It is me again. Since no one has replied to my message, I thought I would add......... Still in pain.... have noticed that after I eat I tend to feel worse and almost always either have a bowel movement or feel like I need to. I have been on the internet for days and have found I am not alone..... by no means......... have found out that indeed your gall bladder is important and not unessasary. So many people out there are suffering like me....... although I have had no follow up tests this go around...... only right after surgery. I am going back to the doctor on monday and ask for a ct scan, ultrasound maybe a upper gi and barium possibly upper endoscopy to start things off and some kind of test to make sure it isn't my liver. Am truly scared........ I am kind of a hypochondriac but this pain is real. I hope someone replies to this........ I feel quite alone right now......... hard to explain to people how you feel when you have already had gall bladder surgery.......... thanx

Here I am replying to my own message.......... again. Went to the doctor yesterday...... took blood and another urinalysis.......... everything came back fine........ liver........ bilirubin........ kidneys............ everything normal....... he thinks maybe scar tissue..... but thinks it has to do with my reflux........ in two weeks... if I am still experiencing discomfort.......... he said we will repeat tests I had 3 years ago........ no colonoscopy........... and maybe endoscopy........... I guess I will have to wait until then.......... now my pain or discomfort is more in my side and back....... sometimes feels like a cramp........ weird.......... I sure wish someone would respond to my messages........... I am getting tired of replying to myself........ lol

Hello,

I just found this forum and think it's great!

I am having similar pain! I had my gallbladder out 5 months ago and was symptom free (except for 1 day, the third day after surgery, but I had assumed this was scar tissue or something).

Until about 10 days ago, the only "complaints" I had had since the surgery were general discomfort (not pain) when leaning forward a lot and slight nausea (I've never been a nauseous peron).

But 10 days ago I started feeling very similar pains to what you describe... it feels just like I did before I had by GB out... almost constant ache/pain in my upper right abdomen right where by GB used to be. And if I'm busy, I sometimes don't pay attention and feel a little better. I also feel better after a night's sleep but towards the afternoon, I get much more sore, even though I sit at my job most of the day. I also get much more tired than I ever have been (except during early pregnancy).... that has been hard for the doctor to explain. I do get a low-grade fever (99.4ish) most days, but it never goes higher.

These exact same symptoms appeared before my GB was taken out. I would swear they forgot to take it out or something except that I was symptom-free for 5 months.

So far, we have done blood tests (totally normal) and an ultrasound of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, etc. and they were all normal. I'm waiting to hear what the next step is and I'm very frustrated with being in pain, especially after reading this forum and all the people who spend years in pain. From what I've read, this could be a simple stone remaining in the common bile duct, some sort of problem with the bile duct (stricture or scarring or something from the laproscopic GB removal) or Sphincter of Odi dysfunction, which is mentioned here a lot. I have also been told to look into Celiac Sprue disease (gluten intolerance), which runs in my family. But I haven't been to or talked to the doctor since.

Hope that helps to know you're not alone!

Just been reading both of your posts and am in the same situation. Had my gallbladder out two years ago and the last nine weeks I have been in severe pain to the point where I can't walk somedays it's so bad. My pain is in the same place as before I had my gallbladder out. It sometimes feels like stabbing sometimes cramp sometimes it feels like like crushing pain and hurts to breathe.
I have had Ct scan, Ultrasounds, Gatroscopy, numerous blood test and they can't find out what is wrong with me. I thought I was going mad and that this pain was in my head but it's not!

Sorry your both suffering but pleased somebody can finally understand my frustration.
I am going to see the Surgeon on Wednesday so I may take your posts with me to show that others are in the same situation.

Hope your both better take care x

Vtowell;

Sorry you have gotten so few responses. The pain you experience could be due to a postop condition called spasm of the sphincter of oddi. I have it, and I too had no real clinical findings. i gave up seeing western docs, who were less than helpful. I went to an acupuncturist, and i find myself to be mostly pain free. i highly reccommend it. I take a medication before meals called choestyramine whch binds bile, and I find that that also has helped immensely. I went to a pain mangement doctor who gave me pain meds that work, and also a certificate for medical marijuana. I hardly ever use the pain medication. I use a very small amount of MM once per day and find that this has kept most of my symptoms at bay. I hope this information is helpful to you. I know the pain and frustration you experinece. Please see the sticky under "supporter introduction" if you would like to read more.

Vtowell,

I have conditions similar to yours. 20 months ago started feeling pinching sensation in upper right quadrant. More of discomfort than pain. Would normally last 30 min to an hour and then would go away or move to a different area. Had multiple ultrasounds, a CT scan, blood tests, etc. everything was normal.

