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Normal testing and still have bad gallbladder/pain?

Posted , 83 users are following.

jw454
jw454

Is it possible to have all normal testing and still have a bad gallbladder? 

Since the 1st week of sept I have been suffering from RUQ pain, nausea after meals, sometimes nausea out of the blue, pain in my right shoulder blade, fatigue, lack to no energy level, 12 lbs weight loss, pain in my right shoulder neck area, mix between constipation and diarrhea but mostly constipation and heartburn! The pain is constant and never goes away. 

All of my testing keeps coming back normal. Ultrasound of the gallbladder, Hida scan (my result was 48%), Ct Scan, celiac biopsy, h.pylori, other blood work( amylase/lipase normal), endoscopy, MRI, ct of the head, pelvic ultrasound! We have also had a 2nd opinion with a GI Dr and established with a new GP and spoke to a surgeon (we have another appt 11/12)! 

All testing keeps coming back NORMAL!!! (Which is good) 

Can all these test still come back normal and you still have a bad gallbladder? 

Has this ever happen to anyone? 

Certainly I'm not the only one this is happened too! Any help is welcomed! 

From the USA

Thanks for reading

5 likes, 151 replies

151 Replies

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  • vickey83864
    vickey83864 jw454

    Posted

    Yes, I had the exact thing happen to me. It took 9 months before I was referred to a general surgeon who agreed to do exploratory surgery .  When inside he found my gall bladder to be covered in scar tissue from chronic inflammation, cholecystitis, it was removed.  A few hours after being home from the out patient surgery I had a new pain, similar to pre surgery pain but different.  I've had it ever since. I was diagnosed with type 3 Spinchter of oddi dysfunction just last week after 10 months of more doctors and tests that come back normal.  Now, they say there is nothing they can do, I have to live this way.  Well, it's no life, that's for sure. I suggest you do everything to SAVE your gall bladder. Detox, do flushes whatever it takes but don't buy into the hooey that you "don't need" your gall bladder. God gave it to us for a reason, and I'm living proof that things don't work right without it.  It can heal if given the right nutrients and remove the toxins that are causing it to malfunction.  I wish I had learned this before, I would not have had the removal.  Good luck. 
  • jw454
    jw454

    Edited

    I am refreshing my gallbladder discussion. This Dec 2016 I will be 2 years post having my gallbladder removed. I had all normal testing with extreme pain.

    Everything is back to normal...

    • lbow
      lbow jw454

      Posted

      Thanks for starting this thread and fir your detailed posts. I'm in a similar situation to you pre-surgery - CT, US, endoscope and xray clear. Hida at 67 percent. Keep getting extreme upper rq pain and was hospitalized for suspected pancreatitis last week. My usysl surgeon was on leave so I saw another one and a GI - both suspected gall-bladder at first given my classic symptoms - yet are now saying taking out GB won't help. Anyway, great to hear you're going so well. It gives me hope! Trying to get an appointment soon with my usual surgeon (in Australia).

    • katherine42413
      katherine42413 jw454

      Posted

      I've been reading this as the closest to my situation. I too have had bloods, ultrasound, CT scan which have come back normal. My consultant now thinks that my gallbladder isn't working properly so I've got to have a HIDA scan and a MRCP scan in the next few weeks. I've been in pain for 5 months which hasn't been long compared to alot of you on this forum. Most of my pain seems to be in my back and shoulder blades and is constant and gets worse after eating. Every so often the pain seems to moves up a stage and starts to feel worse than before. Glad it all worked out for you.

    • vgjcm
      vgjcm lbow

      Posted

      I went through a month of normal tests. I had a normal ultrasound, blood work, and HIDA scan. Thank God for my amazing nurse practitioner who had her gallbladder removed and still was convinced it was my gallbladder. I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but that generally doesn't cause pain and it was an accidental find. One day I went to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack and the ER doctor said he also thought it was my gallbladder dispite negative tests. I ended up going home and making an appointment with the surgeon. I first met with my nurse practitioner before I went to the surgeon and she spoke with the surgeon and wrote the surgeon a letter as well. I saw the surgeon and he was willing to take my gallbladder out as long as I got an upper endoscopy done to rule out H. Pylori, stomach ulcers, ect. It all came back normal and my GI doctor was also convinced it was my gallbladder. My GI doctor said all my symptoms screamed gallbladder. My surgeon wanted to make sure I knew the risks of surgery and this may not fix my problem. I went in for surgery on 06/30/17 and my gallbladder had adhesions all over it and was inflammed completely. My pain is completely gone. You just need to follow your gut and have a good medical team behind you. Keep the faith and know it will get better and be persistent.

      VGJCM

      USA

  • Ash123456
    Ash123456 jw454

    Edited

    Hello.. I'm in the same boat!! I've had RUQ pain for about 6 years now. I've been to 4 doctors, had 4 US, 1 CT scan, all the bloodwork and everything always comes back fine. I've had regular women's wellness exams, too, to rule out the possibility of female reproductive disorders. Results came back fine, of course. It's great to have good results but can be very frustrating when you don't know what's wrong, what to do next, or even how to begin relieving the symptoms.

