Gallbladder and bile duct issues – any advice?

I’m really curious if anyone else out there deals with gallbladder issues even when an ultrasound comes back totally clean and shows zero signs of gallstones...
Thanks!

Wait, who are we talking about here???

Two weeks ago I dealt with a massive infection—no stones or anything, just straight-up inflammation. My doctor put me on Augmentin and Tylenol, claiming it was triggered by raw veggies, specifically saying my gallbladder reacts badly to tomatoes.

The pain was absolutely brutal, but after four days, it finally let up.

thanks a million!!!

The FBI is basically the gold standard when it comes to spotting kidney stones. If they say there aren't any, then there aren't any—at least based on what I'm reading here. But look, things happen. Maybe it was just some weird food interference or the way you were laying on the table that messed up the image... gave a false reading. It wouldn't hurt to get a follow-up scan just to be absolutely sure...

Maybe it’s just some tiny little grain of sand causing all this trouble, even if it’s too small for the FBI to spot.

So I just went in for a gallbladder ultrasound.

"Pancreas looks totally fine within normal limits.
Liver size is normal, echogenicity is fine too.
Bile ducts aren't dilated.
But the gallbladder has a thickened wall and the bile inside looks way too dense."

My doctor put me on some Azithromycin and Tylenol.

I’ve been stuck on this strict gallbladder diet for a month now, but honestly? I’m still dealing with this dull ache and bloating on my right side and through my back... it won't quit.

The pain kind of radiates from under my right ribs down toward my ovaries, almost like a hot sensation is just pouring down that whole area.

If anyone out there has dealt with something similar, please hit me up in the replies.

Thanks.

P.S. Also, if anyone actually knows how long you're supposed to stay on a gallbladder diet before you can eat normally again, let me know...

I’ve been wondering... has anyone else here actually dealt with the nightmare of gallbladder sludge?

Look, I’ve been dealing with this double-folded gallbladder situation for over 20 years now, and honestly? I haven't felt a single thing. No pain, no nothing. So, do I actually need to 🤷

I don't even bother watching what I eat—it doesn't bother me one bit
And if I remember right, I think there might be some tiny stones or grit in there too, but who knows, I totally forgot 😁

Count me in on this club, because my gallbladder is basically a crumpled mess filled with sludge😢I’m dealing with this constant pain on my right side every single day, and my doctor put me on Bentyl (I've already burned through two boxes, so yeah). I've been lurking around here on the forum trying to catch up, but man, there is just an endless mountain of posts to dig through. Has anyone else actually dealt with this "sludge" situation before?🤷

Hey there... an old friend of mine asked if I could look something up for him (he’s got pretty bad eyesight and isn't exactly tech-savvy)

Basically, he showed me some medical results, and among other things, it says: "double folded gallbladder with a visible 7mm polyp"

Does anyone here have experience with this or know what it actually means? Any help would be much appreciated 🙂

P.S. I know the standard advice is going to be: "just tell him to go see his doctor and ask them," but I'm genuinely curious about what this means too 🙂

The gallbladder is simply the gallbladder—the fact that it’s folded over itself doesn't actually change anything; it's really just a variation in shape.
The polyp detected inside is a small growth that needs to be monitored—meaning you'll need ultrasound check-ups every 6 to 12 months.

wanderingcobra76 said:The gallbladder is primarily about bile storage, so having a double-folded shape doesn't actually change much—it's just one of those anatomical variations.
That polyp they spotted is just a small growth that needs to be kept an eye on with ultrasound checkups every 6 to 12 months.

kuzim 🙂
Thanks for the response, I really appreciate it 😁

Hey everyone... I had a gastroscopy yesterday with biopsies because they were looking into possible celiac disease. Turns out there’s no sign of celiac, but they did write—in big, bold letters, mind you—that my stomach was almost entirely filled with bile, about 2 liters worth. They wouldn't really tell me anything else; they just told me to follow up with my gastroenterologist. And the poor thing—my appointment isn't until June 17th... I've been dealing with gallbladder symptoms, but they were originally suspicious of celiac. Before this, I had a couple of abdominal ultrasounds and everything looked fine... but my gallbladder still hurts intensely and I get these sudden attacks. Plus, they found a massive amount of Candida in my gut. This whole bile situation is really starting to worry me, especially since I have a whole laundry list of other symptoms.

Angela Scott56 said:Hey everyone... I went in for a gastroscopy yesterday with biopsies because they suspected celiac disease. Turns out, zero trace of celiac, but they practically shouted it in the report: my stomach was nearly filled with bile—about 2 liters! They wouldn't give me any straight answers, just told me to follow up with a gastroenterologist. And honestly? That doctor was useless. My gastric emptying isn't even hitting 17:06... I’ve been dealing with massive bile issues, but they were too busy looking for celiac. To make matters worse, my last few abdominal ultrasounds came back totally normal, yet my gallbladder area is killing me—it’s intense, sudden attacks. Plus, they found a huge overgrowth of Candida in my gut. This bile situation is really starting to freak me out, especially since I have a whole mountain of other symptoms left to deal with.

