Could these be symptoms of IBS or of my gallstones???

about a week ago I had a terrible experience where I had, what I believe now is, a gallbladder attack. The pain was extremely terrible. It was a dull constant pain in the center of my abdomen, about an inch or so BELOW my sternum. Around where the diaphram is. It started at 5 pm, had to go to the ER and didn't stop until 1:30 a.m. That's 8 1/2 hours of constant pain that I was in...and it wasn't the first time it had happened to me either.

I've had to deal with these attacks since last year. At first they weren't too frequent and didn't last too long. They would last anywhere from 5-30 minutes and back then I didn't really mind the attacks or pay much mind to them because they would last such a short amount of time. Now, though, it's a different story. The attacks have been getting more and more frequent and they average 8 hours! :(

Since my latest attack, while I was at the ER, they scheduled me for an ultrasound. The next day I had it done and my gallbladder showed that I had quite a bit of gallstones and sludge. The doctor said that my pain MAYBE due to this. While I was in the ER I overheard him saying that he thinks I may have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He prescribed some Librax but that really hasn't helped with the pain. I called my regular doctor a few days ago and he prescribed me hydrocodone 5-325 mg which has worked wonders for the pain. I would also like to point out that I'm taking meds for the eradication of h. pylori. My regular doctor thought that that may have been the source of my stomach problems. So in summary, I have 3 different reasons as to why I may be having these problems! These being >> Duodenal ulcer caused by h. pylori >> IBS >> Gallbladder attacks.

Right now I'm leaning more towards the gallbladder being the problem but I just wanted to see if anyone has experienced any of these symptoms. My symptoms include:

-Indigestion (not all the time but when I do have it it usually leads to heartburn which is feeling that lasts for hours on end)

-Heartburn

-I am now slightly tender in the upper right part of my abdomen

-Right now I kinda have diarrhea (stools are bundled but look fluffy and loose)

-Nausea sometimes (probably due to the h. pylori treatment)

The terrible heartburn feeling I get is usually always caused by eating something that contains a lot of fat or greasy content. For that reason I've steered faaaaar away from those types of foods. I don't eat any fast food, no carbonated drinks, try not to eat any processed food. All I eat is gluten free rice crispies in the morning with fat free lactose free milk, plain white steamed rice, steamed vegetables, lots of fruits and also lots and lots of water. If I even slip a little bit and try to eat something with a lot of fat I pay for it about 2-3 hours later :( that leads me to believe that it could be a duodenal ulcer but since I've been taking medication for 2 weeks now I'm becoming skeptic of that belief...since it should be at least a little better.

Sooo, I just want some opinions here please. I really hope these aren't IBS symptoms because I don't want to have to deal with this for the rest of my life. I'm actually hoping for gallbladder disease opinions since at least I can have that taken out and hopefully feel relief. (by the way my mom, dad and grandma on dad's side have gotten their gallbladder taken out due to gallstones and excruciating pain associated with them).

Okay! I'll stop, since this is probably a very long read as it is! Thank you for taking the time to read this :)

Yes, I've definitely steered away from any fatty meals. My diet right now is a lot like yours actually! And even though this is very healthy for my body I still can't get enough food in my body because of the fear that I may have another one of those attacks. Anyways, I was kind of looking for opinions as to what you may have thought would be more likely for me to have. Like I said, I'm leaning towards the gallbladder since my ultrasound did show gallstones. Thanks for replying!

@rawkstar2k, my pain feels like it's in the center of my abdomen, right where the diaphram is, but when I put pressure on there there's no pain. If I put pressure on the right side, a bit under my rib cage, then it starts to bother me. It's not unbearable but it's not pleasant either. I wish I could put this off, but I've pretty much been ignoring it for about a year now and the attacks seem to be much more frequent now...they even come when I eat healthy! The only thing that's helping me get to my consultation date is some pain meds I was prescribed which have worked wonders for me. I really hope I can get this out and have no complications afterwards...I certainly hope I don't get IBS like you and I'm so sorry to hear that you have that now. Is it worse than living with the gallbladder pain though?

