Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

gallstones, biliary colic, very painful, any help or advice?

44 replies

purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 14:48

My lovely sis is having this currently. Shes on the phone to 111. was diagnosed last week after months of odd abdo pain, and now has some awful pain over her gallbladder. She had an ultrasound scan and it diagnosed a lot of gallstones and she's now on the list to have the gallbladder taken out.

What can she do if anything. She has strong painkillers and has started cutting out all fat from her diet :-(

OP posts:
DCIJackieDeering · 02/04/2023 14:52

She might need to get seen by a doc, gallstones like that can lead to liver and pancreas infections, in a similar stage I had to have a week in hospital having antibiotics to calm it down. Otherwise while you wait for the op, i just cut out all fat and fizzy drinks, as bubbles also made it worse

Original poster
purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 14:57

DCIJackieDeering · 02/04/2023 14:52

She might need to get seen by a doc, gallstones like that can lead to liver and pancreas infections, in a similar stage I had to have a week in hospital having antibiotics to calm it down. Otherwise while you wait for the op, i just cut out all fat and fizzy drinks, as bubbles also made it worse

Thank you, I'll let her know about the fizzy drinks. Thats my big fear about getting pancreatitis or liver issues. Did you find any meds helped apart from painkillers. It usually settles down but not sure what to do as its all pretty new to her.

OP posts:
ThrowAwayOne · 02/04/2023 15:02

If you can get to a chemist buy her Buscopan, give her 2 of those and 2 strong painkillers (30/500mg cocodamol are the only things that work for me), Try to get her to lie on her left side and put hot water bottles on her gallbladder area and stomach or back depending on where her pain is. I try to do those breathing exercises you learn when pregnant and rock a little and it does help. It can be bloody awful tho so get her to a&e if the painkillers aren't working as that's where I've been told to go numerous times by my GP but to be honest once that pain hits I can't even stand up nevermind get myself to the hospital so II do all that ^^ and it settles eventually.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
Original poster
purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 15:03

ThrowAwayOne · 02/04/2023 15:02

If you can get to a chemist buy her Buscopan, give her 2 of those and 2 strong painkillers (30/500mg cocodamol are the only things that work for me), Try to get her to lie on her left side and put hot water bottles on her gallbladder area and stomach or back depending on where her pain is. I try to do those breathing exercises you learn when pregnant and rock a little and it does help. It can be bloody awful tho so get her to a&e if the painkillers aren't working as that's where I've been told to go numerous times by my GP but to be honest once that pain hits I can't even stand up nevermind get myself to the hospital so II do all that ^^ and it settles eventually.

Thank you, I'll let her know that. I think she has buscopan from something else, so maybe she can take that. I'll message her now. many thanks.

OP posts:
DCIJackieDeering · 02/04/2023 15:05

The only thing that stopped the pain was getting my gallbladder removed, to manage it, I bought the strongest painkillers Boots sold. I used to take a lot of Gaviscon, not sure it helped. And then time, each attack usually lasted 1-3 hours. The time I ended up in hospital, it had been grumbling for at least 24 hours

Original poster
purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 15:17

DCIJackieDeering · 02/04/2023 15:05

The only thing that stopped the pain was getting my gallbladder removed, to manage it, I bought the strongest painkillers Boots sold. I used to take a lot of Gaviscon, not sure it helped. And then time, each attack usually lasted 1-3 hours. The time I ended up in hospital, it had been grumbling for at least 24 hours

I'll check in on her and let her know that x

OP posts:
Nat6999 · 02/04/2023 16:05

I drank soda water & peppermint cordial, I couldn't drink tea or coffee as they started the pains.

Nat6999 · 02/04/2023 16:07

I spent hours on my knees on the stairs with a hot water bottle on the painful bit. Late dp said I sounded like I was in labour with my bum in the air & mooing like a cow.

Tyrozet · 02/04/2023 16:13

Nothing you can buy OTC will touch the pain in my experience, and buscopan won't make a difference either - that's not what it's for.

I had attacks about twice a month for the best part of a year - I was very strict with my diet but in the end the only thing that solved it was being admitted and having my gallbladder removed.

