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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:

Alwaysworryingoversomething · 02/04/2023 18:30

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.

Oh god, this sounds so familiar.
It's such an awful pain.

The last time I spoke to a Dr about it they said they won't consider taking it out as I don't get it often enough 😐

ballsdeep · 02/04/2023 18:31

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

Agreed. I loved on zapain and buscopan! I cut everything out of my diet so was basically eating lettuce and dry toast. In the end even squash, juice etc would set it off. It’s horrendous and I would definitely see about going private.

Original poster

purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 18:32

Well 111 sent an ambulance to rule out cardiac. It arrived quickly did an ECG and as it was gallstones, didn't take her in as advised A&E was heaving, so she opted to ride it out. I found some ancient buscopan which were still in date. DH took it round. She has codeine. Not sure if she will see the out of hours as she was on the phone to someone, and she hasn't got back to me yet.

I'll let her know about the tea and coffee, and to try peppermint tea, hot water bottle etc. She's been put forward for keyhole surgery but as they were only diagnosed last week, I don't know how long it will take to get a date. It was a relief to know what the pain was, but this is not nice at all.

Thank you all for your great advice, and its sort of nice to know (weird I know) that the pain is pretty normal.

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Alwaysworryingoversomething · 02/04/2023 18:33

When I was at A&E with it they told me that if it happened again and went on for more than 5 hours I should go back to A&E.
5 hours is a hell of a long time to be in that much agony.

Original poster

purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 18:33

ballsdeep · 02/04/2023 18:31

Show quote history

Bread gives her diarrhoea if she eats too much so i think a bit of gluten intolerance to add to it! Sourdough or just give up eating

OP posts:

Original poster

purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 18:37

The OOH doctor sent her to A&E to have her liver functions tested. She's there now. I see if she wants me there as her DH is looking after the kids.

OP posts:

DCIJackieDeering · 02/04/2023 18:38

I’m glad she’s getting her liver function tested. If you’re going in, take an overnight bag for her just in case. When I was admitted lots of people on MN said they’d been in for about 5 nights, and it was the case with me too. Take a small bag now and you can always take more tomorrow

Snozzlemaid · 02/04/2023 18:57

Someone mentioned laying on your left hand side but for me lying on my right was better, though no way got rid of the horrific pain.
I could barely talk and dp thought I was in labour, as I was on all fours on the floor, rocking and groaning.
Never felt anything like it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
I hope your sister gets this sorted as soon as she can.

Nat6999 · 02/04/2023 19:22

Tell her to ask for an NHS choose & book referral to her nearest private hospital, from referral to my op was 6 weeks. Exh has gallstones & our NHS hospital have been messing him around for over 9 months, they just don't want to operate.

DianaBarry5 · 02/04/2023 19:24

After vomiting for 12 hours straight I went to A&E in ambulance as I couldn't walk for the pain. Sent home with kidney infection according to them but went back to GP 4 days later who sent me back to hospital. I was on a drip for 7 days and had it removed on day 5 because of infection of gallbladder . Worst pain ever and had had only one attack prior to the 12 hour vomiting session. I really hope she gets surgery as my bad back miraculously cleared up too. Didn't have. Clue it was connected to gall bladder!

Nat6999 · 02/04/2023 19:25

alwaysworryingoversomething I'm afraid I would be lying & telling them I had more pain just to get them done. I had 16 attacks in 6 weeks, once I made myself sick the pain always went off.

Original poster

purpledalmation · 02/04/2023 19:33

She's had her bloods done, and waiting to see the surgeon. Probably going to stay in surgical assessment all night so a lot of people here are right on that one.

I'll be heading over tomorrow to look after kids. My DH can pick her up if the pain goes.

It seems the only thing that really helps is having the damn thing out. I'll tell her to look at speeding up the booking etc, but not holding out much hope for that.

She thinks she'll have to cancel her holiday or sort something else out as she can't be abroad and getting sick. This is all not good.

OP posts:

Cakeandslippers · 02/04/2023 19:33

Oh it really is awful! I've had them for many years and been on the waiting list for surgery for 17 months now, am hoping mine will be out by the summer but unfortunately I have nile duct stones now so having to have another procedure before they can operate.
The only medicine that even vaguely helps me is quite strong cocodamol - you have to get it prescribed. I don't always bother though as it only really takes the edge off but it makes me feel quite fuzzy and a bit sick. My main go to is heat - my hot water bottle is with me all the time.

familyissues12345 · 02/04/2023 19:42

I suffered horrendously with bilary colic - caused by gallstones. Had my gallbladder out nearly 6 weeks ago and feel fab now!

Nothing really helped me when I had attacks, I was always violently sick and just paced around the place trying to ride it out.
Wouldn't wish gallstones on my worst enemy, it's hideous

Username24680 · 02/04/2023 21:11

@purpledalmation I hope she doesn’t get attacks too often while she’s waiting on surgery. It really is a horrendous pain.

I had attacks at least once a week for 18months and was having to work 10 hour shifts on my feet in retail while having attacks 😔 I kept having to leave the shop floor to vomit because of the pain. Work wouldn’t take me seriously because I couldn’t provide a doctors line to get time off 😔 GP/A&E told me for almost a year that it was indigestion because I was too young for gallstones (despite mum, auntie, gran & great gran all having gallbladder issues 🙄). Finally managed to get a scan then had to wait a further 6 months for surgery.

For me it didn’t really make much difference changing my diet unfortunately. I used to sit in the shower with it as scalding hot as I could bear it and turn the pressure up and have it hammering down on my side/back. I don’t know if the pain of the shower just distracted me or if it actually helped but it took the edge off anyway.

I’ve been through childbirth since (40 hour labour with a hormone drip induction with no pain relief) and I’d do it again 100x before I’d go back to the gallstone pain!

Thekormachameleon · 02/04/2023 21:15

Cut fat, spices, fizzy drinks out of diet. Basically stick to grilled chicken, plain veg and water- the only things I could eat and drink

Digestive enzymes with ox bile, apple cider vinegar, buscopan and strong painkillers for an attack

ThrowAwayOne · 02/04/2023 21:16

This thread just shows that what works for one person doesn't work for another. It's trial and error just. I'd had a few severe attacks before finding what works for me. I've been on the waiting list for 18 months now but have been told it's another 6+ years NHS wait so I am saving to go private as it really is horrific and has me never eating out or eating when away from my own home just in case.

I hope your sister gets sorted quickly OP, the pain really is horrendous and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Although I did joke with my partner that I'd love him to experience it just once so he can feel how bizarre it is! I don't mean it of course but just feel that people cannot understand how bad it is unless they've experienced it. At least with childbirth you know you're getting something nice at the end of the pain and it has some small breaks inbetween the contractions, not gallstones! That's full on pain for (for me) between 20 mins and 2 hours, much longer for other people I see and I'm dreading the longer attacks.

apapuchi · 02/04/2023 21:21

Co-codamol did help me and also I took promethazine which is a drowsy antihistamine and put me to sleep when I would never have been able to sleep without it. If it gets worse then A&E, eventually I did end up there when I was rolling around on the floor screaming and crying (worse than X2 labours and births for sure) and had oramorph, fluids and then finally my gallbladder removed. They said it was 'sludge' rather than big stones so I can only assume the horrendous pain episode was one or more passing through the biliary duct 🥹😩

Nat6999 · 02/04/2023 21:40

I had dihydracodeine & domperidone when I had gallstones, towards the end even dry bread caused pain, my happiest moment was the night of the day I had my operation sat eating fish & chips, no pain or sickness. I went in for 1.00pm, back from theatre by 3.30pm & home sat watching soaps by 7.00pm.

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