gallbladder attack, pain, how long can it last for ?

[Janus31]

hi all

I have been having pain in right flank, back pain, GERD for nearly 4 weeks now

doctor did Murphys sign test, which showed I had strong, sharp pain where gallbladder is

I cannot tolerate fatty foods, triggers right side pain, nausea, back pain on right side (and occasionally left side)

pain increases when I breathe in at times, stomach cramps, shoulder pain.

I am also losing weight rapidly

I have had these symptoms for nearly 4 weeks now , pain in right side, back is not getting worse, but not better either

I am back to the doctors tomorrow

how long can gallbladder attack last for, is this possibly a case of a stone passing ?

I would be wanting to be seen at hospital, sounds like it needs to come out!

A stone passing would be agony, like the sort of pain you contemplate calling an ambulance for despite being in hospital (well it was like that for me)

Can only share my experience of gall stones -
When I had gall bladder/stone attacks the pain (before I knew what it was) felt like I was dying and would have consented to anything happening.

When I knew what it was (pre op) it was still agony like a band getting tighter and tighter and again would allow anything to happen to me- it would last from about one hour to longest was hours and that one I was admitted and had an emergency gall bladder removal. When I came round they said the good news was gall bladder out and all well, bad news I had a stone stuck in the bile duct and had the bile duct snipped to release it...

In between attacks I did not have pain as such but had 4-6 attacks of pain of varying degrees of agony before the big one when my liver levels were ridiculous high they had no choice but to take it out.

See the GP and if pain gets worse phone OOH -

Fingers crossed for you.

The only 'attack' I had turned out to be cholecystitis resulting in a hospital stay for IV antibiotics after oral ones failed to work. I don't think a regular attack should last longer than several hours. Definitely see your GP asap. Actually, when I had cholecystitis (very similarly symptoms to you) I called 111 after about 36 hours of pain (at the weekend of course!) and was sent to A&E. I was admitted to hospital three days later where an ultrasound scan confirmed one enormous gallstone.

thank you all for your kind words, help

my pains generally are gnawing type, with occasional shooting pain. The GERD is not helping. I had a nasty large polyp taken out of colon last December, then I had bad bout of GERD at this time. Once I got back on feet in February this year, I thought that was that

I have elevated liver enzymes too, but this has been know for few years. I am bit concerned about rapid weight lose. Although I guess because I have limited choices with food, this is forcing the weight loss.

Is weird I am getting middle left back shooting pains at times, I guess this could be referred pain, or the kidneys,

when all this happened 4 weeks ago, I nearly passed out at work, paramedics were called, then I was taken to A&E. Blood tests 4 weeks ago obviously showed no concern for kidneys. Although blood test did show I was fighting some kind of infection. ECG test was fine

I have read in other posts that the vagus nerve can play havoc, strange pains, symptoms, with you when GERD is present. Plus I did have an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy when I was poorly in December, this showed smallish hiatus hernia too

the problem I have with current doctors is that my consultant is pushing for heart MRI because of the recent chest pains I was having (these have now calmed down because I am managing my GERD better, dairy seems now to be massive trigger), and I have pre-hypertensive blood pressure too. He seems to want to ignore my local doctors positive Murphy's sign test that was conducted last week. The consultant and I quote says "the majority of his abdominal/flank symptoms are likely to be musculoskeletal"

I just cannot believe he is saying this. I had serious motorcycle accident when I was 18, I know what musculoskeletal pain is like. The right flank pain (which I have had ever since I got taken ill last November) has always been there, I have constantly told these consultants that this pain is real. Now the pain is very real and with me every day (previously the right flank pain would come and go for days, weeks)

so I am back to the same doctor tomorow who did the Murphys sign test last week, and ask him where do we go from here.

for me I think another ultrasound scan is required (I had one 10 months ago), something has changed since that last scan. Maybe I just have some gallbladder malfunction, inflammation going on without stones

I have read that non-calcified stones can be missed by scans (when I was taken to A&E last November when my health turned poorly first time round, I remember the two mains doctors talking about this to me)

I have no signs of jaundice , but when I eat fatty foods, right flank pain shoots right up, with nausea, dizziness (how can this be musculoskeletal related ? )

sorry I did not include all of this in first post, but I did not want to waffle on too much in first post

To be honest I would get yourself to a doctor when it is bad, accident and emergency. Don't tell them what you think is wrong or what other doctors have said, make them come go a decision based on clinical symptoms at the time.

I doubt you have acid reflux, it's common to misdiagnose when it is in fact a gallbladder attack.

I thought I had not going away indigestion, when in fact I had an inflamed gallbladder and positive Murphys test.

trinity0097

that is very interesting, did you have ultrasound as well ?

I had huge GERD attack last November, December, and now again, I did first attack of GERD had something to do with the large polyp I had in colon, but now, not so sure. Maybe it was a gallbladder attack back then as well

did the inflammation resolve itself, or were you given treatment, medication ?

Get to the gp or a&e if it's unbearable

I know 4 people who had their gallbladders removed after similar issues and without fail they all say it was something they wish they'd had a long time before!

I had a 'grumbling' gall bladder for a while. Had a couple of acute attacks which relatively quickly passed and then an attack which lasted about 14 days. Obviously I was not in agony, just back pain/front pain which eased when I leant forward. It hurt a lot more to cough. Finally it eased off and I have not been bothered with it since (2 years or so).

sufferingicecakes, thanks for reply

I have been going for 4 weeks now, back down the doctors for blood test results, organise new ultrasound

glad yours resolved itself :)

update : blood, urine tests show microscopic haematuria, and increase in red blood cell count

off to see consultant tomorrow to get ultrasound sorted

well had ultrasound today, gallbladder looked ok on scan, no visible stones

hey ho, pain continues, goes up after I eat still, especially with fatty foods (pain can also occur with empty stomach)

will aim for HIDA scan