Back in March I was having a very very mild burning feeling in my stomach. I went for an abdominal ultrasound which came back totally normal. Then throughout April, I started getting these god awful pains high up in the pit centre of my stomach, a couple hours after I eat usually. The pain then persisted to basically just on and off all day, wakes me in the night, I wake up with the pain, sometimes it’s in my back/chest where it kinda hurts to breathe. My tummy feels constantly full, kinda like I’ve eaten 10 thanksgiving dinners; you know that feeling that you’ve eaten so much that it actually hurts. And antacids or painkillers do not relieve this feeling. So, I went for another abdominal scan, and they found small gallstones... but they’re saying these aren’t the cause of my symptoms. I believe they are wrong, as before my normal scan back in March I’ve never in my entire life experienced this pain before, and I find it to be quite coincidental that after the normal scan my symptoms started, and now the new scan shows the stones. My pain is basically exactly where my gallbladder sits, and in the centre of my stomach as well- Between belly button and boobs... so how can they not correlate the stones with the symptoms? Has anyone else had these types of symptoms and it turned out to be gallstones, and after removing the stones did your symptoms subside?
Thank you.
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ZeeCM
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My best friend had gallon stones and her symptoms where very much like yours. Hers got much better after she had her gallbladder removed. Her symptoms almost totally went away. Wishing you the best 💕
That’s insane but I’m glad she got treatment! I am being so persistent with my doctor. It’s like they want me to be dying from it before they treat them. So frustrating.
About 20 years ago I had similar symptoms, and when they did a scan, eventually, they found gallstones. They zapped them, and put me on a low (almost no) dairy diet. I have had no problems since.
Can I ask you if you felt full all the time in your kinda upper belly? Or feelings like internal gnawing that was there almost constantly? And Like just insane amounts of pressure?
I want mine zapped so badly. But doctors won’t listen to me. Where did you get yours zapped? I’m in Canada but I’d be willing to pay to go anywhere for this
Going on a low fat diet may help gallstones. Cutting down on fats in dairy pastry cakes biscuits sausages meats trimming off fatty bacon rinds may help . I had pain in my back which was diagnosed from y'all stones so was told to go low fat. It improved. Drinking skimmed milk may help and cutting down on cheese. Sticking to strawberries raspberries raspberries helped metabolism. I would eat a dessert spoon of low fat yoghurt but removed cream. The pain went between shoulder blades.
Removing saturated and trans fatty acids replacing them with olive oil when baking may help. Cakes taste fine but are tempting so indulge sparingly. There is a good diet sheet on patient.info/news and NHS. Certain foods can lower cholesterol such as apples and oats and oxidised cholesterol avoided
Processed vegetable oils except olive oil may create oxygenated cholesterol. Maize and rice also release a sticky stuff blocking arteries . I don't take statins but have lowered LDL . Oats have helped diabetes by lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. It contains beta glucan which helps the immune system against viruses as well as lower cholesterol. Hope you aren't asleep. Take care.
Hi! So I had kinda similar symptoms as you. About a year ago I was having sharp pain below my right breastbone that would sometimes wake me up at night. The pain would radiate to my back at times. But it was really high up and initially caused lots of fullness and discomfort where I couldn’t eat for a day or two. I lost a lot of weight just out of fear of not knowing what would trigger the pain on top of constantly having sense of fullness.
I prob saw 3 different doctors one said it wasn’t GB related since the pain was too high up, the other said it was prob gastritis, then finally I saw a female doctor who right away said have you checked your gallbladder?? Long story short I had a gallbladder polyp that was 7mm big. At the time I didn’t have any gallstones but due to the size of the polyp I had to go back 6 months later to check if the size had changed. During that scan they did find a couple stones. I have yet to take out my GB so still till this day I will get pain and flare ups if I don’t watch what I eat. I don’t get the bloating feeling thankfully just mild pain. Too much bacon, chocolate, spicy foods, or greasy foods will trigger pain along with loose stools. I still don’t want to take out my GB since many said they still have issues after taking it out. For now I manage with watching what I eat and drinking A tablespoon of brags raw apple cider vinegar in a cup of water with some honey and lemon. That alone has been life changing!
