Hi everyone,
Last November I had two pretty strong gallbladder attacks, just two days apart. The pain was only in the center of my upper abdomen (epigastric area), not on the right side at all. It started gradually, became extremely intense for several hours, radiated to my back, and then suddenly disappeared. No vomiting or diarrhea.
What’s strange is that every surgeon I saw (I consulted three different ones) said the location of the pain is atypical for gallbladder problems. One of them even suggested I should check for heart issues.
Since those two attacks, it’s been about 6 months and I haven’t had another full attack. I do have mild symptoms though, like constant bloating, discomfort, and a weird feeling like there’s water in my stomach. Sometimes it’s there even when I haven’t eaten.
I did ultrasound, MRCP, and endoscopy. They found several small echogenic foci up to 7mm in the gallbladder (not sure if stones or polyps), but nothing in the ducts. Blood tests are normal now.
I’m 37 and really on the fence about surgery. The surgeons recommend removing the gallbladder because I already had two attacks, but I’m worried about digestion problems and diarrhea for the rest of my life.
A few questions:
• Did anyone else have pain only in the center of the upper abdomen and not on the right side?
• Has anyone experienced long gaps between attacks, with only mild discomfort in between?
• For those who chose not to have surgery after attacks, how long did it take until the next one hit?
Would really appreciate hearing your experiences.
Thank you!