Feel like I'm having a gall attack.. but I've already had mine removed o.o?

It is difficult anglion when the results all come back negative, but I'm satisfied with my answer. If my symptoms don't go away and I have to go back to the surgeon I will post again to keep everyone updated but hopefully my answer can help a few others out there although it would've been nice to have a definite answer but I suppose if I'd had the MRCP test sooner It would've helped...

All the best with your health everyone!

Your attacks sound very similar to my own. I have had so many tests and scans and all have come back reflectively normal.  The specialist has come to the conclusion that the attacks are very bad  reflux.  There is nothing that they can do to prevent them, so it's about treating the symptoms.  I take nexium daily, and in the case of an attack I have a pink lady ( a disgusting concoction of zylocane viscus and mylanta) and pain relief (depending on the strength of the attack I take any thing from panadole to endone). I haven't had to present to the ED since I got prescriptions for the pink lady and the endone.

Not fun but they are becoming less regular as the weight starts to come down

Ok, Went to my GP on Friday, she called my surgeon and he said I might have a stone stuck so I was ordered blood tests and and MRCP which is like an MRI but more specific to biliary and pancreatic ducts. Unfortunately the MRCP wasn't until Tuesday so had to wait a while. On Sunday night my eyes started going a tad yellow and on Tuesday my urine started getting darker but the yellow-ness of my skin was only that of a tan (in comparison to my normally pale skin). Had the MRCP Tuesday (which was a fun experience haha :P) Then saw the surgeon today and the pain has died down a fare bit since Wednesday last week. Since Wednesday last week I have consumed less than the amount of food I would in one normal day because I was worried the pain would get worse like in a gall attack situation and have lost nearly 5kgs (have been plateauing around 75kg since I had my gall bladder removed in January so even though it was unhealthy was also kind of a benefit :P) Bowels also rarely opened (probably because I barely ate anything) and started getting itchy on Tuesday due to the jaundice.

The blood tests were normal. The MRCP was normal. My eyes have now started going back to normal too (still a tad yellow, enough for the surgeon to notice too)
He said the most likely scenario is that when my gall bladder was removed the duct connecting the gall bladder to the common bile duct still had a little bit remaining (which is the same in all of these procedures for anyone) and there may have been a left over gall stone still left in it that has now decided to move itself along and that's what might've caused all the issues.

He said the the common bile duct producing it's own stones is very rare and more likely to happen in like an asian country caused by a virus.

So as long as my eyes go back to normal and this pain fully goes away, all should be good. But if it is to continue or get worse again he said to pay him another visit.

Rather glad I got back to eating today as when I was standing at the surgeons reception desk I thought I was going to pass out due to lack of food.
Probably should have slowed down when I started to eat properly again, felt a bit sick to start off with.

But oh well, all seems to be going well!

Hi Smurfette,
I just read your post and to have also had a similar experience. I have had my gall bladder removed about 5 years ago and in january this year went to hospital with really bad pain in my stomach area,I ended up having 2 C T scans (costing a fair bit of cash) and seeing a specialist who told me it was probobly a small stone passing through my duct to my stomach and that was that. I still get occasional pain but as long as its not as bad as before I have never heard of phantom pains.......I will mention that in hospital they gave me a dose of nexium which helped i think as the pain had worn off by then, so who really knows what goes on inside, good luck on your journey.....cheers:43227:

My gallbladder was removed a few years prior to the GSS. I occassionally get the same/similar pains; sometimes for a few weeks, but not as servere. I mentioned it to the surgeon whom did the operation; and he commented that it is unusual; but there is cases where a 'clean out' is required. (I didn't go into it in detail) Mine hasn't been too bad for too long so have perservered with the occassional pain; though it would be worthwhile to mention if having regular and unbearable pain.

ps you are right about panadene etc. they wont affect the pain at all. use buscopan its fir smooth muscles, intestines, stomach, gallbladder etc

i am almost identical to you with the whole gallbladder thing. i got it on and off for about 5 years, but they started getting worse and more frequent until one day i had one that lasted almost all day, went to the emergency room and they did some tests and said it needed to come out asap.

it was a great relief. after my gallbladder was removed i didnt have an attack for months. which was great since towards the end i was lucky to go two days without one. then suddenly i felt that old familiar tightness. you know the one im sure... like your bra is too tight in the front! anyway it went on like this getting worse but not quite as bad as they used to be, my old relaxation techniques got me thru. every couple of months i had an attack, although they were still much weaker than they used to be. then they just seemed to stop! nothing, never again. its been about 2 years since the last weaker attacks.

i dont know what to make of it. perhaps there were random stones getting stuck and they stretched out the way through? i really dont know. but i know i havent changed my diet one bit, i still eat like a crazy cow which is why i lurk these forums so much lol.

Hi Gretchen

I had mine out 18 years ago, and though I've not experienced what you're going through, I've read that people without their gallbladder have had stones form in the bile duct. Of course, that was while I was reading through other forums, and I tend to take a lot of what I read online with a trailer load of salt!

But definitely bring it up with your GP if you can handle the pain til then!

Hi everyone!

Bit of gallbladder background first
I started having Gall attacks around mid 2012 (I think) and at the end of 2012 I finally decided I'd had enough.. and really, I already knew what it was.. 
So I booked an appointment with my surgeon, unfortunately he was
on holidays until end of January (2013). So I though hmm i can wait..
And then around mid to end January I had a severe gall attack that just didn't stop (started at 3am) and at 10am I finally booked into see my GP (emergency appointment) and at that stage was turning yellow got sent to emergency, didn't end up having morphine until 10pm that night.. (This was all on Thursday)
On Friday I was sent to a different private hospital because I needed an ERCP to have the stones removed that were stuck in my bile duct, scheduled on the Saturday. By then they'd eventually moved so that was too late, sent home Sunday and was then able to get an emergency appointment with my surgeon on his first day back on the Monday. Was lucky enough that I thought ahead and didn't eat anything since Sunday and was scheduled for my gallbladder to be removed on the Monday afternoon. Home on the Tuesday.



Now back to the more present time. I occasionally get pain in the same spot as where I had gall attacks but this pain was more mild but felt like a gall attack coming on. This happens every so often, doesn't matter what I eat and lasts normally for the day.
Now today I woke up with the slight pain but just over the last couple of hours it has become about 6-7 out of 10 pain like a mild gall attack.
Why is this happening???? I don't have a gallbladder any more..! 
I have heard of phantom gall attacks.. but seriously there has to be a better answer and something that will help the pain.. panadeine does nothing =[

I will be seeing my GP on Friday for other reasons, is it worth bringing this up?

Thanks,
Gretchen <3