In pain, having a gallstone attack!

[TOWG]

I'm on holiday currently, and am in pain, while I was pregnant a few months ago, I had a liver scan and they found gallstones. The gp has since dismissed me and said they will be fine, but right now I'm having bad pain in my upper addomen and feel sick! Any tips?

Oh dear. Gallstone attacks are really awlful. Hot water bottle and some pain killers and it will pass

Afraid nothing useful to advise, but just wanted to express sympathy:
sounds hellish, poor you.

Really hope the pain's relieved asap, by whatever means.

Meantime, these are for you ---->

Thanks everyone, I think because I'm on holiday other than paracetamol I have nothing here! My two children are sound asleep as is my husband, and I'm sitting here rocking and being sick because of the pain

Poor you!
Are you in the uk? Can you ring 111 to get a gp/out of hours appointment for pain relief?

I feel for you, gallstone attacks really are the worse. No tips I’m afraid, just sympathy. Hopefully it passes soon.

Ugh the worst pain!!! Try keeping a food diary incase there is something that triggers your attacks. Try to eat as low fat a diet as you can as this can make a real difference.
Gallstones are funny some people have one episode of pain and then that’s them for years and others unfortunately suffer on a weekly/monthly basis! I’d also make sure you let your gp know you’ve had another episode so you can be referred on for treatment later

I'm still in a lot of pain, been sick so many times, I know if I call 111 they will send a ambulance as it's upper abdo pain, bordering on chest pain, my husband wants to drive me to the nearest a and e but I don't want to use up resources.

I think you need to be checked over at a and e.

I'd def get checked out. I'd had occasional pain which I always put down to wind, although it was often really bad. Then one night (mothers day 2020 actually, right as covid was kicking off) it was excruciating, my DH tried to phone 111 but there was a massive queue so he called an ambulance.

They kept me in hospital, scan showed stones blocking a duct so they removed the gall bladder the next day. Turned out I had gangrenous cholecystitis, the tissue had basically started to die. They said it could have been dangerous if not caught!

Hope the attack has passed, and if not, you've been checked out.
I have gallstones and take digestive enzymes before every meal, and peppermint oil capsules/tea as and when.
Also apple cider vinegar (the one with "the mother") Since starting all that (esp the enzymes) I can virtually eat anything in moderation, even fatty stuff.
Obvs Buscopan always on hand too, but since I started the enzymes have definitely not needed so much.

@TOWG

I'm still in a lot of pain, been sick so many times, I know if I call 111 they will send a ambulance as it's upper abdo pain, bordering on chest pain, my husband wants to drive me to the nearest a and e but I don't want to use up resources.

I hope that you allowed your husband to take you to A&E. Gall bladder pain is excruciating and complications can occur if not treated.

When I was experiencing gall bladder issues, my GP made a misdiagnosis of indigestion and I developed pancreatitis. I became seriously ill and ended up in hospital for nearly 2 weeks (I changed my GP shortly afterwards).

Don't put off seeking medical treatment OP

I know you didn't want to put pressure on the NHS but this is exactly what they're there for. I went through a year of weekly gallbladder attacks where I suffered alone at home because I was so very frightened that I had cancer or something. When I was finally bluelighted to hospital when a stone got blocked in my bile duct and I became jaundiced it was a medical emergency and had to come straight out, but I shouldn't have suffered that long!

You should go to hospital for pain relief each time you have an attack and also to get on their radar that you need it taking out.

Hope you did go OP, those gallstones can get into your pancreas and cause real trouble.

There is also a link between pregnancy and gallstone attacks afterwards, mine was removed a year after having baby.

I'm currently in a and e! It is my gallbladder

How are you feeling now @TOWG?

I really hope that you're able to continue with your holiday and when you get home, give your GP a kick up the ass for not referring you

@Clarice99 I'm currently still in hospital, on antibiotics and fluids and nil by mouth currently!

Glad you're being treated OP

@Geamhradh

What do you mean please re digestive enzymes. Are the apple ciders etc them or in addition too? How many apple cider do you take thanks

Glad you got help op

[quote Autumngoldleaf]@Geamhradh

What do you mean please re digestive enzymes. Are the apple ciders etc them or in addition too? How many apple cider do you take thanks[/quote]
@TOWG Good that you are getting looked at. Hope you are feeling much much better now

Digestive enzymes are just supplements that contain things to break down nutrients that once you've got a dodgy gallbladder often isn't done properly anymore. Things like lipase to digest fats, lactase for dairy etc.
They have quite literally changed my life. I can eat anything now (in moderation) I take one before each meal (they apparently stay in your body only for a couple of hours so you have to take them near mealtimes)
I take Solgar Erbenzym (I'm not in UK, it might be called something else there)
Holland and Barrett also do a couple.
Post surgery (I still have my gb) the ones with ox bile in are often recommended, I'm guessing that ox bile mimics our own in some way.

I just buy a bottle of apple cider vinegar-and dilute it in water. Or apple juice. You need the unrefined health store type and it should have "with the mother" (no idea what that means!) on it. You can get apple cider vinegar capsules too. If I have an attack (much less now I throw all this at it) I take the vinegar as a drink, otherwise one capsule a day.
There's a FB group which has been a mine of info for me. Niggly symptoms I would never have associated with gb issues- pain near appendix which I thought was my ovary- apparently an inflamed gallbladder/liver can push on a nerve that runs down that side, or the tiredness- you're not absorbing fats properly and fats=energy etc etc. Undigested food in poo (sorry- ick) , pain in jaw- I really just thought I'd got about 10 different things.

I'll post the link. It's run by an American couple, the fact sheets are especially useful I find.

www.facebook.com/groups/GGSG1/?ref=share

I hope you're doing okay this morning @TOWG

@Geamhradhe

A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.

If you Google vinegar mother, there's loads of pics.

I found one in my last large bottle of vinegar and freaked out a bit as it looked like an alien in a bottle!

Oooh. I just said "euwwww" and shook it. Like the Kombucha tea floppy thingy. Thanks!

How are you doing now, OP?

Really hope things have improved for you. What an innings...