On and off liver pain

[Teammush]

I had my gallbladder out 7 years ago however I ended up in the hospital 6 weeks ago with a gallstone in my common bike duct. My bilirubin since is slightly elevated, as well as now showing low total protein serum and I have on and off liver pain and what I call a popping sensation after I eat in the center of my upper abdomen. MRI shows nothing but blood work is not my normal and neither is the pain. Any ideas would be appreciated as to what this could be or what tests could be helpful.

[RHGB]

I struggle to see why the hospital has not told you. The gallstone is most likely obstructing your bile duct*, hence your bilirubin is elevated because its route has been blocked (or at least partially). This alone could lead you to going jaundiced in colour.

I'm not sure if we are allowed to post links, but in case not, Google 'gallstone bile duct obstruction' and read the first result which should be healthline - it says all that I would have (plus more) and saves me having to type it out.

* I am not a doctor of course, but based on my own knowledge, this seems the most likely answer.

For those who are scratching their head going, if you haven't got a gallbladder, how are you getting gallstones. It is possible for a small number of people to develop them in their bile duct.

[Teammush in reply to RHGB]

Thank you so much for your reply. While in the hospital I did have the stone removed from the duct but in weeks after the ERCP my levels are still off even through the MRI is showing no other signs of a blockage. I'm afraid they are dismissing my pain and slight non normal blood test results. I'm having an upper GI series done on Monday to see if it shows anything when I ingest barium. Thank you again!

[Michiganpbc in reply to Teammush]

Have they done a lab test called AMA test for PBC?

[RHGB in reply to Teammush]

Hmm..... MRI eh, I take it you're in the States? Upper GI series, definitely the States.

It always amazes me the completely different procedures the States and the UK use.

[grace111 in reply to RHGB]

just to let you know that we are actually encouraged to leave links to other sites with information. its the liver thats making the stones. iv had my gallbladder removed and had one in the bile duct and it stuck with all the infection " called MIrizzi's syndrome i had to have a reconstructed bile duct. Iv read that there are gallstones and liver stones.( when i was in the hospital quite a few times with infections and as you say the bile duct was blocked and the bile could not get out and it raised my biliruben, i had to have a stent inserted into my bile duct before i had the operation called an Hepaticojejunostomy.)I met a few women with stones in the bile duct who had had their gallbadders removed years earlier. also you get get stones that go to other parts of the body as i have seen x-ray images of those. love grace xoxo