What do gallstones feel like

Your symptoms sound exactly like mine, I had a scan after visiting the hospital and was diagnosed with gallstones.
There is no one particular food that makes mine grumble and I am on the waiting list to have my gallbladder removed.

I find a warm bath helps a lot, as can a hot water bottle. I was given naproxen to take.

Exactly my experience and it happened at any time, no food triggers and very quick. The first attack was at school pick up!

Nobody mentioned jumping the queue.

Because if you want to jump the queue do it by paying for it privately. Exaggerating symptoms on which Dr's use to make clinical judgments is really very very stupid.

I have sludge in my gallbladder and a polyp. I've spent the weekend in awful pain after a flare up so I'm sending solidarity to @Kalei87.
I was planning on just soldiering on but I think after reading through this thread I'm going to talk again to my GP and possibly check my private health insurance.

Hi, Sorry you're dealing with this.
I had my gallbladder removed almost 2 years ago due to a huge gallstone blocking the neck of the gallbladder. Most of my pain was in the upper right quadrant and right shoulder blade but sometimes middle/epigastric and behind belly button.

If you see any jaundice/yellowing of the eyes get to A&E immediately. This can get pretty serious pretty fast.

Where I live there was a 2.5 year waiting list for removal so I had to pay £8K to have private surgery as I just couldn't wait that long. And that was after being hospitalised on a couple of occasions for pain and sickness.

Unfortunately I've had a few problems since removal leading to other digestive issues but it's a trade-off between the pain and dealing with that.

Good luck.

I've not felt even so much as a suggestion of nausea, not everyone does.

Unfortunately there's a real postcode lottery with this, I'm in Cornwall & the wait here for the surgery is very very long & I was told by the ambulance paramedic that A&E would do nothing for me but give me morphine. Ppl I know personally down here have waited years for removal (unless funding privately) even after pancreatitis, yet ppl I know up-country HAVE had it removed soon after an A&E visit for an 'ordinary' attack (they are blokes though & I'm sure that makes a difference 🤨)

Guidance is anything longer than 5/6 hours to go A&E fwiw.

If you can afford a couple of hundred quid then you can get a private US which will definitely be quicker than waiting via the GP to get referred, you'll not get into the waiting list without one.

Your symptoms sound exactly like mine were when I had gallstones. I'd be on all fours for hours trying to get out a burp or a fart, so convinced it was trapped wind. Pain far worse than childbirth.
By the time I managed to stop getting fobbed off and got an ultrasound I was almost in constant pain and my central pain had moved to the right and was tender to touch.
My gallstones didn't look too bad on the ultrasound but it was December and the doctor was concerned I would be an emergency over Christmas, so they operated straight away. It turned out that my gallbladder was v inflamed and firmly adhered to my liver and the operation took hours. Def was an emergency.
Woke up, felt fantastic, haven't looked back! Felt like a new woman!! Gallbladders, v overrated, everyone should get rid of them straight away!

No surgeon or any other health professional can tell whether you’re in pain or to what degree - no matter how undaft they might be.

The surgeons ain't daft !!!!

I've got gallstones. Had them for years. I got sent for a scan straight away. I know I've got a big one as I saw it on screen!
My sister has had hers out now, but she got misdiagnosed for years. And I swear it's because she didn't have the back pain associated with it...a bit like you? Whereas I did and mentioned that's where most of the pain was.
Used to get it more frequently and worse than I do now. But yeah, the pain is like nothing else I've had. Because there's no let up!
I used to keep a diary of what I'd eat, but so many things used to trigger it, I gave up! Fizzy water once! Anyway, I'm so good at spotting when it's going to happen now, I take co-codamol and it nearly always nips it in the bud now. Mine doesn't happen often enough for them to do anything.
It got me by surprise just before Christmas. What helps is a hot water bottle, sipping apple tea (or peppermint). And painkillers. Riding it out.

Good luck

I had gallstones that were misdiagnosed as indigestion and then acid reflux. After a blood test showing some issues with my liver, I was sent for a scan which showed gallstones. The pain was excruciating and each attack lasted for about 2 hours. I was put on a (long) waiting list for surgery but fortunately(!) the next week the pain got even worse, with vomiting and jaundice and I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. I had emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder and no issues ever since.

I was told if I had an attack where I couldn't cope with the pain at home then go to A&E, as a fully blocked duct is a medical emergency.

I did as I was told when I had the most excruciating pain which lasted for about 14 hours in the end. 8 hours in with it still getting worse I went to A&E.