Symptoms went away for months and would resurface every 3-4 months for a week or so and would disappear. They started again this past summer and I went back to the doc. Another ultrasound that came out fine. No stones in the gall bladder. They gave me a hidascan and my gall bladder didn't show for 3 hours - basically nonfunctional. They removed my gall bladder 1 1/2 weeks ago. It now appears some of my right quadrant sensations are back. It is more of an ache now and moves to far right ribcage. Also have some discomfort in the shoulder blade area and between the two shoulder blades. Docs don't know what it is - they suggest it may be a nerve under one of my ribs. If you are still checking this site would be interested if your docs make a diagnosis.

I had my gallbladder taken out 3 years ago. After the surgery, I felt great for about a year. Then I started getting severe stomach pain that radiated to my back and into my shoulder blades. went for tests and they said I had acid reflux. But, that was not what the pain was from. I usually get the pain when I wake up in the morning, from laying on my back all night long. I take gas-x and I will belch up a lot of air, and most of the time it helps the pain. I had my 4th endoscopy last wednesday. That morning, when I woke up I was having the pain so bad, I could barely breathe. Becuase I was having an attack when they did the test, they found out what was going on. I have bile gastritis. The bile backs up into my stomach, and my stomach creates more acid to try and get rid of it, and it erodes my stomach lining and causes my stomach to bleed.(that is what causes the pain) Then because I have gerd, I am refluxing up bile..its pretty gross. The doctor gave me carafate to try and repair my stomach...we will see if it works.

I have read your messages and I can relate, I have been to the doctor over and over for the same pain after gallbladder removal. All my test came back normal. I am scheduled for a MCRP test in two weeks. Doctor feels it is just scar tissue to. I need feedback

OK - so I am not crazy, even though my surgeon thinks so. I have had all the symptoms described here, but now the pain has moved around into my back and is so painful I feel like I am being stabbed. Sometimes I can hardly draw in a breath. Just had a CT scan yesterday and I am awaiting results. I had my GB removed a year and a half ago, followed by a liver biopsy for what they said was scar tissue. I am seriously worried at this point. While I do not have gerd any longer, this pain has become unbearable and too much. I was painfree for a few weeks until the doctor pressed on my gut where my GB used to be, whcih sent the pain into my back and it has stayed there for a week. THIS SUCKS!!!!

I feel your pain. I had surgery on Feb 11,2008 and never stopped hurting on my right side. I finally gave up with talking with my doctors. They kept saying it was scar tissue. I kept hurting so last month I read this site and decided I was not alone and went back to the doctor with hope that she would have the answere now and I brought your thoughts and pains and she laughed at me. I went off. She then sent me to the Kirkland Clinic for a ultrasound and they called yesterday 04/06/09 and said they found inflammation of the bile duct and now Im getting a new GI DOC and new test at UAB Hospital here in Alabama. I ve been reading about our symptoms and a problem that some people have had with laparoscopic GB surgery. The surgeon cuts the wrong bile duct going from the GB and near the Liver causing bile to build up and cause pain and infection. Need More INFO. Im in severe pain.
kat

I thought I was the only one too! Had gall bladder removed 5 years ago. Two years ago, I started having similar symptoms to those listed by everyone here. Right now, in my upper right quadrant (where gall bladder was) I am sore with a "burning" sensation. Having a CT scan this week. Thanks to everyone for your posts. I can take them with me to doctor.

I had my gallbladder removed in Nov 08 and I have been in pain ever since. My right upper quadrant hurts all the time. I get many of the same symptoms others have listed. I found an article on the Mayo clinic site that talks about bile reflux which is common in people that had their gallbladder removed. It's different than acid reflux or gerd. I have an appointment with my new doc coming up this month so I am going to get tested for it. I have been talking protone pump inhibitors 2x a day and they don't help, really tired of feeling like I am having a heart attack! Hope they can figure this out.

i just had my GB removed a week ago and i have all the same symptoms again...had an attack a few days ago and now have a dull pain every day, all day on right side of rib cage...fell like surgery was a waste!!! frustrated and feeling hopeless that no doctor can understand my pain.

now searching for a new GI and starting the testing process all over AGAIN. will take your feed-back with me.
thank you for the info! i don't feel like i am suffering alone.

I am so relieved to find this site!! I feel like I am crazy and I wonder if my doc. thinks so too! I had my gallbladder out a year in a half ago and experience chronic pain on the right side, it often feels like something is inside there pushing on my ribs. It also hurts when I lay against a pillow or anything that pushes into my side. I also, have been told it's GHERD and have tried two different type of pump-inhibitors, neither worked! I am at a loss and its scary to have a pain that you know is real but they can't find. After a while they just look at you like you're a big baby and it's frustrating because I have always had a very high pain tolerance. I also am experiencing so many stomach and chest problems which is why they said it's all related to Reflux disease but my question is then why doesn't the medicine for reflux fix the problem??
If anyone gets a diagnosis please post it, so that the rest of us can maybe get tested too.