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Gallbladder is gone so where is this pain from?

Posted , 555 users are following.

happyalien
happyalien

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

1357 Replies

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  • lisa07522
    lisa07522

    Edited

    Hi just joined and I'm so happy to know there's other people like me! Thought I was going mad... Had my gb out 7 weeks ago and I was fine until 3 days ago! I've been getting a dull ache in the bottom of my ribs but it feels like a bruise if that makes sense? I haven't eaten anything silly or been lifting heavy things. It hurts all the time not enough to take a painkiller but hurts like crap if someone cuddles me or tickle me.... Even when i go to bed i can't lay on my front or turn quickly as it pulls my insides so much I'm in tears. I feel so sorry for everyone who must be going though so much pain after this as people who haven't had gb pain ect don't seem to understand or really care! Hope everyone is ok x
  • Chiliboy
    Chiliboy

    Posted

    I had my gallbladder out 2 weeks ago and the pain is so bad, diarrhea off and on but mostly on, right after I

    Eat it hurts more. A consent cramp on my right side under my rib cage.

    Will this go away? It sounds like after reading all these post we are all in the same boat. Should I have not taken it out before it was about diet at least no fat now what do I do? It hurts all the time! Gas, cramps, pain is

    Bad. Let me here you? I am going to my doctors on the 22 and I need help!

    • bebe33104
      bebe33104 Chiliboy

      Posted

      I think I can help you with the back pain!  I had my gallbladder removed (cholecystectomy) two years ago and still have pain after eating foods high in cholesterol and hydrogenated fats and other processed foods.  I try to only eat whole foods but sometimes I mess up.  When I get my "phantom gallbladder pain" I can get rid of it almost instantly by lying on my stomach on the floor and placing a tennis ball below my right breast (not ON the breast but BELOW it).  It will feel like it's on a rib.  I gently place some of my body weight on the ball and rib and roll my body around so that the tennis ball massages the crampy area.  I came up with this on my own and I know it sounds weird but it works for me instantly!  My pain refers to the back and shoulder blade but after I do this massage technique it goes away completely.  I also will turn over onto my back and place the tennis ball near my shoulder blade and spine and put a lot of my body weight on it and roll around so the tennis ball loosens up all those muscles.  This seems to help too, but not as much as massaging front rib area with the ball.  I hope you get this comment and get some instant relief!    Please copy and paste this to other people suffering.  NO doctor has ever been able to help me.  My surgeon was NOT helpful either after he removed my gallbladder and acted like I was imagining it.  Go get yourself a tennis ball.  Let me know if it works for you too.

  • terriermad
    terriermad

    Posted

    hi all I had my gallbladder out in march 2012. since then I have been back and fourth, in and out of hospital with urg pain and vomiting. during this time I was put under the care of a gastroenterologist who diagnosed me with sphincter of oddi dysfunction. he tried botox injections on my bile duct to no avail and also attempted to do a sphincterectomy on me but failed due to my bile duct being too narrow. I suffered from an attack of pancreatitis directly afterwards and spent a week in hospital. my consultant then transferred me to a specialist in Manchester who is going to attempt a sphincterectomy on me again. hopefully this time things will work out for me. I will keep you posted and I hope that you all remain as pain free as possible.
  • fay80328
    fay80328

    Edited

    had my endo and colonoscopy done. she said something about my tonsil not being in the right place and i had 3 polyps removed from colon. nothing else of interest. wasnt as bad as i imagined, i was sedated though.
  • isabel71472
    isabel71472

    Posted

    I had pain for several years and finally convinced by surgeon to have gallbladder removed. I never felt it was gallbladder but rather a hiatal hernia. The gallbladder was removed a month ago and after eating three potato chips got one of the worse attacks ever. I take two alka seltzer a and the pain subsides within thirty minutes. It is the only thing that works for me. GI doctor wants to run all sorts of tests now. I don't think they will ever know the source of this pain. For those of you with frequent attacks try taking the alka seltzer. It really does work better than heavy duty drugs. Good luck to all.
  • ArchangelOKC
    ArchangelOKC

    Edited

    OP (and the rest) complaining of a dull, aching pain - you may have a bile leak in your bile duct. PCS is a possibility, but when I had my gallbladder taken out, it was so bad that I had to have a surgical drain in, and the surgeon sent me to a specialist to have a stent put in my bile duct to help correct the leak, and to help it heal - it's called and ERCP, or Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (God that's a big word!), where they stick an endoscope down into the Duodonem and up into the biliary system. But, a bile leak can cause a dull, aching pain, so I'd ask about having one done.
  • wynand53544
    wynand53544

    Posted

    I had my GB out a few years ago and about a week later suffered the most excruciating pancreatitis, with n nausea, pain and unable to eat. Had the obstruction removed under sedation and have been fine ever since. Now I started noticing the dull pain, but only when slight pressure is applied to my abdomen, i.e. when placing a cushion on my lap, to rest ipad or notebook, etc. Now that I have the pain, I almost notice it daily! Is it a "in-my-head" thing, or an actual medical condition, even after so long!?
  • Fred_Flintstone
    Fred_Flintstone

    Posted

    With all talks of bile leaks etc its got me slightly worried that over time something similar will happen to

    me, thankfully its been close to two years since I had my GB removed and haven't really

    had those issues as mentioned on this thread.

    I have had the odd sharp pain at back where I used to have an ache

    prior to the GB removal, but this doesn't occur frequently thank goodness.

  • Fred_Flintstone
    Fred_Flintstone

    Posted

    Sorry for the spaces on that post, was using my phone to type it.
  • terriermad
    terriermad

    Posted

    hi all

    had my sphincterectomy procedure done on the 5th dec 2013. consultant managed to cut my sphincter as planned and informed me that I was type 1 not type 2. my bile duct was full of sludge left over from my cholecystectomy op two years ago. thankfully this time I didn,t come down with pancreatitis this time so only had to stay in hospital over night. the success rate for this type of procedure is 95% if you are type 1. however things aren.t settling down as quickly as I thought they would so have made an appointment to have my bloods checked at my gp's

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    About every six months I have a severe pain, sweating and feeling very nauseous (leaving me ill for a few days afterwards). I've found out (well I theorise) what it is, my Bile Duct becomes full of sludge and / or food (I'm not sure which, it stinks whatever it is),, I found this out because I've vomited (what I can only describe as) 'the thick brown boot lace' up, it's brown, stinks and it seems about the right size for the Duct eek cheesygrin Of course Doctors have been looking at me like I'm mad but personally I think that's exactly what it is smile
    • shirl03284
      shirl03284 Guest

      Posted

      I had my gallbladder removed several years ago and approx 2 weeks after the surgery I experienced the same pain you described. My Dr put me on dicyclomine for ibs and it works within 5-10 minutes. I figured out that certain foods or pain meds trigger this horrid pain. I don't know if it will work for you but it does for me. Talk to your Dr about it please. I still have flare-ups but nowhere near what I went through before the dicyclomine. Best wishes.
  • april4chris
    april4chris

    Posted

    Had my gb removed Dec 2013. I have been in excruciating doubled over pain, severe diahria and nausea. I have a follow up on wed. This is getting out of hand I'm unable to walk more than a block. Also haven't slept more than 30 minutes a night because of pain. I've tried everything I can think of to offset the pain. It radiates from where my gb was under my URQ under my ribs down to my mid rq and around my side to my kidney. There were complications with my surgery as well. It is of some comfort to know I am definitely not just me going through this.
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