Gallbladder is gone so where is this pain from?

Posted , 555 users are following.

HI

Had the dreaded gallbladder removed last June after only 7 months of pain (so I'm pretty lucky).

Everything went well, home the same day - took a good 4 weeks to feel totally better after the op but eating was ok and I don't seem to be affected by bowel issues like some people.

Only problem is I have dull ache in exactly the same place I used to get the gallbladder pain. It's not intense pain but it's in the front RUQ under my ribs and moves round the side and to my back.

It doesn't seem to appear after anything in particular and most of the time it's there constantly. Suppose it's more of an annoyance than anything else because I'm always aware of this ache. I'm quite reluctant to go to my GP because after spending about 7 months constantly in the surgery last year updating painkillers and nausea pills I don't want them to think I'm addicted to medical attention.

Just wondered if anyone had anything similar or if it's just a by-product of surgery that I'll have to get on with?

Thanks

34 likes, 1357 replies

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  • Posted

    I have the exeact same feeling, all tests come back normal, they said prob my gallbladder. Any luck with how you are feeling?
  • Posted

    I had my gb out in 2004 and last year started having pain where my gb was and told my dr. and he said it could be adhesions. I tend to grow adhesions with every operation. It is like spasms. He did not give me anything. I don't have them often but when that pain hits--I nearly hit the ground!
  • Posted

    Hi

    Been reading all comments regarding pain after gallbladder surgery.  My husband had his gallbladder removed in June last year 2013 and is still experiencing a high level of stomach pain in exactly the gallbladder spot.  He has seen 3 different doctors, has had x-rays, ct scans, mri scans and nothing is being found.  Like some of you he also just gets on with it and trys to ignore the pain.  He has made yet another appointment with the surgeon to discuss further examination for tomorrow.  I have passed all your discussions onto my husband and hopefully something can be done to alleviate the pain.

     

    • Posted

      Hi kim wjat did your husband surgen say am the same server pain where my attack used to be i cant carry a bag my pain gets worse and can only do 3 hours at work the now x
  • Posted

    Hello,

    I was in rehab after broken back surgery when I had to return to the hospital to have my galol bladder removed.  Everything went well and I returned to rehab for the back surgery. Well it;s been two months and I have so much gas, bloating and pain that I wonder if the liver will ever take over for the missing gall bladder.Everything I eat turns to gas.  Any help out there?

    Pierogiman, USA

  • Posted

    Hi how ate you now and did you get to the bottom of things 

    I had gallstones in ma bile.duck and done a ercp procedure and i took pancatitis threw this its now 2 months since got gall bladder out but am in server pain at work and can only do 3 hours dont know why this is and holding a bag triggers my back pain ahhhh please.help me.with anything you think will help 

  • Posted

    Hi everyone, I also have had my gallbladder removed

    but I still get pain attacks in my stomach.

    I thought I would share my technique for getting rid of

    the pain attacks when they start.

    The key is to act quickly when

    you start to have that hollow feeling in you're stomach quickly eat

    1 slice of full corn bread and wash it down with at least 1 glass water.

    Thats it smile the hollow feeling should subside within 1 minute or so.

    I have found that if I wait to long before eating the bread and drinking the water,

    It takes longer for the pain to go away and I have to eat 2 slices of bread and drink

    nearly 1 liter of water. I'm sure any food will work but I have always just eaten bread.

    Though I would say stay away from fatty foods because when I eat fatty foods I have

    more pain attacks, So I am assuming eating fatty foods to get rid of the pain would

    not be a good lol!

    I also eat 1 slice of full corn bread before I go to sleep to make sure I don't

    wake up with pain. I am really starting to think what is causing the pain is to much

    stomach acids, and the food causes bile to be secreted and it gets rid of the extra stomach acids.

