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

Sounds like progress @Lionoso ! And the weight loss is great, hopefully we can all maintain it!

Sounds positive @Lionoso.

Good news and bad news from me today. Good news is I managed a very small amount of chip shop chips that DD brought home to share with me.

Bad news is I've had an allergic reaction to the surgical tape so as well as the wounds I now have strips of a very sore rash down my left side and under my boobs where they must have stuck something during surgery 😬

Ah@CleanQueen123 , no one wants that kind of thing. Does anything need to happen to heal the rash?

I'm going to get some antihistamines tomorrow I think. Everything is quite itchy today which means it's healing but it's irritating.

Glad you are recovering well, except the allergic reaction, @CleanQueen123. I'm sure those chips tasted good!

Shame about the biscuits @Lionoso but everything else sounds positive!

@Trollfeet and @Stressedandpoorlydressed I hope you are both ok after your repeated attacks. Did you have a surgery appointment after your hospital visit Trollfeet ? Sorry I can't remember (again).

I feel rubbish today. I ate breakfast and suddenly felt bloated and had a stomach ache. It's continued all day, I think it might be a mild attack but it wasn't triggered by any food different to normal. When I'm moving around the bottom of my chest aches too. I've tried paracetamol and a hot bath but it hasn't touched it, so I'm going to try buscopan and ibuprofen in a minute.

Hope the buscopan helps @HeyBwoss and that it doesn't become worse. I've stocked up on buscopan and antacids for post op, thought it might help my digestive system overall.

It hasn't helped unfortunately. The last time I felt like this I had a proper attack in the evening, so I feel nervous for later.

@HeyBwoss fingers crossed it doesn’t grow into an attack.

Generally feelings bit off but haven’t had another attack. Pre-op is next week and then op in a month.

Oh good, coming soon. Hope the attacks hold off until then.

Sorry to hear some of you have been having a rough time.

I think I've possibly overdone it today. I had sort of interview thing this morning so had to be sat up at a table for an hour and then stretched to put the toaster back on top of the kitchen cupboard. Bit sore now so maybe that was a bad idea 🤦🏼‍♀️

🤞 the antihistamines work. The rash is all over my stomach and quite clearly an allergic reaction.

Glad the antihistamines worked @CleanQueen123 , sounds like a nasty rash.

How are you feeling now@HeyBwoss ?

I've had an irritating day. I stupidly forgot to take safe food with me after having had breakfast at home, knowing i wouldn't be back home before 1. I stopped in so many corner shops, everyone was sold out of chicken or turkey low fat lunch meat, i didn't want fruit or raw veg, i was moving about so stopping to eat a tin of beans or tuna wasn't my usual safe option. I came home hungry and angry at not being able to eat any of the tons of food out and about. Had a big lunch then a deep nap the kind that's hard to wake up from. Had another big meal (that's such a joke, what i mean is i binged on a banana, multiple corn rice cakes and a bowl of porrige). Feel like I've spent the day hungry, angry or sleepy. And now I'm bloated. I'm also back to having hot flushes over the last few weeks so every hour or so i feel like i need a shower. 🥵🤬

Good morning, I felt awful all day yesterday and went to bed with the pain. It's gone this morning but I'm nervous about eating breakfast in case it comes back. It really writes my whole day off, even though it's not a full attack.

That sounds like a really tough day, @dudsville. I get angry about not being able to eat "normal" food too. It's funny (not funny) what we class as a big meal these days! The last thing you need is hot flushes on top of all this. I hope today is a better day. Is your surgery on Thursday? Sorry, I am rubbish at remembering everyone's dates and there is so much to scroll through

That sounds like a long day, the apprehension around eating is something we're all too familiar with. Isn't this what Napoleon had? I keep meaning to Google. God knows how he managed surrounded by good cheese and bread. There's a funny clip someone sent me, I'll see if i can post it as i think it sums us up well!

