No Diagnosis; Symptoms Persist...GALLBLADDER?!

alexandriax03

It's definitely not your gallbladder. You didn't mention anything about diarrhea. Diarrhea is a big problem when it comes to gallbladder issues.

If it was your gallbladder, something would have shown up on your blood work. Especially your SED rate (amount of inflammation in your body). Average SED rate is 1-20. My SED rate is 52. I have an abnormally high amount of inflammation in my body most likely as a result of Crohn's disease. I haven't had a colonoscopy yet to determine that though.

But don't worry about your gallbladder. If the doctors were worried about it, they would have done a CT scan and or ultrasound. They most likely won't perform these tests unless something shows up in your lab work anyways. That's just how doctors operate due to the expenses.

However, all of your symptoms sound like GERD/acid reflux. Try OTC Prilosec, Zantac, etc. I take a prescription drug called Protonix for my acid reflux.

Synchronicity

Questions I have:
-IS it my gallbladder? If so, can healthy eating cure this, or is surgery inevitable?
-Are the rib pain (worse when lifting or working) and the nausea/digestive related, or just two seperate problems?
-Must I eliminate ALL fats (oils, nuts), and is it healthy to do so?

Nobody on MFP can answer this question conclusively. It could be your gallbladder, but your tests did not support this conclusion. So really, what you need to do is keep pushing your doctors to find out what is wrong. Push, push, push. Seek a second and third opinion. Be vocal. And get the issue fixed.

I do wish you luck!

For the record, I've had my gall bladder removed. Your symptoms sound similar to what I experienced, including the rib pain and nausea (I felt like an alien was trying to push out of my lower rib-cage sometimes).

And no, you don't need to eliminate all fats. Just eat them in small quantities.

Also, it is not healthy to eliminate all fats. You do need essential fatty acids for life.

SanteMulberry

thanks everyone for all the feedback...maybe it IS my gallbladder, even tho ultrasound was normal. many people told me that i should also ask for a "HIDA scan" and other tests...just because my gallby looked normal on an ultrasound (no stones) does not mean that i am completely out of the woods.

the frustrating thing is that, though i DO have health insurance (for the first time in years), my damn deductible is SO HIGH: i have to pay out the first $3,000 out of pocket before my health insurance pays ANYTHING. like most young people working two jobs, i don't exactly have 3000 bucks laying around to spend on a medical wild goose chase that may or may not lead to a diagnosis.

i have already spent $500 just on the tests i mentioned in the original post; they SEEMED to rule some stuff out, but ultimately, yielded no diagnosis

I didn't have stones but when they did a cholecystogram with cholecystokinin, they discovered that my gall bladder was not emptying. When I continued to have nausea, pain and several bouts of fever and severe vomiting, they decided to remove it. Turns out that the duct from my gall bladder to the duodenum was kinked and the gall bladder was calcified, "hypertrophic" and parts were infected. After I recovered from the surgery, I felt great and have had no problems since (and it has been many years). Good luck!

SanteMulberry

It's definitely not your gallbladder. You didn't mention anything about diarrhea. Diarrhea is a big problem when it comes to gallbladder issues.

If it was your gallbladder, something would have shown up on your blood work. Especially your SED rate (amount of inflammation in your body). Average SED rate is 1-20. My SED rate is 52. I have an abnormally high amount of inflammation in my body most likely as a result of Crohn's disease. I haven't had a colonoscopy yet to determine that though.

But don't worry about your gallbladder. If the doctors were worried about it, they would have done a CT scan and or ultrasound. They most likely won't perform these tests unless something shows up in your lab work anyways. That's just how doctors operate due to the expenses.

However, all of your symptoms sound like GERD/acid reflux. Try OTC Prilosec, Zantac, etc. I take a prescription drug called Protonix for my acid reflux.

Yup--it could easily be GERD too. (Hope, for your sake, that it is that as it is a much easier fix.)

alexandriax03

thanks everyone for all the feedback...maybe it IS my gallbladder, even tho ultrasound was normal. many people told me that i should also ask for a "HIDA scan" and other tests...just because my gallby looked normal on an ultrasound (no stones) does not mean that i am completely out of the woods.

the frustrating thing is that, though i DO have health insurance (for the first time in years), my damn deductible is SO HIGH: i have to pay out the first $3,000 out of pocket before my health insurance pays ANYTHING. like most young people working two jobs, i don't exactly have 3000 bucks laying around to spend on a medical wild goose chase that may or may not lead to a diagnosis.

i have already spent $500 just on the tests i mentioned in the original post; they SEEMED to rule some stuff out, but ultimately, yielded no diagnosis

I didn't have stones but when they did a cholecystogram with cholecystokinin, they discovered that my gall bladder was not emptying. When I continued to have nausea, pain and several bouts of fever and severe vomiting, they decided to remove it. Turns out that the duct from my gall bladder to the duodenum was kinked and the gall bladder was calcified, "hypertrophic" and parts were infected. After I recovered from the surgery, I felt great and have had no problems since (and it has been many years). Good luck!

