gallbladder- need info please

kyethra · April 12, 2007

Right now I have been having nausea for the past ten days and every suspects my gall bladder. I went to the ER about a week ago because the nausea was just getting worse and I was retching and I know that is bad for the band and mine is fairly new and all. My ultra sound came back just fine. So I now have a HIDA scan scheduled.

My symptoms: Nausea. Pretty much there is persistant nausea, but it gets much worse after I eat something, about 20 or 30 minutes I would say if I had to guess. I'm talking agonizing... I could be in the bathroom trying to figure out if anything would help, throwing up, bowel movement, gas, etc. Nothing helps but time. Also gas and indigestion. Some lower back pain on the right side. Also it hurts on the right side of my upper abdomen, around the bottom of my rib cage, if someone presses on it. At first I just thought it hurt because it was being pressed on but when the surgeon pressed on the left side to compare, that felt fine, it didn't hurt. Then he pressed on the right side again. Why is it that when doctors find where it hurts, they always want to press on it again? I always want to say, "knock it off, that hurts". Usually i hold my toungue, but didn't we establish that pressing equals hurting the first time around?

My last bowel movement, a few days ago, was greenish. I haven't had one since so I have this laxative my PCP prescribed me the other day because she said the zofran I am on for the nausea can be constipating. I don't feel constipated though, but I don't know. My bowels haven't been consistent since the surgery.

If it is the gall bladder, I get to be cut open yet again... At this point though I am getting a little more anxious that it isn't my gall bladder. We know its not my band cause that looks good on the x ray and it feels just fine and normal to me. So what would it be? I don't want to be nauseated forever. The surgeon said it was likely either my gall bladder or something mysterious that would randomly clear up and never come back. The last time I had stomach problems it was my ovary, but I don't have abdominal pain this time like I did then, so I know its not that. Whatever it is I just want it fixed!

Right now everybody seems inclined to think its probably my gall bladder. My liver enzymes were also elevated, but mine go up whenever I get sick.

TamifromAL · April 12, 2007

I only have free fills for my first year, my year is up in June, so if I have to be unfilled and have surgery I dont want to be starting over again with fills when I have to start paying for them. That would really suck!!!

Dang, I'm glad you mentioned that! I'm in the same situation as you, but have free fills until September. I was going to put off gall bladder surgery indefinitely (until more frequent/severe attacks), but with the fill situation in mind, I'd be better off getting the surgery out of the way so that I can get my re-fills for free!

I've only had a few attacks. The first two or three were relatively mild. The last one was 5-6 weeks ago, and was fairly severe. It started after lunch, and lasted until dinner time or so. I was in bad enough pain that I knew that I couldn't drive myself to the hospital, so it was either wait it out or call 911. Fortunately, it passed before that was necessary. An ultrasound the next week showed the stones. I visited my bariatric surgeon a few days later, and he recommended I go ahead and have surgery. He said that something like 80% of the American population has gallstones, but once you become symptomatic, it usually goes downhill, and that eventually surgery is necessary. He added that women are more likely to go ahead and have it taken care of, whereas men usually wait until they have "the big one" that makes them regret delaying surgery!

Wheetsin, what are you waiting for, girl?? You seriously need to go on and get that baby taken care of! Don't be such a "guy"!

Tami

teacher · April 12, 2007

I'm telling y'all.....the Papaya Extract is what the doctors have told three of us who've had problems. Different doctors...Please try it. I swear by it.

Dancing Queen · April 13, 2007

I had my gallbladder out a few weeks ago. The pain was in the upper left part of my back and side. It would just hit me and I felt like I couldn't breathe. The ultrasound showed that they were as much as 1cm. in diameter. After the surgery the surgeon told me they were cholesterol which is consistent with typical gallstones from rapid weight loss. Don't mess around with your gall bladder. It is a relatively simple thing to get rid of and a dangerous thing to ignore. My surgeon gave me the sermon on that!

Dancing Queen

Dr. Rumbaut

6/27/06

257/184c/145 goal