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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

Gallstones ARGH!

26 replies

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 01/08/2015 04:42

I'm feeling very sorry for myself right now.
I'm in so much pain with what GP thinks is gallstones. I don't know what to do with myself! I really just want to go to sleep.
Anyone else suffered?

OP posts:

Report

gingerbabiesrule · 01/08/2015 05:41

No but my mum has recently and she was v ill and in so much pain. After endless visits to a & e and hospital she eventually got a scan and had an infected gallbladder . If it's that keep hounding the doctors and hope u get better soon x

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 05:57

Been there I'm afraid. There's very little you can do! I used to just completely give up on trying to sleep and went downstairs to watch telly. My worst attack was literally 5 days with no sleep. The pain would abate slightly during the day, but always flared up at night. I ended up in A&E on a morphine drip just to get a couple of hours sleep!

If it gets utterly unbearable or lasts for days, go to A&E. They won't be able to do anything long term (unless your gallbladder has properly ruptured) but they can give you some kick-ass painkillers and, I agree, keep hassling the doctor! Once I was diagnosed I was in surgery within 6 weeks.

BitOutOfPractice · 01/08/2015 06:16

Only otc thing that ever gave me any relief was an anti-spasm medication often used to treat ibs. Can't remember the name but ask your pharmacist

You have my sympathy you really do

giraffesCantBrushTheirTeeth · 01/08/2015 06:54

hope you feel better soon

scarfaceace · 01/08/2015 11:58

The anti-spasm meds for ibs is Buscopan. I took that, strong painkillers, and hugged a hot water bottle. It doesn't make it go away but I think it sometimes takes the edge off.

hugoagogo · 01/08/2015 12:08

How are you this morning?

My advice would be to go to a&e if you are having biliary colic they will
1 be able to give you pain relief
2 do blood tests to confirm it is gall stones and to check there is no infection.
3 repeated visits to a&e will mean you are taken more seriously.

Gallstones can be very serious and very painful, when I had it I couldn't sit down let alone sleep, nothing touched the pain except intravenous morphine.

I am now blissfully gallbladder free.

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 01/08/2015 13:43

Thank you everyone.
I first saw my GP in June about it and they referred me to hospital for a scan which I had this morning.
It is indeed gallstones and I need to go back to see my GP next week.

I've been prescribed Co-Codamol and Tramadol, neither help.
Tried hot water bottle, bath, IBS med. nothing touches it.
I've been throwing up bile, had cold sweats and felt too weak to even talk.
I'd go as far as to say it's worse than labour!

Was anyone given antibiotics or was it straight to gallbladder out?

OP posts:

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 13:48

Mine was straight to surgery. They can remove the gallbladder via keyhole and it's a pretty routine procedure so they don't hesitate. I recovered really quickly, despite having complications, and have felt a million times better since!

Glad you said it's worse than labour; currently 39 wks with DC1 and dreading the birth! If I can tell myself it's not as bad as gallstone pain, it'll make me feel better!

Hope you get treatment soon.

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 01/08/2015 16:17

Skeppers if you survived gallstones you will be fine through labour
At least in labour you have adrenaline and the though of DD to get you through! Not to mention gas and air or whatever you choose.

Seeing my gallbladder on the ultrasound wasn't quite as heartwarming as seeing DD through ultrasound, although it looked about about as big as she did at the 5 week scan

OP posts:

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 17:18

Yep, get it whipped out. Best thing you'll ever do!

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 01/08/2015 17:30

Do you have a very restricted diet now in terms of no/low fat foods only?

OP posts:

hugoagogo · 01/08/2015 17:39

A friend of mine had antibiotics first as she had an infection, I was straight to whipping it out ( 5 months later).

Both my labours ended in emc, but gallstones definitely very bad.

I think in a way I was lucky because I had a really bad attack after only a few weeks of symptoms- they think I passed a stone and was hospitalised for afew days which meant I was under a consultant pretty quickly and on the waiting list.

