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

Thank you@HeyBwoss ,i saw your message earlier but i was a little embarrassed by the intensity of my emotions! I haven't done anything today but that's OK. I sent the letter to PALS to chase up the difference between what the dr told me and what later happened re me but being given a date. And I've put something in the oven that i hope will make a nice dinner. I've layered aubergine, mushrooms and chicken in a pyrex dish with minimal olive oil and lots of tomato sauce heavily laden will smoked paprika. And I've poured a glass of wine. Fingers crossed!
How's everyone else doing?

I woke up feeling nauseous and with moderate pain. I popped to the shops to get some migraleve and my heart rate went up to 172!

The migraleve helped with the sickness, I took another not long ago and am waiting for it to kick in. Hasn’t really touched the pain.

If I still feel like this on Friday I’ll contact my GP. It’s frustrating as I felt so much better the last couple of days and now even though I haven’t had another attack I feel worse.

Aw @Trollfeet that's a real worry. Has your heart rate come down yet? Why wait until Friday? Your infection might have needed a longer course of antibiotics? How long since you finished them? Sorry, that's too many questions if you're not feeling well.

@dudsville my hr was only up for a few minutes, I didn’t notice until I saw it on my watch later on.
I have one more dose of antibiotics to take tonight. I’m just hoping I feel better tomorrow.

Oh, I thought you'd finished. I can't remember, did you get yours from A&E or an SAU? I was just thinking in your shoes I'd want to ring the prescriber and let them know your symptoms to see if you chould have another week, but mine came from a small SAU so that would be an easier call to make. Glad that your hr didn't stay up.

I hope you enjoyed your birthday dinner @dudsville and I hope you're feeling better today @Trollfeet.

I've had back and rib ache since yesterday. Not awful, but definitely there. I've also come on my 3rd period in 5 weeks. I'm so sick of my body.

I've just had my consultant appointment cancelled and rearranged for over a week later. They've also changed my hospital. I'm having a little cry. I feel so frustrated and helpless.

@dudsville sorry I missed it was your birthday yesterday, hope you did something enjoyable.

@HeyBwoss how frustrating.

I am feeling better today so am not wallowing in a pity party for one today. Felt mildly sick this morning but eating little and often seems to help. The pain is more in my back today but could be because I was pottering around the garden.

Aw, @HeyBwoss , that's really hard, I'm sorry. Have they changed you to the hospital that wasn't as good? It is all so helpless making. When's your new appointment?

Glad you're feeling better @Trollfeet . I honestly think I'm starting to get a little triggered by anyone getting GB symptoms or eating a minute amount of food that's off diet. This thing is so fear inducing.

I've had my first response from PALS. They said it was unusual to be offered a date for my surgery upon discharge. They also said the current wait is 45 weeks (their website said 57) so that's an improvement but that still means APRIL 2024. They're going to check with the surgeon but he's on annual leave at the moment. Looks likely that I will be taking out a second mortgage!

And 3rd period in 5 weeks? Your body is really suffering at the moment. I see you posted several hours ago. How are you feeling now?

ARGH, I miscounted it's the first week of MAY, MAY 2024! Time for a glass of wine.

A belated happy birthday @dudsville. I hope you managed a nice dinner.

Hospitals and waiting times are so frustrating. I've got to go in for my post-surgery observations tomorrow.

I'm keeping everything crossed that the surgery does actually go ahead. Even though I'm on the planned list I still don't trust them to stick to it.

I hope everyone is having a better day today.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. The cake is in the freezer.

@dudsville 45 weeks! That is crazy. I hope you get good news when they check with the surgeon. Yes, my body hates me at the moment but the feeling is mutual! It's not been changed to the bad hospital but to a different one, further away. I don't drive and it's multiple forms of public transport nearly 2 hours away. Will need to ask DH to take the day off, annoying as I'll need him to take the time if I do get the surgery. I feel ok today, although I've had quite bad aching in my back and ribs when I'm moving around for the past few days so I'm popping pain killers like sweets.

I hope your observations go well today @CleanQueen123 and that everyone else is feeling ok.

So sorry to hear of your further frustrations my fellow sufferers. It's just shite isn't it.

I'm having more low level pain every day now. I had toast with jam (no spread) for lunch as I'm out of ideas and I'm still having a constant ache under my right ribs. Always worse at night and I'm a side sleeper so it's affecting my sleep.

Less than a month to wait for me now and I'm literally ticking the days off on a calender!

Thanks @HeyBwoss. It was alright. They now seem to be resorting to child sized needles for all my blood tests. My veins don't want to play ball anymore.

I had another letter uploaded to my medical record today which was a surgical triage appointment for the referral my GP made. July 2025!

So I would urge you all to go to A&E if you feel you need to. If I hadn't I'd be waiting another 2 years just for an opinion on whether I need surgery.

If you're in excruciating pain please go to A&E.

I did this privately and it was the best money I ever spent …

That's ridiculous isn't it@CleanQueen123 . I've had another attack this evening, but it wasn't as bad. Our minds are made up and I'm booking into the private hospital asap.

It came back. I've not had this before where it returns. We rang the sau, they said it might be billary colic and to load up on paracetamol and ibuprofen (i already took buscopan) and if it's not eased in an hr to ring and they might have me back in.

This next bit will make you all laugh. Last time i went in after hours of D&V and sweating and felt disgusting. This time, as soon as it eased (as in still significant pain but something i can breathe through) i took a quick shower!

The SAU nurse advised me to go back in, bloods showed some liver trouble and slightly raised white cell count. Dr has put me on a list for an ultra sound to happen some time Monday or Tuesday, she thought that should have been done before. I'm back home with codeine now. The shocking thing was we asked how to judge when to come back and she said if the pain doesn't ease up after 24 hours! Obviously also the yellow stools, jaundice, etc., but 24 hours was a shock to hear. That's scary. I'm going to do whatever the NHS suggests but meanwhile get started down the private route.

Just remembered one more thing i asked about. I asked if it was all fat or the sat fat that needed to be below 3 %, she said all fat. ☹

@dudsville Hope you are feeling better today. 24 hours of pain seems excessive, did they say what level of pain? My GP and surgeon said to go to A&E as soon as a severe attack starts.

With hindsight I'm sceptical of her advice for two reasons, 1) the nurse who took my husband's call told us to come in, and 2) when i told her i could feel my gb she said that was purely psychological.

It's all kinds of fat as far as I am aware. My surgeon said you want to keep fat of any kind below 5grams per meal.