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Intermittent pain under right rib with gallbladder polyps and fatty liver

2 replies

Peoniesallgone · 13/06/2026 12:34

I have a pain under my right rib. Went to GP two years ago and was sent for scan - showed no gallstones just a few small gallbladder polyps. Second scan a year later showed they hadn't grown and I had also developed a fatty liver. Pancreas and Kidneys looked ok.

Pain is very intermittent, nothing for months then it hurts for a few days. Not agony but getting worse. I returned to GP this Jan who said they would refer me to "general surgery" - this is documented in my online notes but I think they forgot to do the referral as when I called to check 6 weeks later I just got a text saying I was referred to Gastroenterology team from the date I checked. I have waited since Feb but not heard so called Gastro team who said I might not be seen until December this year.

I did ask the GP in January how bad the fatty liver was and she just said "most people who are fat have a fatty liver". (I am overweight) I did ask her if the liver would cause pain and she said no as my LFTs are all ok and she thought the pain would be due to the gallbladder.

Has anyone had gallbladder polyps that caused pain? Or is this the fatty liver? I keep trying to lose weight and am not very successful but am currently trying. I have stopped alcohol just in case that was annoying the liver.

I don't know if relevant but also been told my cholesterol is borderline high so am trying to get that down too. The pharmacist said he would send me over some healthy eating guidelines and he hasn't so I think he has forgotten that too.

Don't have much faith in my GP surgery at the moment but I do feel I have to take responsibility for this myself.

I will go back to see a GP but in the meantime does anyone have any ideas what would be the most likely thing causing the pain. Fatty Liver? Gallbladder Polyps? Something else entirely?

OP posts:
DoAWheelie · 13/06/2026 12:40

My gallbladder pain started more than two years before the gallstones were visible on a scan. When they first start you have a sandy-sludge which causes issues but is too small to show up. Over time they form into stones. So just because you haven't seen stones on a scan doesn't mean they are not there.

You probably just need the gallbladder removed entirely. Once mine was gone my liver issues went away and all my blood work returned to normal even though I'm still fat.

Peoniesallgone · 13/06/2026 12:54

@DoAWheelie Thanks for the reply. I wish it was nothing at all but I'd sooner it be the gallbladder. We can make do without that but the liver is essential!

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