Question:
How do you know your Gall Bladder is bad?

I have been hearing alot about Gall Bladder's going bad after WLS and I was wondering, what are the symptoms you experience to know that your gall bladder is bad? Thanks, Steph    — Stephanie B. (posted on November 14, 2002)

November 14, 2002
I had my gall bladder removed before surgery but when mine went bad it is because of gall stones. You will be in severe pain starting under your right breast and it goes around your back. It feels like someone is crushing you, you can hardly breathe. My attacks started out lasting an hour and then after 2 years of refusing to go to the dr, they ended up lasting 12+ hours. It is not fun, I would rather have a baby every day then go through that again.
   — Debbie W.

November 14, 2002
Hi, My Gallbladder symptoms started off just to the right side of my stomach under my rib cage. The attacks lasted about 20 minutes of severe pain shortly after I would eat, especially if it was a high fat food. Then it began to resemble severe gas pains that would wrap around my right side. Doctors wouldn't do anything about it until it started hurting under my shoulder blade though. When tests showed no sign of stones they stopped testing me but the pain kept bowling me over. Finally a hydascan (sp?) showed my gallbladder had totally shut down. By the time I was rushed into surgery, it was within minutes of rupturing. So my advice is if you think it's gallbladder and they can't find stones, keep pushing for a hydascan, it saved my life. It's rather rare for a gallbladder to rupture but it does happen. Just a warning to everyone out there. The doctors all assured me that my complications probably didn't have anything to do with my WLS. Good Luck!
   — Leigh P.

November 14, 2002
Hi, My Gallbladder symptoms started off just to the right side of my stomach under my rib cage. The attacks lasted about 20 minutes of severe pain shortly after I would eat, especially if it was a high fat food. Then it began to resemble severe gas pains that would wrap around my right side. Doctors wouldn't do anything about it until it started hurting under my shoulder blade though. When tests showed no sign of stones they stopped testing me but the pain kept bowling me over. Finally a hydascan (sp?) showed my gallbladder had totally shut down. By the time I was rushed into surgery, it was within minutes of rupturing. So my advice is if you think it's gallbladder and they can't find stones, keep pushing for a hydascan, it saved my life. It's rather rare for a gallbladder to rupture but it does happen. Just a warning to everyone out there. The doctors all assured me that my complications probably didn't have anything to do with my WLS. Good Luck!
   — Leigh P.

November 14, 2002
Certain rich foods made me so sick. Mostly at nite of course so I would have to go to the ER at like 2 in the morn. Pain unbearable. Worse than labor for me. Started as chest pain but then went lower and would radiate thru to my back. Couldnt lay down, or sit, and would pace back and forth. They would give me a shot or two of demerol and told me to go see a surgeon. Surgeon wanted it out after my first attack. I told him forget it. Wouldnt have surgery after 1 or 2 gallbladder attacks. I actually had a polyp. They'll ultrasound you to diagnose. Finally when consulted with surgeon for WLS, he said he'll take out the gallbladder while he was in there.
   — Karla K.

November 14, 2002
i started experienceing sickly symptoms about one year after having been on jenny craig. i would get really bads pains in my stomach anytime i ate anything spicey or high in fat. the pain was on the right side and radiated all the way into my back. emergency room visit did an ultra sound and found nothing. 3 years later and 2 doctors later, a new doc found it within 1 week. it was severely enlarged and infected. he tried me on a stone dissolving med which allowed a stone to get small enough to clog elswhere which could have led to diabeties if it had clogged in the pancreas. it was so bad, i was living on 1 saltine and a sprite. i lost like 20 lbs in a very short time but i was so sick. im glad thats part of the past. before wls alot of times doc will check to see if its already bad and if it is he will take it out during the wls. good luck :)
   — carrie M.