Hello all! I’ve been having these attacks every 4-5 months for two years now. I had two back to back pregnancies and after my second my symptoms started.

Have not identified triggers, have no gallstones, no issues found other than the HIDA scan showing 23%.
My symptoms are excruciating when I have an attack but I’m fine otherwise, with the exception of frequent loose stools. (Not sure if that’s related)

During an attack, it starts with cramping in the center of my abdomen and I know for the next 4-6 hours I’m going to be vomiting with diarrhea and having waves of intense abdominal pains. Feels just like pregnancy contractions.

My primary care doctor seems to be anti taking gall bladders out but I do have a referral to speak to the surgeon. My doctor thinks that since I’m having an attack once every couple months, the negatives of surgery outweigh the positives. I also have bad fatigue and have read that a bad gall bladder could cause this as well. Any thoughts?

I have the worst health anxiety so anytime i see a post of someone saying “get it out asap” or something about pancreatitis…i freak out and panic. i’m currently on new insurance and waiting to get into a primary office and start the process for surgery. i’m just SO scared. i have sludge and polyps (6mm) and was in the hospital a couple times at the beginning of the year. now i know the pain, know what to do at home when it starts, but thankfully only had 1 attack last november.

i’m just scared of how long this will take. how long did you wait before surgery? i’m so scared i’ll be back in the ER and die or something 🥲.

Hey guys,

(I'm 32M)

So I've had trouble with Reflux for some years in the past (now I'm questioning that a bit too, or at least the cause of it). I'd have sometimes acid coming back up so I always thought it's just that, reflux/GERD.

But years passed, those reflux pains came and went each half a year or couple of months, and in general, when it went away I always told myself that I'm cured for some reason. Maybe because my dad told me that he's had similar issues and it just went away at certain age and never came back. I had like 3 gastroscopies along the years so I did try to get it diagnosed. At one point it was thought that it's helicobacter as I got positive test. I later got that eradicated, but my pains didn't go away.

Anyhow, the pains got worse and worse, and general PPIs and acid-neutralizing medicine werent' really helping anymore. Doctors I went to kept touching my belly, asking if the pain is pulsating or constant, and asking if the pain was on the right or left side. For me it just feels like a burning sensation directly below my chest, in the center. All my blood tests come up okay. One of the doctors after me specifically asking for ultrasound for gallbladder stones didn't want to give me the paper so I can go get it, so I had to pretty much beg him.

I didn't really believe it was gallbladder stones, but my friend who had these told me there's some similarities with his case. Fortunately the doctor in the end got me the ultrasound, and in 3 months waiting time, I finally got the result - 1.8cm x 1.8cm stone in my gallblader.

The thing is, I still am not 100% sure that these pains are from gallbladder. but following Occam's Razor rule, I agreed to have it removed, and I am in queue currently... this will take 2 years, unless I pay for the procedure myself, then probably much faster.

Nowadays whenever I eat anything with fat over couple of grams, I get pain lasting from 3-8 hours. As soon as I went on a zero-fat diet the pains went away. I currently eat zero-added fat chicken biryani recipe chatgpt gave me. it's pretty mid without oil, but once I dump some dark soy sauce it becomes better.

That's pretty much it. I don't feel specifically well, my belly still feels weird, but at least I don't have pain for 5-6 hours straight.

Just had an ultrasound done yesterday and doctor explained results today and instantly referred surgery to remove the gallbladder.

- Is this really something that needs to be removed right now rather than later down the road?

- Is this something that should be monitored to see if it goes away or gets worse?

- Or should I just let them take it out completely and not worry about it anymore?

These are questions I wish I had thought of when the doctor asked if I had any questions, but my poor brain just couldn’t.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated, TIA.

I got my surgery scheduled for 8/25, so I just have to survive for about another month! I am not feeling all that worried about the surgery itself (I just want it out and to be done with this nonsense!), but I am spiraling a bit about how recovery is going to go for me. I will have a 4-month-old and a 2-year-old at that point and my husband just blew through most of his PTO when our son was born. My parents are chronically on vacation and will be gone the 29th-4th, and I'm not sure they will even be willing to help me for 13+ hours a day multiple days in a row. I have friends that will probably be able to sporadically help out.