  • Posted

    I said full corn bread, what I mean is whole wheat bread.
  • Posted

    I had my gall bladder removed in 1975 and ten years later got the same symptoms back. Doctors refused to believe me and I struggled on for another 40 years with pain and sickness.  In 2010 I had severe jaundice and was taken into hospital.  After 6 ERPC's I was diagnosed with a blocked bile duct. I underwent more surgery to have a great mass of stones removed. I ended up with an abscess in my lung caused by Ecoli and spent two months in hospital. Although the abscess was removed , it has affected my lung and I now have reduced lung capacity.  I still have bloating and pain but will put up with this rather than go through more invasive treatments.
  • Posted

    It is reassuring to hear other people have this dull pain where the gall bladder used to be.  It was 3 years after removal that mine started.  I had ultra sounds, CAT scans, MRI and everything.  No stone caught in bile duct, no obstructions, nothing.  Finally gastroenterologist put me on lansoprazole, 30 mg, twice a day for a month and it worked....for a year.  Now its back.  Tried 30 mg once a day and its done nothing.  Now moving to 30 mg twice a day for 2 weeks to see what happens.  There is no rhyme or reason to why it re-started a year ago or now again.  No diet changes, no food triggers, just there, especially when I take a deep breathe.  Based on what I have read, I think the lansoprazole may be the answer, but its expensive if I have to do this once a year.
    • Posted

      My stones were being produced in my bile duct, which happened after I had my gall bladder removed.  The surgeon put in a stent to open up the duct and apart from occasional discomfort in the area, fingers crossed I don't have to take any medication.  I still don't believe that's the end of it. It took months of investigation, CAT scans, MRI's and five or six ERCP's to discover what was wrong and the stent disappeared altogether when the time came to remove it! However, it's a good job it was all on the good old NHS.
    • Posted

      Hi i had gall stones in the bile.duck and they done a  ercp and i took pancatitius threw it i went back to work 7 weeks later  and cant do a hour and.a half.i get a dull ach pain like numb feeling  and ma speak slurs where the gall blader used to be doc dont know why i am getting tgis pain had ma surgeon yesterday and wernt really any help i had to fight for a scan as ave heard stones can come back after the gall bladder.removal am so worried over this as am curently back of ma work  any help would be greatful xxx
  • Posted

    I am going back to the doctor that says I probably have adhesions. Well, he is going to find out why I still hurt where my gallbladder was! I had mine out in 2004.
    • Posted

      Adhesions is another name for scar tissue. it grows like a spider web. They have to go in and cut that out by laser.
    • Posted

      Thanks for that angela so mibee thats whats wrong with me cos everytime i use ma side where ma gallbladder wasthe area  gets reall painfull if i work it.. did a  scan showed that you had this angela ??? Xxx
    • Posted

      I am going to the dr. this coming Monday and I am going to ask for a cat scan to see if there are adhesions. i will let you know what he finds...
    • Posted

      Hi angela how did you get.on with your cat scan ma doc said that only the naked eye can pick up adhersions like the camera down to see so will be intresting what your doc said and if a cat scan can see them probually ma doctor dosnt want me to go for one xx
    • Posted

      Hi Angela, I had my gall bladder removed about 14 months and have been experiencing awful symptoms on and off ever since including extreme chest pain similar to a heart attack which I need to tske Morphine for, projectile vomiting which comes on really suddenly and is really dangerous for me as I have a medical condition called Panhypopituitarism and produce no natural cortisol so have gone into Addison's crisis and have to be rushed to hospital by ambulance in a coma, I also suffer from a tender abdomen all the time, and in particular on the spot of my gall bladder scar just between my breasts. My severe symptoms are becoming more frequent and after having to go to hospital 5 times in the past 14 weeks a doctor has now come up with the suggestion of adhesions behind my wound. Does this sound like a plausable diagnosis to you based on your experience and symptoms? Also, if you did have adhesions what have they done about them? Did you need another operation? Thank you in advance for any information you can give me. Am getting rather desparate now!

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