LUMP IN UPPER RIGHT ABD.W/PAIN

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-05-2004
LUMP IN UPPER RIGHT ABD.W/PAIN
13
Sun, 11-14-2004 - 2:49pm
Hi:

I believe I am having Gallbladder attacks....pain upper right, vomiting, bloating, extreme gas, right shoulder pain where I can't take a deep breath because of the shoulder pain.

When I lie down (I always sleep on my stomach) I have a swollen/lump in upper right area when it's flared up, does this sound like an enlarged gallbladder or liver????????

I can eat a small bit of pudding, jello, dry toast, or large pizza......I can't pin point the food that triggers it.....it doesn't seem to matter.....so it's hard to figure out why and what triggers this....extreme pain when flared up. I haven't seen a Dr. yet but maybe that's next.....when it goes away I don't feel like going to the Dr.

Anybody experience this kind of thing???

Thanks

Cheryl

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sun, 11-14-2004 - 3:18pm

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sun, 11-14-2004 - 7:26pm

Hi Cheryl - it sounds like what I used to experience when I had a gallbladder attack. Please see your doctor even if you are not in pain at the time. To diagnose gallbladder disease or gallstones they need to do an Ultra Sound. The ultrasound will show signs of disease or stones even if you are feeling well at the time.


If it is gallstones and you are having attacks please note that there is a risk that a small stone can get lodged in a bile duct. This can be serious and you would need to go to the hospital right away. Symptoms would be the pain you described along with vomiting and/or diahrea.


Try eating a low fat diet for a few weeks and see if that helps reduce the frequency of pain. (also go to the doctor - I'm not suggesting you do this instead of going to the doctor). There is a free food diary at www.fitday.com - it takes a while to get used to - but is well worth it. There is so much hidden fat in our food - I thought I was doing good till I actually did the math and was totally surprised at the results.


To get a base line of what percent of your dietary indate should be coming from fat / carbs / protien there is a tool at www.ivillage.com/diet/tools/healthcalc/


I found that went I went low fat (less than 20% of calories coming from fat) for several weeks - then ate something high in fat (ie. a piece of pizza or cake) then there would be pain within a few hours. . . so it was very obvious what I should avoid.


Wishing you all the best - please let us know how things are going,


Jo (not a medical person either - comments based on my own experiences)


 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sun, 11-14-2004 - 7:58pm

I am glad you offered your experience to gallbladder-

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 8:59am

Hi Wren - I wish that I didn't know anything about GB problems! (meaning that everything I learned was after mine started to give me problems)


I'm doing very well. We still don't have snow and are enjoying lovely temps - which is very odd for this time of the year. I'm just enjoying it while it lasts.


My phantom pains are still present if I eat too much fat. Yesterday I indulged in a planned splurge. Met a friend to get all caught up and have coffee & desert. Needless to say after eating a piece of cake with a dolup of whipped cream I was in discomfort most of the evening and nauseated as can be this morning. It's so hard to be good all the time. I've been good at recording things on fitday - that really does help. Yesterday 44% of calories were from fat! Arghhhh no wonder I'm not feeling so great today. Normally I'm around 23%


Hope things are well with you,


Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 10:35am

Can you add

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-06-2004
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 2:49pm
I was just diagnosed with Gallstones and am having surgery on thursday to take out my gallbladder. i am only 24 so I was VERY suprised that this was the cause of my pain, but i am glad to say that after this is all overwith, I will be free of the pain and discomfort that I have had. I'll let you know how the surgery goes!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 7:22pm

Hi Wren - my problem isn't my stomach - so any of the Rx for the stomach won't be of any benefit.


My bile doesn't have a gb to live in till it's needed. So - when I eat something that has fat in it I'm not exactly sure why there is pain there - but it has to do with the lack of enough bile when needed. (I think)


I see my doctor in a few weeks so we'll talk more about it. Last visit he was more concerned about my low blood count (related to lupus) than the phantom pains.


Glad to hear that the temps are nice in your part of the world,


Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 8:17pm

I will be sending you a few prayers

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 8:22pm

G

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 9:44pm

Hi Wren - I'm sorry to hear that your friend isn't coping well with the diagnosis. There are so many better treatments out now . . .compared to say 25 yrs ago. I was diagnosed nearly 13 yrs ago. When I got the diagnosis I was very relived to know that I wasn't crazy and imagining things - I really had a disease. After that wore off reality set in and I went though a very difficult time. After 8 years it finally went into remission and the doctors have no idea why. Sometimes it just happens - just like it can flare up even if you are doing everything 'right'.


There were a couple of good lupus books that I read. I'll try to remember the titles. As far as web sites I think the national lupus societies are really good sources. http://www.lupuscanada.org/en/index.html

 

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