Gallbladder attacks advice

[HeyBwoss]

Been having episodes of pain since January but have now had 2 in the past 2 weeks. I thought it was trapped wind (actually the first one I thought was a heart attack, at first) but have seen it may be gallstones. All my pain matches everything I have read. Except for labour, it's the worst pain I've ever had.

Anyway, I'm hoping to see the GP tomorrow, but in the meantime I'm terrified to eat incase something triggers it. Does anyone have any advice on how to manage or anything that stops the attacks? Thanks in advance

That's crazy. I mean it's true that I knew absolutely nothing about fat and thought my eating loads of good quality peanut butter, full fat greek yogurt, eggs and real butter was ok because it was all unadulterated food. However, now that I know I will do everything in my power. We know it can still happen even if we do everything by the rules.

Thanks both, I won't get my results for a while, but the day has been a wash out, not only did it take 3 hours longer than I was told it would be, they also gave me a beta blocker which has floored me. At least it's done. I really expect the results to be good and if I don't hear from the cardiologist in a few days then I'll ring.

I've just found a place in England that does the surgery for £6k and has a wait time of 3 to 6 weeks from consultaiton to procedure, and a wait time of a week for that consultation. If I'm reading this all correctly.

I'm the same as you @dudsville. I'm very much low carb, good quality fat but clearly that isn't possible right now!

I'm going to brave a little bit of roast chicken, sweet potato and beetroot salad this evening.

That meal would be fine for me @CleanQueen123 , fingers crossed for you. Don't eat the skin or any fatty bits!

'The key is to stop the attacks happening' are they actually joking?! As if we are just putting up with all this for fun!

I called my GP today to check the referral had been done. The receptionist was really helpful, she said it had been done but it was a refer and choose, so as I still hadn't received the letter she printed it off for me and I collected it this afternoon (why they couldn't do that a week ago, I don't know). So I have an appointment to see the consultant on the 1st of September. I'm sure I'll have a wait for surgery after that, if they agree to do it. Also, the GP has referred me to the good hospital nearby rather then the rubbish one that is actually my local.

Although these doctor strikes do worry me, fingers crossed there won't be many cancellations. Let us know if you look into that hospital @dudsville.

Glad you got referred to the good hospital @HeyBwoss , such a long wait though.

Thats good that you have been able to choose a good hospital @HeyBwoss .

I went for a walk and that seems to have triggered an attack but it is manageable after painkillers. I really don’t think it was any thing I ate - a smoothie and then chicken broth which only has 0.5g fat.

I looked at my local private hospital and it costs £6.5k or under £200 spread monthly. It’s tempting!

I know what you mean@Trollfeet, i will sit on this a bit but certainly considering it. That's awful that something as lovely as a walk and such healthy eating should leave you needing pain killers.

I don't really understand the "stop the attacks happening" attitude. You stop the attack happening by getting on and removing the gallbladder. A low fat, highly restricted diet isn't healthy or sustainable. It's certainly not a valid medical treatment.

I ate too many beans yesterday so have had a clearout and was too nauseated to eat this morning, so I finally weighed myself. I don't know what my starting weight was as I haven't weighed myself since March, but I've lost about 10 pounds since then. I haven't been dieting so a lot of that must have been over these last two weeks. 10 pounds more would put me just inside a healthy bmi, and I wouldn't want to lose more than that. Surely such quick weightloss is a problem.

Also I didn't feel my gb yesterday and it was the first day I haven't had the 0% yogurt with fruit seeds and nuts, I'm really hoping this isn't a trigger for me as I love it. I also think I'm starting to feel my kidneys, can't be sure it isn't just the result of weird sleeping positions, but if it isn't that's a worry too. I'm drinking a lot of water so it isn't that.

I agree @CleanQueen123 , postponing a needed surgery isn't a healthy intervention.

Losing weight too quickly can apparently trigger another attack. Damned if we do, damned if we don't! Sadly I think the only way you'll know if it's your breakfast is to try it again unfortunately. I hope you're feeling a bit better now.

I'm also thinking about my weight this morning. Not worried about losing it, I could do with losing about 10 stone (definitely a cause of the gallstones) but I have been weighing myself and I'm starting to think my scales are broken, although they seem to be going in the right direction. I had a quite bad, very inconsistent diet before this and have literally cut out everything and halved my portion sizes (due to being so bloated and worried over eating will trigger pain) since I started this thread. I've only started weighing myself 2 weeks ago but in the first week I apparently lost 1 stone 3lbs and this week 1st 8lbs. That can't be right? I weighed myself like 4 times and it's consistent. Think I need to get new ones, although these are only about a year old.

