Gallbladder? or something else?

[kdmalk]

Warning: I have been putting this post off for several weeks, so it's long!

Starting about week 18, I was feeling this weird burning sensation in my lower right ribcage that bothered me most often while laying in bed on my right side. It felt like an overstretched muscle or something and would always go away when I rolled over to the left. I had a regular prenatal appointment shortly thereafter and forgot to mention it to my doctor because the issue was very infrequent. I assumed it was just everything getting scrunched up in there and irritating my ribs or my diaphragm, so I let it go.

This has since gotten MUCH worse and I am counting down to my appointment on Tuesday afternoon so I can mention it to my doctor (and beg her to save me from my agony). I am at the point where it bothers me both sitting or laying down and is a sharp, stabbing pain more often than a burning sensation. Yesterday I was so frustrated about it that I nearly cried (which says a lot because I have made it this far in pregnancy without ONE SINGLE emotional breakdown or cry).

I was convinced for a long time that it was costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum), because I don't seem to have any other gallbladder related symptoms, but apparently it isn't very common to have that in the lower right ribs, which is solely where this pain occurs for me.

When I rub or poke, it actually feels like it IS my rib cartilage. My ribs are tender enough in the painful area to make me reflexively flinch when poked. But about the time I am convinced that it MUST be the costochondritis, I will poke the ribs and not get soreness, but get soreness when poking my abdomen right next to/behind the ribs and then I think it can't be the ribs if they don't hurt every single time they're poked. The pain feels very superficial, so I keep thinking it can't possibly be my gallbladder. That is pretty deep in there, back behind my liver, right? And this pain seems to be just under my skin. 90% of the time, it really feels like it is the ribs. It's just that random occasional poke where they aren't sore that makes me question my self-diagnosis. lol. Perhaps I am just having an issue distinguishing exactly where the pain is originating?

I finally broke down yesterday and had to put an ice pack across my lower ribs. I kept it on for about 20 minutes before bed and felt LOADS better afterward. I slept so much better all night. An ice pack wouldn't have helped if it was my gallbladder, would it? So it must be the the costochondritis, because ice is supposed to help with that.

Then I ate chick-fil-a for lunch today and an hour later started feeling nauseous and bloated.... which leads me back to the gallbladder theory. I haven't felt sick in weeks. so maybe the gallbladder symptoms are finally catching me????

I am definitely checking with my doctor at my appointment on Tuesday, but just thought I would ask in the meantime if anyone else has had a similar experience and what it ended up being? I feel like I'm dying.

 

[crownest]

Only way to rule out gallbladder is an ultrasound, it's deemed an emergency in pregnancy so I'd get it checked out asap. It is odd that an ice pack helped and you haven't being really sick with it. Have you a temp or anything ? If it's really bad I'd go get it checked out and I hate going to doctor ! Last time I had an attack ended up in a&e in agony and very dehydrated.

 

[kdmalk]

No temp that I'm aware of. I am just doing my best to make it until Tuesday and my regular appointment. A few days ago I would have said that is no big deal, but the way I have been feeling the last 2 days... I may not make it. I'll update!

 

[gemstone]

I could be wrong. But this reminds me of what I had it's called epi gastric pain. It's the liver & mine was linked to pre eclampsia. Like I say could be way off, but reminds me of my pain. Hope all is well. Take care

 

[jlw617]

Im not sure Kylee, I've had my gallbladder out, it was never sensitive to the touch but basically I felt as though I was having a heart attack (what I'd imagine one would feel like) most people get really sick too...I won't go into the details but mine was awful and I had stones stuck after they removed mine and I've never been more sick in my life, but that's because the stones had gotten stuck in the ducts, I had to have stints put in and everything because they couldnt remove them! I hope they figure it out Kylee!

 

[jlw617]

Oh and yes on the pain scale, it was probably the worst pain I had ever felt.

 

[Misscalais]

Im not sure.
I had gallbladder issues last pregnancy, severe attacks that landed me in hospital every fortnight on morphine from 10 weeks till i had it out at 23 weeks.
I got the pains mostly at night after eating dinner. Didn't matter what i ate could have been just a plain grilled chicken breast and veggies that would set it off. It was a stabbing burning pain that often radiated to my back. I also had bouts of the runs and bad gas.
Worst pain of my life, worse then med free labour.

 

[Nerdy]

for me, my mother, and my sister, gallbladder attacks felt like straight up heart attacks. They SUCKED. No tenderness of the ribs, and usually radiated to the back.

 

[MyFavSurprise]

I also had my gallbladder out (good riddance) but did not feel as you describe... I agree with the PPs, it was like having a heart attack, my mother tried to call the ambulance because I was sweating, heaving, crying in a ball of pain and grabbing my chest, nothing helped at all.. definitely the worst pain I've been in aside from my son's extremely painful labor. I eventually developed pancreatitis after having a ton of attacks and thinking it was indigestion and that everyone dealt with it, lol.. Anyway, I hope what you're dealing with gets figured out and I hope it's nothing serious.