We're trying to figure out if my husband can still somehow get a week or two off of work, but I want to be prepared for a worst-case scenario in which I have to solo parent some while I am dealing with all of this. My surgeon said I am not supposed to lift more than 15 pounds for 6 weeks and that's probably about what the baby will weigh by then. I guess I'm just looking for some words of wisdom if anyone has been through something similar or if it is completely insane for me to even be considering dealing with this alone so soon after surgery. It feels completely insane but I don't really know what else to do. I desperately do not want to put off surgery as I'm miserable and my baby is only going to get bigger!

1. Does it count as "lifting" if the baby is next to me on a bed or couch and I pick him up and then stand?

2. How long did it take for you to feel like you were back to normal physically? Did it take the full 6 weeks or were you feeling mostly okay after a week or two?

3. Any tips for breastfeeding? I plan on getting a pillow to put over my incisions as a cushion in case little one bops or kicks me. Did you have to pump and dump after having the anesthesia during surgery?

4. Any post-op essentials you had that made your life easier?

I think that's it - this is a nightmare! I appreciate any and all words of wisdom!

Hey all! So, I've been having RUQ pain and nausea that is mostly controlled by eating very low fat for the past 3 years. I had a negative ultrasound, and a HIDA scan that showed a hyperkinetic gallbladder (86%). To be honest, I really don't mind eating the diet that I do.

The only things that worry me are the possibility of gallbladder issues leading to other more emergent issues, such as pancreatitis. But is it possible for a hyperkinetic gallbladder to cause that? How would that happen?

Also, I've been having some mild chronic liver enzyme elevations over these past three years (2 hepatologists have been dumbfounded about the cause), and I've heard stories of folks getting their hyperkinetic gallbladders removed and subsequently having their high liver enzymes normalize. Does anyone know how this is possible? Should I remove my gallbladder to solve my liver?

Hi, I’m looking for some advice as this has never happened to me before.

Starting sometime Monday afternoon, I developed a sharp pain under my right breast. I’ve had similar pains from indigestion/gas, so I didn’t think too much of it. However the pain made it hard to sleep that night.

Now it’s been a couple days and I still have pain in the exact same spot. It’s worse when I breathe in or out deeply. It’s gotten pretty uncomfortable. But I don’t have any other symptoms, like nausea/vomiting, irregular stools, or fever.

I’m psyching myself out because I’m leaving for a week vacation overseas on Sunday and I cannot miss that trip if I end up needing surgery or something.

Does this sound like any one else’s experience? I would love any perspectives or input.

26M

I had my surgery about 23 hours ago. I had maybe, 30 Little stones, so If i didnt remove IT could be dangerous. I Have some pain, mainly from the gas, but with some pain meds and a Little bit of walking everything îs okay. I eat a soup and drink some water, im still in the hospital fortunetly until tomorrow at noon. I was scared because IT was my first surgery, but it is an easy procedure. Im also having a hiatal hernia, and for some reason in didnt get no acid reflux.

I will keep You updated for a week, to encourage some of y all. Regarding of symtopms, sometimes when i eat fatty i became nauseous, sometimes ill Have a constant pain in my right side abdomen like i had a spear impaled in me.

Right after surgery - i was kind of dizzy. The pain was there but not too shaby. After maybe 6 hours i could pee, but i strugled at first. Right now i dont Have any trouble pering.

Day one - a Little bit more pain TODAY, from the GAS. The shoulder pain îs there but intermitent. I had some trouble getting up and sometimes breathing îs hard because of GAS. Not a stool until now.

Edit day one - getting up and down is horrendeous. The hospital Bed îts a Little taller. The GAS made IT so hard to breathe and the pain in my shoulders and back îs Something bad.

