Pain right hand side rib area, gallstones?

Hi all, Looking for some advice/other people's experiences:

I had a RNY Gastric Bypass 3rd December, all went okay bar two incisions coming open in recovery... Been loosing weight steadily since. Well two weeks ago I started to get pain in my right hand side rib area that radiated to my back. Like a throbbing/stabbing pain that would range from intense to mild pain. Been sick a few times over that time. It went away this week for a few days and now it's back, was in a lot of pain last night, in tears/foetal position, you get the picture. Then the pain goes away and comes back this morning as a throbbing pain same place. Really hard to get a comfortable position to sit, I don't want to lie down as it gets worse, worse after eating in the evening. I googled my symptoms, it says possible gallstones, but I don't have all the symptoms... e.g. no visible jaundice, no pale faeces (I'm on iron tablets), no temperature... in fact I feel really cold and run down at the minute. Not feeling right, nauseas. Off to the doctors this afternoon, earliest appointment I could get. Got my 3month blood tests tomorrow as well... hoping that Dr will help or at least provide some answers, so my question, does this sound like gallstones for any of you? :sigh:

TIA
Michelle x

i'm no expert hunni but sounds like it to me.... its very common after rapid weight loss to get gallbladder problems. Hope it settles today, get to doc and get some help x x x hue hugs x x x am sure someone with better knowledge will be along soon x x take care

Heya hun, sorry you've been in so much pain it does sound like gallstones the pain is so intense so I really feel for you my pain was more in my back for a few months until it got really bad and went under the right side of my ribs. Once I said that to my doc they knew it was gallstones straight away. Let us know how you get on, I'll be thinking about you xxx

let us know what they say!! hope they can get to the bottom of it and get you sort sharpish! x x

Hi everyone, just got back from my Dr's appointment. A nice locum who sat there googling my symptoms.. hmm. He basically wanted to get me admitted to Treliske straight away. He was on hold with the on call surgeon for ages (I was there almost an hour!). In the end I now have an emergency appointment tomorrow morning for an ultrasound to see if they are the route of all my pain. Fed up. He told me naively to take Naproxen - umm NO, I cannot take NSAIDS. All in all, nice doctor, now to get this pain sorted. Hate it. My pulse rate was a little high as well. Nil by mouth till after my ultrasound bar fluids till 6am tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it is gallstones or something visible then they can at least sort it out. xx

Good luck tomorrow, give us an update when you get a chance. Seems weird I know but at least if it is gallstones you know what yr dealing with eh? Hope you get a decent night x

Went and saw the lovely ladies on St Mawes today. I do have gallstones and a fair few from the ultrasound. My bloods came back normal, so no inflammation. Gave the poor nurses the run around, first the doctor took four attempts to get a canuela in as I was very dehydrated (given 2litres of fluid via IV). I then proceeded to faint and had my blood sugar tested. I am not a diabetic but my blood sugar was only 3.0 so had a stack of glucose tablets that taste like gone off Ribena. I then later had another funny five minutes were my blood pressure rose and then suddenly dropped, my blood sugar was then below 3 so had more of those 'lovely' tablets. I have been discharged as there is no inflammation. I have a week off work and tramadol tablets to control the pain (8/10 at times today)... like waking up from surgery all over again. Ouch. Feeling a little 'high' right now from the meds so if I'm rambling forgive me. Back next week to see surgeon for my 3monthly appointment where hopefully they can advise and sort something out dreckly as this is bloomin agony now. Thanks for the messages ladies. xxx

Glad to hear they know what it is at least!!!! Did they tell you to avoid certain foods? I love those Tramadol tablets haha!!! Like floating around all fuzzy

Take it easy hun xx

Thanks hun, the opposite in fact. The Dr told me to eat as much as I can as my intake has been virtually zero for a few days. Just managed four overripe strawberries and three mouthfuls of chicken before the pain started pulsating in my side. The tramadol makes me feel really whoozy, like drunk and hard to concentrate for very long. Going to contact our bariatric nurse tomorrow if still not eating/drinking much. Need to get this sorted sooner rather than later. Off work which I cannot really afford. As for now, going to have a nap, feel all sleepy xxx

Hi all, hope you are all well. Just a quick update... went for my 3 month appointment with the lovely Sarah at Treliske. I need to go back to my GP and ask for a referral to have the bloomin thing taken out. Am a lot better than I was last week. I have now lost 34% of excess weight as recorded from when I met the surgeon. (It yo-yoed during that time). A big wow! In total I'm down 90lbs since referral weight. Crazy! I am loosing at the moment an average of 2kg a week. Can't wait to get this gallbladder sorted too. Sarah said it will be a case of removal being the best option going forward, I agree.

