Does Pooping Help Gallbladder Pain?

That sharp, stabbing pain in your upper right abdomen is back again. It feels like someone is twisting a knife in your gut every time you breathe or move. You’ll try anything for relief at this point – even pooping, since it sometimes helps with other abdominal pains. But will pooping actually help relieve your gallbladder pain?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but passing gas or pooping does not relieve the searing, agonizing pain of a gallbladder attack. Gallbladder pain is a unique beast. It can become excruciating, especially after you eat a meal. That’s because food stimulates your gallbladder to contract and release bile, which then irritates your inflamed gallbladder. While you may be willing to try just about anything to make the pain go away, pooping simply won’t cut it.

The good news is there are some other tricks that can provide minor relief during a gallbladder attack. Applying a heating pad to your abdomen, sipping on peppermint tea to soothe your gut, and taking magnesium supplements to help empty bile from your gallbladder more quickly can all help take the edge off. But when it comes down to it, if your gallbladder pain persists, you’ll likely need medication or surgery to fix the underlying problem.

So next time your gallbladder acts up, don’t waste your energy running to the bathroom. Focus on trying other remedies that can provide actual relief until you can treat the source of the pain. While pooping and passing gas might help with other kinds of abdominal pain, it’s unfortunately no match for the painful wrath of an inflamed gallbladder.

Pooping Doesn’t Help Gallbladder Pain

I know, it stinks. But based on the available medical evidence, passing gas or pooping does absolutely zilch to ease the searing pain of a gallbladder attack. Here’s why:

Gallbladder pain is unique

That piercing pain under your ribcage on the right side is like nothing else. It can quickly crescendo from dull aches to utterly unbearable stabbing sensations.

Food is the enemy

Eating is a common trigger for gallbladder pain since it causes the organ to contract and release bile. No wonder you lose your appetite during an attack!

Pooping won’t change a thing

While pooping might relieve pressure or pain related to other digestive issues like gas, it doesn’t help with the actual source of gallbladder pain – an inflamed or irritated gallbladder.

What Does Help Gallbladder Pain?

Now that we’ve established pooping is a dead end for gallbladder pain relief, here are some techniques that can provide a little comfort in the midst of an attack:

Heat therapy

A heating pad or hot water bottle placed over your abdomen can help relax clenched muscles and distract from the pain.

Minty relief

Sipping on soothing peppermint tea can ease gallbladder spasms.

Get your magnesium

Popping a magnesium supplement helps relax smooth muscle tissue, allowing bile to flow out of your gallbladder more easily.

Pain meds

Over-the-counter pain relievers like NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) can take the edge off.

The big guns

If OTC meds don’t touch your pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger prescription meds.

Medical procedures

If attacks persist, treatments like gallbladder removal surgery may be recommended.

While these measures can provide some symptom relief, when gallbladder pain strikes repeatedly or persists, medical treatment is usually needed.

What Exactly is Gallbladder Pain?

To understand why pooping doesn’t impact gallbladder pain, it helps to understand what’s happening inside your body during an attack.

What is the gallbladder and what does it do?

Your gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ that sits under your liver on the upper right side of your abdomen. Its main job is to store and concentrate bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver.

Bile facts:

Bile helps digest fats by breaking them down into smaller pieces your body can absorb
The liver produces bile, then sends it to the gallbladder for storage
When you eat, your gallbladder releases bile into your small intestine through a tube called the common bile duct

So in summary, the gallbladder’s role is bile storage and release.

What causes gallbladder pain?

Gallbladder pain, often called biliary colic, happens when something blocks the flow of bile, causing it to build up and inflate the gallbladder. Common culprits include:

Gallstones – hard deposits that form in the gallbladder and can block bile flow.
Gallbladder inflammation – irritation and swelling of the gallbladder wall, which can impair bile release.
Bile duct blockages – obstructions in the tubes that deliver bile.

With any of these conditions, the end result is the same: bile gets stuck in a swollen, inflamed gallbladder, which equals pain.

Unique Qualities of Gallbladder Pain

Gallbladder pain really is in a class of its own. Here are some distinguishing features:

Location

Gallbladder pain occurs in the upper right or middle abdomen, under the ribs. It may also radiate to the right shoulder or between the shoulder blades.

Timing

Attacks often strike after consuming fatty or greasy foods, which stimulate the gallbladder to contract. Attacks at night or first thing in the morning are also common.

Quality

The pain is usually described as:

Sharp
Stabbing
Intense
Excruciating
Unbearable
Knife-like

It often starts small and increases in intensity rapidly.

Duration

Attacks can last anywhere from minutes to hours. The pain may occur in waves, increasing and decreasing in severity.

Triggers

Common triggers include:

Eating greasy, fatty, or fried foods
Rapid weight loss
Pregnancy
Family history of gallbladder issues
Being female – women get gallstones twice as often as men

As you can see, gallbladder pain is quite different from run-of-the-mill belly woes. Knowing its characteristics can help you identify it promptly.

Gallbladder Pain vs. Other Abdominal Pains

Wondering how to distinguish gallbladder pain from other kinds of abdominal pain? Here’s a quick comparison:

Gas pain

Achy, crampy, dull
Comes and goes
Relieved by pooping or passing gas

Gastritis pain

Burning or gnawing ache in upper abdomen
Usually occurs on an empty stomach
May be relieved by eating

Pancreatitis pain

Severe pain in upper middle abdomen
Pain may radiate to back
Usually occurs after heavy alcohol use

Kidney stone pain

Intense pain on one side of lower back/abdomen
Pain may radiate down to groin
May have blood in urine

While some stomach-related pains can improve after a bowel movement, gallbladder pain remains steady – which is why pooping doesn’t provide relief.