Just curious though. If your doctor doesn’t think it is your GB what is he saying it could be?
He also said gastritis. But I know it’s not that because i eat 100% organic. I take some of the best gut supplements that exist. I don’t eat junk food, I can’t remember the last time I had things like cake or greasy stuff. So I’m being persistent on getting in to see a specialist.
I had gastritis and it sounds very similar. It was actually an ulcer probably caused by h.pylori infection. I was put on a strong course of antibiotics and it did the trick. Gastritis symptoms cleared up an IBS improved for quite a while. I still need to be careful what I eat. Low fat, no dairy, nothing spicy, no alcohol. Also no coffee or chocolate for a long time although I’ve introduced both back - one coffee and 2 squares of choc a day.
Well it wasn’t exactly diagnosed! I had to do a stool test. It showed I had H Pylori infection which is a major cause of ulcers in stomach. The symptoms I was presenting appeared to be ulcer-like so the GP assumed it was that and treated me with antibiotics. I must say, after the antibiotics, I was like a new woman. Pain and all other symptoms went. It even improved my IBS for a short time too!
I too was i agony with gallstones but as I wasn’t “ fat, fair and 40” I was tall, dark and 30 it took the medical profession two years to agree on the condition. They even put me on antidepressants as said it was all in my mind. Eventually they agreed on a diagnosis and after the operation I never looked back.
That’s insane! Two years, Wow. I’ve only been dealing with this for two months and I’m already losing my mind. One doctor did say it’s anxiety.... I walked out of her office immediately. Ridiculous. I’m glad you got better.
Am now 76 and in those days they whipped your whole gallbladder out and kept you in for a fortnight. I had a 3 year old and a 1 year old at the time it started and a husband who worked shifts. Seemed to spend my time bent double, either over a bucket or in pain. You must keep shouting, I’ve always considered medicine an art rather than a science after all that 🙄
Oh goodness. Well I don’t want my gallbladder removed, I just want the stones lasered as that’s an option now. Can I ask you if your tummy ever felt constantly full of pressure with your stones?
Did they ever do bloodwork on you during the time of your gallbladder issues? And did it always come back normal? I know everyone’s different, I just want to know if it’s possible, because This is the only reason why doctors won’t treat my gallstones... because my liver bloodwork is normal, so they’re saying my stones aren’t the issue. It’s very hard for me to believe though.
I have all these exact same symptoms and have been having them since January,I had a upper endoscopy done in February it came back fine and an abdominal ultrasound in March which they said was normal but am still having all the same symptoms as you are without any answers,its awful,constant day and night,.I'm hoping they will maybe do another ultascan,I've been refurred back to gastroenterologist but have no idea when I will be seeing anyone what with the current situation.
I hope you get the help you need. On the meantime There is a site called ancestral supplements.com that offers amazing supplements to help with gut health. Their product called intestines with tripe is supposed to help restore the stomach and gut lining. You could give that a try.
I would just like to say after having my gall bladder taken away,for very similar reasons about 20yrs ago,I really wish I hadn’t.
It would take me all day to tell you my history,but what I will say even as I speak I’m still in pain,and I have traveled all over the UK for answers and still got none. My pain is gradually getting worse,but I now see specialist in a different way. They are not God,and they don’t always have the answers.
And believe me I’ve done everything possible.😢
But knowing what I know now,we need our Gall Bladder,so please don’t insist on having it removed unless it’s absolutely necessary.
I definitely don’t want it removed. I want the gallstones zapped or lasered. I’m so sorry you have constant pain. I really feel for you I do. There is a site called ancestral supplements.com that offers amazing supplements to help with gut health. Maybe try that.
Personally if you can live through the odd attack I would try and keep your gallbladder. Being so young just watch the fats you're eating. I was 44 when I had mine out
I don’t eat fatty foods. My diet is pristine, organic, no sugar low carb low fat. No dairy. I’m a dancer so small and fit. So I’m already doing what I can. I just want the stones lasered and broken down I definitely want to keep my gallbladder!
