Anyone get gallstones?

[Ledkr]

My attacks are getting closer together and I cannot pinpoint the triggers.
I've had one minor and one recent major op in the last 6 months but I'm starting to think it won't be long till I have to have another.
Anyone find any relief from an attack?
I'd rather have ten labours, being sick a few times seems to ease it off.

[Ledkr]

Bump

[Poledra]

Do you have anything prescribed for it? DH had gallstones (well, one enormous one, as it turned out!) and he was prescribed some fairly heavy-duty painkillers to treat the attacks whilst he waited for surgery. Mind you, he wasn't entirely pleased as they were opiate suppositories, but you can't have everything!

We couldn't pinpoint triggers at all - we did reduce the fat in his diet but I'm not sure it helped much. He did say that the operation was truly worth it - the nagging pain in his back that he'd suffered with for 2/3 years went (referred pain from his gallbladder).

[Ledkr]

They did give me painkillers but oral so obviously didn't even listen to me because I vomit.
I'm seeing gp tomorrow.

[Kewcumber]

I had my gall bladder removed at 30 with one large sotn ein it. No specific triggers to my attacks either. Why aren;t you just having it removed?

[Lottiedoubtie]

I had mine removed, full of small stones a couple of years ago.

There's no pain like it. Why are you having OPs that stop short of removing the whole thing?

[LEMmingaround]

You need to get that gall-bladder gone!! In the meantime insist on Tramadol for the pain. I gave birth to a nine and a half pound baby, 27 hours labour, four hours of pushing with nothing but gas and air and i can tell you it was like a fleeting tickle compared to the agony that was gallstones. I never thought it was possible to experience so much pain, i was blue lighted to hospital twice because it hurt so much i couldnt catch my breath.

You need to cut out fat completely - it will help because when you eat a fatty meal your gall bladder contracts and causes the stones to rub against it. Then it becomes inflamed and there is risk of infection. Thats not fun either! Sitting up and walking around apparently helps to ease the pain during the attacks.

Insist that you are put on the list to have them removed, tell them that you are happy to drop everything and go in at a few days notice if there is a cancellation. don't be fobbed off, they aren't going to go away on their own.

[LEMmingaround]

oh and i cannot tell you how good it felt to be able to eat again after the op!

[neversleepagain]

I had mine removed a year ago, immense relief.

For me, the attacks started getting more and more frequent and it became too much. I had twins in Sep 12 and within 6 weeks of having them I had 2 horrendous attacks and ended up in A&E on morphine. I was booked in as an urgent case and had it out when my twins were just 7 weeks old.

Go and see your GP and ask for a referral and some Tramadol, it was the only pain killer that worked for me.

[Ledkr]

lottie two unrelated operations I meant.

How often do you have to have attacks to get it out? Mine have always been weeks apart but lately I've had several attacks, last week it was the worst and longest one ever, I was literally screaming, since then I've had two less severe attacks so I wonder if I'd passed a stone during the bad one.

I'm seeing gp tomorrow.

I agree about the labour comparison, I've had five dc and never been n so much agony.

I'm always sick with my attacks so I'm not sure the Tramadol would have time to work.

[LEMmingaround]

If your attacks are weeks apart then you are absolutely within your rights to demand surgery - maybe they have been reticent because of the other ops, but that is ridiculous to leave you in such a state. It is also bloody dangerous because if a stone moves into and blocks the bile duct you are in big trouble and would need emergency surgery. If you get jaundinced its a A&E job. In fact, don't be afraid to go to A&E for pain relief although the tramadol should help.

Please don't be fobbed off - this is not a minor illness, common and thankfully not life threatening (99% of the time) it still needs treating.

With frequent attacks there is the risk of infection, which = more pain, more vomiting, high temp etc and then it complicates surgery.

If you are vomiting you can ask for an anti-emmetic.

[Ledkr]

Thanks.
It's the vomiting that relives the pain so I pretty much make myself sick iykwim? So anti emetics wouldn't help.
They are definitely more frequent and I've also had several mild attacks in the night which have come to nothing, well at least not the pacing and groaning of the big attacks.
I'm self diagnosing here as I only know I have gall stones from a scan I had years ago, the attacks started 3 yrs go when I was pg and have been infrequent until recently when I've had more.
I shall nag gp today, I'm almost embarrassed to have another operation, I feel like I've got munchausens-sp?

