For those of you who have had gallbladder issues

[dancer67]

I was told to start a seperate thread on this topic as we are trying to figure out what is going on with my 20 yo daughter.

In the summer, she said her stomach hurt for about an hour or so after eating, along with feeling bloated. Never had any constipation or diarrhea issues.

 

Then one ight last month she had upper stomach pain that woke her up and she vomited a few times. The her upper stomach hurt ALL the time.

 

We took her to the Dr. They did upper/lower gi series with barium. All was negative except a small amount of acid reflux.

 

Then because she felt so lousy because of her stomach, she went to ER. Found out she had ear infection, and they also did ultrasound for gallbladder and bloodwork. Her WBC count was slightly elevated, prob due to ear infection. Sed rate a little elevated, prob from ears but who knows. Her gallbladder looked fine on ultrasound and Lipase levels were normal, but they forgot to test her amalayse.

 

She didn't get any better, so we saw a GI dr, He did a endoscopy, but more of a thorough one. Negative biopsy for celiac and H. Pylori. Gallbladder looked fine. Endoscopy was completely normal.

 

She was on two prilosecs a day and that made her feel so much better. Until her endoscopy came back and GI Dr. told her to take one a day for two weeks then stop. If her stomach acted up again, he would put her on amitryptiline.

 

So Thursday her stomach started hurting again and on Saturday she was sick. Again. Fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, and stomach really hurting(upper stomach again).

 

I take her to pedi yesterday, he came in on Sunday to see her. He did all kinds of tests. No flu, No ear infection,no strep, no UTI, no Mono. Nothing. He is thinking a virus, but to be sure, he sent her for more bloodwork,this time checking her immune system, CBC/diff, Sed rate, and another Lipase AND Amalayse test again.

 

The GI Dr. diagnosed her with Functional Dyspepsia(Basically, you have all the signs of having an ulcer but nothing is physically found, kind of like IBS). He started her on the Amitryptiline today.

 

But, her symptoms keep making me still think it is gallbladder. She said that today sometimes it hurts so bad she can barely stand, then it subsides. Her fever is gone, no more achiness, her throat is better. So now it is just her stomach.

 

Am I missing a test here for gallbladder? If her Lipase and amalayse levels are fine, endo was fine, ultrasound was fine. Are there any more tests for gallbladder? Am I missing something in general? It could very well be Functional Dyspepsia. But I don't want to just go with that and there might be something else going on.

 

I hear this is a common issue with gallbladder being missed.

 

If you have had gallbladder issues, how long did it take to get a diagnosis, and how did they diagnose you?

[Hunter's Moon]

I had bouts of severe stomach pain and I only vomited during one episode.

 

It took about 2 weeks for me to be diagnosed once my mother suspected what it was. I was diagnosed through ultrasound because my gallbladder was so full of stones.

 

The only thing that makes me think it isn't your dd's gallbladder is the fact that Prilosec helped and then when she went down on the dose it came back.

 

It could still very well be gallbladder issues though. I do know there is a test to test the level of gallbladder function, but I cannot recall the name. Hopefully someone can help with that.

[Forget-Me-Not]

See if you can get her a HIDA scan. Sometimes there are no stones but the gallbladder won't contract well.

 

That being said, my mom works with a lady who had gallbladder symptoms for years but the ultrasound and scans all came back normal. She went in for an unrelated surgery and convinced the surgeon to pull her gallbladder while he was in there. He later said it was the most diseased gallbladder he'd ever seen!

[regentrude]

Have her get a HIDA scan. The scan tests the functioning of the gall bladder. The ultrasound can detect stones, but not if the gallbladder is emptying at the correct rate.

 

I had not stones, the U/S was fine, but the HIDA scan showed that it was functioning at much lower than the normal level.(I had it removed and only regret not having done it sooner)

[ChristusG]

Definitely a HIDA scan. My sister is going through this now and I went through it back in January. An ultrasound of the gallbladder will only pick up stones. You can have a non functioning gallbladder with no stones. And make sure a COMPETENT doctor is reading it. Two doctors told my sister her HIDA scan was normal, even while she was still experiencing excruciating pain and nausea. Then two specialists told her the numbers were functioning way low and it's definitely her gallbladder. So it seems that not all can read the scan results.

