pain on right side and gall bladder

[laura]

I saw this on another message board- a pregnant woman with right sided pain under the ribs was asking what it could be, and this is a response, and I was wondering if there's any truth to it- if so, it could be reassurance to many of us who worry about preeclampsia and upper right quadrant pain.


"I know a quick way to see if it's your gallbladder.

Lay on your back. Find the bottom of your sternum (the part where your ribs come together, the bottom looks/feels like an upsidedown V). If you press on the soft tissue directly below your sternum and it hurts, it's your gallbladder. This isn't some old wive's tale... I'm a nursing student and we just covered this in our physical assessment class"
Thanks!

Laura-28
DH-30
Allie 5-13-98 (35 weeks-pre-e)
EDD 5-12-03

[mylilangel]

Laura, i have also been told that before.
However, I was told that if the pain is up under your right rib when you're pregnant, then it's more likely to be related to p/e and not gall bladder. apparently if you eat something fatty and you get the same feeling, this is also related to the gall bladder. i was of the understanding that with the gall bladder, it was more under your ribs, like across the top of your stomach, not up under your right rib (hope that makes sense! to those of us who have had p/e before, i'm sure it does it's just hard to explain to someone else!!)
i could be wrong, please don't anyone take my word as gospel as i'm only repeating what i've been told and as we've all found out, different doctors have very different opinions at times.
hope this helps


Cheryl - 29
DH - 28
DD 08.18.01 33 wks pre-e and hellp syndrome
EDD #2 06.04.03

[annegarrett]

I would worry that it was the liver. You should advise her to get it checked out either way--especially in HELLP Syndrome--liver pain is FREQUENTLY incorrectly identified as gall bladder pain. I know mine was.

Not worth the risk.

Anne

[lawsontx]

Unfortunately I had a severe case of pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome and delivered at 23 weeks about a month ago, so I can still vividly remember what upper right quadrant pain is like. My pain was caused by critically elevated liver enzymes levels.

It's very hard to describe what it feels like when an internal organ is trying to fail, but I'll do the best I can. The pain is a stabbing, yet radiating pain. For me it was centered between my waist and just below my right breast, and went through to my back. When the pain started I could feel it more in the middle of my back half way between my spine and my right side than anywhere else. It felt like I had a rib out of place, or I had pulled a muscle in my back that was making everything else hurt.

It quickly progressed to the point that my entire right side from my shoulder to my waist was in excruciating pain. It is as if you are being stabbed in the middle of your back with a long knife that goes all the way through to your front, and then that same pain radiates throughout the rest of your upper right quadrant.

The pain also makes your lungs hurt. I had a very hard time taking a deep breath because the pain was just too great. Nausea and vomiting are also went along with upper right quadrant pain for me.

Like I said, it's very difficult to describe to someone who has never experienced it. An internal pain like this cannot even be compared to a superficial pain. It was quite simply the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced in my life!

[mylilangel]

LawsonTX, i just wanted to say thank you!! that is the exact pain that i had 20 months ago about a week before i had dd. you described it perfectly. like you i also had p/e and hellp syndrome. just wanted to let you know that you're not alone with this. it is a scary experience when it happens, esp when you don't know what to expect.
hope you and your child are doing well.

Cheryl - 29
DH - 28
DD 08.18.01 33 wks pre-e and hellp syndrome
EDD #2 06.04.03