Good news...best to get it sorted asap, its not going to get better by itself x x x hugs hope it dont cause too much pain in the waiting period x x x

good news!! better out than in! hope they get it whipped out sharpish. x

Hope you got yourself sorted

Woohoo. Just a quick update. I finally have a date for my laparoscopic cholecystectomy 25th July this little blighter is coming out, goodbye gallbladder, hello pain free life. Only downside is that I have to do the liver reduction diet again. Two weeks of Yoghurt and sugar free jelly. Have not touched yoghurt or jelly since the first LRD, gutted. Bring on the op! Hope all are well! x

Well. I'm officially fed up. Been on this yoghurt diet again for two days now. Been dry retching after eating the yoghurt, feeling 'bloated' and stomach cramping. They are low fat low sugar Asda strawberry yoghurts six for £1, they have less sugar than some of the weightwatchers and shape yogs which is surprising. I am either having dumping syndrome or an intolerance to the lactose as I know that is possible after gastric bypass. Not sure which as I haven't tried any yoghurt or milk products since before my rny as not a fan. Think the best course of action is the ring the secretary of my surgeon and plead for alternative as I am not feeling well at all, had four yogs per day (less than 400cals per day is not sufficient intake) as its getting painful to try to eat them. Hopefully after the next two weeks this gallbladder can come out and the pain be gone. sorry for rambling, from feeling poorly in Cornwall aka Michelle. x

DreamALittleDream4Me said:

Well. I'm officially fed up. Been on this yoghurt diet again for two days now. Been dry retching after eating the yoghurt, feeling 'bloated' and stomach cramping. They are low fat low sugar Asda strawberry yoghurts six for £1, they have less sugar than some of the weightwatchers and shape yogs which is surprising. I am either having dumping syndrome or an intolerance to the lactose as I know that is possible after gastric bypass. Not sure which as I haven't tried any yoghurt or milk products since before my rny as not a fan. Think the best course of action is the ring the secretary of my surgeon and plead for alternative as I am not feeling well at all, had four yogs per day (less than 400cals per day is not sufficient intake) as its getting painful to try to eat them. Hopefully after the next two weeks this gallbladder can come out and the pain be gone. sorry for rambling, from feeling poorly in Cornwall aka Michelle. x

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Aww sorry you are going through this, hope you can sort what you need to eat before the op, and get it over and done with quickly and smoothly. It sucks that you have to do the liver diet again though! Hugs xx

I posted a few weeks ago about similar pains to you!

It seems to have disappeared this week, though I'm sure it will be back!!

Glad to see your nearly sorted

Not been online much in the last week as was feeling dreadful. I managed to switch to the lactose intolerant version of the liver reduction diet. I had my gallbladder out yesterday morning. Was in surgery for an hour and a half, a little longer than expected as they did a dye contrast scan to check my bile ducts for any loose stones. Gallbladder had started to thicken and calcify on the outside and was jammed full of stones. A few larger ones from growing up on a high fat diet and hundreds and hundreds of small ones due to rapid weight loss. I am now down 9 stones exactly since starting my first pre-op diet for my rny. So a loss of more than a stone a month as will be eight months out on the 3rd Aug. Crazy. I am more than 50% excess weight loss. Minor pain at the moment from the incision sites, ended up with six incisions, three new, and three my surgeon managed to cut through from my rny. Had a fragmin injection yesterday and am home on tramadol, advice to continue as I am already doing with low fat/sugar diet. All is looking good. No need for a follow up appointment unless I am concerned at all, bar some gassy shoulder pain and tender incisions I am fine. Two weeks off work to recover. Up and moving today, move this gas.