Does this sound like gallstones?

[Missnurse]

Hi ladies I'm wondering if anyone else has experience of these?

For 3 years now I've had what I thought was indigestion, sometimes it would just be an irritating pain other times I'd be doubled over in agony. I'd describe it as though if I could be sick id feel better but I can't be sick. To begin with I was given lansoprazole which didn't help and to date I've had omeprazole, ranitidine, bascopan all of which did nothing. The only thing that soothed it was drinking peptic liquid from the bottle. Finally my doctor is sending me for a scan to see if I have gallstones after telling him I am now experiencing some sharp pains under my ribs. It can be particularly bad after my main meal at night but can occur any time of day before or after eating. I can go days/weeks without an episode then it starts and it can be every day for a week or more.

My last really bad episode was last year when I was pg it felt like a vice round my ribs, it woke me up and nothing alleviated it. By the time I got to hospital it had stopped and nothing more was done. I've had various blood tests over the years all of which have been normal.

It hasn't affected my appetite apart from at the beginning where I felt full quickly but that passed after a while and I eat normally now. No weight loss.

Also with this current bout I've noticed a dull ache in my back which started as lower pain then moved to the middle of my back for a whole day and at the minute my shoulders are so stiff and sore I don't know whether this could be related? I also feel quite breathless. I'm 26 with 2 children and doc says I'm too young for stones?

I just wanted some other experiences as I am worried such it is something bad like my pancrease, worst thing I did was google but I keep trying to tell myself that after 3 years I would know something worse was up help

 

[dgirllamius]

I had my gallbladder out last year and it's hard to describe the pain but it got to a point where it was unbearable. I would get it just below my ribs and it would come on gradually. I also had a lot of wind and burped a lot while having an attack. They just got worse and worse over time and the more often I had them the more painful it got. I ended up having to go in an ambulance to the hospital because the pain was so intense - they did a scan there and then and confirmed I had stones and sludge.

I seemed to have an attack after eating something high in fat. Sometimes it would be delayed for a bit. I believe the body can't break down fats on its own so that's why the liver makes bile which is then stored in the gallbladder then sent out on demand. Things like pregnancy, being overweight or gaining and losing weight within such a short period can cause gallstones - pregnancy caused mine.

It's quite hard for me to remember what it was like but I think it felt like having very bad gas and even though I have the urge to burp it never relieved it.

 

[Missnurse]

Thank you for replying.

When I'm not having an attack I usually get the uncomfortable burning nausea feeling, I've been getting 1-2 really bad attacks per year but I between those I just get the burning nausea.

I find I burp a lot too

I can only describe it as if I could be sick id feel better, my heart races and I get clammy

 

[meli1981]

Sounds like it could be! And youre def not to young for stones! Thats ridiculous!

 

[Missnurse]

I know I thought that too. I hope it is that 3 years is a long time to be bothered by it and I've been brushed off the last 3 times I've went to a & e about it. I've had 4-5 really bad episodes in those 3 years and in between I'll have nothing for weeks then it just starts the annoying burning nausea for days then goes again. Any one shed any light on why I have really bad episodes then weeks with the burning? Is that stones passing or starting or something?

 

[Boomerslady]

Yeah deffo sounds like it!!! I had gallstones and sooo many attacks while pregnant, I got pancreatitis 5 times from the poxy things!!

It all depends on the size of the stones, mine were tiny, like sand and continually left the gallbladder causing the attacks. Other people who I've known who had larger ones felt the pain when it blocked the gallbladder and didn't feel better for a long time after.

I'd cut out all fatty food. Just a thought but you say you want to be sick but can't, have you tried making yourself? Every attack I had got slightly better after being sick. But the pain under your ribs and between shoulder blades is typical gallbladder pain!!

 

[Missnurse]

I tried once but just ended up heaving it was awful. I typically haven't had the back ache or shoulder pain during and attack just the rib pain and feeling so nauseated and in agony, I couldn't sit lie or anything just lay curled in a ball in tears till it passed. It comes in waves then goes again that goes for a bad episode and the In between

 

[Missnurse]

I've never had diarrhoea with an attack though and like I say no vomiting but feel sick

 

[Boomerslady]

I'd wait and see what the scan shows up. It really does sound like it but until they check you won't know hunni

I'd deffo start by having a low fat diet (and I mean no fat!!) and see if after a week or so the pain eases. The gallbladder only works to help process fat, if you don't eat any it won't need to work hence no pain. Also and I know this is random but I know people who have certain triggers like onions or tomatoes. One of my worst ones was mince, even now 3 years after having the gallbladder out I still can't process it very well.

 

[Gc85]

Does sound like gallstones. Your certainly not too young, I was 20 when I got mine removed and my sister was 19! My doc fobbed me off with IBS several times assuming I was too young for gallstones.

The only thing that helped me during an attack was drinking loads of water (pint after pint) and using heat on my tummy, I used a wheat pack on the right side under the ribs

I waited 7 months between diagnosis and having the op, I had to avoid fatty foods to limit attacks, literally nothing with fat added, no red meat, pastry, oils, mayo, fried foods, take away, salad dressings, even sugary fizzy drinks triggered mine. Best diet ever, I lost 3 stone!

 

[meli1981]

Id try cutting out the fatty greasy foods and seeing if it helps....if not stones it def sounds like gallbladder attacks after the eating...

 

[Missnurse]

Thanks everyone. When it first started I honestly thought something was going to rupture inside me, I'd never had a pain like it and for it to start so suddenly was so scary too

 

[Missnurse]

Would gallstones not have been picked up on my pregnancy scans last year?

 

[meli1981]

Prob not unless they were specificially looking for them....tho for my scans they always checked my kidneys as well...

 

[supertabby]

Yes sounds exactly like what my mum when through and it was her gallstones.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

I have had the same problems for years. I get back pains so bad I am in tears, have been on my bathroom floor in a ball crying my eyes out. A few times I have had pains and then just thrown up this green sludgey bile... projectile pretty much. Always worse after eating and can go months between attacks im convinced I have gall stones but my dr says no and that's that... wont do anything, he says I have excess acid and gave me lamoprazole

 

[Boomerslady]

Rhi get yourself back to your GP hunni. I had to have 7 appointments before they believes me. What clinched it was when I said my sister had had them and Inpretebded to be in pain when she pushed under the right side of my ribs. I finally got my ultrasound.

OP - it wouldn't have been seen in your pregnancy scans because they weren't looking for it. I had my gallstone scan at the same time as my 20 week one just because that's how it fell, but she looked in a different place iykwim.

 

[Missnurse]

Yeah that makes sense all my scan were lower down I'm guessing the one for gallstones will be higher up than that

 

[dgirllamius]

When I had a gallstone scan he did it much further up than my pregnancy scans so no they wouldn't be picked up that way.

Why does it take so long for you guys to get checked for it? And why does it take so long if diagnosed to get the operation? I had like 5 attacks (I didn't know what it was, I just shrugged it off) until that final attack when my OH called an ambulance - scanned there and then and had it out 2 days later. I don't get why it takes soooooo long, I feel sorry for those who have it and have to wait so long

 

[Missnurse]

It's took so long to be diagnosed as I've been brushed off that many times as indigestion or acid reflux it's only been past few weeks I've thought it could be gallstones or gallbladder as I spoke to some people who had theirs out I'm hoping it won't be too long till I can get sorted now