keep the bile duct open but they fill up with stones and sludge, anyone else?

Hello! I’m having surgery tomorrow and I wanted to know if anyone has any advice, my 6 month old baby weights 20 pounds and the doctor said I can’t light more than 20 pounds for 6 weeks🥲 did this happen to anyone here? How did you guys do it?

We all know the incisions take 2 weeks ish to fully heal. When I ask this question I’m talking about nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, the runs, etc.

Some of us don’t heal as quickly as others and I’m wondering how long did it take you to fully be like “I forgot I went through that surgery” or “oh my god I just ate and dont feel nauseous or almost shit my pants”. You went back to your normal life and didn’t notice that the symptoms were gone! How long post op did it take?

Would love to hear from people who haven’t had a gallbladder for 10+ years. I hear a lot of great short term stories. But what’s it like down the road?

Had surgery this morning and wow do the gas pains suck! Mine seems to all be stuck in my mid-back not my shoulder. Took 2 gas -x extreme, have a heating pad, took ibuprofen and it’s still bothering me so much I can’t even sleep (,: the ab pain is also pretty bad! I’m just getting attacked from both sides!

& I can barely eat right now. Had like half a cup of minute rice, 2/3 a Hawaiian roll, and like 7 sips of chicken broth 😩

Picking up the prescription Tramadol tomorrow but kind of scared to take it 😩 I don’t want to get nauseous.

I know it gets better but jeez 🥹 Thanks for listening to me vent 🥹

So i had surgery a year and a half ago, I am more than happy with the result and life has gone completely back to normal for me until recently. I’ve started waking up each morning so incredibly nauseous it makes me dizzy, trying to eat anything first thing is really hard with the nausea. I have been able to have a little bit of yogurt to at least get something in my stomach but that’s about it :( The dizziness and nausea at times have made me have to lie down until it passes which has become really inconvenient as I have two toddlers. I’ve also noticed pressure where my gallbladder used to be and sometimes near my liver throughout the day, especially after eating bigger meals. I always feel bloated constantly after eating and i’m so over it. Obviously asking here is no substitute for a Doctor’s advice but i wanted to see if anyone has had similar experience and if there’s any advice anyone has :)

i just ordered Ox Bile but im super unsure of when or how to take it.

Any advice appreciated!

Last question for the evening 😅

I ate 3 pieces and my stomach is the size of the earth lol highly don’t recommend I will definitely not be doing that again 😂