s/o: What does a gall bladder "attack" feel like?

[mrs.m]

My stomach hurts! And it has ever since I had the stomach flu 4 weeks ago. :( It hurts on my right side, slightly under my rib cage. It's not a terrible pain, more of a burning and gnawing pain. It doesn't matter what I eat or drink. It comes and goes but lately stays longer. The whole thing started with some terrible heart burn (like the worst in a long time!) and then progressed into the stomach flu. After I got over the stomach flu, I had horrible heart burn again. I'm already on Prilosec prescription so I shouldn't be having heart burn like this. I am careful about what I eat too because I have a sensitive stomach. I no longer take Nsaids because they are what caused my sensitive stomach. I hope I don't have an ulcer. :( But a bad gall bladder doesn't sound any better.

 

I am seeing my Dr. tomorrow and going in with an open mind. She's usually pretty good at listening to me and figuring stuff out.

[kalanamak]

You need to be seen in the flesh, but I'd guess gastritis (not gastroenteritis) or reflux over gall bladder, which tends to wax and wane. The term "biliary colic" does the feeling justice.

 

However, nearly any pain between the sternum and the pubic bone can be just about anything. There is much of what is called "referred pain". It is vague in there.

[Georgia On My Mind]

:iagree:

 

My gallbladder attacks were very acute pain localized under my right ribcage sometime radiating through to my back that was only relieved by vomiting, which dislodged the stone causing the pain or some major pain meds I kept on hand to relieve the pain and allow me to relax so the stone would dislodge on its own. The attack that sent me to the hospital was not relieved at all by the pain meds or vomiting. No wonder the stone was the size of a quarter and couldn't be dislodged or passed.

 

I'm so glad you are seeing a doctor tomorow. Ultasound will easily tell whether or not it is gallstones.

[Lara in Colo]

I thought I was having a heart attack. No stones, just a bad gallbladder.

It felt like a steel band around my middle at the bra line. It hurt to breathe and move.

 

Lara

[dangermom]

It seems like gall bladder attacks can be very different for people. I thought I was having a heart attack; it was a horrible pain on my left and my left arm went numb. My BIL thought his was acute heartburn.

[Lawana]

I had stabbing pain, like someone was stabbing me in the back (right bra band level). It was the worst pain I have ever felt, including childbirth. I would much rather go through unmedicated, pitocin induced contractions than a gall bladder attack.:tongue_smilie:

[MIch elle]

heartburn that alka-seltzer wouldn't take care of - then pain in my breastplate.

 

First ER admission I was diagnosed with acid reflux - NOT! I did not have pain in my side. I was vomiting and then had a fever for 2 weeks. I went back to the ER and was scheduled for surgery but then I had a liver infection which stopped the surgery until it cleared. That's the short of it - it was long and painful before I had my gallbladder removed.

 

TAKE CARE OF IT RIGHT AWAY before it spreads & causes other problems!

[lmrich]

Right side under my rib cage and pain!!! It has felt sore for a while but the attacks are quite severe childbirth like pain, but without the break between contractions. I have also had a headache since Thursday and I have no appetite. Good luck!

[JFSinIL]

Whatever it is, you need to be checked out sooner rather than later. My 16-yr-old had to have her gall bladder out earlier this year - the doctor said if it flared up while we were waiting to do the surgery it might be infected and would become emergency surgery (we were able to wait and get it out laproscopicly. No I can not spell that word and spell check is not helping!)

[TN Mama]

I had stabbing pain, like someone was stabbing me in the back (right bra band level). It was the worst pain I have ever felt, including childbirth. I would much rather go through unmedicated, pitocin induced contractions than a gall bladder attack.:tongue_smilie:

 

:iagree: I started having gall bladder attacks when my first child was 6 months old, so childbirth pain was still fresh in my memory and I told my dh exactly what you said above. Give me unmedicated birth any day over this hell. It was awful.

[Hockey Mom]

It seems like gall bladder attacks can be very different for people. I thought I was having a heart attack; it was a horrible pain on my left and my left arm went numb. My BIL thought his was acute heartburn.

 

That's what it felt like for me too. The pain is so excruciating that it hurts to breathe, hurts not to breathe. It hurts to move, it hurts not to move. My shoulders and left arm would go numb, and it feels like your whole upper body is just clenched and burning. My worst episode was late at night, and I was literally panting in the fetal position, on the floor.

 

FWIW, the doctors all thought I had an ulcer, and it took them weeks to figure out it was gall stones. I didn't meet all of the four "F's" for gall stones at that time (fat, forty, female, fair), so if you think it's gallstones, make sure you tell them you want to be checked for that.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

[Joyfullyblessed]

Ugh! Mine felt just like a heart attack! I was home alone, had a barely three month old baby and thought I was dying. I couldn't hardly breathe and the pain was very bad, went from front around to my back.

 

I actually had to call 911 because I was so scared. Even the EMT's thought I was having a heart attack.

 

Thank goodness it was my gall bladder though. I ended up having that sucker removed a few weeks later! No more attacks! :)

 

Go to the doctor and let them figure out what is going on so that you can get relief quickly. Best wishes to you!

[mrs.m]

My pain is nothing like what you are describing. It seems the "heart attack" feeling is what this has in common. Even with the episode of terrible heart burn, I didn't feel like what I would described as a heart attack. And I have a very low pain tollerance. I probably have acid reflux or something else. Which that doesn't feel great either. I'm going to see if there's a different med I can try for it. Or maybe that stomach flu just set it all off? I'll let the dr. figure it out.

 

Thanks everyone! I'm glad you are all doing better without those gall bladders!