[dancer67]

I have read that a HIDA scan is painful. Is that true? Who would order this? Her GI Dr. or her pediatrician.(Yes, I know she is 20 but she refuses to leave until she is 21, her pediatric office is wonderful)

I will ask about this if everything comes back normal. Thank you.

[kalanamak]

I have read that a HIDA scan is painful. Is that true? Who would order this? Her GI Dr. or her pediatrician.(Yes, I know she is 20 but she refuses to leave until she is 21, her pediatric office is wonderful)

I will ask about this if everything comes back normal. Thank you.

 

I've never had a HIDA, but I've had many patients who have and not one has complained about pain (and yes, I hear complaints about tests that are painful.)

 

That said, functional dyspepsia is FAR more common in 20 year olds than g.b. disease.

Fever shouldn't go with it.

And, I've had plenty of patients who've had their g.b. out (stones, you name it) and it does NOT fix the problem. Basically, between your sternum and your anus, pain is usually vague. (Otherwise we'd feel our dinner making every curve in there.)

 

Good luck to your daughter. Having a grumbly tummy is no fun at all.

[Pawz4me]

The HIDA scan can be a bit painful. They inject you with a substance that makes your body believe it's just eaten a fatty meal. If your gallbladder isn't functioning properly, it can cause pain and nausea. As far as I remember, when I had my HIDA scan done it was a bit of crampy pain followed by a wave of nausea, but it certainly wasn't horrible by any means, nor did it last very long. I have a slightly low-functioning gallbladder, but my main symptom is queasiness if I eat anything very fatty. Eating low fat, which is my typical diet anyway, keeps it behaving.

[GoVanGogh]

I slept during my HIDA scan. The table was a bit uncomfortable, but otherwise good time for a nap, I thought.

[kwickimom]

Have her get a HIDA scan. The scan tests the functioning of the gall bladder. The ultrasound can detect stones, but not if the gallbladder is emptying at the correct rate.

 

I had not stones, the U/S was fine, but the HIDA scan showed that it was functioning at much lower than the normal level.(I had it removed and only regret not having done it sooner)

 

This. My gallbladder is not functioning at 100% but its not bad enough for my insurance to pay to have it out :glare:

It was not painful at all. In fact I felt better during and after because it flushed out my gallbladder. It was not a big deal at all for me.

[dancer67]

I've never had a HIDA, but I've had many patients who have and not one has complained about pain (and yes, I hear complaints about tests that are painful.)

 

That said, functional dyspepsia is FAR more common in 20 year olds than g.b. disease.

Fever shouldn't go with it.

And, I've had plenty of patients who've had their g.b. out (stones, you name it) and it does NOT fix the problem. Basically, between your sternum and your anus, pain is usually vague. (Otherwise we'd feel our dinner making every curve in there.)

 

Good luck to your daughter. Having a grumbly tummy is no fun at all.

 

We are hoping the Amitryptiline helps.

 

The pediatrician feels her last two bouts of illness was just being unlucky. The first one being an ear infection. The second time, on Saturday just a virus. She was seen in the office on a Sunday(yep, one reason we will not leave that practice until she is 21), and everything was normal. She had a fever on Saturday and Sunday, with the body aches, sore throat(not bad though), and her stomach really hurt. Today, everything is gone except her stomach that is hurting.

 

She works with A LOT of people of all ages. She teaches little kids dance, she is a hairdresser, and is in college part time. She is never home. But she did this last year and didn't get sick like this. And she didn't have stomach issues either.

 

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what could be causing her stomeach(upper GI Tract only) to hurt. Her endo was pristine, so far all of her bloodwork has been good.

 

What started out with pain after eating, has turned into her stomach hurting ALL the time when she gets sick. Her stomach acts up, like the past two times, and the pain doesn't go away.

 

The only thing that has helped her was taking two prilosecs a day. The stomach pains were gone, but the pain after eating was still there, but not as bad.

 

If it isn't functional dyspepsia, then what could it be?

 

I have researched everything, and the only two things I could possibly come up with is Gallbladder, and Gluten Intolerance.

 

The GI Dr. she has is top notch. Very well known. I want to trust what he is saying, but if it was JUST her stomach then I think I could believe it. But BOTH times her stomach has hurt all day, was when she was sick. That is why I am questioning the diagnosis. Plus, questioning why she has been sick twice in one month, when this is a child who hasn't been sick in over 5 years.