@autunm, that sounds horrible! I've only been dealing with this for about a year now. I'm actually going to go consult with the surgeon today about it. My dad had suffered from this as well for about two years...except his attacks weren't frequent, he just had two really painful attacks that sent him straight to the ER. After the second one he was more than willing to get surgery done. I've been eating super healthy lately though and I haven't experienced any attacks (well I did have one a few days ago that lasted 5 hours ). Other than that it's been "controlled", although I do have hydrocodone to back me up so that may be why I haven't been feeling the full effects of the gallbladder attack. Anyways,  I will have to have a serious talk with the surgeon and hopefully I can deal with this in a manner so that I can learn from someone like you and it doesn't happen to me. I'm so sorry for the pain you suffer through, though. I completely, and unfortunately, understand the suffering that comes along with all of this

@autunm, thanks! it's great to have other people to talk to about problems like these. I went to the hospital today to meet with a surgeon. They did a regular checkup and he finally concluded that there's a high possibility that it's my gallbladder causing me problems. He went straight to talking about surgery and gave me a brochure right away...so I guess I don't really have much options than to get rid of it   . I also brought up the possibility of ulcers and acid reflux. He said since I was taking meds for H. Pylori it would help my ulcers anyways, and he didn't think I had any symptoms of acid reflux. So now I'm just left with deciding wether or not I'll get that surgery. I've still got pain meds left though i'm sure when those are gone I'll be begging to get it ripped out of me though lol

I just wanted to update everyone on my current status on the gallbladder issue. I was scheduled for surgery but decided to cancel it. During the time I scheduled it and canceled it I researched and dug up information on how to get better myself. I have since then completely changed my diet. I usually have small meals instead of big ones throughout my day, I eat things very low in fat or with no fat at all such as lactose free fat free milk, cereals low in fat, whole wheat bread, chicken breast and lots of fruits and vegetables. I've been feeling so much better with that and the help and support of friends and family. I still have some pain killers left that I was prescribed for the pain meanwhile my surgery came around so if an attack starts creeping up on me I usually nip it in the bud early on with a pill and I don't have any problems thereafter. So far I haven't had any problems for about two weeks now and I hope that it stays that way for the rest of my life. As far as the gallstones go, I'm going to try and look into ways to get rid of them naturally like Ursodiol or a gallbladder flush because I do still want to keep all my organs intact (even though the doctors insist that it's more of a burden now). Still, it's my body and they won't be the ones living with the consequences of not having a gallbladder for the rest of their lives. Anyways, I'm taking things slow. Slowly eating more and more, healthy foods of course, and trying to gain some of the weight back that my body desperately needs. Thanks for all the support and wish me luck! =D

So I tried changing my diet and everything went well for a few weeks and then all of a sudden BAM! I got hit with a gallbladder attack. I guess it doesn't really matter what you eat, a gallbladder attack will happen eventually...especially, BUT not necessarily, after a greasy meal...sigh...Needless to say, I have once again scheduled to have my gallbladder taken out. I will go in for surgery in a few weeks.

It seriously doesn't matter what I eat...I ate some cereal with fat free, lactose free milk and had an attack a few hours later But anyways, I'm sooo looking forward to my surgery and getting this darn diseased thing out of me! I know I've changed my mind a few times here but this decision is final, my gallbladder is coming out! I will probably post on here after my surgery to let people know how I am doing, and if it was a good decision or not. Anyways, fingers crossed! I hope this ends all the unbearable gallbladder pain once and for all and I hope once again you all wish me luck!

Oops, forgot to say, after your surgery, make sure you get up and walk as soon as possible to help avoid the gas pains that you are going to feel in your shoulders. Painkillers and GAS-ex will not relieve this pain, the only thing that helped was walking and drinking lots of water. If you do take painmeds, be sure to take a stool softener as you do not want to become constipated.

Thank you autunm and rufous57 for your support! I will be having surgery within the next week. It seems that my gallbladder knows it's going to be taken out and it has just been acting out on me every single day now! Thanks rufous57 for letting me know about what to expect after the surgery too! I hope all goes well and there's no complications. Thanks for the kind words guys!

