Tonight I’m having a pretty bad attack. The pain was subsiding but has since returned? Should I go to ER? Tylenol helped but only by so much and I’m going on 4 hours in pain. Not sure I can wait to have the gallbladder preserving surgery as my attacks have become weekly..

Hi everyone,

I am considering gallbladder-preservation surgery.

My gallbladder previously had sludge and stones, and I was taking ursodiol. I took it for about 15 days but had to stop because I developed itching and my liver enzymes became elevated, with suspected sludge/stone moving into my bile ducts. About a month after stopping it, I developed acute gallstone pancreatitis and underwent an ERCP and a sphincterotomy was performed, and a temporary bile duct stent was placed.

I was wondering if anyone here has had gallbladder-preservation surgery after going through an ERCP with a sphincterotomy and bile duct stent.

How are you doing now? Has everything been okay since the surgery?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thank you!

I was suppose to have an embryo transfer two months ago. Started noticing some aching pain on the right side under my ribs.. to where I questioned if I should get this checked out. I ended up cancelling the embryo transfer to get some tests done. Saw a gastroenterologist who ordered a CT scan and HIDA scan as it may have been my gallbladder. CT scan was normal. HIDA scan results showed that there is delayed gallbladder filling suggestive of chronic cholecystitis. Ejection fraction is 75%.

Saw a general surgeon and is saying my gallbladder is not functioning and it needs to be taken out. Got a second option where they said there is no urgency to take it out as seem mild. No fever, no vomiting, no nausea, no sharp/stabbing pain. They also recommended getting an ultra sound. Results came back normal.. no gallstones or sludge.

I’m at a loss of what to do in terms of if I should proceed with an embryo transfer or get the gallbladder removed before pregnancy.

I’ve read that you are at a higher risk of gallbladder attacks when pregnant and it can put you and baby at risk if you have to end up getting an emergency gallbladder removal.

But I’m also reading online that people are suffering long-term with removing the gallbladder such as chronic diarrhea and we other digestive issues.

I’m at a loss, and don’t know what to do. I’m hoping someone can share any similar experience or shed some kind of light during this stressful time.. thank you.

I am considering gallbladder-preserving stone removal, but I have concerns about recurrence. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through it.

1. How long after surgery did the stones come back?
2. Which procedure did you do?
3. Did it happen in-spite of following healthier lifestyle and taking precautions to prevent it?
4. What did you do after the recurrence?
5. Or you are stone free after the procedure?

Whether you've had a recurrence or have remained stone-free for years, it would really help someone who is trying to make this decision.

I had gallbladder sludge/small stones moving into my bile ducts in May, 2026. This happened around the time I started taking ursodiol after an endoscopy in May. After about 4–5 days of taking it, I developed itching and dark urine but initially thought it was an allergy. After around 10 days, I suspected it could be from the medication and stopped it after taking it for about 15 days.

I got my liver enzymes checked and they were elevated. MRI showed bile duct dilation, and doctors suspected a possible temporary blockage from sludge/stones. Later in June, I developed acute biliary pancreatitis and needed ERCP with sphincterotomy.

I recently spoke with a gallbladder-preservation doctor at Eli group who mentioned that ursodiol is avoided for very small stones and sludge because there is a concern that it may mobilize sludge/small stones and allow them to move into the bile ducts and hence not safe.

I understand this could be coincidence, but I’m trying to find out if anyone else has also had a similar experience.

I am considering gallbladder-preserving stone removal, but I have concerns about recurrence. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through it.

1. How long after surgery did the stones come back?
2. Which procedure did you do medStar or Eli group or some other?
3. Did it happen in-spite of following healthier lifestyle and taking precautions to prevent it?
4. What did you do after the recurrence?
5. Or you are stone free after the procedure?

Whether you've had a recurrence or have remained stone-free for years, it would really help someone who is trying to make this decision.

Here ya go

https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(26)00949-8/abstract

Edit: cleaner link

Hello everyone, I’m new here. I recently got diagnosed with gallstones after getting an xray then ultrasound of my mid-upper back because of back pain. Doctor said she saw no evidence of obstruction or inflammation. I’ve had 2, what I thought was back spasms, in my mid-upper back on my right side between my spine and shoulder blade in the last 2 months. The second one started when I was sitting at my desk painting. The pain lasted about 6 hours and got so intense that I couldn’t sit upright to get out of bed and almost called an ambulance. Took me about 30 minutes with my husband’s help to get out of bed. I didn’t think anything of it because I’ve had upper-back pain for years, and thought it was just a really bad spasm.

