Is it my gallbladder? What do I do now?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-23-2004
Is it my gallbladder? What do I do now?
2
Sun, 12-26-2004 - 12:29pm

This has been going on for quite some time.  I am 27.  Since I was a teenager, a couple times a year, I would get this horrible pain.  It would start out where I would feel like I had to run to the bathroom with an upset stomach, but I would have a normal BM.  Then the pain of an upset stomach would turn into a constant pain where I wouldn't be able to move.  I would take aspirin, Pepto, and Tums.  Nothing would work.  I would just lie there feeling nauseated and chilly and the pain would last for hours.  It would usually happen at night. 


When I was 25-26 I went to the ER for the pain because it had gone on all day, and I was so sick of it.  They wanted to remove my appendics.  Then they kept me in the hospital for two days, and didn't take out my appendics.  They did a CT scan or whatever, I still have the scan.


After the ER I called a gastro guy and scheduled a colonoscopy.  I also took the gastro guy my CT scan.  He barely looked at it.  Saying that they would find anything abnormal in the colonoscopy.  After the colonoscopy, he stated that everything looked normal.  He even gave me a color photograph of my colon...lol gee thanks. 


So then I went to they gyno and had them check out my female organs.  Everything was o.k. there too. 


Two weeks ago, I woke up with what I thought was heart burn.  But I wasn't sure.  I had nothing in the house to take for heart burn, so I ended up throwing up and being in bed all day the next day.  I was sick and really couldn't move.  My back was killing me and I was having diarreah (sp?)  I also had a low grade fever of 99.7. 


Last week, on Wednesday, I was feeling nauseated AGAIN, only this time, it was the same pain as the time I went to the ER.  Only I was having horrible CHILLS.  I was freezing cold.  I was almost shaking.  The pain wouldn't go away.  I took Pepto, that didn't work.  I took Tylenol, that didn't work.   I ate something, that made it twenty times worse.  I went home from work, I was in so much pain I couldn't sit still and no matter which way I would lay down, the pain just kept on.  My lower back was killing me, and the pain was above my belly button and just radiating-  It was so horrible.  I thought for sure I was going to throw up again.  This lasted from 12:00 noon until almost 6:00 in the evening.  The pain started to subside AFTER I took more Tylenol and had a heating pad on my belly.  I also ate two Tums.  I was left feeling bruised in that area, I felt like I had done a million crunches after it was all said and done. 


Dr's have been giving me the run around.  Over the years I have been told to take Metameucil that it was IBS.  Then I was told that I didn't have IBS.  Then I was told that I had heart burn.  Then I was told that I just need to eat more healthy and exercise and that it was because I had been slightly over weight at the time.  I just don't know what to do.  I did the CT scan, then the colonoscopy then the female organs were tested, I can't remember the name of the test, but they used some sort of scope.  Now what? 


It wouldn't be so bad if the pain didn't last for so long-  I just don't know what this pain is?  


Thanks for reading,


  

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sun, 12-26-2004 - 1:18pm

Hi and Welcome to iVillage

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-20-2004
Sun, 12-26-2004 - 1:32pm

Hi Manda0777,

Want you to know you're not alone. I can't tell you is it's your gallbladder or not. If you have doubts you might want to go back to your gastro guy and pin him down to a dx. If you think it's an emergency you should get yourself to the ER...better safe than sorry!!!

That said...I have IBS and have had my appendics taken out because of it. I have also been hospitolized and almost had my gallbladder taken out because of it. My symptoms often mimic gallbladder disease. I have also had my Ob-gyn check me out. For me it's IBS. It can mimic many things so you are doing the right thing by having everything checked out. I would make my gastro give me an answer based on all these tests. Make a list of your symptoms and the test you've had with the results and put it down in front of him. My gastro guy has the bedside manner of a troll but, he is a very smart man. He looked when I put it in front of him and finally gave me a dx of visceral hyperalgesia, proctalgis fugax, and ibs. I now see his nurse practitioner for my follow-ups so I don't have to deal with his personality on top of everything else. Hope this helps.

Love,

Jamie

Love,