Gallbladder question

[Tomo 1,142]

I read that one can experience gallbladder problems not with pain in the right upper abdomen but in the back between their shoulders. Anybody experience this? If so, how did it feel? Like a muscle pull or dull or stabbing pain or ?

The other night I pulled my upper back muscle, a lot of pain between my shoulders, feel nauseated, clammy due to the pain but after I stretched a bit and took Tylenol, I felt better. I googled pain between my shoulders in the back and they mentioned gallbladder problems. I am almost positive it was a temporary muscle pull but I've always been paranoid of gallbladder problems so here I am. Thanks in advance!

[qtdoll 534]

I got my gallbladder removed many years ago but the pain is unforgettable. It felt like a stabbing, never ending cramp. Like your insides are exploding & you have to ball up in a fetal position & prays it goes away.

I'm sure gallbladder pain varies person to person but it most definitely did not feel like a strained muscle to me. I hope it's just your muscle your feeling!

[St77 86]

My gallbladder pain felt like someone shoved a hot poker through the right side of my abdomen into my back. It was horrible pain and I was pregnant when I got gallstones, so it was just one more ounce of misery on a terrible pregnancy.

I had my gallbladder removed 16 years ago and I still get occasional flare up pain similar to when I had gallstones.

[Tomo 1,142]

Thank you for your responses!

[liveaboard15 1,292]

Your surgeon or doctor can always first order blood test a Liver type panel that involes your gall bladder... Then they can do an ultrasound, after that a HIDA scan which they inject you with a radioactive tracer which gets absorbed into your liver/gallbladder then they inject you with a hormone to get your gallbladder to empty and do its thing and they can see on the gamma camera to see if there are any issues. I have my HIDA scan next Friday.

[summerseeker 1,865]

I was 16 when I had gallstones. The pain was the worst I have ever experienced. Because I was not - Fair, Fat and over 40 the doctors mis diagnosed me. I was so ill and vomiting that I was admitted to hospital 3 times in 7 months. Eventually I met a doctor who got it right and I had urgent surgery.

If you have Gall bladder problems you will be super ill, you will know about it for sure

[redhead_che 824]

Yeah my gallbladder symptom was simply never ending nausea and inability to eat or drink. And ultimately after the scans it did have to come out. So gallbladder issues don’t always involve the awful painful episodes everyone talks about. But to be fair that is the trademark presentation. I’ve personally always had to be different and extra though ;)

[Arabesque 6,532]

I think it depends upon the severity of the attack. My first attack had me writhing on the bed, severe pain around my right side - front & back, sweating, no pain meds helped. Lasted 40 minutes. Had a less severe attack a few days later before I had my gall removed.

They had picked up I had a stone in a scan to check my liver (yep one lousy stone that was only about 1cm wide that made me think I was dying ) about 6 months previously so I knew what the pain was.

Gall stones can be common after weight loss surgery, so best to get it checked out.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Arabesque