Is there such a thing as a grumbling gallbladder?

[polkadotpixie]

I've been having pain around my right side for the last few weeks, under my ribs but more towards my back

It's not agony, it's more a constant discomfort...kind of like being heavily pregnant with a foot in your ribs!

I've seen the GP twice and had 2 courses of antibiotics (Co-Amoxiclav and Ciprofloxacin) as they suspected a kidney infection however although the white cells and blood in my urine have now gone, I'm still in pain

My GP now suspects it may actually be my gallbladder as it's sometimes worse after food and has sent me to the Surgical assessment unit at my local hospital tonight

I've had my obs done and bloods taken which have come back fine so there's no infection markers or raised liver enzymes to suggest acute cholecystits or pyelonephritis so I have to go back tomorrow for a CT scan of my kidneys and an ultrasound of my gallbladder

Has anyone experienced something similar? Obviously I've convinced myself I have kidney cancer and I'm freaking out!

Hi
Sorry to hear about your problems. In the past week or so, I've had pretty much the same thing, discomfort (not pain) on upper right side and right shoulder blade pain. I suspect my gallbladder, as I sometimes get this after eating, so I will be making a GP appointment soon, but I'd be really interested to hear the outcome of your CT and ultrasound.

@Els1983 Sorry to hear you're having the same issue! I'll let you know how the scans go

Bet it's Gallbladder.
I had similar, started Septemberish. Had scan finally in January and have teeny tiny stones (almost like grains of sand) The sonographer said "that's normal, so many people have gallbladder issues but many are asymptomatic"
I initially went to GP thinking kidney because it was on the side of my abdomen iyswim? Went to gynae privately at same time as got into a panic about ovaries.

Do you get it after eating specific things? Fatty?

I had the CT yesterday and my kidneys are clear although they did find a cyst on my right ovary

I had to come back today for an ultrasound of my gallbladder and of my ovary and I'm just waiting for the results now. I'll update once I see the doctor again

Gallstones are not just triggered by food. It's far more complex than most GPs tell you. After living with them for many years I can tell my trigger is oestrogen, happens same time every month. It's also set off by adrenaline, so anytime I get particularly stressed. So it can at times be constant low level pain like you describe rather than more intense one off attacks.

Stepoutofline, did they recommend any treatment for your gallbladder stones? Do you need your gallbladder taken out?

Polkadotpixie, thank you for the update, please let us know how your ultrasound goes. I had a cyst on my right ovary too, developed before I got pregnant but disappeared during my pregancy. Hope you're ok

@DayBath

Gallstones are not just triggered by food. It's far more complex than most GPs tell you. After living with them for many years I can tell my trigger is oestrogen, happens same time every month. It's also set off by adrenaline, so anytime I get particularly stressed. So it can at times be constant low level pain like you describe rather than more intense one off attacks.

Yes, I'm just on a real learning curve. My late mum had gallstones and digestive issues which she certainly never connected, but from what I read now, were almost certainly part and parcel of the same thing.

@Els1983
At the moment it's a "keep an eye on what you eat". My gynae recommended acidophilus which I'm taking every day. I need to go in and have a chat about next step. I've had 3 or 4 bad attacks over the last 18 months, pain that, had it been on the left, I'd have thought was a heart attack. Middle of chest, going round into back and up into jaw.

They’ve said it’s not gallstones but I definitely have what they called an ovarian lesion. They think it’s a cyst but I have to be reviewed by the Gynae registrar to possibly arrange an MRI in case it’s a tumour so now I’m absolutely shitting myself 😭

Stay strong polka, it's unlikely to be anything untreatable, even if it's cancer it's very likely to be something they can fix with an operation and/or treatment. You've done the right thing in getting it checked out and there's always the possibility it's nothing to worry about like a benign growth. Keep a positive outlook and breathe deeply every time you feel it overwhelming you. Take everything in stages, don't think too far ahead. The first goal is to get this next appointment done, that's all you have to worry about for now. (I'm 7 years post cancer treatment, now in remission, and this sort of mindset really helped me through it)