Last night I awoke with a horrible pain on the side of my right shoulder blade. I awoke my husband who gently rubbed it and it seemed to help but not subside. I finally took a pain pill. It felt like a spasm plus a sharp knife. Have you had these symptoms?
You may think it is my gallbladder but I just had that checked along with my stomach for other reasons. And it did not occur under my shoulder blade, but on the side. It is still sore and feels like it could happen again. I have attributed it to staying on the computer too long and inflamming the joint (RA) but I sure could use some of your information. Thanks and I hope you are having a good day! Susan Lee
It certainly could be from the computer as I have that problem right now. But, I think it is a very good idea to get it checked out as the pain could be from other things as well.
I kept complaining about the pain for a year and finally had to ask for xrays before I got their attention. By then I had a lot of problems.
It's just better to get back to the doctor and let them physically exam you and if they suspect shoulder problems make sure they order an MRI, not just an xray as it shows up damage much better. They make actually order both.
But since you are also having gall bladder symptoms, you definitely need to be seen. My daughter passed a number of ultrasounds and then was recently in the ER with a huge gall bladder. If they are checking your gall bladder out, make sure they do blood work as well. That's how they found the problem and that she also had pancreatis.
Sometimes, they don't find out on first examination. But that doesn't mean you don't have a problem. Keep bugging them.
Only a doctor can answer as to why.
If there's ANY possibility it's your gallbladder, don't mess around. An attack feels so much like a heart attack. I went to the ER 3 times with attacks years ago - they never figured out what the cause was until they did an x-ray for something totally different. I remember writhing in pain. The surgery is simple, if it is that, and you won't ever have an attack like that again. Otherwise, my muscles are going into random spasms. They're awful. And they ARE part of RA.I agree with Fiona. My daughter had numerous Ultrasounds thinking it might me her gall bladder. This was a period of over two years. She was continuously sick to her stomach and at the end of it she was vomiting all the time. Thank goodness they didn't stop with the diagnosis of food poisoning that they started with when she first went into the ER. It was the blood work, an Xray and another type of scan. By that time her pancreas was also inflamed and she had to be on antibiotics for three days before they could remove the now very large gallstone.
She was terribly ill. Make sure that it is not your gall bladder or something else first before assuming it is just the RA hitting your joints.
Thanks everyone! I read that gallbladder attacks happen under the shoulder blade and this attack happened on the side of the shoulder blade. Does that make a difference? I am also having pain in my lower back around my kidneys. On both sides. Seems there is no infection so I am attributing it to my degenerative disc disease. Boy, I am really falling apart! lol Thanks again for all your information! Susan LeeThanks Deanna...I will call the doctor if I have the pain next to my shoulder blade again. And I am seeing my kidney specialist very soon. So I will not let this slide. Susan Lee