This. You could have delayed gastric emptying.

angel_of_harmony

Have you by chance had your pancreas enzymes checked out? I have had problems with nausea and centralized abdominal pain/discomfort for years. After my dr did some blood work he found that my triglycerides were elevated and that I was experiencing acute episodes of pancreatitus.

May I ask how many grams of fat you eat each day? I find that eating high fatty meals (especially fried foods) triggers my symptoms as well.

Mojoman02

thanks everyone for all the feedback...maybe it IS my gallbladder, even tho ultrasound was normal. many people told me that i should also ask for a "HIDA scan" and other tests...just because my gallby looked normal on an ultrasound (no stones) does not mean that i am completely out of the woods.

the frustrating thing is that, though i DO have health insurance (for the first time in years), my damn deductible is SO HIGH: i have to pay out the first $3,000 out of pocket before my health insurance pays ANYTHING. like most young people working two jobs, i don't exactly have 3000 bucks laying around to spend on a medical wild goose chase that may or may not lead to a diagnosis.

i have already spent $500 just on the tests i mentioned in the original post; they SEEMED to rule some stuff out, but ultimately, yielded no diagnosis

sludge in a gal bladder will not show up in an ultra sound, only stones will. You can still have a bad gal bladder. Make them do a swallow test that traces your food as it digests thru the gal bladder

I am an ultrasound tech and sludge WILL show up on an ultrasound. I'm not a doctor, but your symptoms don't seem like classic gallbladder issues. What about GERD? Maybe you can't eat large amounts because of reflux. Might want to investigate that possibility.

Stinkerbelle84

It's definitely not your gallbladder. You didn't mention anything about diarrhea. Diarrhea is a big problem when it comes to gallbladder issues.

If it was your gallbladder, something would have shown up on your blood work. Especially your SED rate (amount of inflammation in your body). Average SED rate is 1-20. My SED rate is 52. I have an abnormally high amount of inflammation in my body most likely as a result of Crohn's disease. I haven't had a colonoscopy yet to determine that though.

But don't worry about your gallbladder. If the doctors were worried about it, they would have done a CT scan and or ultrasound. They most likely won't perform these tests unless something shows up in your lab work anyways. That's just how doctors operate due to the expenses.

However, all of your symptoms sound like GERD/acid reflux. Try OTC Prilosec, Zantac, etc. I take a prescription drug called Protonix for my acid reflux.

I did not have diarrhea whatsoever when my gallbladder was not functioning. My blood work came back beautiful as well. Only my cholesterol was slightly elevated. My doctor also was not concerned about it. She preferred to treat me for anxiety (Xanax), depression (tons of different anti-depressants that made me depressed), and GERD/acid reflux (Nexium). Ironically, nothing worked to get ride of the pain. She said they were panic attacks. This went on for nine excruciating months. I begged her to run tests on my gallbladder, and she said that she had no reason to think it was my gallbladder. Eventually, I contacted a surgeon directly, and they put some pressure on my GP to run the required tests. I breezed through the ultra-sound with no problems. The HIDA scan was a different story all together. My gallbladder was not diseased, and did not have stones. It just didn't function. Period. Two days later, I was in surgery to have it removed. The doctor said that with the amount of scaring from past infections, he didn't know how I was not in the ER daily.

OP - the HIDA scan is a simple test that will rule out or confirm whether or not it is your gallbladder. I don't recall the price, but it is definitely worth checking into.

jaz050465

Could it be irritable bowel syndrome. If so, research the low FODMAP diet which will help you see what foods cause the problem. It's worked wonders for me.

oxsarahhxo

Didn't read the comments so sorry if this is a repeat of someone else's suggestion - but it definitely sounds like a Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric ulcer. Tests for this infection are in the form of a stool test - sorry but you will have to poo in a pot. This is then tested for the H. pylori antigen, and if antigen is detected then you will be put on an eradication course of antibiotics, and proton pump inhibitors to reduce acid build up in the stomach. It will take a few months but likely you will recover entirely. It is not contagious and it is pretty unknown where it comes from. A lot of the time H. pylori infection does not produce symptoms however that which you describe, coupled with the tests you've had, sound like the symptomatic form of the infection. I hope this helps. Don't forget to let us know how you get on :flowerforyou:

EDIT to add: try chamomile tea in the mornings and try over-the-counter antacids to relieve the nausea.
- PS My partner recently had the same symptoms as you and this is what the doctor told him to do and it worked a treat and he is nicely recovered now.

