Question:
ANYONE HAVE MID BACK PAIN CAUSED BY GALLBLADDER?
I am one yr. post op, 83lbs down and very happy about it. My problem is, I have been having severe mid back pain just to the right of my spine. Chiropractic and physical therapy did not help. I wondered if others have experienced this??? I had the gallbladder sonogram on Saturday and have an appt. with my surgeon, Thurs. nite. I'm anxious to have this diagnosed since I am tired of being in pain! — ellen L. (posted on August 9, 2004)
August 9, 2004
My gall bladder attacks would start in the front stomach area then it would
work its way around to the right to the mid back like what you are
describing. However, my attacks would double me over in pain and I would
pace the floors for hours until it would subside. Hot showers would help
and I would also take a tennis ball and put it btwn my back and the wall
and roll it up and down in the back area where it hurt. This was only a
temporary fix though. I WAS NOT IN PAIN 24/7 THOUGH. Good luck.
— ChristineB
August 9, 2004
I don't have an answer for you but I can sympathize. I have been noticing
the same type of pain as well. It usually happens to me when I eat a
little too much. Imagine that! Keep us posted because I'm curious to know
what happens! Good luck.
— Pambylah
August 9, 2004
Yes I went through this exact pain last year. Finally I had xrays which
showed... I was "full of it". Ahem, full of sh##. I guess when it
does'nt come out... it gets packed up on the right side and can give you
alot of back pain on the right side. So this is one option for what might
be going on with you.
— Danmark
August 9, 2004
I had the same type of pain, no one could figure it out. I finally ended
up in ER. I had all kinds of tests done. The x-ray showed that I was
severely constipated. I was having a daily BM. I didn't realize that I
could still be constipated. I was given Magnesium citrate and it really
cleaned me out. I think I lost about 8-10 lbs over night. I now take
Metamucil twice a day. I haven't had the pain or the problem since. Good
luck to you.
— Allison M.
August 10, 2004
I did have a Gallbladder attack which lead to it being removed that
evening. It is a very sharp pain that was so extreme that you doubled over
and tried to breath. The pain went through me, under my left breast. The
stones were blocking the duct... The surgery was a lap and recovery was
quick. Slight problem after with greasey foods (brats, french fries...)and
stool changed. Too much info??? Those were my experiences... better to
know too much than not enough.
Best to you, Rhonda
— Rhonda K.
August 10, 2004
Wow!! Everyone's comments are like music to my ears...I have gall stones
and I'm finally done putting off getting my gall bladder out..I get it out
9/8/04. I have had terrible pain in my mid back right between my shoulder
blades, horrible chest pains..particularly in my left breast...I thought I
had lost so much weight (146lbs) that my rib cage was pressing into my
breast tissue...I'm a dummy...I really did think that though.
It's very reassusring to hear of other people having the same symptoms and
pain I'm having...makes you feel not so alone and scared. Thanks so much!!!
— kathleen-Joan piper
August 10, 2004
Back in June I ended up in the ER and had to have my gallbladder removed,
thinking back, before I had the 'attack' where I was doubled over with
extreme adominal pain, the night before I had horrible back pain. I
thought I might have a kidney infection or something.
The gall bladder is on the right side, and the pain can radiate to your
back, so it could possibly be your gallbladder. But don't worry, the
gallbladder removal is a snap compared to the RNY. (I had both done lap)
and the day after the gallbladder removal, I felt better than I had in
weeks, I even went out with friends 4 hours after being discharged from the
hospital (the day after the removal)
— Patricia T.
August 11, 2004
Best thing to do is go to the doctor and get it properly diagnosed because
there are so many things it could be. I've had back pain that's caused by
arthritis, gall bladder (which got removed), just weight readjustments,
pleurisy and PMS. The one that kind of threw me for a loop was pleurisy.
Didn't realize it could hurt so badly.
— Cathy S.
August 11, 2004
Ellen...I don't know what your sonogram showed, but I am well aware of the
symptoms of gallbladder disease and they are the following: nausea,
vomiting, pain in abdomen on right side just below ribs, pain and soreness
in area of ribs on the right, pain in the middle of the abdomen just below
the breast bone, pain that begins in the middle of the abdomen, just below
the breast bone that radiates around the right ribs into the back, pain in
the mid back area at the level of the shoulder blades, and pain in the
right side of upper back just below the right shoulder blade. How do I
know these symptoms??? First and foremost I have suffered some of these
symptoms myself, even though my ultrasound studies have been normal. But,
being an ultrasound technologist for 24 years, I've been involved in
studies in which patients reported these symptoms to me. You don't have to
have them all...you can have even one. And you can have a normal
ultrasound exam and still have gallbladder disease. The ultrasound scan is
to detect stones, sludge in the gallbladder, dilation of the hepatic
(liver) ducts, abnormalities in the ducts leading to the pancreas from the
gallbladder, thickening of the gallbladder wall or dilation of the common
duct, etc. it DOES NOT reveal some diseases of the gallbladder of which
non-emptying of the gallbladder is one of the common diseases of the GB.
In order to check the function of the GB, you need to have a HIDA scan
which is a nuclear medicine scan to view the emptying process and emptying
time of the GB. You've mentioned having your ultrasound exam and you have
an appointment with your physician. Those are the best things to do
whenever you have pain and/or nausea and vomiting. I'm sure your surgeon
is a fine one and will order the testing appropriate for you. Good luck
and God bless. Hope this helps even a little.
— Katherine F.
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