Finding it difficult to cope with the persistent pain...

Hi, I was the same when my symptoms started. Your symptoms do sound like gallstones, I get severe back ache with mine, vomiting and diarrhoea, and pain in the middle of my chest. I had an ultrasound which showed multiple gallstones. I also had flexible sigmoidoscopy and endoscopy. MRI too. Very thorough. My symptoms were frequent at the start but they have petered off to be more infrequent now. I am on the waiting list to have my gallbladder removed in the next few months.

Hope you get the answers you need soon x

Hi

I was diagnosed with Gallstones back in January and am currently on the list for Surgery. My symptoms come in peaks and troughs, I can have weeks of feeling really poorly, constant pain both in tummy and back, feeling nauseus etc .... Then I can go for a couple of weeks of feeling well, apart from a dull ache in my ribs and shoulder blade ( right side ) at the moment I'm having a good week although have began to feel very nauseus this afternoon , hope that's not a bad sign of full blown symptoms returning as I'm on annual leave next week and have things planned with the kids.

When symptoms are bad I find a hot water bottle comforting and a soak in a warm bath, I find that the painkillers make me feel very groggy, which I don't like so only take if it's unbearable.

Stick to a low fat diet that really does help, I have also found that if I eat small snacks throughout the day instead of the standard three meals that helps my symptoms greatly.

Hope you get your scan sorted soon and that your symptoms start to ease, this forum is great for venting and chatting to people who understand what your going through. Take care and keep in touch x

Sorry to hear about your pain , it's terrible I know . 

I found I could eat fresh tuna , pitta bread and fruit . 

I also found that buscapan and codydramol helped with pain , although in respect of the latter some people find that codine doesn't help . If it's very bad you could try and get your GP to prescribe you some oramorph and codine phosphate ( which he may if you've had tramadol ) 

keep an eye out to make sure that you don't have jaundice , if you do get it then it might mean that a stone is stuck in the bile duct , then I'd go straight to hospital where they will treat  it more seriously ,  because you are jaundiced . 

Hope some of this helps . 

Hi - I have pain all the time and have done since Nov but it is just about bearable most of the time, with bad days. Mine is not typical being focused on the left side and I have constant nausea and stomach bloating, pain all over at times. Can't eat much at all now and feel as if have the flu all the while. But, like you, my tests were generally allright other than a little liver enzyme raise and low Vit D, so yes, you are then not considered urgent, even though I did visit A & E and had paramedics when I had bad turns. They will only consider us urgent if jaundice or other symptoms of infection and obstruction are confirmed. The fact I have left pain always concerns me that it was not gallbladder causing all the symptoms, but I have stones and the Drs think it is triggering off other things and the pain may be referred. Anyway, If your pain is not going and is not manageable, go back to your Drs as others suggest. All the best and hopefully no long delays, if you are in Uk we may have cancelled clinics and surgeries due to the Jnr Drs strikes!

After 3 1/2 years of persistant pain in my right side (lower rib cage) that sometimes radiates to my back, I was finally diagnosed with Biliary dyskinesia.  Had to go into Philadelphia (Jefferson) to find a dr. who had a clue.  This was after I needlessly had my gall bladder removed.  I have medication that helps and was told to eat small meals so that my liver is not overwhelmed with too much calories/fat at one time.  When I deviate, I have pain. otherwise it's manageable. Hope this helps

One other thing I've found helpful is a Priobiotic.  I use Florajen3 (it has to be ordered through a pharmacy as it needs to be refrigerated) and GNC Ultra25 Priobiotic Complex with Enzymes.  Hope you can find a dr. that will help you!  If you're near Philly at some point, my dr's name is Dr. Cuckoo (really!) Choudary at Jefferson.  Best wishes.

As soon as you have your date for the ultrasound ring them to see if any cancellations I got mine 3 weeks earlier by doing this

Doctors love to just stick people on lists for surgerys and not take holistic methods to these kinds of things.

Back up and think about your eating habits. I know it's hard not to eat out but a lot do, and this is why. Everything is cooked in grease and your consuming it. It's super rare a vegetarian will ever have a gall stone because they are eating properly most likely. Cut out red meats these meats are pumped with antibiotics and other things not healthy.

You can shrink these stones within time. You need to go on a regime of lemon juices and things to reduce the size of stones . It might be too late if they are a unreal size at this point. Taking your gall bladder out is not a super great idea. I read a lot of boards and facts and I suffered with 5 small ones for a year. I ate nothing but rice and almond milk and lemon juiced it at night. I did the gall bladder cleanse and finally they passed. Do some reading about if you were to get a gall stone where it goes the next time you would be pretty shocked. You will have a lot of bathroom issues. I'm not saying stay away from surgery just beware of what's to become after that .