diet advice needed

[Guest guest]

My name is Glenn, and my wife is the usual participant of this group. I was

shown the posting by Marcella and felt that I had to chime in because I have

experienced some similar symptoms. Your original post states that the pain

is " ...on my right side, kind of in the back under the back of my rib

cage... " . Gallbladder pain is indeed usually in the right upper quadrant,

often times extending to the middle, around the bottom of the breastbone, or

radiating into a shoulder (frequently the left). I have experienced pain

much like you described, and I would describe it as being like a bubble in

my gut the size of the Hindenberg. The pain would usually come on soon

after I eat and would hang around for 8-12 hours. I could feel the

aftershocks for days. This pain would seem to extend from front all the way

to back, and I thought that if I could only swallow a hose I could relieve

the pressure.

My naturopath performed an allergy test on me and discovered that among a

host of other substances I was allergic or at least sensitive to Oregano and

MSG (anybody surprised at that one?) Since becoming aware of this I have

steadfastly avoided those substances and have had very few recurrences of

the pain. My MD had me on Prevacid, but I now keep the little bottle of

pills as a personal museum piece.

I agree with previous postings recommending that you have an ultrasound of

the gallbladder. I have some expertise in this area as that is what I do

for a living. By far the majority of people with symptoms similar to yours

are negative for gallstones and the problem is something else. That would

be good to know, as it will direct you and your doctor in another direction.

Also, if there are stones, they may not be the problem. Evaluating the

thickness and vascularity of the gallbladder wall, looking for fluid around

the gallbladder, measuring the diameter of the ducts leading from the liver

to the gb and from the gb to the intestine can all contribute to ruling in

or ruling out gb disease. There is also a nuclear medicine test which will

determine if a perfectly normal looking gb is in fact a non-functioning gb,

which just sits there doing nothing but causing trouble. The size of a gb

stone is not important. Where that stone decides to come to rest is. If

things have gone dreadfully wrong for your gb it very well may have to come

out. When this point is reached things like insurance will diminish in

importance and the shortest route to the hospital will grow in a roughly

inverse proportion.

I think that you have taken an important first step by contacting this group

and presumably doing some of your own research. I wish you the best of luck

and will also be praying for you.

Glenn