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 17:41

Nope! No special/restricted diet at all. Can eat what I like now without fear of reprisal!

hugoagogo · 01/08/2015 17:57

I was only on a low fat diet briefly as it made no difference to my pain, for the first couple of months post surgery I had a bit of wind and a couple of of diarrhoea incidents, but now all normal.

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 01/08/2015 19:03

hugoagogo why did it take so long, if you don't mind me asking?

Glad you both can eat pretty freely now, was worried I'd be restricted for the rest of my life.

I've read from a few people that they had to wait a long time, months, because their gallbladder was inflamed; which mine is. So now I'm worried I'll be waiting for months for a resolution.

OP posts:

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 19:53

Mine was inflamed; in fact, it had been pretty much shredded in the process of trying to pass a large stone and bits of it were stuck to my other organs (sorry, TMI!) hence the surgery taking a couple of hours longer than planned.

The surgeon had no idea because, at the time of the surgery, I felt fine! She said I was a medical marvel and she was amazed that I wasn't dying with pain seeing the state my insides were in!

I think they won't operate if you are experiencing an 'attack' at the time which, you're right, will inflame the gallbladder, but as long as you've not had an attack recently and feel well at the time of operating it shouldn't be a problem. That's what I was told prior to surgery anyway.

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 19:55

...bearing in mind it'll take a bit of time to get the op sorted, depending on what the waiting list is like.

Skeppers · 01/08/2015 19:56

Diet-wise, I found that there were no real 'triggers' so I couldn't manage it through cutting out fat, etc...I remember one particularly bad attack (which lasted 5 days; the one where I ended up in A&E) was triggered by a bowl of breakfast cereal!

hugoagogo · 01/08/2015 20:09

That wasn't long really- non urgent cases have to wait, I think 20 weeks is the target, but I was waiting over christmas and new year 2014/15 it was rather busy.

Sooner you get the ball rolling the better.

Neednewflowers · 01/08/2015 21:08

Cut right back on chocolate/fried food and wine. Then start buscopan again.

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 01/08/2015 22:37

Skemmers that's awful! You must have been in agony!

It looks like it's 6 weeks waiting time in my area, which is about what I expected. Although I did read NHS surgeries should be carried out within 18 weeks max

Neednewflowers I've been eating healthy for the last 4 months to lose weight so I haven't had chocolate, fried food or wine since before I started having any problems.

OP posts:

scarfaceace · 02/08/2015 08:56

I had twenty attacks over twelve weeks, and in the midst of it all the gallbladder became infected and I was given antibiotics. I seem to remember that they won't operate while the gallbladder is infected. I was taking oromorph whilst waiting for the op.

It's definitely worse than labour, and it's a huge relief knowing that the gallbladder is gone.

Good luck with it all.

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SunnyStriker · 05/08/2015 22:11

I had my gallbladder removed yesterday.....I already feel a million times better than I did before the op.

The only slight relief I ever found was a really really hot, hot water bottle placed on my back/shoulders. It took the edge off every time where oramorph and all the usual drugs failed.
Referal to op was about 13 weeks for me.

I hope you get sorted soon. Gallstone attacks really are the devils own creation.

GetTheFudgeOutOfRodge · 07/08/2015 16:24

I've had a letter today to book an appointment leading on from my GPs referral.
I'm a bit confused as it doesn't say what I'm actually booking! I imagine this an appointment to go see a consultant? It wouldn't be booking the operation would it?!

So glad to read how everyone feels so much better after the op.
I have to admit whenever I heard of people having gallstone attacks before I always thought "Poor them. I bet that's a bit uncomfortable"
Ha!

My GP said he couldn't do anything more pain wise and suggested I take two Co-Codamol, two Tramadol, two Buscopan and two ibuprofen all together to see if that works
Think I might ask about the oramorph, although it doesn't sound like that helps much either.

OP posts:

hugoagogo · 07/08/2015 20:49

I was advised that if you are in severe pain so ordinary painkillers don't help, then you need to be seen; because you could have a stone stuck in a tube or an infection or something.

Oramorph scares me- I think I would like it too much.

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