To give myself a gallbladder attack, on purpose.

[UltimateIdiot]

Long story short: had a lot of problems with my gallbladder in 2015, hospitalisation, MRI, and was scheduled to have the damn thing out but had a surprise pregnancy.

Ds is 10 months now and for the last six week I have been in a lot of pain. Not acute attack pain but still painful enough to be bothering me.

I've cut out all dairy, eggs, nuts, meat etc. and it's still feeling irritated, in fact I would say it feels worse.

Gp wants me to wait to have another ultrasound but warned that I could be waiting quite some time.

She seemed to be dropping hints that if I went in to a&e I might get seen sooner but didn't come right out and say it.

I'm sick of it. I can't sleep properly and it's getting worse.

I'm really close to just wolfing a ton of saturated fat, waiting for the inevitable and going in.

Wibu?

[obeseclarice]

I think that once it gets really inflamed it probably doesn't matter what you eat (within reason) it will just carry on hurting until it settles down.

Sorry if you've already said upthread but do you have pain relief? If I get any twinges I take ibuprofen and paracetamol. My GP also gave me codeine for emergencies. I know some fellow gallbladder sufferers use Buscopan too.

I don't think being overweight would delay it, I'm morbidly obese though (BMI of 39) and even in my case they haven't said it will be delayed, just it might, if I don't lose more weight by my next appt.

[UltimateIdiot]

I'm taking paracetamol but gp said I couldn't have anything else because I'm breastfeeding.

It's very painful right now, I've just been sick again.

God if I had the medical knowledge I'd be half tempted to attempt home surgery.

[PlayOnWurtz]

Buscopan is your saviour. The best thing you can take for it as it's an antispasmodic

[user892]

There are plenty more painkillers that are compatible with breastfeeding... You poor thing, your GP sounds utterly incompetent x

[user892]

S/he is getting confused with pregnancy - ibuprofen and BF is fine, for instance.

[LionRichie]

Sounds like you're on your way to cholecystitis. By the time I had my op, I literally couldn't eat anything at all (was living on dry rice crispies but still throwing up bile all night). I was taking max dose buscopan and codeine to keep the pain under control (a doc told me to take it all the time and not wait for an attack!). I was breastfeeding at the time and my toddler lived...

[GoesDownLikeACupOfColdSick]

I went to a&e with that sickening right shoulder blade and chest pain last year - the dr said "gallbladder, must come out as soon as possible" - but sent me home with buscopan and cocodamol and an instruction to see the GP for a referral.

I haven't been back as the GP didn't think it did sound like gallstones and it hasn't flared up since but I really must get it checked. Anyway, yes, point being a&e probably won't do it on spot, sorry OPz

[UltimateIdiot]

Oh thank you! I am defiyely trying some buscopan and different painkillers. Paracetamol isn't touching it

I think I'm going to swap gp after this!

[LionRichie]

Are you quite young? Because I don't think all gps tend to suspect gallstones if you're under 40. There's slightly offensive mnemonic for the typical victim - fat, female, fair, fertile and forty. Lovely!

[UltimateIdiot]

Oh nice!

Well I do meet some of those. Bit fat, fair, female, fertile. But I'm thirty.

There are definitely stones in there, the mri picked up a big one and a few smaller ones apparently (so said the pre op doctor)

[emma2468]

Don't rush to have it out! I had mine out a year ago and I still can't eat meat it makes me feel sick. I also still get pains from time to time. Have you got some decent pain killers?

[shinynewusername]

There is a lot of alarmist nonsense on this thread. Gallstones are incredibly common - about 1:6 people over 40 have them. Complications are rare and, in most cases, the gallbladder only needs removing if there are recurrent symptoms.

In your case, OP, it sounds like you do need an op because you keep getting symptoms. But you definitely don't want your gallbladder to be inflamed at the time (by eating fats etc) - that makes the operation much harder and much more likely to be open, not keyhole.

The point of the repeat scan is probably not to check whether you still have stones - you will do - but to check that your gallbladder is not too inflamed for surgery. However you could ask your GP to refer you while the scan is awaited, rather than waiting for the result then referring.