I had my gall bladder out less than 2 weeks later.

I didn’t either, my only symptom was pain. I went to a walk in centre and the GP I saw had to be dissuaded from calling an ambulance. She only allowed me to leave under my own steam when I promised to go straight to A&E. I’m not trying to frighten you but this really can’t wait another three weeks. Please go to A&E if you get another attack.

That isn’t good enough. If you get another attack go straight to A&E, that’s how mine was diagnosed.

I had my gallbladder removed in 1989 after suffering the most severe pain I think I have ever encountered. Took a while to diagnose because I was only mid twenties and slim. They used to say then fat fair and forty were the criteria. I had to have full operation and the stones were like grit. I had ovarian cancer and last January had radical hysterectomy via keyhole surgery, luckily all cancer seems to have been removed. But operation and recovery wise would take the keyhole hysterectomy anyway over the gallbladder removal. Good luck with getting it sorted

Yes sounds like gallstones. Unless there are complications it won't show on bloods, they diagnose with an ultrasound - you need one!

My experience was years of niggly pain, then 5 months of terrible stomach, diarrhoea & annoying ache then BAM the actual attacks started & I'd no idea what was going on. 'worse than childbirth' is a common comparison for good reason, the full blown attacks are extraordinary.

Gaviscon won't do anything for gallbladder problems, buscopan & peppermint tea will help if it's looking to be an attack.

Low fat food that's easy to digest & in small amounts over the day.

I'm waiting for mine to be taken out & have had a couple of quiet months until the past week where I've noticed my morning coffee is hurting & now tonight I'm actually up in pain (not agony) that feels like a giant hand is squeezing my right side around my ribs & I dearly wish it would fuck the fuck off.

Pain can be all in your front, or back, maybe round the sides, maybe not. Possibly all across your front under your ribs like your diaphragm is trying to leave your body. In your spine, behind your shoulder blade, right in your shoulder. It can be all of these at once dialled to 11 👍

GP tomorrow, get them to book you in for an US. I'm a high high pain threshold person & a full on gallstone attack is no joke at all, do not wait for that stage before you start the process of diagnosis!

You have ALL my sympathy xx

(also shout out to MN diagnostic crew - I posted here with my first actual attack in a panic like 'Wtf is going on? I need to burp so bad, help me!' & was immediately told what it was)

Gallstones are horrible - it's an awful stomach pain, similar to gas pain from surgery

I've had them a couple of times in the past couple of months and I'm waiting for an ultrasound

I'm basically living in fear of the pain 😢

It usually lasts about 6 hours for me. One of the attacks came on in a lidl while I was in the longest queue in the world

Sorry op x

Just thought I'd mention, my surgeon told me that I couldn't have any more than 3 grams of fat in any meal/snack as it would trigger an attack (he was right).

I lived off chicken, veg and tiny portions of rice and pasta.
For a sweet treat, I had fat free yoghurt that I'd freeze and then grate a single chocolate button on top.
I also snacked on frozen grapes.

Poor you, OP. Sounds v similar to gall bladder pain.

My episodes got closer and more sustained over time, pain so murderous that paramedics thought it might be a heart attack. Air lifted to hospital, projectile vomiting over the (very fit) doctor mid-flight - oh, the shame. But gallstones it was, and a keyhole op to remove the g/b sorted me out.

Obvs we’re not doctors on MN, so get yourself checked out asap to find out what’s going on. Wishing you well, OP ✨

Sounds like you're eating fairly sensibly already from what I've seen of your replies since I posted. Which probably explains why you are only having occasional attacks. I will say rice also sets mine off, not as much as bread/dough but still causes a discomfort and sort of indigestion feeling. I've cut out all alcohol as well just to make sure I'm looking after the liver. I hope you don't have to wait too long for answers from your GP. I initially spoke to my doc in December 2022 and had my scan in September 2023 then GP confirmed gallstones/fatty liver in the October. Just giving my timeframe as an idea of what to maybe expect. Still no surgery date yet but as I say I'm on the waiting list and not in excruciating pain at least. It's good to read your pain has eased over the evening tonight too hope you get some sleep.

I had gall stones years ago and had my gall bladder removed.

The pain was like nothing I had EVER felt in my life. The best way I can describe it is a trapped wind pain, but 100 times worse. The pain made me sick and I ended up in hospital with it. I did develop pancreatitis too so unsure if that contributed to the pain. I would rather give birth again that deal with that level of pain!