What do gallstones feel like

[Kalei87]

for a few weeks I have had indigestion starting In the usual normal place for heartburn, centrally in the sternum, I feel like I need to burp, but can’t, then keep getting painful hiccups.

I’ve been taking nexium and gaviscon. This does help with the heartburn but then sometimes it travels down and turns into this pain relentlessly nagging and burning kind of gnawing pain for hours and hours that is more on the right hand side where my rib cage ends. No pain in my back. It feels like I have lots of trapped gas, but I don’t, as nothing is happening other than just having this pain. I have to lie down for ages and eventually it might go away of its own accord but nothing I do helps the pain to go apart from time. I’m not sick otherwise in any other way just this pain is ruining my life! It does hurt if I press on the area a bit

Earlier I felt ok a little bit of indigestion. I ate a normal healthy breakfast but then I was at a kids party and the only food was a slice of pizza, I was hungry, couldn’t leave and no other options so I ate one slice and since then I have been lying down for 5 hours with this pain. Regret regret.

I have nothing to compare this to so just wondered if this sounds like an ulcer or something. I will go see a doctor but just wondered if the 2 things might be related in anyone else’s experience

I didn’t either, my only symptom was pain. I went to a walk in centre and the GP I saw had to be dissuaded from calling an ambulance. She only allowed me to leave under my own steam when I promised to go straight to A&E. I’m not trying to frighten you but this really can’t wait another three weeks. Please go to A&E if you get another attack.

I was told if I had an attack where I couldn't cope with the pain at home then go to A&E, as a fully blocked duct is a medical emergency.

I did as I was told when I had the most excruciating pain which lasted for about 14 hours in the end. 8 hours in with it still getting worse I went to A&E.

I had my gall bladder out less than 2 weeks later.

I had gallstones that were misdiagnosed as indigestion and then acid reflux. After a blood test showing some issues with my liver, I was sent for a scan which showed gallstones. The pain was excruciating and each attack lasted for about 2 hours. I was put on a (long) waiting list for surgery but fortunately(!) the next week the pain got even worse, with vomiting and jaundice and I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. I had emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder and no issues ever since.

I've got gallstones. Had them for years. I got sent for a scan straight away. I know I've got a big one as I saw it on screen!
My sister has had hers out now, but she got misdiagnosed for years. And I swear it's because she didn't have the back pain associated with it...a bit like you? Whereas I did and mentioned that's where most of the pain was.
Used to get it more frequently and worse than I do now. But yeah, the pain is like nothing else I've had. Because there's no let up!
I used to keep a diary of what I'd eat, but so many things used to trigger it, I gave up! Fizzy water once! Anyway, I'm so good at spotting when it's going to happen now, I take co-codamol and it nearly always nips it in the bud now. Mine doesn't happen often enough for them to do anything.
It got me by surprise just before Christmas. What helps is a hot water bottle, sipping apple tea (or peppermint). And painkillers. Riding it out.

Good luck

The surgeons ain't daft !!!!

No surgeon or any other health professional can tell whether you’re in pain or to what degree - no matter how undaft they might be.

Your symptoms sound exactly like mine were when I had gallstones. I'd be on all fours for hours trying to get out a burp or a fart, so convinced it was trapped wind. Pain far worse than childbirth.
By the time I managed to stop getting fobbed off and got an ultrasound I was almost in constant pain and my central pain had moved to the right and was tender to touch.
My gallstones didn't look too bad on the ultrasound but it was December and the doctor was concerned I would be an emergency over Christmas, so they operated straight away. It turned out that my gallbladder was v inflamed and firmly adhered to my liver and the operation took hours. Def was an emergency.
Woke up, felt fantastic, haven't looked back! Felt like a new woman!! Gallbladders, v overrated, everyone should get rid of them straight away!

I called back I can get the appt in 2 weeks.
if it gets worse again I will consider going to A&E

I've not felt even so much as a suggestion of nausea, not everyone does.

Unfortunately there's a real postcode lottery with this, I'm in Cornwall & the wait here for the surgery is very very long & I was told by the ambulance paramedic that A&E would do nothing for me but give me morphine. Ppl I know personally down here have waited years for removal (unless funding privately) even after pancreatitis, yet ppl I know up-country HAVE had it removed soon after an A&E visit for an 'ordinary' attack (they are blokes though & I'm sure that makes a difference 🤨)

Guidance is anything longer than 5/6 hours to go A&E fwiw.

If you can afford a couple of hundred quid then you can get a private US which will definitely be quicker than waiting via the GP to get referred, you'll not get into the waiting list without one.

Hi, Sorry you're dealing with this.
I had my gallbladder removed almost 2 years ago due to a huge gallstone blocking the neck of the gallbladder. Most of my pain was in the upper right quadrant and right shoulder blade but sometimes middle/epigastric and behind belly button.

If you see any jaundice/yellowing of the eyes get to A&E immediately. This can get pretty serious pretty fast.

Where I live there was a 2.5 year waiting list for removal so I had to pay £8K to have private surgery as I just couldn't wait that long. And that was after being hospitalised on a couple of occasions for pain and sickness.

Unfortunately I've had a few problems since removal leading to other digestive issues but it's a trade-off between the pain and dealing with that.

