Gallbladder is gone so where is this pain from?

Im on the waiting list for gallbladder removal and have been for about 2 years now. The reason I havent been given a date for removal was due to being extremely overweight, and having to hit a target weight before they will consider me. Hopefully I'll be at that in three weeks when I have my next review. However since I have changed my lifestyle, which I had been doing before my diagnosis anyway for my own personal desire to lose wieght, my attacks have been getting less and less frequent.

Now when I get attacks (once every 4-6 months or so) they tend to be static to my right side under my ribs with shooting pains that travel up to my shoulder which I believe are more due to stones moving out of the gallbladder rather than my actual gallbladder acting up and being infected. The chest crushing attacks that used to have me doubled over in tears, feeling like death, unable to do anything with extreme pain that was worse than childbirth and never effectively treated with any pain killers (tramadol was the best they could give me) are very rare now. I cant actually remember the last time I had one.

Now while the fact I get the odd attack of where I think stones are moving, on the whole I am feeling a lot better in myself, and even though the aftereffect I get with shoulder pain is extremely annoying and painful, I can handle it. It's like a nagging ache rather than a persistent pain. I dont always need to take meds to relieve it, and for the most part can function normally day to day while it lasts.

Just for the record I can eat normally. There is no food that seems to trigger attacks, though I will say I have cut out as much processed food as possible, and use things like nut flours for baking, avoiding things like normal breads, pasta and white potatos, however if I am out for a meal I can eat these things on rare occasions without any side effects.

So my question is this, would any of you that have had gallbladder surgery still consider it to be an effective solution if you were in my situation, or would you be looking at alternatives such as dissolving the stones instead? The reason I ask is there seems to be a lot of people suffering with PCS and while in some cases removing the gallbladder has stopped the major attacks, there seems to be a lot of people still sufffering with other symptoms instead that seem just as bad as the original issue.

I was always a bit dubious about undergoing invasive surgery to remove the gallbladder, and the more Ive read, the more I am worried that I might be opening up a whole new can of worms for myself if I have it done. Your thoughts would be appreciated

I had an open surgery to remove my gallbladder in 2010. I was still having pains, went back to the GP and after trying several pain killers, amitriptyline was able to keep the pains under control. My nightmare started in Nov 2013. I started having excruciating pains which starts from the URQ of my stomach and radiates to my chest, shoulder blade, back , head in fact all over my body. My URQ stomach is very tender and painful.

I have done several test - blood, ultrasound scan, CT scan, xray, endoscopy, EUS. Everything came back normal. The gastro specialist said they couldnt find any physical cause for the pains. I was referred to the

pain doctors who tried all types of pain killers. I noticed the pains get worse with the increased pain killers. When it became unbearable I was admitted into the hospital. The pains were so bad that I was placed on morphine. My condition became so bad that the doctors were afraid to give more pain killers. After 4 months I am still in pains, lost my job because I have not been able to go back, nothing seems to help, have tried several natural remedies, chinese herbs, acupuncture. The pains wouldnt just go. Life has become unbearable for me, I sleep and wake up in tears. several ugly thoughts in my head, but i dont want to loose hope.

As someone who had their GB removed about 2 years ago I think it is worth pointing out that whilst some people clearly suffer some bad after effects, the vast majority have little or none. It seems about 60,000 people in the UK have theirs removed each year and so I would imagine most of those are happy.

I certainly am hugely relieved not to have those pains anymore however I do still have bouts of having a dull ache under my right ribs and eating some foods send me to the toilet ultra quick and I absolutely have far more wind than I ever had! But crucially compared to the pain when I still had the GB, far happier!

Hello I had my GB removed dec 13, everything fine initially and I healed well then I started to experience problems when I wake up. It's as if all the wind from the previous day has collected and causes a 'pressure' type pain where my GB was, it comes on very quick.

Sometimes I can feel it in my back too between my shoulder blades, after taking antacid and belching around 30+ times I'm fine again.

On omapromazole 1 a day, they were working initially but now not so great. It struck a chord what Mary said a few posts back about celiac, my sis has no GB probs but was diagnosed celiac last year, could they be linked?

It's worse if I don't eat I think, never get any acid in my throat or vomitting just this awful pain and wind.

I also have the dull ache constantly, doctors says it's 'muscular' he said he would refer me back to surgeon over a week ago but so far I've heard nothing.

My Gallbladder was removed in November 2013. My discomfort has only gotten worse. I've done alot of goggling specifics on this and read heaps of pages on this and that.

What are you thoughts on FATTY LIVER DISEASE?

One of the Symptoms I goggled: right side pain below ribs (no gallbladder)

After doing lots of research and coming to this conclusion I called my daughter to tell her what I learned and what I thought the problem was. When I mentioned FATTY LIVER she told me that was on my chart (when I was in the hospital). I wondered why no one had mentioned this to me? So this is what I am treating myself for. Since the liver will repair itself given the chance, I have purchased several different items that should ease the stress on my liver. Milk Thistle is one of them. Also a Digestive Enzyme and Livatone Plus. One of the things I now drink, 30 minutes after I eat, looks and smells like what is found under a lawnmower and it tastes like what I figure lawn clippings would taste like but I'll tell you the pain lessens after I drink it. It's called GREEN VIBRANCE.

The price was on the high side but so are the Dr. bills and the Dr bills will continue unless this is fixed and my Dr doesn't know whats wrong.

