What explains right upper abdominal pain after meals if gallstones aren't found?

[JonathanW]

I’ve been getting these sharp, stabbing pains in my side just under my ribs, especially after I eat a big meal. My doctor mentioned it could be related to gallstones, but the ultrasound didn’t show any, so now I’m just confused about what else might cause that kind of biliary colic.

[PatrickA]

That sounds rough. I had something similar after big meals the sharp pain would spike under my right ribs. An ultrasound was clear and the doctor mentioned gallstones but there were none. I started keeping a simple food diary noting fat content portion size and timing and the pain showed up more after fried foods or large portions. It did not give me a clean pattern but it helped me see a possible link.

[Larry91]

I kept wondering if it is something else altogether like gas or a stomach issue not the bile duct. Sometimes the stabbing would come after something as small as toast with butter or a bowl of soup which made me doubt the big meal idea.

[BrandonH]

There was a time I tried skipping meals and cutting back on fatty foods and the pain faded for a week or two then came back. I also tried antacids and it helped a little but it did not fix it. I am not sure if that means it is really GI in origin or just my body playing tricks.

[Matthew_S]

I wandered for a while and mixed in some posture checks and a warm compress and slept differently and that drifted the focus away from the moment but the pain still shows up after big meals sometimes. Have you had any fever or yellow skin with it before?