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

This says avocado is high fat. All the good stuff is sadly!

This is all so dire. Low/zero fat and painkillers is not a sustainable solution. What does very low fat even look like as a meal?

I've been told to call the hospital on Wednesday to arrange an ultrasound and they want a second blood test done on Saturday.

It's not been a great day. I went back to work but I was tired and had another flare up. I've had to top up with cocodamol.

Try low fat, I had mine out years ago and I still can't eat fat, saturated is really bad and oils OK if in small quantities.

@CleanQueen123 I'm sorry you're feeling so bad.

Today I had a slice of toast with jam, a plain jacket potato, some plain chicken, lettuce and cucumber. No dinner, and water all day. Been pretty emotional, probably through hunger! I just can't bring myself to eat anything else in fear of it happening again.

You can buy Buscopan on eBay if there's a shortage on the high street. Order some straight away before there's a run on it.

I’ve had infrequent attacks for a couple of years. I read various things about apple cider vinegar , so I keep it in the house and think it did help when I had my worst attack. Daily I make sure to eat at least one apple every day and I will have apple juice after a meal if it was slightly fatty. It could be completely rubbish, but it seems to keep it at bay.

I had my GB removed this year after an increasing series of attacks over a period of about 9 months. It reached the point where I was eating almost zero fat for all meals (less than 10g of fat per meal is almost nothing!). Despite the diet I still ended up in constant pain every day and had to take extended leave from work as o felt so unwell. Pain in my back, all around my ribs and then attacks every so often. I’m not going to lie, it was hellish.

Anyway, had surgery in March, it was tough as when they did the op, my GB was totally buggered so the surgery took a long time and I have bigger (keyhole) scars than most people. It’s taken a while to heal, I’m still having some minor gastro issues, but nothing like before.

Once you have gallstones, they don’t go away and the longer you leave it, typically the worse it gets over time. Even if you have weeks or months without attacks. I left mine in for a decade (due to surgery fear) and my surgeon said I was very lucky to not have chronic pancreatitis / worse.

If your stools are turning yellow/pale already that isn’t a good sign. It shows there is a lack of bile flow. Which suggests a poss blockage. I’d go back to the GP and push for the scan request now as waiting lists for surgery are often well over a year, if not longer on NHS.. that’s a long time to be in pain and eating low/no fat and worrying about attacks.

I used to do that.. As well as beetroot juice etc.. I still ended up having surgery, because the stones generally don’t go away and once your GB starts to malfunction it doesn’t repair itself unfortunately.

This my concern. If surgery is the only thing that's going to solve it I want them to get on and do it or get me on a waiting list.

At least then I'll have an end goal and a restricted diet might be bearable.

No alcohol, no carbs, no fatty diet.

Surgery is the only long term
solution

Carbs are fine with gallbladder disease/gallstones.

That’s not actually true, if you don’t actually have gallstones, you can avoid surgery. I had gb attacks without gallstones (mine is distended) and have avoided surgery with diet and herbs.

And I’ve avoided further attacks.

If I can't have carbs, I don't know what I'll eat! I had gestational diabetes in my last pregnancy, so I couldn't eat carbs or sugar, but could eat fat. Now this is the opposite!

I've made a phone appointment for this afternoon to mention my stools and today I have a real ache in my right side and back. I forgot to mention some stuff yesterday and also didn't feel very comfortable with the GP. It was one I had previously complained about and I even had to get my own chair in his room while carrying my 2 year old. He did feel my stomach though, I'm assuming that's because you're supposed to have pain with pancreatitis?

You could do low carb. Have things like protein with veg and new potatoes for example.
have u tried process of elimination? writing down when symptoms have began and what u ate prior?

I'll definitely do it going forward but they started in January and I have no clue what I ate before them. I know the last 2 times I had a roast and chicken burger and fries (just oven stuff, not a takeaway). So I'm assuming the fat from the roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy triggered it, and then the fat in the chicken burger and fries.

You can't really do low carb without increasing your fat intake though and the advice for gallstones is not to eat fat.

I've managed some instant porridge this morning and I've bought low fat noodles and wafer thin chicken.

All the painkillers have now made me constipated which I can't imagine is helpful and Senkot doesn't appear to working.

Coffee was the thing that set my gall bladder off.
Also if you are actually throwing up as well as a bad pain l would go to A& E . Your pancreas can get affected so l would hope they would take you seriously in A& E. My dh went there with a severe pain and they said his pancreas was beginning to be infected so they kept him. After getting the infection under control they removed his gall bladder.

Phone call GP today wasn't concerned about the yellow stools. Just said agreed with yesterdays GP, avoid fatty foods and wait for the scan.

Try to stick to healthier low GI carbs as carbs which spike your blood sugar aren't good for you either way.

I've got a scan booked for the 23rd. Seems like a long time away but at least I have a date now.

I do apologise @HeyBwoss . I realise I've totally hijacked your thread with my own tale of woe.

I would honestly be more pushy.

I’m pretty sure if you present with GB symptoms as well as constant pain AND pale stools they should at the very least be checking your liver and pancreas function via blood tests.

Can people say a bit more about these digestive enzymes, what are they and what do they do, Ive looked on line and and it brought up results for the bacteria stuff thats in yakult and things

I already take Bio Kult every day which is a probiotic and has about 14 different bacteria strains in it, is that the same thing?

I don't mind! I hope you get some answers.

I don't actually have constant pain, mine is the unpredictable attacks at the moment.

@bellac11 I haven't tried them yet, only @NowZeusHasLainWithLeda has mentioned them. Although I did read about them, I think on gut UK website.