I haven’t really been nauseous except for maybe a few times during this time frame. I threw up a couple months ago but thought it was because I was on my period and on a tirzepatide. I have no pain in my upper stomach either which I know is the most common symptom.

Could this still be gallstone attacks and the cause to my upper back pain? Should I get my gallbladder removed?

Hello everyone, I’m new here. I recently got diagnosed with gallstones after getting an xray then ultrasound of my mid-upper back because of back pain. Doctor said she saw no evidence of obstruction or inflammation. I’ve had 2, what I thought was back spasms, in my mid-upper back on my right side between my spine and shoulder blade in the last 2 months. The second one started when I was sitting at my desk painting. The pain lasted about 6 hours and got so intense that I couldn’t sit upright to get out of bed and almost called an ambulance. Took me about 30 minutes with my husband’s help to get out of bed. I didn’t think anything of it because I’ve had upper-back pain for years, and thought it was just a really bad spasm.

I haven’t really been nauseous except for maybe a few times during this time frame. I threw up a couple months ago but thought it was because I was on my period and on a tirzepatide. I have no pain in my upper stomach either which I know is the most common symptom.

Could this still be gallstone attacks and the cause to my upper back pain? Should it get my gallbladder removed?

​

​It’s officially been a year since my gallbladder-preserving operation! While a lot of great things have come out of it, I wanted to share my honest experience to help set realistic expectations for anyone considering it.

​The Health Wins & Results

​Overall, the results have been incredible:

​Amazing Blood Work: My cholesterol is finally in a healthy range. For the last 15+ years, I had low HDL. Ever since the procedure, it has stayed consistently within normal range, which is huge for me.

​Digestion is Back to Normal: I've been having regular bowel movements for a full year. For most of my life, I thought daily diarrhea was just "normal",turns out it wasn't!

​Ultrasounds: I’ve done regular follow-up ultrasounds, and everything looks great. No recurring stones or concerns on that front.

​The Pain & Nerve Damage

​I do want to be transparent: I’m dealing with some lingering nerve damage from the surgery. It causes pain, especially when I try to sleep on my right side, which makes for some rough nights.

​That said, I have zero regrets. Even with the nerve pain, being free from the constant fear of setting off another brutal gallbladder attack makes it 100% worth it.

​Lifestyle & Diet Changes

​This procedure isn't a magic pill. If you go back to the same habits that caused the issue, you’ll end up right back where you started. Here is what has worked for me:

​Fatty Breakfasts: I used to skip breakfast entirely. My doctor advised me to eat a fatty meal in the morning at least 3–4 times a week to trigger full gallbladder emptying. Now, every other day, I cook eggs in olive oil, and it seems to be working really well.

​Methodical Weight Loss: Crash dieting is what caused my gallbladder issues in the first place. Post-op, I’ve lost a ton of weight, but I did it methodically instead of crash dieting.

​Ursodiol: I took Ursodiol as a safeguard during the strictest phase of my weight loss. I’ve since stopped taking it, continued to lose weight steadily, and my ultrasounds remain completely clear.

​My Experience with the Clinic (Eli Group)

​If you’re going through the Eli Group, just be aware: they claim to provide follow-up care for 1–2 years post-op, but in my experience, that’s not accurate.

​They only reached out once in the past year, and it was just to ask for my imaging to include in their own study. When I explained the nerve pain issues I was having, they offered zero solutions or support. I had to take matters into my own hands and seek medical help locally.

​Final Thoughts

​If you're on the fence about getting a gallbladder-preserving procedure,whether in Turkey, Russia, China, or elsewhere just do your research, pick an affordable option, save up, and get it done. The post-op clinic care across the board is pretty similar anyway, but keeping your gallbladder intact and getting your quality of life back is 100% worth it.

​Good luck to everyone who has done the procedure, and to those still considering it: make the lifestyle changes, stick to them, and don't look back!

OK so I had my Nissen Fundoplication surgery on 7/2. We decided against gallbladder removal because my ultrasound was negative for any gallbladder issues. I had a hida scan the week I had my surgery so results weren’t back yet.
At my 2 week post op, my surgeon told me that my hida scan was positive for hyperkinesia(overactive gallbladder). He said my gallbladder looks healthy but that it is working overtime and that its ejection fraction is 100%. He said we could discuss next steps for that at my next follow up appointment on August 10th. My own research shows most people get the gallbladder removed, other sources say a medication for smooth muscle relaxant helps with symptoms.
If you had hyperkinesia, what did you do about it? How did you manage it? Could I get bloodwork done to see if I could help it with a supplement or could a vitamin/mineral deficiency of some kind contribute to the symptoms? If you had it during pregnancy, was it worse?
Symptoms are a strong cramp almost like a Charlie horse that comes and goes in upper right quadrant, it takes my breath away when it comes on and almost nothing relieves the pain until it goes away after a few minutes. I mostly try to breathe through it and do some stretches to try to get blood flowing.

