No gallstones seen, still pain there, doc says go to A&E but don't want to!

[DaysieGoneBananas]

Last year had the same pain under right ribs and up into my back. Scan showed no stone in gall bladder. Started again 6 weeks ago. Really tender (screamed when Doc pressed on it) on my right side. Can't sleep tonight. Had a scan and no gallstiones were seen but the pain is still severe and Doc says can't understand why scan didn't show anything (she seemed to be saying I was putting it on)
She said she would refer me to a surgoen to see what to do. Been checking with receptionists and I haven't been referred yet. Its kiling me and Dr said to go to A and E if pain got too bad but I feel like I'm a fraud and that I can't just aske them to make it stop hurting. Its just pain. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen son't make a dent in it and Dr wouldn't give me anything else. I just sit with my hot water bottle. Grit my teeth and bear it seems to be the way to go.
Anyone have

1. any idea what else it could be besides gallstones (have got a slightly fatty liver but nothing significant and gallbladder lining is thicker than usual)
   
2. any ideas on how to get rid of the pain. REALLY wouldn't liek to go to A and E as would feel like I was putting it on.

[Rachierou1206]

Maybe the stones are so small they can't be seem. I had my gallbladder bladder removed 3 months ago later and now i feel like I got stones again I'm having Uti all the times but can't find a reason, I'm fed up of visiting the doctors as they send me to the hospital and they keep telling me same thing we can't find anything as the scan is coming back fine. The gallbladder is a weird organ I don't think the doctors understand it tbh themselves tbh I've had a doctor tell me they don't understand the gallbladder if they don't how can we x there is a chance a and E will send you home with tramadol that works with paracetamol and the GP hands are tied tbh that's the issue x

[Le1890]

Hi I’ve not read full thread but just to chime in I had a similar pain a couple of years ago. Was so sore I was put on morphine when I went to a&e. This went on for days on end, couldn’t lie down, couldn’t sleep or eat was just crying with pain. It wasn’t gallbladder as they had originally thought but yes was also burning acid. I didn’t have any chest pain just front stomach, right ribs through to back.

Was given high does it lanzoprazeole and told to drink gavascon in between and was away within couple days. Consultant diagnosed it as esophagitis.

I now need to be on low dose once a days as if I stop after couple of weeks it starts to come back.

Hope this helps x

[kg091265]

DaysieGoneBananas - I have same problem as yours.... how are you doing now? Did you get your gallbladder out? How did you manage your pain?

[gingeroots]

DaysieGoneBananas sorry you're having this trouble .

It does seem the norm for the consultants to whisk you back to GP once they've completed the UGI .

I would persue it with GP ( please do ) ,stress other pain is still there and ask about follow up checks for your nodule . How often will they be ?

Have you tried sleeping propped up on some pillows in a more upright position ?

I have hiatus hernia ,gastric reflux and a nodule and I also had nagging right side pain ( was convinced liver damage ) .

The other symptoms persist but weirdly the right sided pain has gone ,I think the meds for gastric reflux have helped it .

Good luck .

[Mynewmoniker]

DaysieGoneBananas Sorry to hear about your experience. I would hate to have to take the tablets but I would hate the pain and the danger of what an ulcer might do even more.

My pains gone of for today...I'm loving the none pain experience. Mine seems to start in the evening when all the doctors are closed

[DaysieGoneBananas]

Hi..I went for my UGI. They found a 'nodule' from which they took a biopsy. They then referred me back to GP not consultant and gave me some tablets to reduce the acidity in my stomach as nodule was pre ulcerous. Which has nothing to do with the pain I still get on the other side of my stomach . Not especially thrilled with having to take the tablets forevermore when thats not what is causing the pain. Been discharged from consultants care. Niggly pain still there under right ribs and in my back. When I cllapse in pain next time they might find something not bitter and twisted at all

[gingeroots]

gonebanannas how are you ?

[Mynewmoniker]

Experiencing something simillar, Netsfedup. How are you doing; what happened?

[Netsfedup]

Found all this info comforting in a weird way! Been having attacks for months, had an US Scan last week and told I had gall stones and to wait for appointment at hospital. Sods law -ended up in A&E early hours of Monday morning in agony !!!!! Given Tramadol and told to eat a low fat diet and wait for appointment and sent home. Attack over but left with a horrible ache under my ribs, feeling ropey and constantly tired. NHS staff were fantastic with me and sympathetic but now really worried on how long it will take to remove this 'thing' - winge over for now lol!!!

[Elibean]

My friend's dad had a huge gallstone, and it didn't show up on a scan. It did show up on an MRI, when he was eventually admitted to hospital in agony

My friend is a doctor. She was hugely frustrated that no one would listen when it was obviously gallstones...and she would sympathise with you, OP. I hope you get some help, and don't be afraid to go to A&E: you are not putting it on!

[chocaholic73]

It's funny what you get used to - I would have said that I couldn't possibly manage without chocolate ...or cheese is another thing I used to love - but when you have been in so much pain, you will do anything in the hope it will help. My understanding is that you don't usually just have one stone which causes pain in passing, there's usually more just sitting there in the gallbladder - I would imagine they take some time to form. Having now had the pathology report on my gallbladder, it shows that it wasn't in the best shape so probably wasn't functioning very well but a thickening plus stones had showed up on the scan. Unfortunately, it does look as if you need more investigating ...poor you ...hope it goes well.

