Gallbladder?

I'm two years post-op.  Staring a few months after the surgery, I had horrible pain in my upper-right abdominal area.  It was so awful, I thought something had torn.  I rushed to the emergency room, where they did a bunch of tests, and found...nothing.  It's happened repeatedly.  The pain is excruciating, usually in the middle of the night, and by the time I can get an ultrasound,cat scan and HIDA scan, the pain is gone, and they find nothing.  I'm convinced it's my gall bladder, but there's no evidence of stones or even sludge on the tests.  My doctor agrees with me, but my insurance won't cover its removal unless there's corroborating evidence.  Has anyone else run into this?  Is there a way to get something on the scan, so particular test I should request?  It's getting so bad I'm considering going to India or Thailand to have it removed, just so I don't have to deal with the pain anymore. 

Typically, pain from the gallbladder comes after eating.  What is happening in the middle of the night that would/could cause pain?  Abdominal pain is usually dull and constant, stabbing, cramping/spasms or a combination at different times.  Abdominal pain is the most difficult pain to diagnose.  50% of patients that complain of chronic abdominal pain never get a diagnosis.   There are many more questions to ask you as far as your medical history and a physical exam is certainly in order.  If a CT Scan, HIDDA scan, and ultrasound do NOT show problems with your gallbladder, I don't believe it's your gallbladder.  Gallbladder disease/infection is detectable especially with the HIDDA scan and ultrasound.   I am more suspicious of an internal hernia.  I say this because it's the one thing I can think of that may be affected by your body being in a relaxed position (where the intestine may "move" into a pocket or twist) and then if you roll over or move OUCH!!!!  The other possibility is adhesions.  Adhesions typically begin with movement, may hurt for a while, but then settles down.  An internal hernia is not always detectable by ANY test.  Adhesions definitely do not show on these tests.   I walked around with URQ pain for MONTHS.  I had every test in the book (some twice).  I TOLD the doctors in my new city that I had an internal hernia and adhesions and that they would NOT find it until / unless they went in.  No one here was willing to do that.  I flew home to New Orleans (a federal disaster area) to see my original surgeon (who was current on my situation) who did exploratory surgery.  I had an internal hernia in Peterson's space and a huge mass of adhesions -- EXACTLY where I complained of the pain.  *sigh* I wouldn't run off to another country and have your GB removed for NUMEROUS reasons -- too many to list here.  I would, however, seek another opinion from a BARIATRIC SURGEON and/or BRING UP the possibility of an internal hernia and/or adhesions with your surgeon.  He should be quite aware of the risks associated with bariatric surgery and prepared to diagnose these conditions by medical history and exam. An internal hernia and/or adhesions can be causing a partial bowel obstruction.  I've had four such surgeries.  NONE of them showed on any tests but the situation potentially could have become FATAL. I wish you all the best.  If you have any questions, please let me know. 

I have two small "knots" bulging out of my abdomen. Could they be adhesions or hernia? I go to my PCP tomorrow and will ask him to feel of them to see if he thinks they are. I have moved to another state from where my surgery was done, so don't have access to the doctor. There are bariatric surgeons here in Knoxville, TN. If they are adhesions I guess I better have one of them do the surgery since they will be better equipped to deal with my internal rerouting, etc.

Thanks for your response.  Could adhesions or hernias be aggravated by something else in the abdomen?  I've been having these attacks (I can't think of anything else to call them - the pain swoops in, and then a few hours later it's gone) for nearly two years.  It happened again recently, right as I was going on vacation.   I decided that I was going to tough it out, because it always goes away - only to spend my vacation having an emergency appendectomy.  The surgeon in that case didn't see any adhesions or hernias, although my appendix was situated unusually low, so he was working below the area where I usually have the pain.  I really want a starting point, so I can talk to doctors (my surgeon, who was wonderful, has moved across the country) about what to do next. 

It is your gall bladder.  I had surgery march 05.  I had the exact same pain.  They did an ultrasound and I had no gall stones.  My gall bladder was not functioning properly, only at 34%.  So it was removed.  That side of my stomach feels much better.  Now I think I have a hernia, cause now I have severe pain in my upper middle chest and to the left.  So, back to the surgeon.  good luck

I am 9 months post op Laproscopic RNY & hernia repair. 2 month post op I had a stricture and that was opened with scope. Christmas eve I had severe abdominal pain (upper middle thru my back) Nausea, vomiting, fever and chills. This attack repeated a week later. I was diagnosed with gallstones w/ultrasound. I had hundreds of small stones. I had Gallbladder surgery on Jan 15. (last week) Now my problem is everything I eat goes right thru me. I cannot eat fatty meats or cheese anymore due to fat. I have had no more abdominal pain, vomiting or fever and chills. I do still get nauseated after eating. I go back to my doctor next week. Hopefully he can advise me on what to eat and if this nausea and diarrhea. Good luck to you.