Random excruciating upper abdo pain?

[Elephantina]

I haven't eaten much today, not for any real reason, but when I ate a bagel, within about 20 minutes there was something that felt like incredible pressure building at the bottom of my stomach. It felt a bit like hunger, I waited for it to pass but it built and built to an excruciating pain, just below my breastbone radiating into my upper back.

I ended up tearing my bra off (not as erotic as it sounds) and crouched hunched over on the floor. When deep breathing exercises and sips of water didn't help, I lay down on my side - and it eased within minutes.

I sat back up again, and in 20 minutes had another intense wave. I quickly lay down again, and it eased. Since then, it has threatened once or twice and I've felt uncomfortable, but it hasn't built up as badly as the first two episodes (each lasting 10-15 mins).

I don't feel in the least bit unwell, no fever, no nausea or vomiting, no diarrhoea (faintly upset tummy earlier but I have IBS anyway). I have no gallbladder, and this pain was far worse than any of my gallbladder attacks. I do suffer from oesophageal spasms, this was very similar but much further down - around my stomach, not my gullet.

Any thoughts? No point speaking to a GP unless it goes on for a week or there are other symptoms. I've eaten a bit of dry toast this evening and had no repeat performance so far...

Bump, only because MN successfully identified what was potentially gallbladder pain a couple of years ago, leading me to see the GP and ask for a scan - MN was right and I had it removed 8 months later!

Gallstones - the pain is exquisite. Harmless, believe it or not.

Yikes, sorry - you might have them in your pancreas, ask GP. Get an ECG too.

Sounds exactly like gallstones.

Sounds like gallbladder pain. I had this on and off for a number of years. Gradually got worse so i had my gallbladder removed. It’s an awful pain. Worse than childbirth towards the end. Hope it’s just a one off for you x

Op doesn't have a gallbladder

I had that this week it was a type of gastritis without the yuckiness.

I've been to the doctor 3 times and a&e (due to 111) they gave me gastro tablets to take and I'm on pain killers too.

Mine is high abdo and lower abdo/uterus pain with a sore spine at the top/bottom, both a dull pain, a stabbing pain and a sharp uncomfortable feeling.

Sounds like you have some stones back again.

It did feel quite gallstone-like, although the location was different, but as I mentioned I've already had my gallbladder out.

The op was 18 months ago and I've been fine - if I had some stones left behind in the bile duct, wouldn't I have noticed it before now? This was far more painful than gallstones, but much shorter in duration.

Interesting about gastritis, as I was curled up on the floor I wondered if it was some kind of bug. My appetite is poor, but I don't feel unwell as such. Funnily enough my spine hurts, but that's how I've been sitting in a caravan for 3 days!

I have some mild discomfort now, just some twinges. Weird.

I don't feel sticky I have felt nauseous maybe a couple of times over the past 7 days but it's generally been spre swollen abdomen with tenderness and bad back.

I had what felt like a gallbladder attack a few month back. Couldn’t work out why I had an attack without a gallbladder. Apparently you can. Google it! There’s about 50% chance of pain reoccurring

The trouble with googling anything is that you get a very small sample of terrible things that have befallen a limited number of people who have had a gallbladder op! I know there are a couple of MNers amongst those, Dahliaa how are you if you're reading!

Although this pain was worse than any of my attacks prior to having it removed, and it was in roughly the right place (more central than right though), I personally think it's unlikely that I could've been symptom free for 18 months before a rogue stone rematerialised. It was also very shortlived - absolute dementing crippling agony, but only for about 10 mins, in two waves. I hope to God it doesn't come back for longer, I was panting like a lunatic.

I've eaten today, just porridge, and I'm absolutely fine. Very mysterious.

Oh bollocks, I googled. You can actually DEVELOP stones 8n the bile duct even after having the gallbladder removed, and it can take 3 years for them to manifest!

Feck, THAT'S why I don't Google.

I had a similar pain once, and like you, I have no gallbladder. I thought I might be having a heart attack. Like you, I removed my bra, and I was on all fours groaning. I put up with it for four hours. An emergency doctor came...and diagnosed indigestion. Shortly after I was violently sick and felt a lot better. It could be indigestion, it could be another sneaky gallstone, but whatever, I would get it checked out by a doctor.

Hmm...I'm not a great vomiter, the pain was bad enough that I thought there had to be an inevitable outcome at one end or the other, but no vomiting or backdoor tsunami ensued. I was never sick with my massive gallstone either (the had to break it up to get it out apparently, I've got a picture of one piece of it).

I guess I'll wait and see if it happens again before making an appt. Oh bloody hell it better not be another gallstone - pity they can't remove the redundant bile duct instead of just clamping it (there is an MNer who is a surgeon and does cholecystectomies all day long, but I've forgotten her name so can't tag her to ask).

Sounds like pancreatitis, particularly the pain going through to your back.

Yes, it certainly matches for pain, although fortunately for me I think I would be much more unwell - with at least some fever and nausea.

I guess it could be a forewarning of a new stone forming. I don't think a GP will take two short episodes of acute pain terribly seriously, I better wait until I'm incapacitated for at least a week.