Question:
What does it feel like when you have gall bladder problems??

my mother in law is obese, and NOT contemplating surgery at all. But lately she's been complaining that after everything she eats, she gets so bloated that it feels like someone has a tire pump hooked up to her. Could this be a gall bladder issue?    — Michelle J. (posted on December 22, 2003)

December 21, 2003
Typically, your gallbladder (if it's diseased) will hurt after eating (that's because the gallbladder is working to force the bile into the intestine). The pain can be pretty intense and nauseating, although it varies from person to person; often, the pain is most pronounced on the right side (although it can be diffuse). If your mother-in-law feels bloated after eating it could be that she is just eating too much (and too fast) or that she has an allergy to something she's eating (like wheat). Given the increased health risks from obesity, please try to encourage her to get this issue checked out.
   — SteveColarossi

December 22, 2003
Steve's right -- if this were her gallbladder she would most likely be feeling pain and it can be pretty intense, depending on how large the gallstones are. This sounds like something else.
   — antiques55

December 22, 2003
A former co-worker of mine, who was obese, had the same type of bloating symptoms for several weeks each AM when she woke up. She ended up having MULTIPLE gallstones and had her gallbladder removed.
   — Karen K.

December 22, 2003
Symtoms can vary from person to person. There does not have to be pain to have gallstones. The only time I had pain was when the stones tried to move down the duct work of my system and couldn't get thru. Then I had intense pain under my breasts and in my back. If I ate high fat or dairy products I got a queasy stomach and diahhrea. The rest of the time I felt fine. She should definitely call her doctor and see what he thinks, especially if this has happened more than once or twice.
   — [Deactivated Member]

December 22, 2003
I went to the emergency room a few weeks ago because I felt like I was having a heart attack -- pain in the upper chest, trouble breathing, dizziness. It wasn't a heart attack, but the doctor recommended I have a sonar of my gall bladder because gall bladder attaches apparently can mimic heart attacks. As part of the pre-op for my gastric by-pass surgery (scheduled for later this month), they did look at my gall bladder and sure enough, I have gall stones. What I experienced may have been my first gall stone attack. I definitely think it's worth checking out. It's not a difficult test. You fast for 8 hours (no food, no water), they put a gel on the stomach, and run the scanner over the belly and sides.
   — Harriett R.

December 22, 2003
It could be gallbladder. Is she having pain on the right side?? That was the tip off for me.
   — Patty H.

December 23, 2003
I did not know that my gallbladder had a growth the size of a finger and it was full of slude until my sonogram b4 the wls. I had been sick to my stomach ALOT, and everytime I ate I felt very yucky. Now after wls surgery (gallbladder included) I am never sick to my stomach. Also after the sonogram where they pushed hard on that area it hurt bad until they took it out.
   — victoria W.

December 24, 2003
When my gall bladder was acting up, I had a severe backache. It would NOT go away for anything. Everyone has different symptoms though. Has she talked to a doctor yet?
   — Rm080781