Experiences of gallbladder issues? Sat in hospital

[shatteringshell]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone has had anything similar.

A few weeks back I woke up around 4am with agonising pain in my upper abdomen; right under my breastbone. It radiated into my back and my thought at the time was a stomach bug of some kind. I broke out into a sweat. But nothing came of it- no sickness or anything.

Fast forward to Saturday morning the same time again, it all happened again but this time it lasted until 6-7am. It was horrid, I was exhausted. I had a temp of 38c on Sunday but nothing since really- it was 37.6c this morning.

It then happened on Sunday morning, and Monday morning. Lasting from around 4 to 8-9am. Nothing helped, tried Gaviscon, toast, Tums. All the positions.

So, yesterday I went to my GP. I am teacher and had to have the day off yesterday and felt immense guilt.

GP called the day surgery unit as he thinks it could be my gallbladder. So here I am, sat in the unit, waiting to be seen. He said I’d be here all day as it’s just a sit and wait service basically. People have been called in for their first assessment with a nurse but I’m still waiting.

I am just wondering what this all could be? The pain isn’t upper right which is what I am reading online if it is gallbladder. It’s central, but radiating into my back.

The only different was last night it started much earlier at 11:30pm. Each time it obviously wakes me. GP prescribed antibiotics and co-codomal but that hasn’t done anything for the pain.

During the day I feel sore there and maybe a little heartburn but nothing like acid reflux- it just feels sore in the centre.

Thought I’d reach out to see if others have had similar and what it turned out to be!

That’s exactly where I get my pain and it’s been confirmed via ultrasound that I have lots of small gallstones. I’m waiting to see the surgeon but the waiting list is MASSIVE!

I had the pain twice, in top right of my back along the bra line, second time was with fever, sickness and shivering. I’ve got a scan this week to find out if I need surgery or not.
The pain was immense.

Hope you get things sorted out.

Yep all this, plus clay coloured poo. My GP said “fat female fair fertile and forty.” I was all of those.

I had a pain that sounds like this. I would wake in the night and have to sit with a hot water bottle front and back to try and ease the pain. Paid to see a consultant privately and it was diagnosed as gastritis after a scan and endoscopy. Been on the appropriate medication since and no reoccurrence.

Yes, sounds exactly like my gallstones pain. They were diagnosed very simply by ultrasound scan, but I had a wait of six months for my gallbladder removal op (even 15 years ago). Have a very very low fat diet to avoid the attacks as far as possible (I tried to stick to 2% fat) and don’t take the cocodamol because opioids can put your bile duct sphincter into spasm, which makes it much worse.

Hope you get some resolution soon and at least a pathway to treatment sorted today.

I had pancreatitis caused by gallstones stones with a pain like a red hot poker from under sternum through to my back. Thats when my gallstones were diagnosed.

Yes, very familiar to me, I had isolated incidents for a couple of years then it ramped up last summer. Had my gallbladder out 10 months after first GP visit. This sounds discouraging, but in the meantime I avoided any more attacks (apart from one) by massively cutting down on fats - so no fried foods, cake, chocolate etc - and eating smaller portions but adding breakfast. I could never have stuck to this just for weight loss, but fear of the pain did the trick. Everything is great now and I dropped 2 dress sizes into the bargain. Best of luck with your appointment - it really is nasty and not taken particularly seriously by some but absolutely should be. And don't feel guilty about work - I work in a school too and plenty of us have had this. If you're ill, you're ill!

I had similar in February. Pain below ribs radiating to my back, nausea, then lower digestive pain, gas, bloating, constipation then diarrhoea. The back pain was the worst.

Ultrasound didn't find any gallstones and I've been on a waiting list to see gastro since May. Might get an initial consultation next year.

Meanwhile symptoms lasted two months then improved. Flared up again for three months. Currently ok.
Massively triggered by fatty food. I reduced my fat intake drastically. i didn't want or need to loose weight but it dropped off and stayed off. I'm gradually eating more fat now and seem to have developed a method of seeing off the symptoms more quickly.

My pains were mainly central rather than RUQ.

i got my diagnosis during covid, it was delayed because everything was shut. Once I was officially diagnosed I didn’t have to wait too long for surgery as my gallbladder by this time was in a poor state of repair and I was prioritised. Once I had received a proper diagnosis I waited 4 months, which wasn’t too bad as we were coming out of covid and waiting lists for routine surgery were long.

after my surgery the surgeon came to see me on the ward. They routinely count the stones. People normally have 4-5 stones. The surgeon lost count at 200 with me!

gosh I thought it was removed pretty fast as in 48hrs of being diagnosed. There is no way I could live with the pain for months on end. I’ve been sat here since 9am. Had bloods done and just had my first painful attack during the day. Usually it’s just been at night.