 

This is why pediatrician sent her for more bloodwork for immune system. Sed rate and CBC/diff. I made them add on the gall bladder one again just in case.

 

If the amitryptiline works. Great. I just want her out of pain. I know what it is like because I have IBS. And all I get is the pelvic pains. No bathroom issues.

 

She does not have any bathroom issues at all. No pain in lower GI Tract. Only upper.

 

I will wait for this round of bloodwork to comeback, and go from there. In the meantime, if anyone has any other ideas as to what this might be, I am open to hearing them.

 

Thanks so much.

[kalanamak]

I forget when she started on the Prilosec. I would give it 6 solid weeks before thinking it isn't doing the trick. And, some people need prilosec twice a day and a 20 mg Pepcid at bedtime on top of that.

 

I've seen low dose amitryp really do the trick. I tell people it is "an anti depressant for the brain in the gut", and since you have such little brain in the gut, you don't need much anti-depressant. FYI, if she has friends inclined to over dosing for suicide/suicidal gestures, tricyclics are a favored OD (and a nasty one). I wouldn't leave the bottle about.

[Scarlett]

I was told to start a seperate thread on this topic as we are trying to figure out what is going on with my 20 yo daughter.

In the summer, she said her stomach hurt for about an hour or so after eating, along with feeling bloated. Never had any constipation or diarrhea issues.

 

Then one ight last month she had upper stomach pain that woke her up and she vomited a few times. The her upper stomach hurt ALL the time.

 

We took her to the Dr. They did upper/lower gi series with barium. All was negative except a small amount of acid reflux.

 

Then because she felt so lousy because of her stomach, she went to ER. Found out she had ear infection, and they also did ultrasound for gallbladder and bloodwork. Her WBC count was slightly elevated, prob due to ear infection. Sed rate a little elevated, prob from ears but who knows. Her gallbladder looked fine on ultrasound and Lipase levels were normal, but they forgot to test her amalayse.

 

She didn't get any better, so we saw a GI dr, He did a endoscopy, but more of a thorough one. Negative biopsy for celiac and H. Pylori. Gallbladder looked fine. Endoscopy was completely normal.

 

She was on two prilosecs a day and that made her feel so much better. Until her endoscopy came back and GI Dr. told her to take one a day for two weeks then stop. If her stomach acted up again, he would put her on amitryptiline.

 

So Thursday her stomach started hurting again and on Saturday she was sick. Again. Fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, and stomach really hurting(upper stomach again).

 

I take her to pedi yesterday, he came in on Sunday to see her. He did all kinds of tests. No flu, No ear infection,no strep, no UTI, no Mono. Nothing. He is thinking a virus, but to be sure, he sent her for more bloodwork,this time checking her immune system, CBC/diff, Sed rate, and another Lipase AND Amalayse test again.

 

The GI Dr. diagnosed her with Functional Dyspepsia(Basically, you have all the signs of having an ulcer but nothing is physically found, kind of like IBS). He started her on the Amitryptiline today.

 

But, her symptoms keep making me still think it is gallbladder. She said that today sometimes it hurts so bad she can barely stand, then it subsides. Her fever is gone, no more achiness, her throat is better. So now it is just her stomach.

 

Am I missing a test here for gallbladder? If her Lipase and amalayse levels are fine, endo was fine, ultrasound was fine. Are there any more tests for gallbladder? Am I missing something in general? It could very well be Functional Dyspepsia. But I don't want to just go with that and there might be something else going on.

 

I hear this is a common issue with gallbladder being missed.

 

If you have had gallbladder issues, how long did it take to get a diagnosis, and how did they diagnose you?

 

 

You may have missed my threads about my dh being sick for over 3 months. Well, he was actually unable to work for 3 months...he was sick for much longer than that. Your dd's story is so similar to my dh's....and it ended when they FINALLY did a HIDA scan and it showed his gallbladder was not working. They did surgery 2 weeks ago yesterday and he went back to work today.

 

They did an ultrasound on his gallbladder early on but it showed no stones and they just stopped looking at the gallbladder. It took us getting into a specialist (gasterenterologist) before he got a Hida scan ordered. When the surgeon removed the gall bladder he was like, 'um, yeah it was baaaad.'