[LEMmingaround]

I am surprised they didn't offer to remove your gallblader when you had the scan tbh, although gallstones can often be asymptomatic or just cause mild discomfort. My uncle died from complications surrounding gallstones (to be fair he was an alcoholic so his liver was probably shot to fuck) because he refused to have surgery.

[Ledkr]

DIED! Fuuuuuuck.

[AllIWant85]

I am one week post op to remove my gallbladder. My attacks were a few weeks apart and the only way I found that even remotely minimised the pain was the squat down hugging both knees and rocking slightly!! I realise how ridiculous that sounds but it was in between vomitting that I found this out. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't completely go but it slightly helps.

[ushiemama]

I suffered with gallstones for years, GP diagnosed pain as stress !!! Changed GP & within 2 months had gall bladder removed. I've got the 36 stones in a jar, they were the talk of the ward. Don't keep accepting pain killers, get rid of the gallbladder. Gallstone pain is horrific, labour pains are a breeze after going through a a bout of gallstone pain. Good Luck.

[Kundry]

They'll take it out. I only had a few episodes and was worried it wouldn't be 'enough' to have the operation but surgeon was never in doubt that as soon as they cause problems once, the gallbladder has to go.

[NUFC69]

I had my gall bladder out almost two years ago. Gp referred me to the consultant and as he didn't have a waiting list I was in almost the following week. One of the best things I have ever done. I did have a few problems after as some stones were caught in the duct but as soon as they got rid of those I never looked back. Tbh you sound in a worst state than I was, as my attacks were every few months.

[Ledkr]

The two times I've seen the gp they said its A, ulcer or B, muscle spasms.
I've self diagnosed from the net and the fact they showed up ona. Scan about 8 yrs ago.
Can I compare symptoms with you all?
I get a pain just slightly lower but between my boobs which goes through to my back,it starts off slight and escalates very quickly and feels like someone is squeezing my sotomach with their fist, it goes on for any time from ten minutes to an hour and usually ends with me being massively sick. I can t keep still when I've got it and try all sorts of different positions, it is very much like labour.
I don't know what exactly triggers it but it is always after food. Think chocolate for sure.

[Kundry]

That's a very good description of biliary colic. You need your gallbladder out.

[Twunk]

Anything fatty should be avoided - I ate chicken and rice for 2 months (plus fruit and veg!) - lost loads of weight. The gallbladder empties to help you digest fat after a meal - and when doing that the stones can get stuck in the tubes and cause the pain. I was BF when I had them but generally pain is so bad you need morphine. I was given suppositories which sorts out the vomiting issue.

I had several dozen gallstones - I have them in a little pot! They look like yellow peppercorns

[Ledkr]

Right I'm seeing dr today so feel confident that's what I've got and need a referral.

I went out with dh for a. Rare night our last night and ate curry and had wine, I opted for a non creamy curry and was ok but I still dreaded an attack.

Is it normal to not always get attacks from the wrong food?

[Ledkr]

I like the vomming though as it's stops the attacks generally.

[Lottiedoubtie]

Good description of gallbladder pain, except my attacks lasted a min of 2 hours each time. During an attack pain is constant and IME no painkiller they would prescribe me would touch it, but then attack would stop very suddenly, I could almost feel something release and then it would be over.

Doctor didn't want to diagnose me with It (I was too young allegedly) but it was unmistakable on ultrasound and MRI.

It doesn't get better on it's own, IME just worse see your GP and insist on a referral, good luck!

[Lottiedoubtie]

Yes it is a bit unpredictable. However, for me it escalated eg, at Christmas I 'got away with it' by not eating pudding. By march I nicked a handful of my husbands chips and had an agonising 2 hour attack.

[Ledkr]

Yes it's definitely worse in intensity and frequency, I'm so glad you agree in the symptoms. Gp was like "it doesn't sound like gallstones"

Is it a quick op and recovery as I'm still off work for the last op, beginning to look like a hypochondriac.