Gallbladder ultrasound

I don't know if I've mentioned that I've been very sick recently. A lot of abdominal pain and nausea. My family doctor referred me to a surgeon, who sent me for a gallbladder ultrasound. Well, I've had an ultrasound before, and figured it would be no problem. I was so wrong! It was horrible. I have a pretty high treshold of pain, but I almost got sick in the middle of it. The man doing the ultrasound compared what he was doing to shaking a snowglobe, to make the little gallstones (sludge) float. This was Friday, and I've felt awful since, even worse than before. I would appreciate any advice or input. Even though I'm a nurse, my experience is mostly with drug and alcohol detox, and I have very little experience as a patient. Thanks!

Have you seen your doctor since? Do they think you have cholecystitis? Are they recommending removing the gallbladder?

I had abdominal pain and nausea a while back, and had a gall bladder full of stones, but it wasn't them causing the problems, it was a staph infection in the wound (in a different area to the pain mind you...). So I know that I have gall stones, but they are asymptomatic.

how do they clear that out?

did you already know or have a suspicion?

He did that while you were in the middle of a flare up? Call your doc and see if anything can be prescribed to help - especially if you're nauseous.

Don't eat any fat right now if you're sick. No really big meals... if you could even handle that. If you keep to that it might get your pain levels down some.


If there are stones or your GB is diseased it's got to go. It's only a matter of time till it starts causing liver damage, and there's always the risk of a stone getting lodged (if you have stones). If you're really unlucky you can get acute pancreatitis and risk death from that.

Surgery for this isn't too bad. Just make sure that you have medicine for nausea afterwards. You do not want to vomit after having surgery. It's very painful.

Originally Posted by nurseangel

I don't know if I've mentioned that I've been very sick recently. A lot of abdominal pain and nausea. My family doctor referred me to a surgeon, who sent me for a gallbladder ultrasound. Well, I've had an ultrasound before, and figured it would be no problem. I was so wrong! It was horrible. I have a pretty high treshold of pain, but I almost got sick in the middle of it. The man doing the ultrasound compared what he was doing to shaking a snowglobe, to make the little gallstones (sludge) float. This was Friday, and I've felt awful since, even worse than before. I would appreciate any advice or input. Even though I'm a nurse, my experience is mostly with drug and alcohol detox, and I have very little experience as a patient. Thanks!

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Sounds like he didn't know what the heck he was doing! I have had an ultrasound on my gallbladder and it didn't hurt. And my gallbladder had a lot of stones!!!! After I had it removed, they stopped counting at 20.

As for the pain of a flairup. I KNOW it can horrible!!!! I am so glad I had mine out almost 6 yrs ago!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

He did that while you were in the middle of a flare up?

Call your doc and see if anything can be prescribed to help - especially if you're nauseous.

Don't eat any fat right now if you're sick. No really big meals... if you could even handle that. If you keep to that it might get your pain levels down some.


If there are stones or your GB is diseased it's got to go. It's only a matter of time till it starts causing liver damage, and there's always the risk of a stone getting lodged (if you have stones). If you're really unlucky you can get acute pancreatitis and risk death from that.

Surgery for this isn't too bad. Just make sure that you have medicine for nausea afterwards. You do not want to vomit after having surgery. It's very painful.

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I second that. Do not put it off. My mom had pancreatitis before they removed her gallbladder. And as for fatty foods, avoid them like the plague!!

Well, depending on the person being scanned (weight wise) and the person doing it they can press a bit hard. If you're already flared up it's going to feel like you're being punched.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Well, depending on the person being scanned (weight wise) and the person doing it they can press a bit hard. If you're already flared up it's going to feel like you're being punched.

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That's true... I wasn't having a flairup at the time of my scan. But I do remember when I did have them! I would just lay in bed trying not to move, it hurt so bad!

Originally Posted by Catkiki

That's true... I wasn't having a flairup at the time of my scan. But I do remember when I did have them! I would just lay in bed trying not to move, it hurt so bad!

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I had a stone first get stuck when I was 17 - I had minor symptoms before that. My father finally took me to the doctor and I ended up getting a upper GI series and an ultrasound done. The upper GI was excruciating, and I remember the ultrasound hurting because I'd already went through that and was flared up.

Thank you all for your responses. I had been having abdominal pain for some time, and even though I'm on cholesterol medicine, my triglycerides stay high. I asked if we needed to increase my cholesterol medicine and my family doctor said no, he was going to stop trying to treat my problem with medicine and refer me to a surgeon. (I was also taking Prilosec and Sulcarafate, a medicine that coats your stomach, but nothing seemed to help.) My doctor said high triglycerides were a sign of gallbladder disease.

