I went for an Ultrasound today and here is the update! Advice from anyone appreciated!

Hey everyone!

Okay... Ultrasound found a 2cm gallstone. I am trying not get too excited. I go back to the doctor on Jan 30th to discuss options.

Summary:
Symptoms started in May. Before that, I had heartburn 1-2 times a week. One night I ate a low-fat but spicy meal and had such bad stomach pain (started in stomach and radiated to chest) that I called an ambulance. It went away on its own in about 30 minutes. I was prescribed Nexium 20mg/day for 2 weeks, during which time I felt better. After I stopped, the heartburn came again. I went back and got on Nexium 40mg/day for 6 months. During this time, I changed my diet and lost a lot of weight, but new symptoms kept popping up. I had another episode of extreme stomach pain in July and went to the ER again with no results. At that time I changed to a vegan diet with no triggers and virtually no fat and my symptoms are much better if I am strict with the diet, but I still feel bloated/extremely full sometimes even when I'm perfect. The pain is now mostly on the right side (ONLY when I'm on PPI's) and right under the sternum in the epigastric region. Had an endoscopy in November, it was normal. My Murphy's sign is always negative.

Symptoms:
-Heartburn, only when I'm off PPI's OR on a bad PPI. If I'm on the pills, then I get a bloated and uncomfortable feeling but no heartburn (unless I eat a trigger food)
-Nausea (always morning, not pregnant)
-Burning/gnawing feeling in stomach (if I go too long without eating or eat too much)
-I DO have sensitivities to trigger foods - tomatoes, chocolate, etc.
-Regurgitation (which is NOT painful at all - I burp it up and swallow it back down and that's the end of that)
-Feeling of fullness/bloating

Does anyone think this could be gallstone-related? I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much... but this is the first time they've found anything abnormal and I have to admit that my hopes are pinned on this rock which has taken up residence in my gallbladder.

Any ideas, advice, ANYTHING is appreciated.
Feel well, everyone!
Ashley

Hi Ashley,

Glad you finally got your US. Your gallstone could potentially be making the reflux worse but usually you have "attacks" like right after your eat, especially a high fat meal. I'm not the expert though so that's just my two cents. I have 3 friends who have had gallbladder issues. Two have had their gallbladders removed. The other did a gallbladder cleanse, which supposedly rid her of her heartburn (which occured after meals only). There's still question as to why you are having your other symptoms like regurgitation and right sided pain. I know regurg can be a symptom of reflux as can the epigastric pain you mentioned. Pain in your tummy b/w meals or when your tummy is empty sounds a little gastritis-ish to me. At least that's how mine was when I had gastritis in April when this all began. I do know folks can have stones in their gallbladder for years and be asymptomatic. I also know that removal of the gallbladder often makes reflux worse for reflux sufferers. It will be interesting to know what your doc advises. I wonder if they can just remove the stone and sew the gallbladder back up to see if that makes a diff.

Take care and keep us updated, Liz