My experience was very similar to many recounted above. I had excruciating pain around the chest and back, which flared up and left me shaking and sweating. They confirmed the gallstones with an ultrasound. While waiting for the operation I went on an extremely low fat diet. Less that 1-2% fat in food. It was worth it as I felt better and I didn't get anymore attacks while waiting for the surgery. I should probably be following a similar (but hopefully not quite as strict) low fat diet now that I no longer have a gallbladder.

Gosh what about treats?! I’m not overweight, bmi is 20. But I love a sweet treat or a pizza now and again!

what about pain relief? Was anything prescribed just in case?

I would 'treat myself' to one malteser now and again . It wasn't fun. But it was better than the alternative...

Having said that, a good friend who just left it, thinking gallstones weren't that serious, nearly died from sepsis after a gallstone went rogue in her pancreatic duct. She is a vegan and eats very little fat! So who knows what that was about...

Ine felt like someone stabbing me under the right hand side of my bra band from front to back. I had a few occurrences of waking up having it for a few hours then it fading until one Sunday I woke up up at 2am in agony and started projectile vomiting. Got myself to the hospital about 3am and was assessed and given morphine, they initially thought kidney so sent me for a CT scan which accidentally saw it was my gallbladder so was sent for an ultrasound and blood tests. Temperature and blood results showed a raging infection so I was admitted with IV antibiotics, they did not work so on the Wednesday they took me in for emergency surgery and removed it. The gallbladder had started to rot so they had to do a wash out and put in drains so I wasn’t released till Saturday. One giant stone had completely blocked the bile duct so the only option was to whip it all out.

People wait 2+ years round here, OP- please tell us where you live that you’ve been referred next day so we can all move there!

I had cholecystitis (gallbladder infection) which honestly made me feel that I was dying. I've never known pain like it and ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics for 6 days. The funny thing was that I didn't have any gallstones but I still get the odd grumble occasionally if I eat something fatty.

Buscopan is your friend here, works by relaxing the cramps inside your abdomen and far better than any pain killer. GP can prescribe a higher dose than you can buy over the counter but I've got a pack at home and at work, as well as in my handbag!

I’ve had similar as spent last weekend in hospital. Turns out mine is a stomach ulcer. I’ve never known pain like it

I discovered gallstones during pregnancy it's was horrific , the pain was far worse than childbirth , they said they would deal with it after the birth , they didn't.
7 agonising years later I've had it removed , was one of the best days of my life.

Good luck

I had my gall bladder out some years ago. The pain was so bad I took myself to A&E 3 times and was put on a day ward with some super painkillers. Plus I developed jaundice and I'm sure this bumped me up the list.
Don't suffer with pain you can't manage yourself if you get sent home.

So my ultrasound showed basically nothing apart from some sludge in my gallbladder. Which I know is good but it’s also frustrating because my pain is so so bad. I’ve been here since 9am, still can’t eat. I’m so tired I just want to go home now.

Maybe get your amylase tested in a blood test, pancreatitis also presents as severe pain in upper abdomen radiating through to the back, it is agony. Amylase levels are often raised during and immediately after an attack.

Pain again last night. Buscapan didn’t work, nor the omeprazole (I don’t have heartburn anyway). Waiting for my GP to call me back as I have no idea what this pain is but I cannot work due to the sleepless nights and the random attacks of pain. Nothing seems to help, walking or getting myself into a ball, leaning forwards. It’s agonising. So fed up.

You may still have gallstones, as they don’t necessarily show up if you have sludge in your gallbladder. You need further investigations. From what you describe I would 100% think you have gallstones, as I had exactly the same symptoms when I had gallstones.

GP called me, he seems stumped but wants me to carry on with the antibiotics he prescribed me on Monday just in case it is an infection. He’s calling the on call surgeon for their opinion today. Getting back to me this afternoon. But another day not at work due to agonising pain.

Round two. Back in the surgical assessment unit. The GP gave me tramadol to try for last night. I still woke up with the pain but it was almost dulled? I just need answers today. Luckily it isn’t as busy as it was on Tuesday. By this time there were around 12 patients, today it’s just two of us.