Gallbladder pain. How much pain is 'normal'?

[grumpygallbladder]

I am in such pain with my gallbladder and would appreciate some advice. I had a scan in 2019 so I know I have at least one gall stone. I have had no serious gallbladder attacks since then up until about 2 months ago when I felt absolutely awful. I was given antibiotics and they helped. On Monday the pain started again and I have been in so much pain. I went to the GP today and was given tramadol. This time I didn't have my temperature taken or my blood pressure, I already take cocodamol regularly for chronic pain and was told today as the cocodamol doesn't help at all I could add tramadol in too. I wasn't given antibiotics this time. The tramadol is doing nothing to help. I have taken both tablets together and am still in pain. I can't sit/lie/stand comfortably, it hurts to take a deep breath. Will this just ease off or should I have tried to get antibiotics again? Should I call the GP again tomorrow? I almost feel panicky because it hurts so much and I don't know how to make the pain stop. My Apple Watch is suggesting I have been exercising as my heart rate keeps going high with the pain.

Thank you for all your advice. I have called 111 and am waiting for a clinician to call me back

Birth was less painful. Nothing touched the pain other than morphine. I found heat and I mean really hot water bottle helped. May not be medically advised but it provided some relief.

Good luck OP. It's horrendous to go through and I hope you get treatment and relief soon 💐

I was in AGONY with mine. Painkillers didn’t touch it.
I was very ill too- I was in and out of hospital for a year (during pregnancy) from complications due to my gallstones. I had Obstructive jaundice, cholecystitis, and pancreatitis.

IF YOU START YO HAVE UNCONTROLLABLE ITCHING OR YOUR URINE IS DARK (COLA), OR YOUR POO TURNS VERY LIGHT (CLAY)— Go to the hospital immediately xx

You do need to see someone at the hospital asap OP, prolonged pain like that is a sign of it being a serious problem. I have gallstones, and get pain like you're describing, and nothing, not even oramorph has any effect on the pain. I was told to take buscopan as that might relax the duct enough to pass the stone when I have an attack, but if it doesn't to go to A&E and be potentially looking at emergency surgery to remove the gall bladder. So far when things start to twinge I've taken buscopan and it's stopped it getting any worse, but of I was experiencing what you are then honestly, I'd already be at A&E.

Mine was so bad I spent every attack either on my hands & knees with my bum in the air mooing or kneeling on the stairs with a hot water bottle on top of my gallbladder. I was prescribed dihydracodeine & anti sickness medication.

Such horrific pain OP. I thought I was having a heart attack the first time. GP didn’t diagnose correctly. After 7 months, I used medical insurance to book my own gastro consultation. Ultrasound the same day. I had gallstones blocking my bile duct and ended up with pancreatitis a couple of days later. Excruciating. A couple of weeks in hospital, then gallbladder removal.

Hope you get the referral quickly.

My GP said I was young (at the time) and slim… so for some reason she didn’t consider gallstones 🤦🏼‍♀️

I'm relieved you've called 111, OP, and I hope you get help soon. Sending sympathies. Gallbladder pain is excruciating.

I had stones removed from my bile duct and then my gallbladder out in January and I'm still grateful for my recovery every day. I can eat whatever I want and no longer suffer pain. I hope you get the operation ASAP.

111 called back and they have given a prescription of amitriptyline to start taking tomorrow night. Tbh if I am still feeling this bad tomorrow I will either go back to the GP or the hospital

Honestly that is a totally weird response to someone with known gallstones reporting gallbladder pain

It's a struggle to understand the reasoning

Please just go to A+E if you aren't improving

I agree. I have gallstones and while I once had quite severe pain it was quickly fixed with tramadol. I've never experienced anything like the pain I read about on MN (thank goodness!). If the painkillers aren't helping you really need more attention.

I reacted badly to amitryptiline, OP. Just to.let you know.

That is absolute rubbish . Amitryptiline is not an appropriate pain relief for a gallbladder flare up. You have clearly not been assessed by a clinician with appropriate knowledge s experience OP.
You have tried to do the right thing. The next step is to present to A and E - 6 am is a good time to go as usually the quietest . They should do your bloods and organise a scan.

If this were me (and I've had a couple of gall bladder attacks and know how excruciating they can be - I thought I was having a heart attack) I would take myself to hospital and refuse to leave until they do something and arrange a surgical consult. Taking opiods for pain indefinitely, with no plan for surgery is ridiculous- not only is it dangerous but it is also obviously massively impacting your quality of life.
As a HCP, sadly I see that too many people are really having to fight and advocate for themselves against a system that just wants people out of hospital as soon as possible.

