I have had acute pain in my right hand side under my rib cage and upper back pain

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6 weeks ago I went to see my GP because I was suffering from acute pain in my right side and back,I also suffer with depressions.to cut a long story short she sent me for a scan.Before this I went to A&E and was sent home with Codine tablets.I had the scan last Tuesday,the following morning my GP rang me and I was told I had Gallstones.I have been given Buscopan tablets to help ease the pain.Today I was unable to go to work due to the pain.I am seeing a doctor at the end of next week to see how I am after taking the Buscopn tablets. I don't know what to do,the pain is on going,do I wait and give the pills a chance to work or go to A&E again now I know what it is.I can't bend down and my husband has been helping me get dressed.The only relief for the pain is to lie down and apply heat to my right side and back.I feel sick and keep coming all over hot and sweaty.I would welcome any advise from anyone as I feel the doctors I have seen (3) so far are not really listening to me.help needed

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  • Posted

    Hi Patricia, I know the pain you feel. I was rushed to ER about 3 weeks ago. I had gallbladder filled with gall stones (inflamed) and a gall stone stuck in the bile duct. The pain can be excrutiating. Please go to the ER (yours is A&E). Make sure they know how much pain you are in and how you cannot function because the pain is so bad. Since I had mine removed the pain is gone. In recovery give yourself time. Good luck. Don't wait.
    • Posted

      Hi Jill

      I have been to A&E and was sent home with codine,which didn't help went to see my gp last night and I now have a appointment to see a surgeon on the 27th April to discuss my options.have been told having the gs op may not relieve my pain.I'm hoping it will and I don't have to wait too long for it. because I am now under a doctor and I know I have gallstones our A&E department will not do anything.Glad you are now on the mend

      take care keep in touch

      Pat

  • Posted

    Hi all to my gall bladder friends,sorry didn't know how to add more to my blog.

    it has been 2 months since I first joined this site,today I have had the result of my MRI on my back and as I first thought there are no signs of anything wrong except general wear and tear due to my age,so its back to the gall bladder surgeion who sent me for the MRI scan because he believed that my pain in my right side and upper back was due to my back rather than the gall stones that I have,spoke to my gp today and have said I want a secound opinion on my gallstones.he said he would write to my surgeion telling him the result of my MRI and seeing where he intends to go from there,more test or gallbladder out maybe,we will have to wait and see.It seems to me to be a waiting game while all the time its you that are in pain not them. can any of you please let me know what other test can be done to determine the state of my gallbladder and if it is my gallstones causing my pain.I have only had an ultrascan so far which confirmed that I have gall stonesI don't want my gallbladder taken out unless it is really necessary but I don't want to be in pain either.you never know when its going to be at its worse,and it is effecting my relationship with my husband as I find due to the pain I lose my temper very quickly and tend to shout.Only someone who has had gs can possiable know what pain I am in.So there you have it I now have to wait to see what is going to happen next.my gp said I might hear next week if I'm lucky but once again it will be a wating game.hope al my gb friends are doing ok,its great to beable to talk to people that know how I'm feeling

    • Posted

      If you have gallstones the usual treatment nowadays is to have your gallbladder removed. I am not a medical person but my understanding is that this is so that you do not get them again.

      I was diagnosed with gallstones at Christmas (do not know how long I had had them) and had several flare ups before having my gallbladder out 3 weeks ago. I managed to get in because someone else had cancelled. The waiting list was 6 - 8 months and getting longer.

      If you are really strugglilng like I was you need to ask our GP to get you a second opinion and be put on the list to have your gallbladder out.

      You are not even on the waiting list for that at the moment and should not have to suffer like this.

      There is nothing to it honestly. Over 90% of people have keyhole surgery like me I was not even in hospital overninght. Now feeling so much better

      If ultrasund scan has revealed gallstnes you need to push for this as soon as possible. Something to look out for is if you become jaundiced

      This means they will have to take your gallbladder out straight away.

      Hope this helps.

