Need Advice! Lower Right Abdominal Pain.

[MichelleBell]

Hey All!

Just a background - I'm 26 and a runner, and eat very clean. Three years ago I started experiencing sharp cramp like, stabbing pains when I ate certain foods. My family doctor thought it was my gallbladder not processing fatty foods, but the thing was, I really didn't eat that much fatty food. If I did eat a pizza or something, it would for sure happen, but other times it would just be because of a sauce (no BBQ sauce, no alfredo, no Chinese food, etc.). He did some tests and told me I should get my gallbladder out, despite my young age (I was the 10th one he recommended that week, after all). Well (thankfully) I took the advice of a co-worker and went to a specialist who said I absolutely should not get my gallbladder taken out. She gave me Sucralfate, which is actually a med for ulcers, and it seemed to help. I also tried to limit things in my diet that were giving me acid reflux like symptoms (not sure if they were both related or not). I went a little while and life was back to normal, but a short while later I started having pains again. This time, it didn't seem to be linked to fatty/greasy foods, but to milk products. I switched to soy, and for awhile, life was good again. About 1/2 a year ago, I started having very severe pains again. This time, I thought it was the dairy again, but it started happening when no dairy was consumed. It wasn't my gallbladder, because the pain was on my left, not my right. I usually have pain every day, and upon researching, I thought maybe all of the whole grain foods I was eating was doing it to me. The pain is always, always accompanied by bloating, gas, and immediate and frequent trips to the rest room (so not fun, especially in training for my 1/2 marathon... please please let me get better before my race in June!!). I have also tracked problem foods to things such as Jimmy Johns subs, because of the bread, but upon even more research, I learned that there are two components to milk: the lactose part and the casein part. Even though I had switched to a lactose free diet, I had unknowingly still been consuming foods with milk derivatives. Processed meat has a high amount of a casein type protein in it. So now I feel like I am back to square one. Is it the wheat, or the milk? Sometimes I'll have a piece of wheat/pb toast, and no problems at all (so maybe wheat is OK). Other times, I'll try to sneak in some ice cream, and I'll actually be fine (so sometimes dairy is OK). I'm just so confused. Maybe my key is a food journal. Does anyone have any idea or suggestions? I am desperate for anything at this point!! I'm scared to go back to my doctor for fear he'll want to yank out some other organ, or just jump to conclusions. Thanks a ton!! Michelle

*Correction - Can't edit topic title now, but the pain is in my lower left abdominal, not right. Typically gall bladder pain is in the lower right.

[debmidge]

I have had gallbladder issues and had to have mine removed. But this information on link is

interesting :

Open Original Shared Link

This doctor (gastro) concluded in JAMA that the gallbladder doesn't work properly in

some people and it doesn't mean that the gallbladder has to be removed at once. This doctor is in NJ and is published. If the link doesn't work then google habbasyndrome.com.

I have post gallbladder removal gas and diarrhea and I still have mild discomfort on my

right side near ribcage. I had gallbladder removed 8/07. I am severely lactose intolerant and have IBS. In my case, my gallbladder was "calcified" and was no longer working and bile was

entering into my bowel at irregular intervals - bile digests fats and is acidic and irritating to the stomach and bowels. Bile triggered worsening of my IBS symtoms so I was having diarrea

almost 24/7 BEFORE I had my gallbladder removed and lost 20 lbs. in a month. As my

gallbladder disease progressed, I had pain, tenderness in upper abdomen and in right back near "wing", and I was losing my appetite to the point of not eating and finding the smell of

food disgusting (a first for me in my life). I knew I had to get the gallbladder out asap.

After surgery the gallbladder was biopsied and it did not have cancer.

[Generic]

I had to have my gall bladder taken out a year ago. I never had pain on the right side. My pain was always in the center of my chest just below my ribs, on the right side and on my back between my shoulder blades.

I also had a kidney stone on the left side, so that is a possibility for you too.

[Ahorsesoul]

About a year ago I was scheduled to have my gall bladder removed. Before doing the surgery I asked for a second opinion at the Mayo Clinic. I saw a specialist in gall bladder surgery for less than 15 minutes. He kept looking at me and said you sure don't look sick. lol

He looked at my x-rays which showed two stones. Both of which were small enough to pass and not to be a problem He told to if I had pain after eating a very fatty meal that lasted about 6 hours, it could be gall bladder pain. Then I should come in again. But he said he didn't think my pain had anything to do with my gall bladder. (Turns out the pain is from a hiatal hernia.)

It's easy to test if it's gall bladder pain. Eat a very fatty meal that does not contain gluten or dairy. Try lots of bacon. If it's gall badder you should be in pain within 30 minutes that will last for up to 6 hours.

Remember to if you ask a surgeon what should be done about a problem he's most likely going to suggest surgery. Always get a second opinion from someone who isn't going to be making money from your surgery.

Co-Pay at my local clinic: $30

Total Cost for 15 minutes with a specialist who wanted to do surgery: $235

Insurance covered: $48

I had to pay the rest out of my pocket for bad advice.

Co-Pay at Mayo: $30

Total Cost for 15 minutes with a specialist: $36

Insurance covered the $6

Saved from surgery: Priceless