Gall bladder pain - does it last for a week non-stop?

[justanotherquestion]

Gah - I know that I have a king sized gall stone and was lined up for an op nearly 2 years ago. In the event, they decided not to operate as I had no further attacks (3 in total). I seem to have more trouble when I diet and then have a fatty meal. Over the last couple of years I have only felt the odd 'twinge'. However after feeling a twinge last Monday and Tuesday (which lasted just a few minutes) I woke up on Wednesday with a dull ache when I took a deep breathe - cannot feel it at any further time really. Now nearly a week later it is still there. No other symptoms of sickness or temperature or turning yellow or anything. In the past the pain has travelled round into my back and although it has lasted 3 or 4 days in the past - it has certainly never lasted this long. Has anyone else had an attack that has lasted this long?

Hi

I had my gall bladder out around 10 years ago and in the end I was just in constant pain, think it was almost a month and then I had it removed.

They can get infected or your stone may have got stuck which also happened to me a couple of times so the pain doesn't stop. I would think about seeing your dr if it doesn't stop in fairly soon.

Thanks. Yes, beginning to wonder what is going on. Had just cereal for breakfast and then lentil soup for lunch, hardly lots of fat and by afternoon I was in agony. Beginning to wonder what is going on. If I have to wait a month to get it out it will be Christmas! Oh Joy!

Apparently a major trigger is losing a lot of weight quickly rather than necessarily eating fat.

Oh dear I don't know why on earth doctors find it so difficult to understand gall bladder problems only get worse.

The whole business of seeing how it goes and delaying the inevitable operation is beyond me.

My mother had this waitand see approach for 3 years. Ended up in A&E with an acute attack the surgeon went beserk. The gall stones had nearly worn through her gall bladder wall and caused peritonitis.

justnaother - get straight on to your GP. Don't be fobbed off anymore. You need to have it removed. Its getting worse. Restricting your life and will inevitably end up either in an emergency dash to A&E or an acute 3 day biliary colic attack I've been there.

It will take 6 months to get an operation organised. You need a referral and be adamant that you want it operated on. They delay it only because of NHS budget issues - not for clinical reasons unless you are grossly overweight or an operation would be medically inadvisable due to other health issues.

Freeworker 1 - my sentiments entirely! My Consultant did an abrupt 'u' turn. He initially said, 'it will just get worse', 'you will have more attacks' and I agreed. My king size stone was never going to come out of its own accord. The last thing I wanted was to be treated as an emergency - the risks are simply higher. Not to mention the fact that everytime I have been on holiday since, I have had to take extra medical insurance.

When I pitched up for the op, he said as I had experienced no further attacks the risks of the operation were higher than leaving it in. I said I would rather get it out now because we knew it was surely coming out at some time in the future. I asked him how long I would need to wait next time and he said three months. Now I am in the situation where I cannot eat anything at all and I have been in constant pain for nearly a week. Yesterday, just completing the school run, I found I could not take deep enough breaths without intense pain.

My consultant was adamant that as soon as you have had one problem, there would be more and they had to come out.

By the time I had my op I had constant pain which I could only manage by eating as fat free a diet as I could possibly manage. On the plus side I lost loads of weight while waiting for the op!

justanotherquestion - you need to get back in front of that consultant ASAP. Demand an appointment be made via your GP.

You are in a downward spiral. Have you got pain going under your right rib and u the back into your right shoulder blade? That is a classic sign.

If you have uncontrollable vomiting and pain worse than childbirth that is biliary colic. Get to A&E. Tell them your history.

When I had a biliary colic attack my GP told me I had 'a tummy bug'.

Freeworker1 'Tummy bug' - that is hysterical! Honestly, some of these docs do not have clue how serious this can be.

The strange thing is previously I have had the classic signs of Jaundice and pain going round into back - this time it hasn't, although it has lasted much longer. Each attack lasts longer. First one was just a few hours, last one was several days with lots of pain in the back. This time no Jaundice and no pain in the back, but it just will not go away.

I will go tomorrow and ask to be seen at any local hospital, first available appointment - I am in London so can get to quite a few.