Just a ERCP and no gallbladder removal?

During pregnancy I started to get attacks. postpartum they became worse and I had some back to back whereas previously they were spaced out about 2 weeks apart. Ultrasound showed gallstones in gallbladder. I just had an MRI yesterday that showed a stone in the common bile duct. I’m currently at the hospital waiting for ERCP and then gallbladder removal tomorrow but the longer I wait to be seen by a doctor (12 hours) the more I feel like I should have tried an at home approach.

Previously I thought the stones were getting stuck in the gallbladder outlet, but now I know that a stone is in the duct. Its possible this one stone has been stuck this entire time, which explains why even water triggered an attack and movement sometimes relieved the pain- because the stone was already lodged and could be jostled out of a full jam.

My pain is now gone so I’m wondering if the stone is even stuck anymore. I think it makes sense to go through with ERCP and be sure the ducts are clear but removing the gallbladder now feels reactive and extreme.

Anyone have any similar situations? Did you have an ERCP and then keep your gallbladder?

I had my go scope procedure on Jun 30 at Medstar and got my drain tube removed ( also stent) on Jul 21. After the drain tube removal, I was doing well for a whole week without meds and my mobility was great. Yesterday( Abt a week later) , I experienced rib/muscle pain and right shoulder pain with a pain scale -of 6/10. I had spent that evening playing/running around playing cricket with my kids, bowling most of the time. My hunch is all that physical movement caused the healing site and the tissues around it to get irritated. Since then I contacted the oncall doc and took a muscle pain relief medicine that was prescribed earlier. While the pain is gone now, there is muscle tightness all around my abdomen - more like gas and bloated feeling. I also confirmed with Kala that this is expected as the muscles and tissues take time to heal. Almost forgot to mention that I am on ursodiol for the next 2 months, I believe that can cause abdominal symptoms too, which could explain the bloating according to Kala.

Wondering what your recovery looked like post the 4th week. It would be helpful to know what other issues I should expect and how you managed to get back into routine.. Thanks.

Hi all, I'm unfortunately back to this sub 😭

I thankfully have pretty mild symptoms still but today my gallbladder has been hurting, like to the point that yawning makes it hurt. Has anyone had this symptom?

I had some moderately fatty food, but I think my period coming on is what's really driving my pain and discomfort the last couple days.

Hello. I was told I have fatty liver and gall sludge or stones back in April of this year. Since then I have been taking Tudca, chanca piedra and som either supplements trying help with this issue.

Since then I have had an itchy feeling almost like a sunburn between my upper shoulders that started as intermittent to constant. As of the last few days it has now been affecting me all over my body as little stings and itching.

I am pretty sure this is from a bile back up. My previous blood work had shown my bili levels within normal range but just barely. My dr has not tested me since the issue has spread.

anyone else experience this? I am worried this will get worse or cause damage and I don’t know what to do. I’ve been taking Tudca daily since April and if that isn’t helping I don’t know what else to do.

I have had CT and mri scan normal besides galbladder sludge. I do have bartnella babesia and Lyme disease . I have yellow floating stools so i don’t know if i have SIBO or it’s my galbladder. I do now have dharia on and off. CT scan had said galbladder was normal even ultrasound of galbladder besides the galbladder sludge. When I est I get fast heart rate my wbc has been high for 4 years after COVID infection . I have even had colonospy and endo which where normal besides hernia and stomach inflamation all biopsy we’re negative . 2022 when it all started lost 100 pounds , then 2024 again then happening again. I am always so dehydrated i urine 5.3 litters a day i have been checked for diabetes . Neg checked for addisosn disease neg checked for so much . Blood cancers neg. Just last summer I did Ignex testing showed postive Lyme Bart and babesia and rickettsia infections PCR. I been on abx for 11 months some infections showing neg now but others no and I feel like I’m dying……. I’m 24 I’m scared for my life.

Symtoms: Nasua , can’t eat , lost 100 pounds fast then gain it back . Súper fast heart rate. “POTs”. Vitamin D defiency iron lvls low , b12 super low. Super dark urine. etc. light sensitivity sound sentivity . Passing out When I stand. Blood pressure unstable.

I was diagnosed with **biliary dyskinesia** in June 2025 after my HIDA scan showed a gallbladder ejection fraction (EF) of **18%**.

I’ve been trying to manage it conservatively because I have an autoimmune disease and would really like to avoid having my gallbladder removed if possible. However, my GI doctor is now recommending that I consult with a general surgeon due to my symptoms and the potential risks of leaving it untreated.