SUGAR IS BAD FOR THE LIVER ... That's what I learned from my research. I sure didn't like cutting the sugar from my life but I'll be able to have sugar again when my Liver feels better.

DAIRY IS BAD FOR THE LIVER ... For some reason this was harder to eliminate from my diet and so far I have only been able to reduce my dairy intake, but still ... making the effort.

LOSING WEIGHT IS A BONUS!!

I had my GB taken our 3 weeks ago, still get a dull ache, feels like I swallowed a quarter. Doesn't hurt, however, yesterday I had a full blown attack exactly like I did before the surgery. Is this what they call Phantom attacks?

hi KDH, I had exactly the same problem two years ago after I had my gallbladder removed. it was full of gallstones and what I didn't realise was that my bile duct was full of sludge too. I was back and forth to the hospital for several months before I got referred to a gastroenterologist who diagnosed me with sphincter of oddi dysfunction. after several attempts to correct the problem with ercp procedures i finally got it done last December. my advise to you is to ask either your surgeon or gp to refer you to your local gastro team at your local hospital. good luck annie.

Hi Terriermad, my surgeon told me that I could have SOD III, its been hell for me for the past 6 months. I have been referred to a gastro specialist with the possibility of undergoing ERCP. My only worry is that its an invasive procedure and I have read about how people developed complications after the procedure. Please how did yours go and what should I expect. Is it worth the rusk and has it made your condition better. Thanks.

Hi, I'm so happy and very sad to find this forum thread! I had my operation about 4 weks ago and had the same symptoms (slight, dull allways there, ache in the same places as pefor opertaion on my solder and right upper back) come back 3 weeks after the operation. Its there constantly. I went to my doctor and all I got is Litalgin and it does not work at all, blod test was clear.

Beffore the operation I had pain attacks but then they did go away but now its there all the time, not strong or anything but its here all the time...it does not help that I have very stressful work situation at the moment as well.

Last night I got very strong pain in my throat...was thinking now thats it- its a hart attack- 

Most of the time it feels like I have another esophagus on my right side, it feels like I have heartburn in there and not in my real one..and the pain is all the way from my ex gallblader to my jowl...

As I understand no-one here has had any help of any kinde? Dont know what to do. Just cant coupe with the idea of that the pain will be now there all the time. 

I feel betrayed, they said that after operation your life will be 100% better and it is 100% worse then beffore...

Hi, so glad I am not going crazy. I had my gallbladder removed in March 13, felt great a few weeks post op, pain was completely gone. Although I did have a few small stones my surgeon said these were not causing me problems, he said I had chronic imflamation of the gb. 9 months post op, I started to get twinges under my right rib cage, over the last few months it has got worse. I had bloods done in January and my crp levels were slightly elevated, I got more bloods done last week and crp has gone up is now elevated. My gp has referred me for a scan and also back to my consultant so it's just a waiting game. I'm hoping with my bloods being raised that this proves I am not imaging it. (My consultant was reluctant to remove my gb originally, because he said the stones could not have been causing me the pain, he only found out my gb was inflamed when he took it out.)

I had my GB removed in 2004, Dr said I was in the top ten in size of stones he had removed in 20+ years, (i.e. some the diameter of a quarter). This last year I have been having ache in the right side flollwed by diarrha and have been taking gallons of Kaopectate. Idon't know if my having diabetes has any thing to do with this or not, all the medications I'm taking. Had a ct scan and it didn't find anything. Just do not know where to go from here?

Please dont think you alone.......my gallbladder was removed last year 2013 in July and Im very glad i did it BUT the pain  in my back (just like before the op) is driving me insane. I have been to my dr and even a second opinium all told me it is nerve damage. They even put me on Tremilene for 3 months byt nothing helps. When I stand to long it feels like hot coles in my back (right side under my shoulder blade) It seems to me whe will have to live with this, so painpills here I come.

HELP! I am so tired of feeling this pain....I SOOOooo regret the surgery! I think I could have dealt with the attacks once a month, because this all the time uncomfortable feeling is killing me. I feel sad, I feel alone, I feel hopeless and I don't know what to take anymore. I moved to a different state and I don't have insurance, so I am left in the cold. I have had this pain in my middle back that radiates to the front right under my boob area/rib cage then it feels like I am getting over a severe bruising and I have a burning sensation….everything like I had with the attacks but a bit more. It’s not as severe as my attacks where, but they are painful & bothersome. I swear I have them every day around 3ish in the am and I literally get no sleep and I have water bottles under my back putting pressure to relieve some of the pain. Just last Saturday I started actually throwing up and for the last 3 days I have been nauseated, throwing up, bloated, and super super in pain. I have to work, so I have to come here, but I get up all the time & move around because if I sit for a long time it hurts...and then around 3ish pm the pain comes even harder. My palms and my back start sweating, and I just feel like throwing myself to the floor. I ask God to help me, because I can’t deal with this pain for the rest of my life. I am scared to eat, because I don't know what is causing it. I can't buckle my pants because it hurts and it has a burning sensation in my belly. I can't take this anymore, I feel like I am going to lose it & it doesn't help when you have little kids that want your full attention. Any help with food suggestions and medication would be appreciated. These aren't ghost pains, they are the real thing! I do not recommend anyone go through with the procedure!!! I have Norco, but that just gets me really nauseated.