Q: I am a 30 years old female. About 2 weeks back, I started feeling some discomfort (on waking up) on the right side of my back and my upper abdomen. This kept on increasing and now after two weeks, I'm feeling a lot of pain in my middle back and a light pain in my upper abdomen, under the ribs as well as slight shortness of breath. I had my gall bladder removed 10 years ago). I'm also getting a burning sensation around the middle back area especially while sitting down. What could be its cause? Since I cannot figure out my exact problem, please tell which specialist should I consult?

A:Your pain could well be arising from your stomach, as bile refluxes back into the stomach from the duodenum more frequently causing irritation in people who have their gallbladder removed. Or the pain could be arising from the pancreas as the bile in the absence of the gallbladder can reflux in to the pancreatic duct and cause inflammation. For a correct diagnosis you need to have the necessary endoscopies and perhaps scans and I suggest you consult a gastroenterologist for investigations and treatment.