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Original poster

PAINS and stomach pain since Gallbladder Operation

90 replies

spandau1980 · 02/11/2011 17:02

Dear All, im hoping for some answers and support as i m at my wits end as a single mum and in so much misery!
Basically i had my gallbladder out 5 weeks tomorrow, i have had since i woke up right sided pain in my breast area and in my back and shoulder blades. 2 weeks after my op i had an "attack" of some sort as never had full blown gb attck(mine was infected) i assumed it was acid.. it went on for 4 hours then since then ive had what i thought was acid reflux? so took pantoprazole to no avail... i have pain right ALL the time and increases if i eat, i also hav a pain in the centre of my sternum area.. luckily no Heartburn which is odd... anyone have these..docs at a loss, pain is so bad in shoulder some times i cry and pain relief doesnt help... scheduled for endoscopy soon... PLEASE any one had these sympoms and found an answer or resolved in time! I WAS TOLD ID BE BETTER OFF POST OP BUT IM TEN TIMES WORSE OFF AS NOW IN PAIN 24/7 OH and i have stomach ache alot and bloating, no diarreah (sp) and feel like ive not eaten for 6 months each morning my stomach hurts so badly... im so deperate for answers and advice.. DOCTORS are USELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:

HedgeHop · 02/11/2011 17:18

This sounds awful - I hope someone can help and will be interested to see what's said. Did you have keyhole surgery? I had my gallbladder out (not keyhole) and still get episodes of bad pain across my front sometimes, which are still unexplained. It's just a thought, but when you had the op, did they use something called a 't-tube'? I had one in for several days after the op because there was a stone in my bile duct and they had to make sure there were no others left. Maybe you could ask whether there's a possibility you could have a stone left in the bile duct (although it's likely you'd have some jaundice if that was the case). I do hope the endoscopy provides some answers, and if it doesn't I'd ask for an ultra-sound scan. Keep going back to your doctor - I know what agony this pain is, it really is a nightmare.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 02/11/2011 17:55

Thankyou for posting..
no i didnt have at tube? i was sent home after 4 hours!! whilst fainting!!!!

i am hoping it is a stone ,so at least it may explain pain? dont worry im so upset and in so much pain ive been back so much! my doc was arguing it was acid but if thats the case why doesnt anything help medicine wise/diet wise? the only time i dont have this awful pain is once ive gone to sleep and not eaten for a few hours? so its got to be food related then? just wished they d mentioned this b4 my op as i would nt have had it out!!!!!!

OP posts:

HedgeHop · 02/11/2011 18:06

Yes, if it's a stone that would explain the pain, and they'll be able to remove it. I used to find a really hot water bottle helped a little bit, clamped to where the pain was. I hope they get you sorted soon.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 02/11/2011 19:54

Thats what ive been doing and hot baths, shame i cant live in a hot tub lol... are your pains all sorted now then? :)

OP posts:

alwaysme · 02/11/2011 20:25

Poor you, I feel your pain. Sounds just the same as I had after gall bladder surgery. Couldn't believe it when within a few days was in pain again and it was definitely triggered by eating.

In my case 3 stones were found stuck in the bile duct which had caused pancreatitis. The pain was very similar to gall bladder but across the top of stomach into back. A good clue is if you vomit during attacks, also watch your urine, if it turns dark brown then that points to stones stuck in bile duct.

Hope you get sorted soon.

ChrissasMissis · 02/11/2011 21:04

Sounds like it could possibly be an ulcer....I have had the type of pain your describe on and off for about three years. I was investigated for gallstones, but nothing was found. My new GP recently suggested that I probably have a peptic ulcer. I find the pain goes when I eat, which makes it distinct from a gastric ulcer, where the pain is exacerbated by food. I'm told the two are often confused/connected.

PinterestQueen · 02/11/2011 22:03

I read everything I could before I had my op and one thing which popped up quite a lot was Postcholecystectomy syndrome

Maybe it could be something to discuss with your consultant/GP?

Original poster

spandau1980 · 03/11/2011 08:54

Going to my gp again today and i ll ask about ulcer and pcs too... i just want this to end.. keep waking up hoping its gonna be the start of me feeling well, but by 8am i feel rubbish and off on another day of misery...sorry to sound so fed up but its 5 weeks of everyday feeling rubbish and was fairly well prior my op :(

OP posts:

PinterestQueen · 03/11/2011 19:12

How did you get on?

Original poster

spandau1980 · 03/11/2011 20:18

hiya he didnt think it was an ulcer hmm and he put me on some stomach emptying tablets called domperidone sounds like a dinosaur to me lol, and keep taking the antacids... any one had bile reflux cos of this surgery even briefly? im startiing to worry as surely pain all day that i cant wk isnt normal!!! nor safe for my body if it is refluxing.:(

OP posts:

PinterestQueen · 03/11/2011 21:18

Has he said how long to give it?

catmadcaz · 03/11/2011 21:46

I have similar symtoms since having my gallbladder removed 16 months ago. I have had a camera put down (can't remember the name) and they found bleeding in the stomach gastritis they said it was. It is really painful in the front of my chest and in my back in between shoulder blades.

The treatment is omeprazole tablets and a low fat diet. It flares up every so often so I have the omeprazole to hand it takes a few days to a week to settle down. Antacids like gavisgon have no effect on it.