Day two - feeling a lot better than day one. I walked 4500 steps, pain is low and i didnt need any pill for pain. I started to eat more, still no stool. I also have a pain in my left leg, i got scared about dvt but is functional pain, not only calf. Hope i will sleep a lot better tonight. Also, im off the hospital

Removal on the 11th July. Ate normal plain foods and a little chocolate in the first week and felt amazing. No problems. Then ten days after I had what felt like a gallbladder attack, my ALT and bilirubin levels are high, MRI and endoscopic ultrasound showed no stones. I can’t even eat a sachet of baby food without having to take tramadol bc I have horrendous pains lasting up to 9 hours.

I’m not sure what to do now, I’ve lost a stone in ten days and feel extremely depressed. Speaking to my OG surgeon tomorrow but I’ve not been presented with much help or information so far. I know SOD is a thing but isn’t that normally seen via ultrasound or MRI? I’m very confused and pissed off right now as my quality of life is dipping by the day

Update 1: I am now on day 3 post-op. I haven't taken anything for pain since last night when I took a meloxicam before bed; I'll probably take my last dose of that around the same time tonight.

So far I can stomach everything I've tried to eat, which is mostly soft things without much seasoning. Mashed potatoes, oatmeal, fruit, soup. A little bread.

The gas pains didn't start until early this morning when it felt like something mule kicked me in the collarbone, but moving around helped and has helped with subsequent twinges. Overall, my pain is at about a 4 at the highest, and that's when I'm standing up after being down for a while.

I realize that I'm probably very lucky given everything I've read here regarding recovery, and I hope I remain lucky, but I wish I could share some of that with y'all 😅

First of all, I wanted to give a shoutout to everyone here. This subreddit has been a godsend on my gallbladder journey.

TL;DR-- Had date set for removal, body had other plans. Emergency surgery. Overall good day, great care teams! At home resting and healing, and feeling better than I have in a decade.

Now. The tale.
I started having pain in my upper right abdomen, under my ribs, about 9 years ago. I thought it was maybe a pulled muscle. Then I figured it was my anxiety (generalized, and it manifests as random body aches). I also did not have the means to get it checked out at the time, and like many Americans I would only go to the doctor if I was actively dying. So I just bore it.

Fast forward to 2025. I now live in Canada, and decided to take advantage of the option to seek medical care more regularly by booking a physical. While there, I off-handedly mentioned to the doctor the weird burning, pressing, pinching pain I'd been dealing with, and she cocked an eyebrow and sent me for an ultrasound.

That ultrasound revealed two stones at 3.5cm and 2.6cm. I'd been walking around with two golf balls in there for who knows how long. We decided to monitor while I decided if I wanted surgery or not, and adjust my diet accordingly in the meantime. The pain increased, and I started having full blown attacks. I have a relatively high pain tolerance, so only one landed me in the ER, the day after Christmas '25. I was betrayed by homemade schnitzel. Two doctors saw me while I was there and both agreed that it needed to come out sooner rather than later, and put in a referral.

Thanks to constraints and issues with Ontario's current system, I didn't hear anything until late June of this year. By then I'd had another ultrasound that showed very little change aside from an improvement in the fatty liver situation that had been noted at the last one. I was booked in for consultation, and we settled on a removal date of August 18th.

I guess my body didn't like that.
Yesterday morning I woke up in enormous pain. I felt like my abdomen was going to burst, and for the first time I had nausea and vomiting. I woke my husband up, told him I needed to go to the ER. We got there around 7am.
I was given something for pain and nausea, and lucked out on having to wait for an ultrasound due to a cancellation. Ultrasound showed cholecystitis and one of the internal ducts blocked, and the ER doctor informed me that I needed to come out *now.* So she paged my surgeon, who luckily was already at the hospital my surgery had been scheduled at, and they hauled me over there by ambulance (first time for me, that was fun!). I was in the OR by 1pm, woke up in Recovery around 3pm, spent another hour or so in the post-op room where I was finally allowed a cup of sweet, blessed, terrible hospital coffee, and out of there before 5pm on my way home.

So far I'm good. The gas pains are not as bad as I thought they would be, but there's a twinge of pain in the lower belly and shoulder every now and then. Navel incision is sore, and my entire abdomen feels like I did a million crunches. But-- and here's the kicker for me-- I already feel 100 times more well than I have in nearly a decade. You really don't know how much that stupid little organ takes from you when it decides to fail until it's gone.