I'm posting on what is hopefully the come down from what I hope will be my final attack. Its not the worst I've had but it was/is properly painful and I've taken buscopan and codeine and am cuddling my hot water bottle and belching for Britain. I think it's the biliary colic as its has waves to it. At times it shoots an ache across my shoulders and back. We think the bread i ate at lunch had ground seeds and nuts in it. I'm so annoyed with myself.

I find it hard to remember it all too @HeyBwoss , but i go in tomorrow for an 8 am surgery. 17 hours and counting. I've been scared of infection or anything that would get in the way of the surgery, even worried the hotflushes might be fever, but i don't have any other symptoms of infection.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv_DVW3slqz/?igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

Does this work? I hope it gives you all a laugh!

Good luck for tomorrow @dudsville! Sorry to hear it's been a rough few days with attacks for some of you.

I'm slowly getting there. Still having some weird random pains and discomfort abdominally but I think it's just part of the healing process. I'm three weeks post op today.

I was out at a kids party today and even though I'm post op now I'm still getting food anxiety as it was a pizza party. I changed my mind about having pizza on the weekend but it was pizza or starve this evening, so I had a few slices of plain cheese pizza and so far I have been fine! It was Dominoes pizza so not exactly low in fat! My waistline hates me but it tasted gooood.

It seems a bit random when I have had diarrhea attacks but so far no issues with cheese based food. Which is a good thing as I am a cheese-aholic! 😁

Cheese is one of my longed for foods! I really want to go to a cheese shop especially and just create a wonderful cheese board.

@NowZeusHasLainWithLeda how long have you managed your symptoms with digestive enzymes? I have been diagnosed with sludge which causes mild pain and gas, but they won't put me on the surgery list yet. Have you got confirmed stones?

I'll be thinking of you @dudsville! Hoping all goes well and really happy that it is happening so soon for you! Your link did work and did make me laugh hope you are feeling ok now.

Oh wow @Lionoso, I can't even imagine eating dominoes again! Glad you are ok. I'm really hoping I don't react to chocolate after surgery, although it might do me a favour to keep this weight off.

Talking of cheese, I've bought eat lean cheese, it's supposed to be 90% less fat I think. Has anyone else tried it?

Hello! I had the abdo ultrasound in Jan 21 which showed sludge. The sonographer said there were probably stones inside the sludge but she couldn't really tell.
I started the enzymes around then I suppose, and together with peppermint oil/tea have kept big attacks at bay. I had one out of the blue a couple of weeks ago at work. It must be the first for at least a year. I mean, I get grumbles and a sore gallbladder area if I overeat or eat too much of the wrong things, the odd bout of diarrhea but the full on vice round the chest and shoulder pain no.

Best of luck @dudsville. A wish you as straightforward recovery as I've had so far. 🤞 you'll be in and out before you know it.

Thanks for the well wishes. This flare up last 7 and a half hours. I'm still tender and very bloated, especially under my sternum but I've had a lot of water and i read that can put pressure on the area, i just wanted to try to flush the meds through my system a bit. It was so weird, it just suddenly ended and i felt well and awake so got up then went into a full on sweat with the threat of vomiting, but i managed not to. I'm now just sitting here a bit dazed by the ordeal. I've moved to the sofa to let my dh get some sleep. Going to pop something comforting on tv and try to doze.

@NowZeusHasLainWithLeda thank you for getting back to me. I also started with symptoms in Jan 21! What's annoying is I haven't had any symptoms for a year, but just recently I got a dull pain under right rib, right back which lasted 2 days and now it's low level grumbling. I'm a bit gassy, slightly tender tummy and mild pain under right rib. Never had an acute attack or real pain, never even needed paracetamol for it. I wonder whether to try the enzymes...?

Hey all, how you all feeling? My abdo scan should of been today but just got a call to say it's been cancelled! Luckily it's been rearranged for Friday at a different hospital. I just want it done now. I have managed a few days with just low level grumblings from my gallbladder, but I am getting pretty bad reflux which is annoying.

Just popping on to say it went well. Have been quite dizzy and dopey, resting deeply but not actually able to sleep. Got home about an hr ago. Surgeon said gb was inflamed so a little tricky but all good.

Great news @dudsville , hope you are a speedy recovery.