List your symptoms, any past medical history or current meds, the full lab results, whether they took samples for pH testing, and your previous diagnoses.
It sounds like you're dealing with jejuno-duodenogastric reflux.

vividsailor7 said:Please list your symptoms, any history of illness or therapy, full test results, whether you've had a stool sample tested for parasites, and previous diagnoses.
It looks like you're dealing with jejuno-duodenogastric reflux.

Hi everyone... so, first things first—I’ve been dealing with constant bloating, abdominal pain right under my ribs, and weight loss because I can barely keep food down. Then, things took a turn when I started having these yellow, greasy, really heavy stools about 5 or 6 times a day. I've developed some pretty intense sensitivities—eggs were the first and worst allergy, then apples, dairy, and bread (which hits me hard). I actually tested negative for Celiac disease, protein synthesis seems fine, though my iron is a bit low, and I'm dealing with Vitamin D deficiency and osteopenia. Also, a Candida count of 10,000 CFU. Lately, the rib pain has become unbearable—sometimes it cramps up so bad I have to hunch over. The acid reflux is constant... my stools are loose and heavy, and even my urine and saliva have turned a greenish tint. Sometimes I vomit whatever I eat and have to rush to the bathroom immediately. I can't even touch vegetables. For the last two weeks, it feels like anything I eat just "melts" through me straight to my hands and feet—it's a horrible sensation, like my intestines are just dissolving. It's like everything goes directly into my system instantly. On top of all that, I can't handle any fat at all; if I try, my gut just loses it. If I eat meat, even small pieces, the fat seems to squeeze out and I bloat up so much that it becomes difficult to breathe. Honestly, I feel best when I don't eat anything at all—water is the only thing that doesn't trigger a reaction. My upper abdominal ultrasound was okay about a month and a half ago, but the doctors just keep ordering more tests. It's endless, and I can't live like this—constantly running to the bathroom, vomiting, and dealing with this relentless acid. I'm inflamed everywhere. I can't have a single drop of fat without my gut feeling "wet" and everything draining toward my legs. I'm losing my mind; I just want to be admitted to the hospital so this can be fixed, because I can't eat anything but water. Currently, I'm taking Vitamin D drops, 600 mg of calcium citrate, Daosin, and probiotics.

If I stick to low-carb, my gallbladder settles down, but the Candida goes wild and I'm sprinting to the bathroom. If I eat meat or veggies, the gallbladder issues are so bad I can't function—it feels like it all just flows into my bloodstream and down to my limbs, and it hurts so much. I'm at my breaking point waiting for these results; this has been dragging on for a month now.

Angela Scott56 said:Hey everyone... listen, I’ve been suffering through constant bloating, agonizing abdominal pain right under my ribs... and losing weight because food just passes straight through my gut. Then it hit me—yellow, greasy, massive stools, five or six times a day. I started reacting to everything: eggs (my first and worst allergy), apples, dairy, bread (that was brutal)... I went through all the Celiac antibody tests and they came back negative. Protein synthesis is fine, but my iron is a bit low, I'm deficient in Vitamin D, and I have osteopenia. Plus, a 10,000 CFU Candida count. Now, the rib pain has become absolutely unbearable; sometimes it cramps up so hard I have to hunch over just to breathe. The acid reflux is constant... my stools are heavy, greasy, and green, even my urine changed color, and my saliva looks greenish too... I vomit whatever I eat sometimes; I have to bolt to the bathroom immediately. I can't even look at vegetables. For the last two weeks, anything I eat feels like it just drains straight into my hands and feet, like my intestines are literally melting away, and it is horrific. I constantly feel like my guts are "wet" and the food is just dissolving inside me—I can feel it happening. On top of all this, I can't touch a single drop of fat, or my bowels go haywire. If I eat meat and it’s even slightly fatty, it just squeezes out of me, then I bloat up and struggle to catch my breath. Honestly, I feel best when I don't eat at all. Water is the only thing I can handle without a reaction... My abdominal ultrasound was fine about a month and a half ago. But the doctors? They just keep ordering more and more tests. It goes on and on while I can't eat, I'm sprinting to the bathroom, I'm vomiting violently, and this constant acid reflux is making my life a living hell. I'm inflamed everywhere. I can't have any fat or my guts get "wet" and I feel it draining down to my legs... I'm losing my mind. I just want to be admitted to the hospital so this can be fixed, because besides water, I can't tolerate anything. Currently, I'm taking Vitamin D drops, 600 mg Calcium Citrate, Daosin, and probiotics.

If I eat carbohydrates, my gallbladder settles down, but the Candida goes wild and I'm running to the bathroom because of it. If I eat meat and veggies, I can't live because of my gallbladder, and then it all just hits my bloodstream and goes to my arms and legs and it HURTSSSSS. I'm at my breaking point waiting for these results; this has been dragging on for a month now!