I am begining to think that it may be something to do with the bile coming out all the time not just when needed. I may be wrong it is just what I think.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 04/11/2011 08:47

if it works indefinatly :S not happy about that!

hi catmadcaz.... do you have pain free days after they sorted out wat causes your flare ups... just want to know if ill ever feel "normal" again.. and can you eat reasonably well? im still waiting for my camera thingy (endoscopy) fingers crossed a) they can tell me what it is and b) its curable and fixable :)

OP posts:

catmadcaz · 04/11/2011 19:59

Hi spandau, yes I do have painfree days. I have to be careful what I eat as somethings really set it off. It was trial and error at first finding out what was ok. It is basically very low fat, nothing fried,spicy or very acidic like citrus fruit/juice and worst of all no chocolate!!!

catmadcaz · 04/11/2011 20:08

I see from your original post that you have tried a pantoprazole did you only take one?( They sound very similar to what I take.) As the omeprazole tabs do not work imediatley they have to be taken for at least 3 days before they start to work. I also have to double the dose for a few days until it settles then reduce it then stop.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 07/11/2011 09:10

no i took it for a week but to no effect... going to continue, tried a stomach emptying tab but that caused me to have really bad stomach cramps (i think because my stomach sooo empty any way as im not eating much) did you ever have bouts of it being sooo painful ur on the floor panting til it passes.. had one fri night after takin the stomach emptyin tabs think because my stomach was soo empty it caused acid to come up really badly into my chest?!

OP posts:

HedgeHop · 07/11/2011 16:29

Hello OP, just come back on after being away a while and wanted to check how you are as I've been thinking of you.

I don't know what it is you have but I too have bouts of it being so painful I'm on the floor panting till it passes. That is exactly what I have. When it's there I can hardly breathe, and I feel like I'm going to die (really) and then it goes and all's back to normal. I have this maybe a couple of times a year now. Being very stressed makes it worse. I've been to dr's/hosps, and the last thing I was told was that I'd made a new stone in my liver and when it shifts about it will hurt (they've given me 4 pethidine tablets, of which I've taken two). I don't know if this is right though, and have never had a proper answer. I really feel for you, and feel angry for us both that there doesn't seem to be much help.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 07/11/2011 17:59

yea its scary isnt it? and no one seems to care or look into the cause! saw my consultant today and he said prob dyspepsia take some antacid "I AM" grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
he was all for havin me in and whippin my gb out tho shame he cant give me answers now !! sharon x

OP posts:

HedgeHop · 07/11/2011 18:42

Spandau, if the pain you feel is anyting like the one I have, it is not dyspepsia.

You did the right thing having your gallbladder out.

It's awful to be in such pain and you shouldn't have to be. You know how you feel - don't them tell you otherwise. x

Bearskinwoolies · 08/11/2011 04:49

I have had problems like yours since I had my gallbladder out in 2007. I was readmitted a couple of days after surgery with a stone blocking my common bile duct, which caused pancreatitis.

Since then I've had all your symptoms plus the diarrhoea, and after LOTS of investigations, including cameras up and down, the hosp believe I have post cholecystectomy syndrome and low level chronic pancreatitis.

I can't stress enough how important it is to keep pushing them to get you diagnosed. Hope things get better for you.

Original poster

spandau1980 · 08/11/2011 11:22

hiya bearskinwoolies , im so sorry this is no fun at all is it?! how long ago did u have yours out.. and more importantly has it settled a bit for you and managable? what medication are you on if any... sharon xx

OP posts:

Original poster

spandau1980 · 08/11/2011 11:25

hi hedgehop what meds are you on if any and are you having less pain these days i mean comes and goes... mines constant at the moment and just would like a few pain free days now and again! this is so miserable why cant they tell us what this is if theres so many of us in pain!? xx

OP posts:

HedgeHop · 08/11/2011 17:12

Hi Spandau, I have less pain these days and I'm not on anything. I have bad attacks of pain two or three times a year now. It used to be more, and the rest of the time I'm fine. When they happen it's terrible but otherwise I don't think of it.The last doctor I saw gave me 4 tablets of pethidine to use when the pain gets unbearable - I've got two tablets left.

My pain hasn't been constant like yours though so I'm not sure whether it's the same or what to suggest, but I understand what it's like to be in terrible pain and have no one listen or understand. It is awful when you try to tell people you're in agony and then have them not understand, or dismiss it.

Before I had my gall bladder out I was told for months it was indigestion and/or a bad back, and it turned out my agony was because my gall bladder was about to burst. It seems it's hard to convey agony to people and I don't understand why they won't listen.

I wish I could help you. All I can say is, trust yourself: you know you are in pain, you shouldn't be, and someone should listen and help you. It makes me mad that it can be so much of a struggle to get heard.

You will get through this.
x

Bearskinwoolies · 08/11/2011 17:33

Hey Spandau - I'm fairly settled these days; I take pantoprazole daily, but the thing that keeps everything under control is an ultra low fat diet - max 20g fat a day in total. If I eat above that, I get flare ups of the pancreatitis, which means tramadol, prochloperazine and lots of vomiting. So I stick to the diet.

Apparently the body doesn't recognise that the gallbladder is gone (in some cases) and acts as though the problems are still there, with all the side effects.

Sending good thoughts your way

Original poster

spandau1980 · 09/11/2011 17:19

thankyou both been feeling really down and alone in all this... your support is truely appreciated... having endoscopy tomorrow and scared have you had this done? whats it like? x

OP posts:

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