      Take care and keep in touch

      Praying for you

      Love Sarah xxx

    • Posted

      Hi Sarah

      the surgieon I saw will not take my gall bladder out at the moment,he feels my pain is not because I have gall stones he says many people live without even know they have gs and are fine.I have spoken to my gp yesterday and have ask for a second oponion.He is going to write to the surgieon informing him of my MRI results on my back.I knew that the pain I am in was not due to my back and feel very let down by them both,just more time to wait.At the moment I 'am in a lot of pain and it has lasted this time for over a week,heat pads are the only thing that helps a bit.my gp said I should hear back next week but i dought that,what other test can they do to see how my gall bladder is doing.the surgieon just dismissed just because my pain did not fit in to gallbladder pain.my pain is in my right side just uder my ribs going towards my belly button and round my back upto the bar line,it also hurts to bend down.lieing in bed with a heat pad helps.

      thanks for the advice

      will keep in touch

      love Pat

    • Posted

      Oh Patricia this is EXACTLY like I was with gallstones.

      A GP came to see me in December and said You should go to hospital I think it might be gallstones.

      So I went. I explained to them why I was there (giving them a clue) and they more or less dismissed the idea of gallstones straight away.

      They did various tests and said I had a urine infection, sent me home with antibiotics. No mention of an ultasound scan. I thought that was the end of that and it would settle down. Ha Ha!

      A couple of days later I had a letter in post asking me to make an appointment for an ultrasound scan. I went and lo and behold GALLSTONES!!!

      They rang me with the result and said we usually remove the gallbladder we can put you on the operating list if you like. I had not even seen a surgeon. So i was put on the list which they said ws 6 - 8 months and getting longer. After several flare ups I eventaully got in because someone else had cancelled and had my gallbladder out 3 weeks ago. I had to make several trips to local GP and really push to get this done. If you are really suffering you have to push and push them. Look out for jaundice this would mean they have to you sooner rather later!!

      Love Sarah xxx

    • Posted

      Hi Sarah

      thanks for the advice,hoping that my gp will convince the gb doctor to take out my gall bladder or at least do other test to see how its working,he said the sides of the gall bladder were thin but not scared,not sure what he will say now that I have had the MRI on my back and it is now confirmed that my pain is not due to my back.If he still refuses to take it out I will be asking for a secound oponion from a different hospital but this all takes time and I have to continue to work as well.how are you now you have had your gall bladder removed .from this site it seems that alot of people have different outcomes after their op some goo some bad.will keep in touch

      take care

      Pat

  • Posted

    Hi Patricia. Yes people are very different. I have some pain in my right side (where it was when I had gallstones) but this is not nearly as bad as it was before so I am not moaning.

    I think I maybe thought I was doing so well and went back to fatty foods too soon,so trying to lay off them for a bit again now.

    I have completely come off Buscopan and am reducing Omeprazole though that is proving a bit difficult and may have to go back to GP.

    Other than that I am doing OK really and hope to get back to swimming this week.

    Hope you manage to sort all this out soon.

    Love Sarah xxx

  • Posted

    Patricia, its so awful that they muck us around like this, I to have pain, very similar to yours, that i have been told is not typical and as you know I have been refused surgery.  I have an appointment  in just over a week with the new consultant and am not expecting him to change his mind, as I only have one small gallstone. I have come completely off all pain killers, buscapen and all the various bits and bobs for acid reflux and Indigestion as I am now worried about my liver since my scan, and to be honest nothing seems to work any more.  I am living on nothing but chicken and salad and have lost over 2 stone. I am discovering I have lots of other aches and pains probably because I have become inactive, as I feel so rubbish all the time. 

    I am at a loss as to what to do. 

    i have been sleeping slightly better since my scan as we discovered that when I lie in my back my gallstone heads into the neck of the gallbladder , but if I lie on my front it moves, so I have been sleeping on my front and although not as comfortable I am managing at least some sleep now. So it may be worth a try for you. 

    I hope you get some answers soon. 

     

    • Posted

      Hi Finadindin

      i think we'er in the same boat,I've got to wait and see if the first consultant will now remove my gb now that the MRI has shown that the pain I'm in is not coming from my back,if he want agree to do anything then I'm going to ask for a second opinion.I find I can only lay on my back where as I used to sleep on my left side but I can no longe sleep like this.I use heat pads when the pain is really bad but my skin is very marked from the heat.I'm not on any pills except painkillers which I take any way for my other pain.I hope you have better luck next week,i don't know how many stones i have but they can realley give of some pain when they move.please keep in touch

      take care

      Pat

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