 

[MyFavSurprise]

Reading your post again I was thinking, could it be appendix related? I had mine out earlier this pregnancy and the symptoms seem to vary, and the position changes during pregnancy, I would definitely get it checked sooner rather than later, but I hope it's nothing serious!

 

[pinkpassion]

I had mine out too. It was like the others described, like a knife in there, I lost so much weight I looked like a skeleton... I was 81 lbs the day of my surgery! (7 days after diagnosis), that was 9 years ago and I still get phantom pains (rarely) but when I do its awful!!!!

 

[kdmalk]

Thanks for so many responses! I guess this is why I shouldn't self-diagnose!

I have always had episodes of strange chest pressure, but went to a cardiologist last year (or year before???) and was assured after wearing a monitor that everything is fine. Seems to be unrelated to the pain I am feeling in my ribs.... Which has officially become constant. I still get the weird squeezing in my chest, but it isn't anything that makes me think I'm having a heart attack or anything like that, so it sounds different than what everyone is describing.

What I am feeling right now is a quite painful stinging/burning. With what you guys are describing, it doesn't sound like it is my gallbladder after all. Thank god. Fortunately that means I'm not going to die before I get to the doctor on Tuesday. I do think I'll be awfully miserable from the pain, but I am quite stubborn and probably won't get it checked out any earlier unless I end up in bed in a ball. Sounds like I may be there tomorrow at this rate, but I'm just gonna take it one day at a time.

To the person that mentioned appendix: good thought, but I've already had mine out! Lol. I thought I was destined to just continue losing internal organs one at a time. Haha.

 

[Nerdy]

Y'know... the burning along the ribs almost sounds like when my husband had shingles. Do you have any redness or rash at all? I know it sounds odd, but I also had a friend who never presented with a rash and was absolutely certain that she'd managed to magically break a rib or rip the cartilage between them and was then diagnosed with shingles. It may be worth bringing it up to your healthcare provider. (and yet, both hubby and friend had childhood chickenpox)

 

[MyFavSurprise]

To the person that mentioned appendix: good thought, but I've already had mine out! Lol. I thought I was destined to just continue losing internal organs one at a time. Haha.

hahaha, that's me too..all I have left is my tonsils! My fiance said he's afraid to have any more kids because things keep happening, but I assured him I have almost no organs left to take so it should be okay

 

[pinkpassion]

Haha, I'm the same way, I still have my appendix but my tonsils, wisdom teeth and gallbladder are gone and 2 d&c's, emcs with general anesthesia ... I dread going to dr and having to fill out the "surgical history" portion.... it's quite the list lol

 

[kdmalk]

Went ahead and went to urgent care this morning. Doc poked up under my ribs and said it may be my gallbladder. Said I could go to ER or wait until Tuesday as long as I'm holding down food and water.

I have noticed that I am very nauseous after I eat in the past couple days, so it doesn't look good. I really don't want to wait in ER all day for the same tests my doc will order on Tuesday, so I am going to try to stick it out. Unless I throw up. Then I'll go to ER.

 

[kdmalk]

Nerdy, interesting you mention shingles. It has never crossed my mind. No rash or redness at all. If my lab work doesn't turn up something with my gallbladder, I'll make sure to mention it.

 

[Misscalais]

I hope you do find out what it is on Tuesday then you can find a way to treat it.
The only way to know is from an ultrasound. ( if its your gallbladder )

 

[allforthegirl]

I get tender rib cage while pg, and have with most of my babies. It can be normal with a growing baby. Now not saying it isn't something else, but it can be completely normal.

As for the pain it also can be heartburn/indigestion. I have the same thing and as soon as I take a Zantac I feel a world of a difference. I was actually rolling on the floor in sooooo much pain (I seriously thought I may explode) that my DH just about took me to the ER. But with in about 10 min the pain was completely gone.

I hope that the pain you are getting isn't serious. GL all the best to you.

 

[hellojello25]

Sorry, jumping in from the first tri. I had my gallbladder out at the beginning of June and honestly, when I had an attack it felt like someone was stabbing me in the back with a knife, right by my right shoulderblade. It was horrible, it would wake me up at night (which is when attacks usually take place), and sometimes the pain was so severe I would throw up. I mean, it still could be your gallbladder, but it doesn't sound like the pain is severe enough to be it.

However, the nauseousness is another sign. For years I've had random bouts of nausea for no reason and that disappeared once I got it out, I felt a million times better. Good news: the surgery is really really easy. I went in at 7:30 and was home by 12:30. I wasn't in too much pain and only took the pain pills until Wednesday morning (surgery was on a Monday). I was back to work the following Monday. So fingers crossed for you!