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Gallbladder removal when all scans negative

Posted , 15 users are following.

Seb14
Seb14

In July I was admitted to hospital with severe upper middle and right abdominal pain, I developed diarea and high fever and was diagnosed with intra abdominal sepsis, I had ultrasound, CT and endoscopy all negative. Sepsis was treated with iv antibiotics. Blood tests showed anemia and slight elevated lipase. After discharge I continued to have upper right pain mainly at night and sometimes a low fever I was admitted to hospital again at the end of 2013 again with pain and high fever which lasted for nearly 2 weeks, again it was treated with iv antibiotics,I had further ultrasound and mrcp again all negative, again bloods showed anemia and my ALT levels were elevated. Had sigmoid flexi scope which showed some patchy inflamation and biospy suggested ulcerative colitis. I was discharged with the diagnosis of unexplained pyrexia. My GI consultant was not convinced about the colitis causing the upper pain and arranged a EUS which was negative and a colonoscopy which showed no inflamation this time and I am waiting for biospy results but looks unlikely to be colitis causing all this. My Gi referred me to a surgeon who has mentioned taking out the gallbladder despite all tests being negative, but he says it is my decision to make and it may not cure the problem. I am so unsure of what to do and would appreciate any comments and suggestions.

0 likes, 48 replies

48 Replies

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  • blondewitch
    blondewitch

    Posted

    Yes a MRCP will show things up . An ERCP is invasive & does carry risks , but if they did find a stone while having one they may be able to remove it .
    • john23620
      john23620 blondewitch

      Posted

      I just had an MRCP and it showed nothing. Maybe there is nothing, but Im certainly in pain....
  • Seb14
    Seb14

    Posted

    Thanks blonde witch i have had the mrcp and it didn't show anything so guess back to square one again! I know the doctors have probably covered all this I guess I'm just hoping for someone to post and say yes I had surgery after negative test and I'm really good now' trouble is none of the docs will put their head on the block and say I think you should have the surgery and I do understand why but it is really difficult for me with no medical training to make that decision unguided and I have reached a dead end with the tests now. My fever is really high so will probably end up being admitted again for another round of iv antibiotics and more of the same tests or I can push them to operate. Sorry for the rant!
    • boyzmummy
      boyzmummy Seb14

      Posted

      Hi how are you now, any better?  Did they find out what it is yet ? 
    • theman25805
      theman25805 Seb14

      Posted

      Seb. I hope you are doing much better. I have been going through the same thing as you. All test negative ALT enzymes only raised once when I was really sick. I just had an MRCP done and will find out the results next week. Tests for me include regular Ct with contrast, Regular US, HIDA scan, now MRCP. They have all come back negative and extra normal and will find out about the MRCP soon. My doctors are saying we can remove my gallbladder but they do not think it will help with my URQ pain and naseua that has been going on for 5 months. I will keep you updated as next result will see if I need to do an ERCP or further. I do not have many options left and I am ready for this to be over. Update us all when you get a chance. Hope you are feeling better.
    • john23620
      john23620 theman25805

      Posted

      Hi theman, what did you decide on? Did you get the surgery? Do you feel better?
  • blondewitch
    blondewitch

    Posted

    Have you had the MRCP when you were actually showing signs of sepsis because it makes me think when you had it the inflammation wasn't there. Maybe the antibiotics had done their job therefore nothing would show up on the MRCP . I still think it is more than likely cholangitis .I do hope you get to the bottom of this & you feel better soon
    • tnagma
      tnagma blondewitch

      Posted

      Hi,

      I am a 45 year old female from the US.  I had a laparoscopic cholestomy Dec 14, 2011 while also receiving defenestration on several liver cysts due to having polycystic liver and kidney disease.  3 days later, I was back in the hospital with a very large bile leak.  It wreaked havoc on my entire abdominal area...collapsing a lung, giving me a liver abscess, and making me septic.

      Since then, I have had chronic bacteremia.  I am on my sixth picc line (for administering iv antibiotics at home), and all of my doctors are baffled.  I have looked up cholangitis, and believe it is the best bet for diagnosis.  Had an MRCP, which was negative,  and my GI is refusing to do the ERCP for fear with all the infections I've had, it'll "kill me."  (Yes, he actually said that)

      After almost four years of this, I just want to be better.  You seem to know a lot about cholangitis...any words of advice?

      Thank you!

  • Seb14
    Seb14

    Posted

    Just an update, I finally had my gallbladder removed privately last month and the pathology was chronically inflamed and infected ( despite nothing showing on any test that I'd had),  feel so much better and that awful rightside pain has totally gone now, my surgeon said he always suspected the gallbladder but would not have been able to remove it under the restraints of the NHS! so I really had no choice but to have it done privately!

    However I still get occasional severe pains in the middle of my stomach along with a low grade fever,  I'm wondering if this could be attributed to a wisdom tooth infection. I have had a reoccuring infection in my wisdom tooth for  4 years now which is getting to the stage that it reoccurs on a monthly basis now after treating with antibiotics each time, now that the constant gallbladder pain has gone I'm noticing that the pain and fever always come on around the same time as the tooth infection flaring up.  Any comments appreciated

    • j30688
      j30688 Seb14

      Posted

      Get a HIDA scan also second opinion. Pray to the only way to heaven Jesus Christ! 
  • theman25805
    theman25805 Seb14

    Posted

    Seb. I hope you are doing much better. I have been going through the same thing as you. All test negative ALT enzymes only raised once when I was really sick. I just had an MRCP done and will find out the results next week. Tests for me include regular Ct with contrast, Regular US, HIDA scan, now MRCP. They have all come back negative and extra normal and will find out about the MRCP soon. My doctors are saying we can remove my gallbladder but they do not think it will help with my URQ pain and naseua that has been going on for 5 months. I will keep you updated as next result will see if I need to do an ERCP or further. I do not have many options left and I am ready for this to be over. Update us all when you get a chance. Hope you are feeling better.
  • tnagma
    tnagma Seb14

    Posted

    I am experiencing very similar issues.  I have polycystic kidney and liver disease, and underwent a surgery in Dec of 2011 to drain some of the cysts on my liver.  My surgeon told me that "while he was in there," he was going to remove my gall bladder,  although there was nothing wrong with it at the time.

    Long story short, I ended up with a huge bile leak post-surgery, and have never been the same since.  I have had numerous cases of bacteremia, and am on my sixth picc line for iv antibiotics.  I thought I had found the diagnosis...cholangitis.  Everything fit.  Had my MRCP yesterday, and they didn't find anything.  I still think it's cholangitis...the symptoms fit...all the way down to the type of gram negative bacteria. 

    I need information from someone that has knowledge on this disease.  I want my life back.  Any suggestions? 

    Thank you!

  • lellyz
    lellyz Seb14

    Posted

    The U'sound scans are not 100% guaranteed to show gallstones. I had a scan just prior to having mine removed and they couldn't see anything. When I had the GB out it was apparently packed solid with stones and "sand".

    So the pain was the main indicator.

    Best of luck.

    L

  • j30688
    j30688 Seb14

    Posted

    Get a HIDA scan also second opinion. Pray to the only way to heaven Jesus Christ! 
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