Can Left Upper Quadrant Pain Occur With Gallbladder?

I've been struggling with "stomach" problems for over a year now with no relief from being on Nexium and antacids for that entire time.

Nausea, indigestion, and left upper quadrant pain are part of my everyday life. It occurs in varying degrees and some days aren't so bad. But, I get these really bad "episodes" from time to time (too many to count last year) that are absolutely horrid. The nausea and pain will wake me in the middle of the night and last anywhere from 2-5 hours before subsiding. The worst pain is in the LUQ right by my ribs (sharp), but sometimes goes to my back. I get a crampy pain in the upper middle area, too. The pain can get bad, but the nausea is worse. It can get so bad that I have actually tried to make myself vomit. There is nothing I can do to make an episode subside, but wait it out. I usually end up laying on the bathroom floor (unable to get comfortable) until it lets up.

I cannot tolerate alcohol and I have to be VERY careful of greasy, fatty foods. I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, but not anymore. I have a strong family history of gallbladder problems--all of my mother's 4 sisters had their's removed, as well as my dad and his sister and mother. My family keeps insisting that I have my gallbladder checked, but I have been hesitant because of the LUQ pain. You always hear and read that gallbladder is associated with right-sided pain, but I have come across a few people in the last week that had left-sided pain associated with gallbladder and are now fine after removal. Is this a possibility?? I can't find any info on LUQ pain.

Please help. Thank you. Tweet