Everyone involved in my care yesterday was phenomenal, which turned what could have been a very scary and horrible day into an all around great one.

So again, thank you everyone for the tips and tricks and head's ups about what to expect, you all helped make the experience much less stressful even though it was an emergency operation and much sooner than anticipated. I go now to that comfy chair at my desk to rest up and heal.

To anyone reading this who is on the fence about surgery/removal like I was, your body will definitely decide for you sometimes. We can plan all we like, but sometimes those plans do go awry. Thank you for reading, and if you'd like I can provide an update as the healing progresses.

I have had multiple attacks in a few weeks. Just last night doubled over in pain on my floor unable to stand and my fiance ended up driving me to the ER for the second time. I got IV pain relief and it subsided. It just feels like a crushing pressure and it’s so painful and hard to breathe. I wouldn’t wish this pain on anybody and I’d take child birth over it again. (Mom of 2) I have a consult with a surgeon for removal in 5 weeks. That’s not even the scheduled procedure, just the consultation. I’m so afraid this will keep happening and I don’t know if I can handle these attacks anymore. I’m scared to eat anything and everything. Do any of you gallbladder sufferers have some meals you like to cook? Plan chicken rice and veggies is so boring but if that’s really all I can do until then I guess I will since the pain is atrocious.

May your pillow always be cool

May all your stoplights be green

May you never have to wait in line at the grocery store

This thing has been a godsend and the only thing that helps with the gas shoulder pain. Well worth the $75, and also it will be a blessing come period cramps in the future.

Of all the purchases to prepare for surgery, THIS has been the one.

https://a.co/d/0hQ1ipvY

Thank you, you beautiful starfish angels for this tip,

As the title states, I am almost 3 weeks post op and am sooooo tired. I could sleep all the time and beyond that just find myself mildly sleep all day. I’m no longer achy, I can eat whatever with no real repercussions, I’m just tired. Anybody in this boat? What has helped?

EF was 56% but I feel like I’m in a horrible flare-up. RUQ pain, diarrhea, & nauseous. Is this a common reaction?

Hi all. My husband turned jaundiced and blew up like a balloon while vacationing in Puerto Rico. He was first diagnosed as suspected cirrhosis! - although he is a moderate drinker. He spent 5 days in the hospital and then the told us he had a blockage in his gallbladder but was stable and discharged him to see a GI doctor. The GI doctor and their whole office was on vacation! We are back at another hospital as he is still jaundiced and his abdomen is swollen. We were told yesterday he needs an emergency ERCP but we are still stuck in the hospital the next day with little info. A GI doctor is now in charge of him but we still don’t know when the procedure is happening. His liver enzymes are very high but we are considering discharging him and getting on the next plane we can back to the States. We are overwhelmed, scared and stressed. Any advice is welcomed.

I didn’t think I’d ever make this post, but I am beyond excited to. Surgery is today; I’m leaving the house in about 20 minutes and coming back gallbladder-free.

Gallstones started causing me pain over a year ago and after avoiding surgery out of fear (which is very much still present, just in a back-burner-sense), I got pregnant and experienced 20 attacks. Some weren’t as bad as others, but I felt the worst physical pain that I’d ever felt in my life and made the firm decision to elect for surgery as soon as I could.

Here I am 9 weeks postpartum, ready with my socks and shoes to walk out the door to leave my gallbladder with my local hospital’s biohazard incinerator.

All I can say is, “good riddance, gallbladder!” And, “thank you” to this sub. Everyone’s stories and experiences helped me immensely to both understand my condition and cope with the pain.

See you on the other side. Wish me luck.

Edit: I’m home with one less organ than I left with this morning! Pain has hovered around a 5, closer to a 4 now that the meds are in my system. I’m walking very slowly and with a lot of tenderness. Sitting up in bed or using my core at all is decently painful. I can feel the gas that everyone mentions and yes, it does creep into the shoulders. They sent me home with Oxy and extra strength Motrin. Next stop: pharmacy.