Syriene

Really thought my issue was gallbladder too, but turned out to be GERD.

http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/reflux-disease-gerd-1

In the meantime, ginger capsules or d-limonene may offer some relief.

sjlawgirl

It's definitely not your gallbladder. You didn't mention anything about diarrhea. Diarrhea is a big problem when it comes to gallbladder issues.

If it was your gallbladder, something would have shown up on your blood work. Especially your SED rate (amount of inflammation in your body). Average SED rate is 1-20. My SED rate is 52. I have an abnormally high amount of inflammation in my body most likely as a result of Crohn's disease. I haven't had a colonoscopy yet to determine that though.

But don't worry about your gallbladder. If the doctors were worried about it, they would have done a CT scan and or ultrasound. They most likely won't perform these tests unless something shows up in your lab work anyways. That's just how doctors operate due to the expenses.

However, all of your symptoms sound like GERD/acid reflux. Try OTC Prilosec, Zantac, etc. I take a prescription drug called Protonix for my acid reflux.

I never had diarrhea with my gallbladder issues.

ThriftyChica12

thanks everyone for all the info!!!!

found a GREAT gastro doc, and he scheduled an endoscopy and HIDA scan...should have some answers really soon!!!

mrsbigfatfatty

I have been dealing with symptoms for about 2.5 years now that are similar to yours only I have been having severe pain in my lower back, chest and stomach since day one. I have all the same "triggers" as you with the exception of exercise, I do fine with strenuous activity. Although stress can trigger an attack for me even if I avoid the trigger foods. There have been a few times where I have been worried about an upcoming trip, or life event that I have given myself an attack. It used to be an issue in the beginning because any time I would feel what I thought was an attack starting I would panic, and make it worse. In the beginning I had an attack 5 out of 7 nights a week, and would start throwing up around 8pm and stop around 4:30 am. They were so bad my teeth are almost see through and I would give myself nose bleeds. They are less frequent now, maybe 2 times during a bad week, but closer to 3 or 4 times a month on a regular basis.

I can't have too much of any single type of food (ie: spicy, salty, sweet, carbs, acid (like pickles, tomatoes, etc) I can't have any caffiene or carbonation, nothing greasy. Pretty much I can drink protein/meal replacement shakes and be safe, as long as nothing but water is consumed after 6:30pm.

I have had an endoscopy, hida scans, ultrasounds, a colonoscopy (they thought it was happening because my bowels weren't moving properly), nutrition and weight management consultations (they originally told me that I was too fat and that's why I was getting the attacks). I lost 70 lbs and I'm still getting them. I did follow the gerd dietary plan for awhile but it didn't seem to alter anything since I had already out myself on such a restricted diet, and I have tried tums, alka seltzer and acid reflux meds and they helped get rid of some of the "burn" associated with the attacks which made them more... Pleasant isn't the right word, I guess it made them more tolerable, but only for a few hours and then it would come back.

It almost stopped all together for about 5 months with only 2 incidents during that time, but it has since started back up again. I exercise regularly, watch all food and water intake, and have tried to keep my stress levels down. The doctors keep telling me that it's my gall bladder (or rather that I have biliary colic which is my bile duct spasms and produces too much stomach acid and that causes the pain and vomiting). All the tests come back that I have a perfectly healthy and functioning gall bladder. I've asked if they could just remove it to make sure and have been told if it's biliary colic they can't because the surgery will upset the bile duct and could make the problem worse.

I don't know what else to do. They keep telling me to lose more weight but not offering any kind of treatment/help to stop the problem while I work on a more permanent solution. (And just to have all the facts out there, I am 5' 5" and when the attacks began I was 260, and I am now 190, I am far from my goal weight but no longer considered morbidly obese)

ccrdragon

if the gallbladder is not functioning, the only thing that will tell you is the HIDA test - my wife went thru this crap for a year and a half (including CT scans and ultrasounds that showed nothing wrong with her gall bladder) before her last gastro performed the HIDA and figured out that her gall bladder wasn't functioning at all (regardless of how good it looked on all of the scans).

she had her gall bladder removed as day surgery (took about 1.5 hours total from going into surgery to going home) and has not had a single problem since then...

I do not wish this on you, but hopefully your gastro can figure it out and get the root cause of the problem fixed (even if it means losing the gall bladder).

skygirll

I had my gallbladder removed but that didn't fix all my symptoms. Then my gastroenterentologist said it was possible I had a hiatal hernia. So I asked my chiropractor and after the first adjustment on my abdomen, most of my pain was gone. it wouldn't hurt to research it, since you are still looking for answers.

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