PAINS and stomach pain since Gallbladder Operation

[spandau1980]

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've only just seen this (finished work an hour ago) - an endoscopy is not too bad tbh - I would highly recommend the sedation! I had an endoscopy done about 4 months ago (my 3rd) and after trying the throat spray the first time, have opted for the sedation thereafter.

You may find you burb a bit after; and have a bit of a sore throat, but it's fine - honest!

spandau, sorry you're still going through this.

DH says to take the sedation too and it's not too bad. Like Bear he had a bit of a sore dry throat. Hope it's easy enough for you and you get some answers.

Hope it went OK, spandau. It's understandable you're feeling down because it's awful to be in pain and not know what it is. You're not alone - we're here.

How did it go Spandau?

Sending good thoughts your way

hi :) it was awful but i coped and the results were normal.. no bile lerking or ulcers...hmmm doctor said maybe my stomach not emptying quick enough any one had similar problem?? having terrible stomach ache each time i eat and the shoulder pain is still on going ... :( ty all for listening :)

hi spandau, i just replied on that really old thread i found before this. but i am still having the pain too. gallbladder removed 10 days ago.
check out american website "gallbladderattacks.com" for diet/food advice.
very depressing. i was hoping for a feast at xmas, not a bloody low fat yogurt...

Glad it went ok for you Spandau.

Thinking back, I had a few attacks like yours after the op; they were over a period of 4 months or so, and my dr said it was a possibility that I had become sensitive to the bile (as it is released all the time after the op, rather than just when I ate), and I could have too much bile when I was eating/digesting food.

Have they done any blood tests and checked your liver function & enzymes? It's worth asking, as the pain possibly/maybe involving your pancreas?

Hello Spandau, that's something then. Let us know if it carries on though.

spandau - I had exactly your symptoms after my gall bladder op. I stil have them 3 year s;later form time to time.

It is due to acid. Certain foods trigger it as does alcohol.

I tried Opemrazol and Ritidine but they didnt agree with me. I now just have to be careful with spicey food and alcohol.

I also take a mail order drug calle Pre-relief recommened by another MNetter. It directly controls acidity in my food. I take that also to control a bladder problem I have that is caused by acidity. I also find that if I get that acid feeling at night it helps if I sit upright rather than lay down.

Get checked out first though before self prescribing.

hiya yoga! yes its bloody frustrating isnt it and no one can tell me sod all.. i think my attacks may also be linked to cocodamol (take for my bad back) and i still have acid type thing going on grrrr... lets just hope this settles down i wanna be a happy mum at xmas not crying all the time cos of the pain... oh had another attack mid day today lasted half hr i rested my head on the sofa kneeling and breathed through the pain cant keep draggin boys to a and e ... having crushing chest pain when i breath in too since endoscopy so bloody worried about my body!! xx

god, you need to get some form of pain relief you can take that will help. i have buscopan as well (for my ibs!) but that doesnt help me.
someone else mentioned pethidine? you need to get your doc to prescribe something.
its so horrible being worried about your body, but at least your endoscopy was clear.
that reminds me, must google if you can take buscopan and cocodamol at same time...(although im pretty sure i have at 3am...)

You can take them both together - co-codamol is pain relief, whereas buscopan is an anti-spasmodic.

Spandau - have you tried Tramadol (brand name Zydol) yet? It's a better pain killer than co-codamol, but not as big a pain killer as pethadine/opiates.

hiya iv got some tramadol just scared it ll bring on an attack this is ridiculous... have alot of right sided pain today like somethings stuck.. but my bloods are clear from a & e yest ( after another attack) :(

oh and im back at work now too trying to juggle that and 3 kids in pain :(

Spandau - tramadol hasn't brought on any attacks for me, it's my only means of pain relief when it really gets going. Don't take it with co-codamol, the side effects (TMI - will really bung you up) aren't good.

Keeping my fingers crossed that they get to the bottom of this soon.

Bearskinwoolie . I have been taking Codeine and was constipated for a week (TMI, sorry) - I didn't realise that was a side effect but do now. Is tramadol ok on that score? I was prescribed some but I was saving it for really bad days as I heard it was stronger and made you drowsy and I have to work. I have my op on Wednesday thank god.

Bambino - Tramadol is a long muscle relaxant as well as providing pain relief; it can make you constipated. I'd been prescribed it prior to my op, and like you was wary as it is a serious pain med; the first time I took it I was mildly dozy, but the next time I didn't have any side effect like that.

It appears that (with me) the more the pain, the less the dozy side effects IYSWIM? (I was prescribed lactulose for the constipation).

Is your op this Wednesday?

starting to feel really sick all the time and full up... this is getting me down as i cant afford to lose any more weight...

Spandau - how are you?

hiya gonna try 8/500mg of co codamol see if that causes problem docs suggested seeing an oesteopath sat i have slipped discs in bak any way so it ll be worth it if it sorts out shoulder pains :s we ll see going to go private as well to get second opinion.. have you had a warm feeling in the centre of ur chest below sternum it doesnt hurt or "burn" feels like a candle flame :s weird.... x

Hey Spandau... when I get that warm feeling, it's the first sign that I'm about to be in serious pain. It's my indicator of an oncoming pancreatic attack.

Hope that the co-codamol works for you - there is a higher dosage version of that too btw.

oh ok i get it and have slight cold warm shaky feelin especially at night?early eve... i have to watch codiene its giving me spasms :( so gonna brave lower dosage as was on 30/500 for my back gonna miss that if i cant have it at all xx

What a shame Co-proxamol was withdrawn, it would have been a better pain reliever for you.

I really hope that things get sorted for you & soon.

has anyone been told WHY we get heartburn afetr gallbladder removal mine is intermitent each day :(

I was told that mine was caused by the bile being constantly released (rather than when I'd eaten).