Based on clinical indications, the following should be performed/repeated/reviewed:
Small bowel follow-through/Radiology of the gastroduodenal and small intestine.
PTH, Ca, ionized Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, 25-hydroxy Vitamin D, serum amylase, lipase, fecal fat, CK, LDH, creatinine, urea, protein electrophoresis, liver function panel, Fe, UIBC, ferritin, folic acid, B12.
24-hour urine creatinine clearance, 24-hour proteinuria, Ca, P.
Skin prick and/or specific IgE testing for nutritional allergens.
EGD with deep duodenal biopsies sent for pathology.
Ultrasound of the thyroid and parotid glands, plus thyroid hormone panel: TSH, T3, T4, anti-TPO.
Abdominal MRI with contrast angiography.

vividsailor7 said:Based on clinical indications, you should probably undergo—or at least look into—these tests:
an X-ray of the gastroduodenal passage and small intestine
PTH, Ca, ionized Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, serum amylase, lipase, fecal fat, CK, LDH, creatinine, urea, protein electrophoresis, liver panel, Fe, UIBC, ferritin, folic acid, B12.
24-hour urine creatinine clearance, 24-hour proteinuria, Ca, P.
skin prick and/or specific IgE testing for food allergies
an EGD with deep duodenal biopsies for pathology.
An ultrasound of the thyroid and parotid glands, plus thyroid hormone levels—TSH, T3, T4, anti-TPO.
An abdominal MRI with contrast angiography.

Where can I actually get all this done? Honestly, waiting until the 17th to see a gastroenterologist feels impossible... if they just send me off for more tests after that, we're looking at another two months of dragging this out. It's already been four months. I can't deal with more testing—my diet is a total mess right now and the whole situation is becoming overwhelming. They turned down my request for hospitalization, but I'm honestly at my breaking point.

vividsailor7 said:Based on clinical indications, we should probably run or repeat the following tests
Small bowel and gastroduodenal X-ray
PTH, Ca, ionized Ca, P, Mg, K, Na, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, serum amylase, lipase, fecal fat, CK, LDH, creatinine, urea, protein electrophoresis, liver panel, Fe, UIBC, ferritin, folate, B12.
24-hour urine creatinine clearance, 24-hour proteinuria, Ca, P.
Skin prick testing and/or specific IgE tests for food allergies.
EGD with deep duodenal biopsies for pathology.
Ultrasound of the thyroid and parotid glands, plus thyroid hormone panel—TSH, T3, T4, anti-TPO.
Abdominal MRI with contrast angiography.

The bowel X-ray from a few months back didn't really show much—except that I don't notice anything right after eating, but somehow, by the time everything reaches the end of the tract, things just... congeal. My Vitamin D levels are low, proteins are fine, iron is slightly down, and B12 is normal. They were pretty sure it was Celiac disease, but nope—turns out it isn't. Honestly, this whole thing is going to drag on for several more months, and I’m already so exhausted—plus there's the constant pressure to lose five pounds because of my period, but how can I when I can't eat without running to the bathroom? It's just a vicious cycle with no way out.

Dr. Miller and the rest of you, I’m not sure if you remember my situation from those previous threads regarding my lab results and that terrible liver panel...
Anyway, I just had an MRCP done (the referral was for suspected liver lesions and microcholecystiasis, plus my stomach has been acting up, so I’m feeling pretty lost and could use some help interpreting this.
The report says "less is more" because everything looks fine—dimensions are all normal—except for the gallbladder. Unlike what showed up on the ultrasound, the MRI shows the gallbladder is kinked at the neck where it transitions into the cystic duct area. Also, near that neck area, they found a small, oval, wall-adjacent defect about 3mm in diameter, which could be a tiny stone stuck to the wall or a small polyp. Everything else—widths, flow, the liver itself—looks great; no focal lesions. Pancreas, kidneys, spleen, and adrenals are all clear.
Is it possible that the sludge seen on the ultrasound just filtered out, or is it invisible on an MR? And what am I looking at now with this kinked gallbladder? Could that folding be a result of those two subsequent attacks I had after the initial ultrasound? Just to remind everyone, that third-to-last attack hit me right while I was breastfeeding; my kid shoved their arm right under my ribs and I had an instant flare-up. It was early morning and I hadn't eaten anything besides tea, so in my opinion, my posture while nursing must have triggered it.
I did a little Googling, and apparently, these kinds of folds usually happen to older women and can be dangerous. 🤔 Am I going to be rushed into surgery immediately, or am I just waiting for the next attack to strike? 🙂

edit: I haven't done the liver panel yet because they told me to wait until a few days before my follow-up appointment (I have a standing referral for labs), so I don't know where I stand with those numbers, but the MRI says the liver is okay. Should I just head down to the clinic and get the bloodwork done now anyway?