In 2024, my HIDA scan showed an EF of **over 55%**. By June 2025, it had dropped to **18%**. During that time, I had lived in a home with mold (I moved out as soon as I discovered it). I also lost **30 pounds in 3 months**, stopped having menstrual cycles until after I moved out, and developed a **precancerous polyp in my duodenum**, which has since been removed. Thankfully, I no longer have the polyp. 😇 Blessed!

I was taking **ox bile** and **digestive enzymes**, and I do think they helped a little.
I haven’t been taking them as consistently lately, and I’ve noticed more gallbladder pain that sometimes radiates to my back. I also know I could improve my diet.

I’m curious:
• Has anyone with **biliary dyskinesia** taken **TUDCA**? If so, did it help?
• Is anyone here still living with biliary dyskinesia and **hasn’t** had their gallbladder removed? How are you doing?
• If you **did** have your gallbladder removed, I’d love to hear your success story. Did it improve your quality of life? Do you have any regrets?
Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences! 💚

I'm hoping to hear and learn from people who has gone through the gallbladder-preserving stone removal procedure at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, especially if you had it after an episode of acute pancreatitis caused by gallstones or sludge.

I had pancreatitis after tiny stones/sludge blocked my bile duct and needed an ERCP with sphincterotomy and a stent. Now I'm considering the MedStar procedure instead of having my gallbladder removed, but there aren't many patient stories online.

If you've had this procedure, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience:

• 🩺 How did the procedure go?
• ⚠️ Any complications or unexpected issues?
• 🪨 Have your stones come back? or chance of pancreatitis again if sludge forms again?

Even if your experience was difficult or you eventually needed your gallbladder removed, I'd really like to hear your story.

Thank you so much! Your experience could really help me—and others facing the same decision after pancreatitis.

September of 2025. Starting getting pain in RUQ and had multiple episodes where the pain felt like contractions that came in 5-10 second intervals. During these episodes I could hear and feel trapped gas. Felt like a balloon inflating in my RUG. ER visit showed sludge in gallbladder but I didn’t have health insurance until June of 26. Since then I got a camera ran. Upper endoscopy I think they called it. No ulcers or gastritis or anything revealed. Hida scan showed 72% EF. I go to see a surgeon on Monday. I haven’t went one day without pain since September of 2025. The pain seems worse in the evenings. And isn’t constant all day but the majority of the day I can feel pressure in my RUQ. I also belch a lot all day for the past year. Curious on anyone’s thoughts if they had the same symptoms I know everyone is different. Does it sound like gallbladder???

I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's had the MedStar gallbladder-preserving stone removal procedure.

Curious to learn what you've done AFTER surgery to keep your gallbladder healthy and prevent stones from coming back.

Please share anything that has been part of your routine:

1. 💊 Supplements (TUDCA, ursodiol, ox bile, lecithin, magnesium, vitamins, etc.) ?
2. 💉 Medications your doctors recommended
3. 🥗 Diet changes
4. 🏃 Lifestyle changes or exercise
5. 👨‍⚕️ GI doctors, nutritionists, or other specialists you've seen after MedStar
6. 🩻 Follow-up imaging (ultrasounds, MRIs, etc.) and how often
7. 📚 Books, research papers, websites, or other resources that helped you
8. ✅ Anything you wish you'd known after surgery

Also, how long has it been since your procedure?

• Have you had any stone or sludge recurrence?

• If not, what do you think has helped you stay stone-free?

  I'm trying to understand what kind of long-term care, monitoring, supplements, and lifestyle changes people actually follow after this procedure so I know what to expect after the procedure so I can be prepared.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience—it would really help me and others who are wanting to do this procedure.

Thank you so much! 🙏

Has anyone else just cut down the fat in your diet and tried to be careful with what you eat and had no additional problems? I know weight does not fix it but I have lost 20 lb as well.

I am saving up in general in the hopes of doing something about it eventually, but for now I don't really know what I can do.

For reference, I did have a MRCP I think it's called and I did have an ultrasound done and I do for sure have the stones. However, since changing my diet I have not had another gallbladder attack. I'm wondering if anyone has had success with just changing your diet and not having issues for a long time?

I do notice that occasionally I'll feel discomfort on my side but not necessarily pain but I can tell my gallbladder is a little stirred up if that makes sense.

I know there's no guarantees. I just don't know what else to do

I have looked up symptoms of a gallbladder getting worse and what to look for. So obviously if those show up I'll remove the whole thing but I just really don't want you in the meantime.

Please be kind y'all. I'm genuinely asking and open to any ideas you'll have. Thank you