The surgeon sent me for the ultrasound so she could be sure my gallbladder was the problem before removing it. I stayed at my mom's and in bed afterwards. I've had a really bad night; after my last post on here, things went downhill. DH wanted me to go to the ER; he worries. I just didn't feel up to it. I am actually doing a little better right now. However, I was trying to show DH where it hurts and discovered I can't even touch the area without almost getting sick. I plan to call the surgeon tomorrow and find out if she's got those ultrasound results. I really think something needs to be done soon. I am now desperate for the surgery.

Sorry this is so long. Thank you all again for your kindness and help.

I had the ultrasound.
It hurt when they pressed it down but otherwise was ok.
Did you have the blood tests also?

Originally Posted by mews2much

I had the ultrasound.
It hurt when they pressed it down but otherwise was ok.
Did you have the blood tests also?

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I had blood tests at my doctor's office. Everything was good except for my triglycerides. And my gallbladder ultrasound showed no gallstones. So now I am going for another test.

Another test! I'm so sorry you're going through all this, and I hope you get it out soon. It sounds absolutely awful.

Originally Posted by pushylady

Another test! I'm so sorry you're going through all this, and I hope you get it out soon. It sounds absolutely awful.

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Thank you! It's called a hydoscan (?) I'm not sure if I spelled that right. The surgeon said it's not a painful test, but it involves IV contrast. I am kind of nervous, because I've heard that the test causes the gallbladder to contract, which sounds like it has the potential to hurt.

Sorry you have to have another test.
I hope you get answers soon.

Do you mean a HIDA scan? My doctor refused to do one on me because he said it wasn't safe to if there was stones - it had been on the list until they seen how many stones I had. (never mind the fact that I told everyone that I did indeed have several stones and had them for years)

So your liver and pancreas enzymes looked fine? Do you have problems with diarrhea?

I never had that test either.
The Dr said the gall bladder could rupture from the stones.

Originally Posted by mews2much

I never had that test either.
The Dr said the gall bladder could rupture from the stones.

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Do you mean a HIDA scan? My doctor refused to do one on me because he said it wasn't safe to if there was stones - it had been on the list until they seen how many stones I had. (never mind the fact that I told everyone that I did indeed have several stones and had them for years)

So your liver and pancreas enzymes looked fine? Do you have problems with diarrhea?

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Yes, a HIDA scan! I knew I was spelling that wrong! The reason your doctor refused is the main reason I'm so scared. My surgeon told me that sludge is just a term for small stones, and I've had sludge show up on a CT scan. Since my ultrasound showed up normal, I guess she figures its okay to proceed. But I have heard (from a doctor, in fact) that if there is are gallstones and you have a HIDA scan, it could shoot a gallstone into your liver. I don't mean to make light of this, but humor is the way I deal with many stressful situations. What I'm saying is, I don't want my liver shot!

My enzymes looked fine. I do have intestinal problems and was hospitalized for 9 days two summers ago with an intestinal bleed.

That is true it can go in the liver.
The Gall Bladder pain is worse then the surgery.
I would have the surgery done if they think it is the gall bladder.
Mine turned out to be way worse then the dr had thought.
Since the surgery I have never had that terrible pain.

Originally Posted by mews2much

That is true it can go in the liver.
The Gall Bladder pain is worse then the surgery.
I would have the surgery done if they think it is the gall bladder.
Mine turned out to be way worse then the dr had thought.
Since the surgery I have never had that terrible pain.

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I am having severe pain and so much nausea. I feel like I walk around with my stomach clenched (almost like I'm trying to look thin, ), because it hurts so bad. I'm am going to take the test because my surgeon is very good, and I feel like she wouldn't send me if there was too much risk of injury. But I'll still be very scared.

They say nurses make the worst patients...I'm very polite to everyone at the hospital, but I must be one of their more nervous patients. I try not to watch every move they make, but I am acutely aware of any little mistake. It's a good thing I am not an ultrasound tech or this would probably be even more difficult.

Past intestinal issues could set you up for some issues after surgery. I'm one of the ones that never adjusted to not having a GB (though it was just as bad when I had it). While I have less pain now, the trade off was bile issues. Sometimes I can eat some fat and be fine, sometimes I better hope I'm not out in public! (or I get stuck at home because I can't leave the house yet)

The reason they want to make absolutely sure it's your GB is because your body really does use it to help regulate things. So that's why your doc wants to risk the HIDA I suppose. Another thing that can look like GB issues, pain and symptom wise, is sphincter of oddi dysfunction - this one can be missed by a lot of docs. Pancreatitis can, too - but you said your enzymes were good. iirc endometriosis can do all sorts of funky things, including imitating other things.

They'll have an IV in and you will technically be admitted for the HIDA if something goes wrong. Discuss your worries with your doctor more?