Gallbladder pain ?

Posted , 8 users are following.

Ok I'm gunna make this short and sweet as I just spent an hour writing a novel and it didn't post lol

I'm early 30s I've been having a constant dull ache under my right ribs that moves to the centre of my chest it never really goes away or gets any worse than a 5 in a scale of 1-10 I get abdominal pain some times to this is ongoing tor about 6 months now

I've had 3 blood tests all for liver function full LFTs all came back perfect the doctor said they couldn't be any better.

I've had an ultra sound and I was told my liver is perfect size no swelling no fatty liver nothing to worrie about. But they did find a polyp on My gallbladder 4 mm doctor said again it's small and nothing to worrie about.

The pain will move about but it's only ever in my right upper quadrant. I don't have gallstones so I'm told any way. But the pain defo gets worse when I drink alcohol and is worse for a few days after drinking. But whilst I'm drinking I get to about the 3rd to 4th beer and the pain is gone. Only to return the next morning worse for a few days but never really stopping. But when I do drink I also seem to blow up like a pregnant man and I feel like my right lung is not working at a 100% but if I take in deep breaths the pain doesn't get worse. the bloating is alway gone by the morning and so is the pressure on my lung. Then Im left with just the dull ache again food doesn't trigger it I can eat the fattest meals and the pain stays the same. Has any 1 else ever had this gallbladder issue

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Posted

    The only thing I've noticed that makes this worse is alcohol. Liver or gallbladder ??? my doctor said "I'm positive your liver is not damaged"

  • Posted

    Pain is certainly in the right area to suggest gallstones etc.

    but when I've ever had a full blown attack the pain goes up to a 9/10 (worse than labour IMO).  Then usually goes back to that grumbling low level pain.

    does what you eat affect it at all?

  • Posted

    Oh, and just another thing that's occurred to me.

    what happens if you don't drink alcohol for say 6-8 weeks?  Do the symptoms stay or disappear completely?

  • Posted

    Hi Jim,

    If you want to get to the bottom of this, I suggest you see a gastroenterologist for additional diagnostic work. A gastroenterologist would be the best person to investigate what is going on with you.  It could be your gallbladder, but it could be something else, too.

    Best of luck to you!

     

  • Posted

    As Linda says, you need to get it rechecked as we are not doctors. However my pain has never been over a 6 and i have multiple gallstones causing a whole heap of health issues for me, pain is the least issue. My Ct scans are all clear, so depending on what the cameras say, its likely all down to my gallbladder. Not everyone gets extreme, knee bending pain with the gallbladder, some get a more chronic constant bruised feeling. the only sharp knife stabbing pain i got was after lamb and it lasted 2.5 hrs and then it wasnt over a 6-7 pain threshold really, but I do have  a high pain threshold as have chronic pain for other conditions.

    my mum only got the sharp pain when a stone got stuck and hers was dreadful that she was on morphine injections and this happened frequently.

  • Posted

    Hi Jim, as others have said get yourself referred to a gastro that also has hepatology in with their specialty. Most gastro's cover this anyway but some will become more specialist within this area. 

    You can have polyps that cause symptoms but keep a diary of your alcohol intake. As I've read that this can cause problems in your gallbladder as well as your liver.

    You should probably have a CT scan as gallstones don't always show up on ultrasounds but that would be upto the gastro.

    Let us know how you get on x

    • Posted

      I have read the opposite and it was in my case too LOL

      I have read ultrasound is the gold class for stones as they dont always show up on the CT scans and mine didnt, had a full CT after the ultrasound and it didnt show any stones, but both ultrasounds 6 mths apart showed a galbladder full of various sizes up to 15mm, I googled after and ct often misses them, but is useful to show if there are any stuck as it shows swelling of the ducts.

    • Posted

      Hi Star,

      In my case, just the opposite.  My gallbladder was brimming with extremely small stones, like grainy mud.  Sometimes ultrasounds can pick them up, sometimes CT scans do.  I think that it has to do with the size and texture of the stones, as well as the expertise of the tech performing the ultrasound.  smile

      I think that if you know something is wrong you owe it to yourself to make your doctor keep trying to find out what it is!  smile

  • Posted

    Hi Jim

    I have the constant dull ache under my right ribs but do have gall stones, but no pain.

    I have though 2 simple cysts on the liver but doc didn't show much concern for these. I am booked to see consultant next week. So all relatively new to this gall bladder stuff. I don't drink don't now eat fatty food. I am 44 and weight 9 1/2 stone.

    Ultra sound picked up my stones. I used to have pain when are fatty food but it was the dull ache that got me to the docs to reveal simple cysts. Since diet change no pain this is six months since diagnosis.

    I hope you get your pain sorted

    Vickie

  • Posted

    Hi there, did you ever find out what the issue is, this sounds very similar to my same situation, on and off for years, doctor never found anything. I had wine last night and its bothering me today, i deal with it as its not crippling or anything, just concerning.

    • Posted

      Hi,

      New to posting here.

      Just found your description of what is going on with your pain after drinking. I have what sounds like the almost exact same experience over the last 6 months. I am mid 30's. The only difference is I was told I have gallstones (no polyp) and I don't bloat. Doc's said LFT's and ultrasound was normal (except gallstones). I stopped drinking for several weeks/months a few times. The pain gets much better. Then trying to drink again pain comes back for a few days/weeks.

      Obviously not drinking is the best thing to do now. But curious if you have found out anything else.

    • Posted

      Sorry, that reply was for Jim. But did you find out anything?

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