Pacing the house and a hot water bottle brought a bit of distraction, but ultimately she just needs to ride it out or call 111.

dfkdfc · 02/04/2023 16:13

I had to take soluble paracetamol and follow Rosemary Conelly's Hip and Thigh diet until after my surgery. Eat very bland, low fat food

Buildingthefuture · 02/04/2023 16:17

Gallstones are hideous. She needs to remove all saturated fat from her diet (which is bloody difficult!) and get her gallbladder removed asap.

MsInsomniac · 02/04/2023 16:20

Making myself vomit and lying in a scalding hot bath gave some relief, so did lying on my front and getting the kids to stand on my back. I’m pretty sure none of those things were any good for me though. I ended up in hospital with sepsis and emergency surgery to get the bloody thing out.

Buildingthefuture · 02/04/2023 16:20

And I was totally fine after surgery. No need for a special diet, but I never ate a very high fat diet anyway (I had gallstones very young, they were hereditary ) and I can eat anything now, except fish and chips from the chippy. Well, I can eat it, but only if I’m going to be near a loo!

stackhead · 02/04/2023 16:30

Heat. As hot as she can stand on her side. I don't if it distracted because it was slightly uncomfortable or helped but it made me think about something else.

After a particularly bad attack thay involved an ambulance call out (I passed out) I was prescribed oramorph which took the edge off.

Ultimately though you just have to ride it out. If she's been through labour the breathing techniques help and I found bending over something, the bed or the sofa helped a bit. Don't lie down flat.

Roselilly36 · 02/04/2023 16:37

Absolute agony, my GP’s advice was to follow a stone age diet, while I was waiting for the op.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 02/04/2023 16:42

She needs to be careful what she eats, tell her to keep a food diary, it's not always fat that sets it off, some people find certain fruits and other foods cause a flare up.

Ironically losing lots of weight can cause more formation of gallstones so while cutting fat often helps it can also cause weightloss so can be a catch 22.

Keep hydrated, have pain relief in stock and buscopan and if she notices any signs of liver problems like vomiting, yellowing skin/eyes get seen quickly.

So1invictus · 02/04/2023 16:45

When I have an attack, buscopan + ibuprofen and a hot water bottle soothes it and helps me get through it.

What helps me keep twinges to a minimum is peppermint tea, apple cider vinegar and digestive enzymes. None of these will help a full blown attack though the first two might make it less severe, but as an ongoing lifestyle thing while I wait to have my GB out, they've certainly made a difference.

Kolajam · 02/04/2023 16:45

If the pain goes on for longer than usual or is extra intense, go to hospital. I had this and was sent for a procedure under general anaesthetic as stones had got stuck in the bile duct and were causing issues with the liver. Getting the gallbladder removed next week thankfully.

AnnaMagnani · 02/04/2023 16:45

Cocodamol for me made it worse.

Only thing is to ride it out and eliminate as much fat from your diet as you can (I got sick of steamed fish and veg) until the op.

Caramac555 · 02/04/2023 16:48

Heat from hot water bottles, hot baths, peppermint tea...

Codeine

And also i just used to let myself cry, I think it releases a hormone with painkilling effect.

She just needs it taken out, I was so relieved to have mine out. My deranged liver enzymes were back to normal within weeks.

Mendholeai · 02/04/2023 17:31

I have not had an attack in ten years. I take Lecithin and ox bile but haven’t bothered woth the ox bile for a while. If I get that ache on the right side i reach for lecithin

Original poster
purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 18:23

MsInsomniac · 02/04/2023 16:20

Making myself vomit and lying in a scalding hot bath gave some relief, so did lying on my front and getting the kids to stand on my back. I’m pretty sure none of those things were any good for me though. I ended up in hospital with sepsis and emergency surgery to get the bloody thing out.

This is what I'm worried about

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 02/04/2023 18:26

Very very low fat diet. Also doctor can prescribe tablets to help prevent an attack.

Bananananas · 02/04/2023 18:27

The only thing that helped me (aside from having surgery) was buscopan - in A&E they pop it into your vein. It's an antispasmodic so stops the spasms which cause the pain.

Bananananas · 02/04/2023 18:28

Cocodamol for me made it worse.

and me, apparently codeine and morphine cause biliary spasms in some people
**