[shinynewusername]

I think I'm going to swap gp after this!

Please trust your GP and not a bunch of people talking crap on the internet.

[GoesDownLikeACupOfColdSick]

Yes to the buscopan too. If mine was a gallbladder pain - and I think it was - then after 9 hours of pain, the buscopan was bloody bliss, knocked it on the head in about 15 mins!

Also read on here someone recommended a hot bean bag, one of those lavender things maybe, as the best non medical relief

[MrsRonBurgundy]

I also had mine out via a&e admission but only because it had been bad for a while and my liver function was down. So it was good that it got sorted but also a bit rubbish because I had to be kept in for 4 nights before they'd operate to stabilise. I really wouldn't prompt a full on attack and risk complications and making yourself more poorly.
I know the pain is awful though - I hope you get seen soon

[coffeeneeded]

I feel your pain- I too was very tempted to 'set it off' myself after waiting ages for surgery. So instead of waiting any more I took the hit and went private- best money I ever spent. The gb was gone within two weeks of meeting the surgeon.

If you can't afford it- kick up a MASSIVE stink with your gp. He's being a dick.

[Groovee]

I got mine out when despite only having water for 48 hours it was brown sick coming up. Out of hours took me through to A&E who did bloods and a drip and my liver being deranged admitted me and I waited for 3 days for the surgery.

[milkjetmum]

Waiting an op here too after first symptoms in Nov. My top tips are hot water bottle and headstands! Doing a headstand I can move the pain from back to front, and sometimes it then eases off (temporarily) . Constipation makes my pain worse too so keep regular...

[GoesDownLikeACupOfColdSick]

Headstands, really??

I mean, I'd have more chance of flying than standing on my head personally (I'm sure all my lard would pool down and suffocate me), but how interesting for those who can!

[jacks11]

Agree with shiny

Whilst I don't think your GP gave you the best advice re analgesia in breast feeding, I don't take quite the dim view of their competence that some posters have done. Also think some posters are over-reacting a bit.

I doubt the new USS is to find out whether there are gallstones (there almost certainly will be), I would think it is to find out whether there is any evidence of cholecystitis/inflammation. As shiny says, it is usually preferable to operate when the gallbladder isn't significantly inflamed- unless it's an emergency in which case there is no choice and you just have to get on with it.

Go back to your GP and ask for better analgesia and perhaps a re-referral to the surgeons whilst waiting for an USS (this can sometimes lead to the scan being expedited as the surgeons will ask for it prior to being seen in clinic).

[Juveniledelinquent]

Please trust your GP and not a bunch of people talking crap on the internet

Some GPs are really useless and these days most are so over worked they often can't give you the time and attention you need. We all need to take responsibility for our own health and act as our own advocates. I wouldn't advise anyone to blindly trust any doctor's advice.

[Juveniledelinquent]

I have personal experience of GPs that failed to pick up on my symptoms of ovarian cancer. I actually told the GP that I was worried about having ovarian cancer and she laughed at me.

[shinynewusername]

Sorry to hear of your experience, juvenile, but that doesn't alter the fact that most of the advice the OP has received on this thread is absolute bullshit.

[MirabelleTree]

Huge sympathy. My go to combination is codeine with buscopan, heated wheat bag and Tens machine, lie on left side. I have no idea about pain meds when breast feeding but would be tempted to ring GP and say you need to discuss it further. I'm off to see Consultant tomorrow re getting shot of mine and can't wait as have had it for years .

[Juveniledelinquent]

To be fair shiny, I haven't read every post. However, I do believe that the NHS is stretched to breaking point and that GPs at the frontline are overworked and sometimes not competent.

We do need to be our own advocate and take responsibility for our own health. I'd advise anyone to educate themselves about their health and conditions.

With gallbladder disease, if the OP has already had scans and been diagnosed with disease, then keeping her waiting is unnecessary. Sending her for further tests is also unnecessary and costly. The OP should have her gallbladder surgery ASAP.