I had frequent gallbladder attacks before mine came out and while they were the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life and I thought that the pain was actually going to kill me, they were only attacks that would last for a couple of hours tops. The rest of the time I was sore, but not in that much pain. I'd say yours definitely sounds different and doesn't sound right at all. And I doubt amitryptaline will do anything helpful at all.

I have gallbladder problems and this sounds wrong to me. Ive been told to go to A and E if the pain is very severe or not stopping. As there can be complications.

I've had my gallbladder out now but when I was at my worst I was admitted to hospital due to a blockage and monitored for 5 or 6 days to ensure it was OK for me to go home. Another woman in at the same time wasn't so lucky and had to have her operation done there and then but was told its not ideal due to everything being inflamed etc.

Until I was back in for my removal I took buscupan at the first sign of pain. If you have that now I would take it, even if you end up going to the hospital.

After 3 days I'm actually surprised they haven't told you to go straight to A&E. It's horrendous pain.

Worst pain ever. It started during pregnancy and it would last for hours. I would vomit violently and writhe and cry. I remember vomiting so much I couldn't breathe and I was sure my baby couldn't survive whatever it was. I went to A&E where they diagnosed me with indigestion and gastritis and I was given Omeprazole.

This continued every month or so, the worst pain ever and every time I thought I was dying. Eventually, months later my SIL suggested gallstones so I went to the GP who referred me for a scan but also told me if I was unable to stand up with pain I needed to go to A&E. I told her last time they'd seemed annoyed with me for turning up and she told me to go anyway.

Well the next day it happened again and honestly the pain was no worse than all the other times I'd had it - it was the standard excruciating, keeled over, writhing pain I'd come to know very well. I went to A&E and it turned out a stone had got stuck and it had got infected and I was starting with jaundice. I was put in hospital for a week.

I guess I was just very lucky that I decided to go in that day as the pain was no different to how it had been every time before and I only went in because the GP encouraged it. Otherwise I'd have stayed at home like always.

It was removed a few months later and I'm completely fine now.

It simply must come out. I wish I'd gone to A&E every time. I can't compare it to childbirth as I had an emergency c-section but I'd genuinely rather go through c-section recovery three times over than have even an hour of gallbladder pain ever again.

Feel so sorry for you OP. It's horrendous.
Any sign of yellowing? Fingers, toes, eyes?
Mine was left too long and I became jaundiced.

Please go to A and E tonight. Don't leave it any longer.

Please go to a&e.
Did your gp at least take bloods? I had emergency gall bladder surgery after a bad episode, severe infection, large 37 mm stone) stuck in my gall bladder, developed pancreatitis and was extremely ill. The surgeon said I was close to perforating.
Then it was complicated surgery because I'd left it so long, and ended up with a surgical drain for months.
Cholecystitis is a progressive disease. It won't get better. It needs sorted.

I'm worried by the response you've received from 111, OP. When my gallbladder was infected, I was put on regular doses of co-amoxiclav (antibiotic), 30mg of codeine and paracetamol. The surgeon told me that codeine is the best medication for treating gallbladder pain at home.

Please go to A&E and get properly assessed. I'm surprised you weren't advised to do that by 111.

I was rolling around on the floor and vomiting bile, had it removed the next day as went to a & e because no meds were touching the pain

I had gallbladder attacks on and off for a couple of years. I would have one and then nothing for weeks.
After a few months of not having having I had an attack, two days later another and then I was in pain more often than not. I went to A&E and was admitted to
to an infected gallbladder, a stone had got stuck in a bile duct
but thankfully moved itself. I had IV antibiotics. My gallbladder was removed 3 months later as that was the soonest urgent slot.

I really recommend going to A&E. are you jaundiced?

Worst pain I've ever had. It felt like something trying to give birth through my rib cage. Nothing touched it.

Get some buscopan, it really does help stop the spasms of your gallbladder squeezing the stones. I had a really bad attack after I had a date for my operation & somehow passed a massive stone that more than doubled the size of the exit from my gallbladder. When I had the operation, my gallbladder was empty but stuck to my liver, my surgeon nearly had to change over from keyhole to open surgery. The operation was a breeze, I went home less than 3 hours after & was sat watching soaps by 7.00pm even though I didn't go to theatre until 2.00pm, I was back driving 24 hours after & out at an event 3 days later all day. I was able to eat whatever I wanted straight away, I had fish & chips the night after I had it done.