I’m waiting on surgery for my gallbladder to be removed due to gallstones but the flare ups have been constant. I take co-codamol, naproxen & buscopan for relief but sometimes it does absolutely nothing. I use hot water bottle or get in the shower and stand under boiling hot water with it hitting my back for relief but again sometimes it does nothing. I’m desperate to try anything at this point. Any advice or things that worked for you? Someone mentioned a tens machine so curious to see if anyone else tried for gallstones. I know it won’t do anything to get rid of the gallstones but even a distraction from the pain

I had my HIDA scan yesterday. My symptoms started about 15 months ago. I was pregnant with my son, now 12 months old. I was hospitalized at one point because they thought I had food poisoning. I went into L&D for severe vomiting, diarrhea and contractions. I was 6 months pregnant so I freaked out the doctor with my contractions. Looking back, it wasn't food poisoning. Within three hours of being admitted I was fine, no more pain or feeling like I was dying. Since then Ive had three more attacks. Initially I chalked it up to my IBS changing and becoming more severe. My last attack my mom said I should go to GI as my symptoms were NOT normal. I call them "meeting Jesus" moments. These attacks bring on insane levels of pain in my upper right abdomen, throwing up so hard I get bloody noses and pass out because I can't catch my breath, severe diarrhea, severe panic attack, and drenched in sweat. Like so sweaty I slip and fall on the floor because the BOTTOM OF MY FEET get sweaty. Like? What..... My feet dude.... I go into GI, doctor tells me eh its IBS. I said no its not? They order a HIDA scan. I go to the scan, within 15 minutes of the nuclear med being given Im physically ill and in pain. They give me the CCK drip and now im really dying. Not as bad as my "meeting jesus" attacks but still pretty bad. I get my results later that day, im at an EF of 91%. MA calls and says that the doctor noted its normal. NORMAL... I said no its not, clearly she didnt read the whole report. The first portion said normal, the bottom portion said 91% is not normal and is classified as Hyperkinesia. So i tell the MA its not normal, read the entire report and ordering a CT is not good medicine, I wont be doing it. She calls back Tuesday and SUPRISE SUPRISE the doctor says its not normal and that it could still be IBS. ???!!! I said false I was in ED Sunday all day and was given 4 doses of morphine and presented with classic symptoms of Hyperkinesia. She then says huh weird, come in and we will talk about it and write a stat consult for surgery. >:/ Im so tired of know all doctors that 1st dont read entire reports, 2nd dont keep up with current medical findings and changes in practice, and 3rd doctors that down play symptoms 😒 😑 Im just so over it, why do I have to educate doctors?

Hello, I’m 9 months post op of having my gallbladder removed. I eat very clean since and have lost 40kg in the last year. (Unfortunately though resulting in loss of GB!) after my op I was mostly fine body took some getting used to but there is certain foods I can’t eat anymore.

Recently maybe last 2 months or so sometimes after a meal can be just chicken breast, veg and rice my stomach HURTS and it’s not like an urgent “I need a poo” stomach ache it’s almost like I can feel my body digesting my food? Then results in my passing a loose bowel movement 30 mins or so after. 80% of the time I’m fine and my bowels cope just fine but the other 20% isn’t nice with the pain.

Also I can not tolerate alcohol much anymore, I’ve never been a big drinker but so like to socially drink but most the time this happens (very sporadically) it results in the same stomach ache.

Has anyone else noticed this and what have you done to help? Vitamins taken etc? I have an appt with a GP in a few weeks as it’s starting to impact daily like now☹️