    My symptoms include RUQ pain that comes and goes, that is mild and achy, and tends to happen more at night. I've had nausea a couple of times but very rarely does my pain happen in conjunction with nausea or indigestion or irregularities of the bowels. Still, I'm a young and healthy female (32) with pain and an unknown cause.

    I am scheduled to have an upper endoscopy and I may request a HIDA.

    After much research, my thoughts are that I may have small or microscopic stones or sludge in my gallbladder. Given the symptoms that I have and the numerous amount of times that I have read that this is common, I do not doubt that stones can be so small that they are undetectable.

    One other option that my doctor suggested is costochondritis which is an inflammation of the cartilage that attaches to the to cage due to previous injury. I've researched that and I don't think that's my answer.

    I hope this helps! Good luck to everyone in finding their answers.

    • tomjohn
      tomjohn Ash123456

      Posted

      Hi Ash!

      Please get back to us once you have had your Hidascan (if you decide to have one) and ofc. keep us updated on how you are doing!

      My situation is very similar to yours. Symptoms for 7 years now, 3x ultrasounds, 2x endoscopies, 1x colonoscopy and 1x CT with and without contrast.. All negative. I am waiting to have my Hidascan done.

      Hope you will get better soon!

    • vgjcm
      vgjcm Ash123456

      Posted

      I went through a month of normal tests. I had a normal ultrasound, blood work, and HIDA scan. Thank God for my amazing nurse practitioner who had her gallbladder removed and still was convinced it was my gallbladder. I was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but that generally doesn't cause pain and it was an accidental find. One day I went to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack and the ER doctor said he also thought it was my gallbladder dispite negative tests. I ended up going home and making an appointment with the surgeon. I first met with my nurse practitioner before I went to the surgeon and she spoke with the surgeon and wrote the surgeon a letter as well. I saw the surgeon and he was willing to take my gallbladder out as long as I got an upper endoscopy done to rule out H. Pylori, stomach ulcers, ect. It all came back normal and my GI doctor was also convinced it was my gallbladder. My GI doctor said all my symptoms screamed gallbladder. My surgeon wanted to make sure I knew the risks of surgery and this may not fix my problem. I went in for surgery on 06/30/17 and my gallbladder had adhesions all over it and was inflammed completely. My pain is completely gone. You just need to follow your gut and have a good medical team behind you. Keep the faith and know it will get better and be persistent.

      VGJCM

      USA

    • olivia73331
      olivia73331 Ash123456

      Posted

      Hi Ash, curious to know how you went with your endoscopy? 

      I have had problems for many years now, but only recently have take action to sort this issue out. I believe I have problems with my gallbladder, but all tests have come back fine. I’m scheduled to get an endoscopy soon, and just hope they find something ????

    • olivia73331
      olivia73331 tomjohn

      Posted

      Hi Tom, how did you go? My issues sound similar to yours
    • RedLRC
      RedLRC olivia73331

      Posted

      Hi olvia. I am suffering like you too.  It has been two months and it just keeps getting worse.  CT scan normal.  small cyst on my liver but they say that it is fatty.  I've lost 25 lbs in two months.  Pain in upper right abdomen.  And flank.  Stools yellow.  Lipase at hospital fine.  Glucose fine.  Liver blood tests fine.  Hormones fine. Women parts fine except a small tubular filled fluid next to ovaries they tell me not to worry.  Hidascan fine.  Endoscopy fine colonoscopy fine.  However blood in urine as of Sunday and waiting for autoimmune blood work to come back with a small bowel follow through too.  This sucks.  I wish I had better answers seeing a heptologist about my liver cyst in a month.   This is reckung my life.   I hope yours goes better for you. 

    • chris34196
      chris34196 RedLRC

      Posted

      Hi Red i myself had every test done under the sun that could be done all my tests come back good even the hida scan but i still have abdominal pain on my rightside in the gallbladder area along with back pain indigestion .my stool also like yours has become yellow since these problems started due to lack of bile comming out of my gallbladder ' i believe. the yellow stool and constipation was some of my first symptoms. ive been going threw this for over three years now and finaly decided to get my gallbladder removed. i have it scheduled for feb 4 2019. im tired of the symptoms and hope this works. How are u doing now Red are u feeling any better.

    • sheila18527
      sheila18527 mike11794

      Posted

      yes it helped immediately...the pain after surgery was nothing compared to pain before surgery!

    • mike11794
      mike11794 sheila18527

      Posted

      did everything go back to normal ? ive had everthing tested twice hida scan showed my gallbladder was working at 98 percent been dealing with this for 3 years thanks for your reply .

    • sheila18527
      sheila18527 mike11794

      Posted

      I felt better immediately. The pain, nausea, vomiting, sometimes diarrhea all got better after I had my gallbladder out.

    • mike11794
      mike11794 sheila18527

      Posted

      one more question did you have a dull pain all the time with pain worsening at times with your gallbladder ? thank you

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