To want this pain identified?

[stillinfreakingpain]

Back story, had pain in my upper stomach area for a few months now.
Like a dull dragging pain, upper right hand side, around where your liver/gall bladder would be apparently.
I have had sssooo many tests. Blood tests, stool tests, urine tests, an ultrasound scan. All tests have come back normal.
It’s not gallbladder, it’s not liver, there’s nothing they can see in that area.
It feels like a lump deep inside and when I strain it hurts more.
Google suggests a hernia, but would they have spotted a hernia on an ultrasound?
I’m also getting bouts of very mild heartburn/acid reflux, but I have put on weight which could be why.
Gp is saying extensive tests have been done and they can’t find anything, but I kind of want to know why I’m in pain every day.
Acid reflux meds for a month solid did nothing to stop the pain by the way. Stopped the heartburn tho!
When should I stop pestering the doctor regarding the pain?

Sounds like gallbladder to me. I had problems for 18 months before it was diagnosed.

Oh lord. I've been in weird pain since Tuesday, this all sounds familiar, but mine feels like it's moving round in my stomach and I can't sit up without feeling it. If I press my fingers into my stomach, it's properly painful/sharp. Now I'm wondering if it's even worth phoning for an appointment.

It’s definitely not gallbladder. The pain isn’t in the right place, it’s more behind my bottom rib. Also the pain isn’t typical of gallbladder, it doesn’t get worse after fatty meals. And the ultrasound showed it to be totally clear.
Plus something can show on blood tests I believe, but that was clear too.
Doctor said maybe gastritis, or duodenal ulcer?
But it’s definitely a feeling of a lump or bulge which is more painful when bending.

An abdominal wall hernia may be seen on ultrasound but not always. However it should be apparent on clinical examination and you’d expect to see a lump on your abdominal wall - in fact that’s what people generally complain of. A hiatus hernia will not be seen on ultrasound - it needs an endoscopy to diagnose. However they do not generally cause pain, unless extremely large and in that case wouldn’t cause the sort of pain you describe. If a trial of PPI hasn’t worked then unlikely to be anything you would see on endoscopy.

I see lots of people with similar stories to you. I generally request a CT scan, which is nearly always normal, but reassures patients. The pain usually disappears of its own accord.

@welshweasel I’m at my wits end.
Been off the omeprozole for a week, and I’ve got a sore throat, cough and bitter taste in the back of my throat, so although it wasn’t helping the pain it was definitely helping something.
Even considering taking anxiety medication as I’ve had a stressful few months at work and apparently anxiety can cause rib/abdominal pain. Well according to google anyway! I don’t feel particularly anxious, but definitely stressed!
Willing to try anything at this point 😩

So. Day 1 of slimming world, I’ve eaten low fat/fat free all day and the pain under my rib is almost non existent for the first time in months.
So ultrasound showed nothing wrong with my gallbladder, but eating no fat makes the pain stop? Would it even happen that quickly, or is it just coincidence?

It's normal for the ultrasound to not show anything in the gallbladder at first as the stones start off to small to be seen. If fat free is really helping as for a referral for sugary. The surgeon will be able to tell if it will help or not and you'll get a better idea of what is happening.

What's happening to you right now is exactly what happened to me 10 years ago, pain, clear ultrasound, and stumped doctors. I suffered for 5 years with constant pain, too scared to eat until a new ultrasound showed large stones. Surgery cured me overnight and I felt amazing the second I woke up. Don't leave it as long as I did, it's one of my big regrets in life that I let myself suffer for so long.

Eating fat free works instantly as fat causes your body to produce more bile to help digest it. Bile is stored in the gallbladder and it pumping to move the bile around makes the stones move. No fat means less bile and less movement in the gallbladder.

Don’t stop pestering your GP as you haven’t yet had all the differential diagnoses excluded. It could be a hiatus hernia or even a small congenital diaphragmatic hernia. You should be referred to a gastroenterologist for a barium meal and endoscopy. Good luck!

My gallbladder had no stones, so my doctor sent me for a test called a PIPIDA scan. It showed that my GB was barely functional. I had it removed and it's been a lot better.

As an aside, here in the US we call it a hiatal hernia. I love all the little language differences!