Good luck.

I have sludge in my gallbladder and a polyp. I've spent the weekend in awful pain after a flare up so I'm sending solidarity to @Kalei87.
I was planning on just soldiering on but I think after reading through this thread I'm going to talk again to my GP and possibly check my private health insurance.

Because if you want to jump the queue do it by paying for it privately. Exaggerating symptoms on which Dr's use to make clinical judgments is really very very stupid.

Nobody mentioned jumping the queue.

Exactly my experience and it happened at any time, no food triggers and very quick. The first attack was at school pick up!

Your symptoms sound exactly like mine, I had a scan after visiting the hospital and was diagnosed with gallstones.
There is no one particular food that makes mine grumble and I am on the waiting list to have my gallbladder removed.

I find a warm bath helps a lot, as can a hot water bottle. I was given naproxen to take.

If it's any help to you Derriford run gall bladder surgeries at the weekends. So if that's an option for you rather than Treliske it might be worth talking to your consultant or GP about the 'right to choose' thing.

But I do think to get on the list for urgent surgery you need to present at A&E. Mine was about 9 days after I went in in agony, had it out on a Saturday in Novemeber. I was very surprised with how quickly they dealt with it.

Derriford do what?! That's not been mentioned to me once & I was actively told not to go A&E (treliske obvs). As it is gp surgery messed up my referral so badly (nhs initially rejected u the referral cos the surgery did abs none of the things they were asked to do by the surgical team, then took another month after the rejection for the surgery to even contact me to book me in for tests I'd already had!) I've been referred to the Duchy hospital & so should be done within 8 months now which will be 14mnths or so after initial referral.

The difference in treatment depending on the gp surgery & your location absolutely disgusts & depresses me :(

Mine came on suddenly last month excruciating pain - worse than child birth i was lying on the kitchen floor vomiting into my mixing bowl as i was too ill to find a basin. I thought I was dying. A large stone tge size of a quails egg was blocking my bile duct so my liver function was impacted. Admitted, given morphine and antibiotics and had key hole surgery to remove stone and gall bladder the week before Christmas - released next day. Quick recovery. Entire abdomen painful to the touch but especially the top left

Don't be disingenuous 'What’s wrong with exaggerating the symptoms to hurry it up?'

That is jumping some of the queue of people whose clinical need is greater than yours. Such clinical need is based on symptoms and test results.

Had you bothered to read my post you’d have seen my clinical need, based on the ultrasound, was acute. I had two massive stones (I’ve posted a picture upthread) which were in danger of making my gallbladder burst. It was on the cusp of needing open surgery and the removal was so difficult I needed a blood transfusion due to internal bleeding. The surgeon apologised for the delay, which caused unnecessary complications. So maybe stop picking on me and accusing me of jumping the queue and spouting ignorant, judgemental nonsense.

I didn’t want to frighten you @Kalei87 but that’s why I - and a couple of other posters - have given you the advice we have.

I feel semi confident I know what to be wary of as I had already started to worry about my liver or pancreas so I know what to watch out for, and I would not delay going to A&E if I was in agony, but I am not at this time. If I was sick or unable to move and debilitated with pain I would go. I didn’t have a fever and I didn’t throw up

I will just be honest with my GP about what has been happening and take it from there. I will be asking for an ultrasound and I can advocate for that. I can’t afford any private healthcare. I don’t know how long the waiting list is here either. I assume cases are prioritised on each individual case, if I am just a bit sludgy then I will have to wait longer than someone who has very bad stones causing them pain more often. I will ask to go back on lansoprazole as I still have acid indigestion and it’s not cleared up in weeks with over the counter meds. I have buscopan and I’m watching what I eat

I hope it goes well for you. You’re far better prepared than I was and that’s helpful.

I had a stitch on right rib for months as well as being very gassy and also right back ache, made worse when I ate the wrong thing. I have a hiatus hernia and blamed it on that for ages. Then I had an ultrasound which showed two large gallstones - 25 and 27mm. So niggly pain rather than agony and now waiting for referral to consultant. I believe the agonising pain is caused when the gallstone blocks the bile duct. Hoping I can get mine out before that happens.

Touch wood I am ok today and what I have eaten has not set it off again.

Ive had
dairy free yoghurt
banana
rice, chicken and veg
I did also have a naked pressed fruit bar and 2 tiny shortbread biscuits

I will try to avoid white bread and cheese (which I am gutted about) as these are great big suspects so far!

I don’t know if this is a thing but I wish I could burp, it feels like it would be lovely but it’s very restricted feeling and won’t let me.

what has anyone found is the wrong thing to eat? are there any common triggers?

Your doctor clearly didn't think your clinical need was that high otherwise you would have been prioritised. Had it been life-threatening you would have been dealt with earlier. Perhaps the real issue is the lack of resources to enable immediate relief from health issues rather than keeping them waiting.

Lots of people have gallstones that cause them no issues at all through their lives. And it isn't the 'massive' as you put it, gallstones that create the issues, it's the smaller ones that get into the biliary duct and become trapped. I shan't continue arguing with you. Most people aren't stupid and foolhardy enough to exaggerate their symptoms that could effect the quality of their outcome. It is an incredibly stupid thing to do.