Yes I had the pain , nausea diarrhea for weeks was treated for gastritis then when the pain increased and I had a fever a scan revealed inflamed gallbladder and kidney infection. I'm waiting for gallbladder surgery thats postponed due to lock down
I had similar problems last year and after many tests had my gallbladder removed. I thought my troubles were over but a few months later I had more pain. Various investigations & tests followed with lots of time in A&E only for it to be queried whether my gallbladder had been removed! I assured them it had, I had the scars to prove it. I had an appointment to see a consultant in April but it was cancelled due to pandemic. Luckily I've only had slight discomfort on a few occasions and will contact GP when things get back to normal. I hope your case ends up less complicated.
I began having pain in that area, usually after I'd eaten, when I was 20. It was intermittent, I'd be OK for months, then it would flare up again and was agonising. Mainly because I was fine after the pain stopped, I never went to the doctor (the folly of youth!) and the years passed. I wanted to mention this to show that you can have this problem when you're quite young. Forty years later, it became worse and this time I did go to the doctor's where gallstones were found and my gall bladder and bile duct were infected. So I had the operation to remove the gall bladder and I've been absolutely fine since. Definitely ask to see a specialist - probably a gastroenterologist - as, even if it's not gallstones, he/she is the right person to investigate your pain. Hope things work out for you.
I don't remember having any bloods taken initially. I had the pain and the gallstones were clear on the ultrasound, so that was the diagnosis. However, when everything became infected, then my bloods showed this and I finished up in hospital twice before they, eventually, operated. They didn't want to operate while the infection was going on, but even when they did operate I was told that my gallbladder was still badly inflamed. As my bile duct was also affected I had jaundice, too. It was an interesting few months I wouldn't wish on anybody! So, unless your gallbladder was infected, then I don't know if anything would show up in your bloodwork. I do hope you get things sorted when you see the specialist. Take care.
Well my partner had them and three years ago had gall bladder removed, it was so badly damaged it caused pancreatitis and he was really poorly. If you've got stones...even though they small....get them removed, otherwise they get bigger and eventually it all gets so much worse. Partner so much better. His colour was yellowy sometimes and he's never like that now. His pain was really bad and then he didn't have a pain for maybe 4 months, then he'd almost collapse with pain, then be ok, then another few months....etc. until last time we had to get ambulance, and they treated him for pancreatitis ....there was waiting list for op on NHS here, so he had gall bladder removed privately. He thinks it's money well spent.
Hi the coming on every few months is what my stones have been doing for a few years...I only found out I had stones after another ambulance trip to hospital after 11 hours of unbearable pain ,right side rib area ,central chest area but mostly upper back shoulder ..hospital just sent me home no tests ,even though paramedics suspected gall stones. So gp sent me for ultrasound, and the stones were found !😂 yesterday I got appointment for removal in Feb . Funny thing is as a previous person said in my early 20s I used to suffer a lot with gastro trouble ,bloating, abdo pain , so possible it's all linked. I don't really want surgery ,but I already eat low fat , sugar, dairy etc so don't know how else to stop the attacks .Best wishes OP.
It took them a while to find my gallbladder on ultrasound they found a trail of sludge first then discovered my gallbladder had flopped over as it was full of stones. When having an attack it felt like I could only assume a heart attack it was agony and I would get this at least once a fortnight. I had mine out November 2015.
That’s crazy. Yes I had 3 ultrasounds and one you couldn’t see them. It proves that sometimes you need just more than one test. Never rely on just one.
I was only scanned once. It just took a while to find it. However a lot is down to the skill of the sonographer and their knowledge of what to look for. It was great as this place had a big tv on the wall that you could watch as they scanned it. Sadly this facility is now closed but it was only up the road from where I lived too
did they also do bloodwork on you? Can your bloodwork be normal yet the stones can still cause issues? This is literally the only reason why doctors won’t zap mine. They say “well you have stones, but your liver and pancreas bloodwork is normal, so the stones aren’t the problem.” Yet ALL my symptoms seem very closely related to them.