 

Please, please please get a Hida scan. I so wish dh had one a year ago! He is on the mend now. But wow what a ride.

[Scarlett]

I want to add that through all of this time dh's bloodwork did not show anything amiss except for slightly low white count at one point...AND eventually he tested positive for Epstein Barr which equals mono. The mono knocked him flat on his butt, but I believe the bad gall bladder started the ball rolling. I am not exaggerating that he was so sick he could not get out of bed....and yet no one could say why.

[Scarlett]

Hida scan was not painful at all for dh. Also, the Nexxium and other drugs like that helped the pains some....but they would not go away and sometimes come back worse.

 

You are describing my dh almost exactly. And he had fever too. Off and on up to 102. sometimes. So sick he could not go to bathroom by himself.

 

And the Hida scan was not as bad as some....it was at 31%.....but the GI doctor said he failed that test 'badly'.....and when they actually took it out the surgeon said it was 'very bad.'

[dancer67]

Scarlett, I am glad your DH is better. I will def ask about the HIDA scan if things do not improve.I guess I never really thought a 20 yo could have a gallbladder issue. But I am glad this was brought up. It is definitely something I will ask for if things are not better.

[thebacabunch]

I had gallbladder attacks from the time I was 12 and finally had it out about 12 years ago. I can say that for myself, and most people who have gallbladder attacks, the pain feels like a heart attack, not stomach pain. I thought I was dying. I had my gb out 2 weeks after giving birth so the pain was still fresh in my mind and I would say that a gallbladder attack is nearly as bad as full blown transition phase labor pains. A high dose of morphine barely touched the pain.

 

If your daughter is concerned about her gallbladder you should encourage her to see an adult doctor who is more familiar with gallbladder issues.

[JenC3]

My mom had her gallbladder out a few months after having me as a fresh 22 yr old.

[dancer67]

She is not concerned with her gallbladder. I am. And she sees an adult GI Dr. Her primary care is a pediatrician. The GI Dr. would be the one to order the HIDA scan, not her pediatrician. Although, if I asked the pedi to have a scan done, they would order it. We do not not have "typical" pediatricians. When I ask for things there, things get done. And quickly. My daughter is already seeing the difference between the "adult Dr. world" and the "Pediatric Dr world". You would never, ever get an adult Dr. in on a Sunday JUST for your 20 yo daughter, to be seen. Heck, you are lucky to get an adult Dr. to call you back. And even then, they tell you go to the ER. Our Pedi practice has 4 Dr's and ALL are familiar with my daughter(and my youngest as well) so it doesn't matter which one calls you back. Unlike seeing one adult primary. If you are sick on the weekends, and your primary is not on call, you are pretty much screwed.

She is dreading turning 21 because that is the oldest you can be to stay with the pediatricians. I don't blame her one bit. If it wern;t for them, things would not have moved as quickly as they have. I cannot say enough good things about them.

[1bassoon]

My dd had her gallbladder out last September; she was 19 years and 2 weeks. Ultrasound normal, bloodwork normal, HIDA scan was abnormal - and it was full of sludge. She didn't present with typical gb symptoms; for her, it was nausea, vomiting, no upper pain, but a bloated crampy lower intestine.

 

I'd say if there's ANY way you can get a HIDA for her, push. At least you'll have it eliminated.

 

Good luck.

[dancer67]

If this medication doesn't work, and her bloodwork is normal, I won't have to push for it. If her adult GI Dr refuses, her pediatrician will order the test. They will do any test that I ask for, as long as they feel it is warranted. They are really, reallly good about it. I am just so grateful that many of you mentioned this test. Otherwise I wouldn't know anything about it. Thank you all so very much,

[soonermomma]

On my 20th birthday I had my first gallbladder attack. I also had the scope, and an ultrasound that both came back completely normal. The hida scan showed that my gallbladder was not functioning correctly. I had it removed about a month after the first attack. Mine was severe upper pain after any food was eaten as well as puking up pretty much everything I ate. It was miserable. I hope you guys get answers soon and that your daughter feels better.

[JFSinIL]

I remember seeing your first thread when i was not on the computer that lets me sign on so I could not respond....but I do think this sounds like my dd, who had to have her gall bladder removed when she was 16! After a year of treating for everything else under the sun, as no one thought of the gall bladder for a long while. Her's was long and narrow like a pencil and full of stones.