[DaysieGoneBananas]

Ooh Choc i don't envy you at all! For the chocolate deprivation as well as the pain!
I went to A and E in the end. I ended up being nil by mouth for two days then they sent me home. I had an appointment with a surgeon. Scan...again showed nothing. But I don't think they are doing the scans at the right time..I think I may have little stones that pass and thats when I have the hideous pain...then they scan me and its gone so there's nothing to see. Soooo as I still have niggly pain now and then I now have to go for a gastroscopy to see if there's anything they are missing. That was supposed to be the 26th Nov but I have nobody to look after the DCs so have had to postpone to the next available appointment which is the 7th January. Nice New Year pressie for me then!
TBH I wish i could just get the pain again and have someone diagnose there and then and have them whip it out. also i might lose a bit more weight! (I know its no laughing matter but if I don't I'll cry)

[chocaholic73]

I'm getting there helly. I do hope I will be able to eat at least some chocolate again soon . By a major episode, I mean up all night in absolute agony with vomiting and no easing up. Ended up in A&E where they diagnosed cholyocystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder). I was in for 3 days while it settled but they wouldn't operate at that time as they said things needed to settle down first. I did already know I had gallstones, following an earlier ultrasound, but had chosen not to be referred for surgery. At that time, the attacks would last 2 or 3 hours then gradually fade out.

[hellymelly]

Oh choco, how are you now? (and more importantly will you be able to eat chocolate again?). What is a major episode, lots of pain?

[Showtime]

Thinking the GP's expecting you to go to A&E as she's uncertain of diagnosis, and anyone with chronic pain can ask for referral to Pain Clinic, despite long waiting lists, they have more than meds available. Good luck.

[chocaholic73]

helly melly A lot of people do have gallstones and no symptoms apparently but if you are having symptoms, it should not be ignored by your GP. It does sound very much like gallstones. After I had a major episode in the summer, the hospital told me to stick to a 5% fat diet while waiting for surgery. I have to say it worked very well for me right up until I had the gall bladder out last Friday!

[hellymelly]

I am also in similar pain- I do have stones (they showed up on a scan of my kidneys a di've just had a kidney infection) But the lining was thin, so I'm not sure if its the gallbladder causing me pain or my back. Sharklet how do you make that flaxseed tea? My GP was very blase about the stones, said that most people have them.
(the pain I get is between my shoulder blades, and in the centre of my chest where my bra wires meet iyswim).
How can one differentiate gallstone pain from something else?

[digerd]

The strongest painkillers available over the counter are those with codeine in them. Nurofen Plus is a combination of Ibrufen and Codeine. Other combinations are Paracetamol and Codeine. There used to be soluble ones that don't taste very nice but are effective quicker.
Definitely advise A&E for you, though.

[sharklet]

Also it is worth noting there are two kinds of gallstones, calcium and cholesterol. What kind of scan did you have? xray or ultrasound? If you only had one then ot could be the other kind. Also like the poster above says the "stones" can be a slurry of gravel whihc is harder to see with less sensitive equipment.

Either go to A&E or ask to see someone else. If you are not heading out tonight here are a few things to help. Lie on your left side, propped up a bit and prepare not to move much for about 4 or 5 hours (this will help the passage of stone or stones), take some good painkillers ibuprofen or such or if you have any good strong prescribed ones for period pains these would help. If you have any flax seed in your house (ground), make a tea from it and let it cool them sip it slowly over time. It is FOUL - but it really helps ease gallstone pain.

I have a ton of info on coping with gallstones without surgery, as in my family even after surgery the pain continues - so have had to find ways of coping. Let me know if you want some info and I can pass it on.

The danger if you don't get seen and monitored then you could end up with pancreatitis which is horrible and much worse than gallstone pain.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[TapirBackRider]

Simply because no large stones can be seen on the scan doesn't mean that there aren't any.

A lot of gallbladder problems are caused by the bladder being full of small stones called gravel, mixed with bile to become a nasty sludge. It causes exactly the same symptoms and pain as large stones, and is a lot harder to detect on a scan but does cause the inflammation in the lining.

Definitely go and see a different doctor; get yourself referred - I've been where you are, and it's not nice to be messed around like this. Tell them how bad the pain is - I was given tramadol.

I would say though, if the pain does get really bad, and you start to vomit, please go to A&E.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[alwaysme]

Take the "not Gallbladder" diagnosis with a pinch of salt !!

Two years ago, Doctor sent me for a scan. Women who preformed it made me feel like a right timewaster. Wanted to know why the doctor had sent me, I didn't fit any of the criteria (whatever they might be???) and she had rarely seen a healthier one.

So fast forward to a year later, after two hospital stays and no one checking the gall bladder again, guess what, someone finally did. It was so enlarged with puss and stones it was on the verge of rupturing. Also 4 stones blocking bile duct which gave me a nice dose of pancreaitits on top.

Definitely get a second opinion!

[DaysieGoneBananas]

Thanks for all that. Dr said the lining/casng of my gallbladder is thecker than normal which shows it was inflamed before but they didn't find anything then either. Do you think I should go back to a different doctor as I have checked with the receptionists and there has been no referral letter sent. Maybe A and E would be a good idea.

[Groovee]

It could be your gall bladder is inflamed. If you start a food diary, then you may find your trigger. If its painful, get it seen at the time as A&E will do a blood sample and if your liver function is affected then it will be related to the gall bladder x

[CutItOutAndRestart]

go to a&e. I am still in pain post gallbladder removal and after the last bad attack a visit to a&e was the only way the pain could be managed (morphine) and it also got me referred for further investigation.

hope you feel better soon, but don't be afraid to get help if you are in pain.