Gallbladder issues? Really worried!!Can anyone help?

[Donna67honey]

I have been having upper back pain with sweating, burping, flatulence and stomach growling on and off for a while now along with diarrhoea that sometimes burns, I had a scan on my gallbladder that showed no stones and my doctor has suggested blood tests for pancreas, gallbladder and liver function, does this sound gallbladder related? The pain went away yesterday only to come back again after attending a barbecue which I regret now, the last episode I had before that was due to eating a lot of sprouts, cabbage and chocolate. I’m worried sick any advice is appreciated. Also weird upper stomach pain sometimes on the right side.

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer]

Idiopathic digestive problems can rumble on indefinitely before the exact cause is found. I’ve had gallstones, and I’ve seen other people contend with the pain. It’s awful and very specific to one spot, similar to kidney stones. As well as almost constant heartburn there was also excessive gastric reflux. I don’t recall associating burning diarrhoea with gallstones.

Eventually, keyhole surgery sorted me out, and the operation was very straightforward. Also, I had been worried that I might have Hyper Bacter Pylori, this can cause problems in the digestive system, and at times my pain had seemed to be almost front, and back. So I had an Endoscopy to check for any bacteria that could cause a stomach ulcer. There was no trace of any bacteria or ulcer, and in due cause my digestive system settled down.

Having continuous pain is draining, and can get very stressful. Worrying about eating in case it aggravates the situation makes it worse. Make sure your doctor is aware of all your symptoms. Best wishes 🙂xB

[Lm92]

The symptoms you describe are exactly my symptoms when my gallbladder decided to stop functioning. It took years for my doctor to diagnose because ultrasounds were always negative for gallstones. Finally my doctor sent me for what's called a HIDA scan here in the US. They inject a medication that causes the gallbladder to empty and see how long it takes and how much it empties. The amount they like to see is 45% and up. Mine was functioning at 3%.

I couldn't eat anything with fat or grease of any sort, no raw veg. My symptoms gradually became worse and worse. They started by feeling like a horrible muscle cramp under my right breast and then over a few months began progressing to back and shoulder pain. I remember describing it to my doctor as a "belt of pain" that went around my entire body. When they finally decided to operate, it was because pain meds were no longer working to ease my discomfort and I couldn't keep any food down at all and was constantly getting dehydrated. I was only 19 then, bit know now that I should have been more forceful about getting care.

Just remember that just because you don't have gallstones doesn't mean it can't be your gallbladder. It's way more common than you think.

Until then, try a bland diet. Very low fat. Things like bananas, mashed potatoes, applesauce, etc. Best of luck to you. Let me know how your tests turn out. I'll be sending my thoughts and prayers.

[christyggh]

Have you had your pancreas tested?

[Donna67honey]

Thank you Iv had blood tests to check the functioning of my liver, pancreas and gallbladder but they came back normal, I also had a scan on my gallbladder still nothing, feels like I have chronic trapped wind.