Hi Ruth

I haven't communicated with you in so long! I am doing fine for months now...I am off of all th meds they had me on and I no longer have any symptoms of GERD or gastroparesis...I still get neck pain sometimes but have gained back all my weight and feel normal again...

It was great to have you to share with those months when I was soooo sick...The fear was so bad because I just couldn't fathom feeling that bad and having lost so much weight unless I had some terminal condition...I truly know God healed me once I let go and just lived day to day and changed my doom and gloom thoughts...

So thank you for your support and kindness...

How are you doing? I bet you are having a beautiful spring...It is already in the 90s each afternoon here in Louisiana but we are accustomed to the oppressive heat....We plan to travel pretty often this summer....Do you have plans?

I hope you get this e-mail because I tried going direct to you but there is no info except through responding to the thread...Hope to hear from you soon...

lillye

Hi Lillye, How great to hear from you. I tried to update my personal info to include my e mail but it doesn't seem to work. I am so happy to hear you are feeling better, you went through some awful times, good to hear you have gained your weight back as well! I will try to get this system figured out so I can e mail you. Take care, Ruth


Gibson,

Glad you made it through your surgery;yes that CO2 gas pain is horrible. I actually called the paramedics because I thought it was a heart attack! I hope you are better now, the worst is the first few days; by 2 weeks I felt almost back to normal. Just keep walking, drinking lots of water and breathing deeply to heal yourself! Take care, Ruth

Hi Gibson!

Today marks the 2 week point for my gallbladder removal =) Aside from some slight tenderness from the incision below my sternum, I'm officially symptom free.

Your story sounds a lot like mine.. I was worried about the after effects as well (since I already suffered with digestive issues), so I put off the surgery for 5 years. Today, despite the discomforts of recovery, I have no regrets. In fact my digestion is better now than it's been in 10 years! Yay, unexpected outcome!

I would request a follow up with your GP or surgeon to discuss the reflux symptoms. I personally haven't heard of this being a side effect of gallbladder removal.. it could be something else entirely. Although, some belching is normal in the first few weeks after surgery.

The shoulder pain you're feeling is not likely to be from the gas.. that should be gone my now provided you've been up and walking around since your surgery. My back and shoulder pain lasted 2 days, and I found that standing and walking was the best way to relieve it. Are you back to regular activities yet? It could be that too much time around the house has caused your back to become stiff.. I'm finding that too, so I make an effort not to skip a day with my stretches and walks.

Best of luck in your continued recovery!

Gall bladder signs and symptoms in males and some women of all ages are more or less identical; but also in case females, all of these signs tend to be usually ignored mainly because adult females of all ages generally think that the stomach aches could be caused by the monthly period troubles. The fact is, significantly more examples of gall bladder illness have emerged in females in comparison with people; due to the fact adult females suffer far more from bodily hormone imbalances because they just take oral contraceptives and deal with several stages of development like age of puberty, monthly period, being pregnant, lactation and a menopause.



Signs and symptoms



Due to the fact gallbladder is located on the upper-right area of the stomache area, top-right region discomfort is among the major gallbladder troubles signs and symptoms. Gall bladder attack signs or symptoms include things like severe belly aches. Gall bladder episodes could cause lowered blood pressure levels. A sick stomach, nausea or vomiting, flatulence, intense belching, are among the popular signs and signs or symptoms of gall bladder disorders in females. The signs of acid reflux for instance bitter liquid arising in the mouth area are felt by numerous females. Women of all ages need to seek the advice of the general practitioner when they note any difference in the colour of stools and when troubles for example unwanted gas and bloatedness never disappear in spite of home made remedies or drug treatments. Adult females might be affected from heartburn, appetite deficit, diarrhoea and a fever, based on the seriousness of the gallbladder condition. The aches could spread higher and right-side upper body pains could be gone through. Adult females can make a complaint about back discomfort or shoulder blade pains, which usually in their amazement, might be a result of gall bladder infectivity. Stomache problems principally after going for a big supper suggests gall bladder condition. The painfulness is really so serious that the female will find it tough to walk, take a position or even just sit upright. Fat reduction without condition and signs and signs or symptoms of jaundice are seen in the case of gall bladder cancers.


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