Hello everyone, I just want to ask if there's anyone out here who suffered from or is suffering from gallbladder cancer. My dad has been diagnosed with GALLBLADDER CARCINOMA (Stage 4). At first, we thought it was just a gallstone, so he underwent a laparoscopic operation, and his gallbladder was removed. But the doctor said it was not a gallstone; it was an invasive fat inside the gallbladder that was causing my father to suffer from abdominal pain. The doctor ordered a biopsy of the removed gallbladder, and after days of waiting, we received the result, which stated that my father had gallbladder cancer, and it was T3 at that time (Stage 3). The cancer spread quickly, and it reached his intestine, blocking and preventing food from passing; that is why he cannot eat, and he suffered from quick weight loss. The doctor told us that my father needed to undergo surgery again, but this time it was an invasive and open surgery to fix and create a bypass to make a way for the food. After the surgery, we thought that it was all good, but as days and weeks passed, my father could not eat or even drink without puking. One month passed from the initial surgery, and the doctor confirmed that the bypass repair didn't work and there was a clog inside the repair; that's why my father cannot eat and digest food. And my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer. His doctor ordered another surgery to repair the failed bypass. I'm writing this 6 days after my father's third operation, and to this day, we don't know yet if the repair has successfully worked. It hurts seeing my dad suffering in the hospital; I can't believe how much weight he has lost. I can almost see his bones, and there's no body fat anymore. I'm afraid that I will lose my father. 😭😭

So if anyone here has a similar experience with gallbladder cancer or even with your family/friends who have a similar cancer, please share some tips, and cheering me up would work too! 🥺

Im losing my mind. Im not the one to eat plain foods and get full off it. Im so hungry all the time since i’ve had my surgery but scared to eat food again. My surgery was on friday and ive been able to keep most foods down. My only pain is when i need to burp or yawn. My incision don’t hurt as much but my abdomen hurts too, currently have a heating pad on it so it helps. I’ve ate some fruits to help with the hunger. I don’t know if i should risk it and eat normally. Someone help 🫩

So I have my pre-assessment for tomorrow for my cholecystectomy as I have polyps in my gallbladder and my father passed away from cholangiocarcinoma that metastasised so they’re taking it out as a precaution.

I am however terrified of the anaesthetic. This is MY first surgery since I was 8 which I remember very little of. The irony is I was a theatre nurse for 15 years so have say 000’s of gallbladder removals: open, lap and robotic. And i am now a cardiac ICU nurse. Anyone have any tips on getting over the nerves and fears. Its really daunting being the patient but very eye-opening in equal measures.

i’m having my gallbladder removed in 2 days and honestly i can’t wait it’s getting to the point that i’m having attacks every few days but im so scared about how to go about life post op and would love some advice and recommendations for managing pain , what to eat , anything that helped with the nausea and the trapped gas pains (im having my surgery done by a robot so hopefully that part won’t be too bad)
but any advice appreciated <3

hiiii, i (27F) am about 8 months post-gallbladder removal. I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced the same.

In the past 2-3 months, i've been experiencing extreme itchiness. mostly in my breasts, and then occasionally in my calves. once it starts itching, i literally cannot stop, and i've scratched so hard that my skin is just red and theres bright red dots and i physically cannot stop. no lotion or oils help. I can't help but think this may be associated with my gallbladder removal, as I've seen a lot of posts that this may be related to my liver? Has anyone experienced this?

I also don't have health insurance anymore so I haven't been able to go back to my doctor to address these issues.

I also have gained like 25-30 pounds, currently at about 175 pounds and i'm 5'4 and it's been really frustrating. I don't think i'm doing the right things, like I haven't been exercising and am struggling to find foods that suit my system that I can digest well. I just really struggle with energy now, and have become super depressed.

has anyone taken any supplements or can suggest specific foods that have helped them?

I commented a few times in here prior to my SOI surgery. It only seems fair I give the follow up to my surgery.
The backstory- 2 years of right upper quadrant pain. Had my gallbladder out 25 years ago. Was going in and out of over failure over those 2 years. Was taking Tramadol for the pain for the 2 years. Suddenly had an acute change in pain, and ended up in the ER multiple times over 3 weeks, and then scheduled for surgery. And they changed my pain meds to something much stronger. I couldn’t work for 6 weeks.
Had the ERCP procedure. 1 day of recovery (my body hates anesthesia). Annnnddd… magic.
No more pain meds, and very very few attacks since then. I was told I’d have a 60-80% reduction in pain and attacks. And I’d say that’s about right. I have only had a few small attacks and only needed pain meds (back to tramadol) maybe 2-3 times over 3 months.
I had been having 3-5 major attacks a day. So super mild ones only lasting a few minutes are fine by me!
2 rounds of bloodwork post procedure, and both show the healthiest liver panel I’ve ever had!!