My diet now certainly doesn’t feel sustainable. I have been on a low carb high fat diet since October and felt so well on it, it reversed my pre diabetes (hba1c went from 47 to 36), settled my bowels, reduced inflammation and I had so much energy. The GP was horrified when I told her about the diet!

Like you @dudsville the weight is falling off at the moment but unlike you I need to lose weight. However my loss at the moment is too quick - I was 222lbs just under 2 weeks ago and am now 212lbs!
I was walking around 13-15k steps everyday and doing weights at the gym every other day - I’m hoping to get back to that routine next week as the longer I’m out of it the harder it will be to start over.

Blimey @HeyBwoss thats a huge loss - can you feel a difference?

No but I'm pretty sure they are wrong as I've just weighed myself twice more and got 2 more measurements. One saying I've lost nothing and the other saying I've lost a stone 😂 shame as the weight loss was the only other thing making me stick at this

@Trollfeet same here. Doctors keep looking at me like I've got two heads when I say I low carb but in my experience they have very little nutrition training and the NHS website certainly isn't up to date with current nutrition information.

I think I'll be in the next stone down bracket by the time I have surgery.

Hi all.

I have been having gall bladder issues for over two years now. Only diagnosed six months ago. Before I was diagnosed I joined Benenden Health, it's around £12 a month and once you have been with them for six months they cover you for various things, and gall bladder surgery is one of them!

I have been given the go ahead to see a private consultant through Beneden, so I am hoping to get the go ahead for surgery privately. Waiting list near me is at least a year.

I'll look at them @Lionoso as I'm thinking about my longer term health and the state of the NHS. I'm scared of being in this position again with anything else.

@HeyBwoss , I get your scales are being too varied to be reliable, but chances ar you are losing, as @CleanQueen123 and I are and it's a known phenomenon. And we're all possibly losing too much too quickly. Such a worry. Of course it would be good for us all to lose some weight, but this is drastic.

I thought I was ever so slightly yellow this morning so got concerned, but I think it's not jaundice, my eye sight isn't great. But what I did have this morning was more all over flakey dry skin.

I've also had a stomach ache today and just feel there's too much going on to be sure what I can attribute it to. I hate this intense inner focus on my body.

I'm going to try the yogurt dish in a bit, but as we've all mentioned, the fear kicks in late afternoon and I don't want to mess things up. I just had plain roasted chicken and rice for lunch, porrdge with dried fruit for breakfast. Hope to eat some veg for dinner but for some reason that's been hard for me these last two weeks. Although I haven't vomited since weekend before last, I've had a great deal of indegestine, and sometmes a burp has "potential" iyswim.

I managed a wholemeal wrap with wafer thin chicken, rocket and beetroot for lunch. Not totally tasteless and doesn't seem to have had any ill effects so I'll take that as a win.

That sounds good @CleanQueen123 , I haven't looked at wraps/tortillas!

My diet is just getting narrower and narrower over time with what I can tolerate. The past month I have had to cut out eggs too as they have started setting me off. I was fine with them previously, but a bad attack last month seems to have stopped me being able to eat just about any fat now.

I manage to get a reasonably healthy diet most of the time with veg and healthy carbs and protein which I'm fine with but damn its boring! I have lost weight, but not a massive amount as I tend to end up eating sugary things just to get some variety, which isn't great.

I miss pizza!

Oh i really miss eggs @Lionoso, i just haven't tried then since the drama two weeks ago.

This is my list of missed things -

1. Casually eating what i fancy and going for a meal out
2. Eggs
3. Butter
4. Peanut butter
5. Hummus
6. Sainsburys ttd fish fingers
7. I can't have my annual birthday cake this year

I imagine the list will grow, its only been two weeks, but yeah, i could for for a good quality pizza too!

Eggs were the most common trigger for gallbladder attacks in a mid 20th century study that linked them with food intolerances. :(
I love them but when I think back, I can remember times when they 'didn't agree with me' years before I had real gallbladder problems.

I miss thinking I really fancy X and then being able to eat it. Right now it's ice cream but I don't dare risk it.

I also miss eating out or just a takeaway. The only fast food I can tolerate now is Macdonald's grilled chicken salad. With no dressing on it.

My family are sick of hearing about the things I miss! Like everyone else, I miss the ease of just thinking 'what do I fancy' and eating it. Also eating out or take away/oven food when it's too hot to cook. And I really miss chocolate. It's just all so boring, and dry. And I'm going away next weekend, just a seaside caravan place with some family. Wishing I wasn't as no idea what I'll eat when they're all eating fish and chips etc.

I'll check out benenden too, thanks for that.

I think I've been having mini attacks. I keep getting similar but much milder, pain on my right side of my ribs and back. Luckily it only lasts a few minutes so I can put up with that if it stays that way. I feel like it's only a matter of time though. Hope everyone has got through today unscathed so far!