possible gall bladder pain??

Hi all, I am 16 ms post op, down from 264 to 147 lbs. (YEAH!!!) I am now starting to get little twinges of pain on my right upper side, below my newly visible ribcage. I am very careful not to eat high fat, but I still get this pain just with protein alone. Is this normal? I saw my regular dr last week and have an appt for an ultrasound for next week. Any suggestions? Thanks, Laura Surgery 3/15/05, 264/147!!

First, congrats on being a 'loser'. As for the pain, it might be gall bladder... I had mine removed 10 years ago after one of my many yo-yo diets. When I had an attack though it took my breath away, the pain was so strong. I don't wish that kind of pain on anyone, so its great that you get the ultrasound to diagnosis the issue right away. Tracy A.

Tracy, Thanks for the reply. From all of the other posts I read on the same subject, it could also be panciatis??? Oh man, I am so glad I went to my dr already. I just have to wait til the 19th for my ultrasound. I kinda wish I had to have it removed prior to the WLS, but oh well. Things change, right? At least I am catching it early on. Have a great day! Laura

Oh, Laura, Laura, Laura. I am so sorry you are having pain. Read my last few posts(down some over the last week) there are so many people having pain after a year postop. I am scheduled to see my wls in Birmingham on Wed. All of my tests...ultrasound,hida scan, EGD all came back normal. For the last 2 wks I have been in excrutiating pain and not able to eat or drink hardly anything. I have suffered off and on for the last year. Let me know if I can answer any questions, but I hope you feel better soon. May God bless you. Georgina

Hi Laura, I had my WLS about 13 months ago and had my gall bladder out about 1 month ago. I had never had any problems, then one day it just hit! I had eaten only a protein shake and a little white cheddar popcorn. It wasn't a ton of fat, just a few grams. The pain was pretty severe and I knew it was something different than I had felt before. Turned out to be a little tiny stone. Not big at all, but when they took the gall bladder out, they found that the duct I have is very small, which is why even the tiniest of stones hurt like the dickens!! Just wanted to let you know my experience. It seemed odd to me because it was not what I expected. Most people tell me they have gall bladder discomfort for months before theirs gets taken out. I had never felt discomfort before, and when it did hit, it was a lot more than just discomfort!!! By the way, my WLS surgeon did my gall badder surgery too, which I was very happy about. I like having someone I already know do it, plus he knows my history. He told me that it's about 20% of post-WLS patients that will end up needing the gall bladder out. I knew we were at higher risk, but 20% is alot. Also, all of the women in my family had problems in their 30's and I am 33, so it was probably going to happen to me anyway. Hope you feel better!! Best wishes!! Colleen

Hey Colleen, that is the same thing I am thinking...about the duct being blocked or something. I am scheduled to see my wls tomorrow. Thanks for sharing your experience. Georgina

I am now almost 2 years post WLS. At 9 months post op, I got up one morning and had a "soreness" in my side. It was like a pulled muscle with some twinges of pain. I thought I had a pulled muscle so did nothing for a couple of days. Then, I went to the doctor and he ordered an ultrasound. In 9 months, I had developed a gallbladder full of sludge and tiny stones. This is common with rapid weight loss but my surgeon did not take mine out. So, out it came. Hope you get a good answer. Also, my GB surgery was a breeze after the recent memories of the WLS. Best of luck! Deb