Pooping and Passing Gas Won’t Help

Hopefully by now I’ve made a thorough case for why pooping or farting won’t banish your gallbladder pain. Let’s recap:

Gallbladder pain results from an obstructed, inflamed gallbladder
It has a very distinctive nature and location
Pooping may relieve pressure from gas or constipation – but it doesn’t address the root cause of gallbladder pain
You need to treat the underlying condition, whether with meds, surgery, or sometimes dietary changes

I know it’s tempting to cling to the hope that pooping will be the magic cure when you’re doubled over in pain. But trust me, sitting on the toilet will only leave you frustrated on top of being in agony. Focus your efforts instead on the remedies that can provide real relief – and get checked out if the pain keeps coming back!

When to Seek Emergency Treatment

Most gallbladder attacks will subside on their own after a few hours. But in some cases, prompt medical care is vital. You should go to the ER or call 911 if you have:

Pain accompanied by fever and chills (may indicate infection)
Jaundice (yellowing skin or eyes)
Dark urine
Uncontrollable nausea and vomiting
Gallbladder pain that persists for more than 5 hours

These symptoms can signal serious complications and require emergency medical treatment. Don’t wait and hope it improves – get help right away.

Gentle Pooping Won’t Help Either

When you’re experiencing gallbladder pain, even gentle pooping won’t provide relief. You may think that a mild bowel movement could help clear out your digestive tract and decrease pressure without exacerbating the pain too much. But unfortunately, even gentle pooping has no effect on gallbladder pain. Here’s why:

Pooping empties the colon, not the gallbladder

Pooping eliminates waste from your colon (large intestine) lower down in your digestive system. It doesn’t drain your gallbladder, which sits higher up near your liver under your right ribcage.

Bile flow is blocked

In a gallbladder attack, bile flow out of your gallbladder is obstructed due to gallstones, inflammation, etc. Pooping can’t resolve this core issue.

The gallbladder is still inflamed

Even after pooping, the gallbladder itself remains swollen and irritated. This ongoing inflammation continues causing pain.

Pain comes in waves

Gallbladder pain often comes and goes in waves. So you could poop during a lull, but the intense pain would still return shortly after.

While having a BM may provide brief satisfaction, it simply doesn’t offer lasting alleviation of gallbladder pain. Don’t waste precious time on the toilet – try remedies that can actually help!

When to See a Doctor About Gallbladder Pain

If you’re experiencing repeat bouts of gallbladder pain, make an appointment with your doctor to identify the cause. You should also seek medical care if you have any of the following:

Fever
Chills
Jaundice
Gallbladder pain lasting over 5 hours
Inability to tolerate foods or drinks

For recurrent gallbladder pain, your doctor will likely order imaging tests to check for gallstones, inflammation, or blockages.

Ultrasound – This is typically the first test done to visualize the gallbladder. Sound waves produce images of gallstones.

HIDA scan – This tracks the flow of bile from your gallbladder to see if it is obstructed.

MRI or CT scan – Provides detailed images if ultrasound results are inconclusive.

Endoscopic ultrasound – A special scope inserted through the mouth allows imaging of the bile ducts.

Based on test results, your doctor may recommend:

Gallbladder removal – If you have severe symptoms or gallstones, surgery to remove the gallbladder may be necessary. This is one of the most common surgeries done in America.
Medications – Drugs that help dissolve gallstones or soothe gallbladder inflammation.
Diet changes – Recommendations to follow a low-fat diet that won’t aggravate the gallbladder.
Wait and watch – If you have mild symptoms that are infrequent, your doctor may opt to monitor rather than treat immediately.

Don’t hesitate to seek care if you are having repeat gallbladder pain episodes – there are plenty of ways to get relief!

Wishing the Pain Away (But it Won’t Work)

When you’re stuck in the throes of a raging gallbladder attack, doubled over in pain and desperate for relief, part of you might start bargaining with the universe.

Maybe if I just believe hard enough that pooping will help, it will magically take this pain away!

I really wish I could tell you that positive thinking is all it takes to cure gallbladder pain. But that imaginary pooping cure just doesn’t exist.

Gallbladder symptoms have real, physical causes that require treatment, whether that’s surgery, medications, dietary changes, or alternative therapies. You can’t overcome the pain solely by wishing, hoping, or praying that pooping gives you relief.

I know – it’s hugely disappointing when you’re willing to grasp any shred of hope for the pain to stop. But understand that the problem isn’t in your mindset – it’s caused by real issues in your gallbladder that must be properly addressed.

Rather than fruitlessly yearning for pooping to be the solution, accept that it simply won’t help gallbladder pain. Refocus your mental energy on remedies that offer genuine relief until you can get the proper medical care you need. And next time the pain strikes, remind yourself: this too shall pass!

Bottom Line

When gallbladder pain strikes, it’s only natural to desperately hope that something as simple as having a bowel movement could make the pain vanish. But due to the unique nature of gallbladder pain, pooping unfortunately provides no relief.

The takeaway: Don’t waste time on the toilet waiting and praying for pooping to make gallbladder pain disappear. It simply won’t happen! Instead, try the techniques and treatments that can actually help reduce the ouch, and see your doctor to tackle the root causes.

While pooping every which way won’t cure your gallbladder woes, there are solutions that can. Stay strong – you’ve got this!