If they're not causing issues your pancreatic and liver enzymes could be normal and they will tend to leave them alone until they start to cause real issues like getting stuck in your duct. When one is on the move trust me when I say you'll know about it.
My liver enzymes are raised anyway but only mild at the minute.
My liver ALT was over 400 and ALP over 350 when I was having problems.
I only found what my levels were after requesting these from my GP
Interesting. I haven’t had the heart attack like pain. I just have constant pressure and fullness feeling along with gripping sensations that come and go. Im so confused if it’s the damn stones or not.
I could be wind. I know it sounds trivial but that can have painful gripes and make you feel full. Gallstone pain typically lasted between 1 & 4 hours for me. Once I knew what the pain was I battenend down the hatches and just had to wait till it moved. Longer than 6 hours, it's well and truly stuck and needs dealing with as an emergency
It has done that to me a couple times actually!!! I remember eating a half a bag of corn chips and I was doubled over on my couch for four hours. Then one time I had a steak and about two hours later I was doubled over all night. I chalked it up to this new probiotic I was taking... but even when I stopped taking it the symptoms persisted but now just in a fullness/bloated feeling anytime I eat anything really.
Tip of the day is to take your time eating and chew your food really well. The mouth is the first part of digestion. A lovely rich steak, although very nice may just be a bit much. Try and eat little and often too
Thanks for your post! My doctor has diagnosed me with IBS and given me anti-depressants to take! I have been having similar symptoms- like a throbbing, pulsing pain above my belly button. Bloods and urine have come back normal and upper endoscopy has too. I have been waiting for an abdominal ultrasound for months and now because of COVID the nhs isn’t doing them. I’ve managed to find A private clinic to do the scan this Saturday. I’ll make sure I mention gall bladder!
Crazy, i was reffered for an ultra sound and endoscopy 3 weeks ago. I have had my ultra sound a week after visiting my gp, they found gallstones, im still waiting for the endoscopy
I had issues after gall bladder removal I've had ultrasound, MRCP and an endoscopic ultrasound which has picked up an enlarged and scared common bile duct. They said this was caused as a result of the surgery. The surgery itself was absolutely fine but a month later I was very ill. I couldn't stop being sick and I couldn't stand up they put it down to some kind of infection but what I still have no idea and that was 4 years ago
It's of concern that bile duct injury is a possible (though uncommon) complication of gallbladder removal surgery. That might be something to look into.
I have the exact same symptoms as you, its terrible pain. I have been treated for acid reflux. My gp refferred me 3weeks ago for an endoscopy & ultra sound. I was guessing i had ulscers well still am. I had a phone call to go for an ultra sound a week after being referred, the results came back as having gallstones which i wasnt expecting. Im now still waiting for the endoscopy. My pain subdewed for a few days, but today i have been in agony again...im up in pain now at 3am which led me to this site. My pain is constant it doesnt go away after a few hours as some say so not sure if it is the gallstones or something else, but its the burning up from my belly button to my breast, then from left to right under my breast is the painful part, some times its uncomfortable to lay on. Ive lost weight (im over weight so makes no difference to me) i feel sick sometimes, lost appetite and bloating, sometimes feel like my throat is also full if that makes sense.
This has been going on since the begining of lockdown so around march, its driving me mad now. I constantly feel tired but thats probably where im not having the best of sleeps, i just want to feel normal again 😏
The feeling of fullness in your throat sounds like GERD (acid reflux). Possible helps might be: eating small volumes of food spaced throughout the day, avoiding eating many hours before bedtime, sleeping on a 'wedge' pillow. Good luck
A friend suggested a book called Healing with Whole Foods: Oriental Traditions and Modern Nutrition, by Paul Pitchford that includes a gallbladder cleanse or, alternatively, 'gallbladder renewal' method using olive oil & lemon juice, and apples. The cleanse had worked for her and, while purely anecdotal, I was having right flank pain for about a month and did seem to have relief after the cleanse.
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