Gallstones no longer showing on ultrasound!

Hi Lynda,

Had been told the stones were small on the first ultrasound but to be careful with diet etc as it's often the small stones that cause the most problems as they can move about.

Did you get a HIDA scan? Any idea what they actually do for it?

Ah, I'm in the US, hence this belated reply.  I didn't have a HIDA scan--they rarely do them in my part of the country.  They usually go by whether the ultrasound or CT scan show gallstones or other abnormalities, and whether you exhibit classic symptoms. I didn't, but got mine out.  It was filled with small stones and sludge.  

my gallstones are larger and showed up on 2 ultrasounds, gallbladder full, but  did not show up on my CT scan at all.

Usually the ultrasound is the best device to show not a CT, but yet a ultrasound can miss them too.

 

Thank you for your reply!

What symptoms did you end up having? How long did you wait on the HIDA scan happening? I've no idea what they even do for that scan either!

Did they take your gallbladder out when they realised it wasn't working properly?

The waiting for answers is the worst! Can cope with the niggling pain but not the severe pain like that last "attack".

Sorry for the delayed reply, I had pain under the ribs on the right hand side that went around to my back and upto my shoulder blades. I had to cut out any high fat foods, not that I ate much of that anyway but I couldn't eat large amounts otherwise I'd be physically sick. I would feel nauseaous  most of the time. I ended up loosing over a stone in weight, I'm not a large person anyway so loosing that sort of weight was worrying.

This all started in May last year and I had the first tests such as ultrasound, gastroscopy and CT scan over the summer then I had an mrcp and the HIDA scan in December. I didn't have to wait too long for the scan once my gastro decided that this was the direction that we needed to go in as I was also very tender on that side.

My gallbladder was only working at 14% and it should be over 35% so they decided to take my gallbladder out in March.  It would've been earlier but my surgeon wasn't around in February. They did say that they didn't think that all my pain was due to a non functioning gallbladder so they tend to take the gallbladder out first and then deal with anything eilse afterwards. Unfortunately I've got nerve entrapment too which I've just had some treatment for but this isn't alway the case and alot of people are fine after they've had the gallbladder removed.

I think the niggling, always there pain is awful, its very draining and even though family and friends do try and understand its not the same as someone who's been through the same which is why this site has been a lifeline for me and I've made some great friends through this site who have been there for me.

Keep me updated with how you get on. Take care x

Symptoms sound very similar to yours apart from shoulder pain!

Hoping it's not too long a wait to get the HIDA scan and see the surgeon. People definitely don't understand the pain and think you just want attention. Yeah I'd rather not be in hospital if I don't have to. Will just keep going back when the pain gets too much and hope that they finally take the gallbladder out. I'm positive it is a dodgy gallbladder!

Will let you know when scan gets done and get the results. Thanks for all your help and advice x

The ultrasound showed the gallbladder was distended but said the wall of it was thin. Had severe pain over gallbladder when it was being scanned though and could have cried when the radiologist was pressing down the probe under ribs on right hand side!

Did you end up in the ER a few times with the pain? Did you get your gallbladder removed eventually?

Can see another emergency hospital trip in the near future!

so sorry you went through that. I ended up in the ER with pain in the right upper abdominal area right under rib cage I also had right shoulder blade pain and tingling radiating to the whole right shoulder blade area, it never went past my shoulder (no right arm pain) the shoulder blade was more severe than the abdominal pain, I also had nausea and wanted to throw up after every meal. They did a CT scan right then and it didn't show anything of importance but the radiologist made a note that the gallbladder wall look contracted and needed further tests. 

Since I didn't get any more pain after that I got lazy and didn't have the ulytrasound for another few months and the gallstones did show in that ultrasound. They didn't note the size but it only says multiple stones found. the nurse told me they don't report the size when they are very small. 

I have gotten very lazy with the follow up appointment with the surgeon, I called last week but couldn't get through and have not made my appointment yet. since they are supposed to be small I will ask for medicine to help them pass however I still have that annoying tingling in right shoulder blade, nausea after eating has subsided a lot since I'm a very lean healthy diet.

The good thing about all of this is that thanks to the diet I don't have a fatty liver anymore and I have lost a ton of weight. But I do need to see my surgeon to follow up. Also I'm a little taken aback that the referral my gp gave was to a general surgeon, shouldn't I see a gastro first? but anyway I hope you get better.

Are you getting your surgery done soon? I'm in the US

Try having apple cider vinegar(organic )with organic apple juice..it helps reduce pain...

Try having apple cider vinegar organic one with organic apple juice as u get pain or even if u dont get pain twice a day..with small stones pain goes..

No thanks! I ended up with cholecystitis so had my gallbladder out at end of August