Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To ask if anyone has a remedy for gall stone pain

59 replies

skunkatanka · 09/09/2018 02:17

At least I think that's what it is- I'm awaiting a date for a scan. Currently struggling to type this as I am in absolute agony. Taken paracetamol but it's not touching it. Have had a few nights like this- hence the pending ultrasound- but tonight I'm in agony. Help!

OP posts:

CutesyUserName · 09/09/2018 04:46

I was prescribed Omeprozole and a med called Cidine which I took 15 minutes before meals. These two combined helped keep the worst of the attacks at bay until my op. I had my op some years ago now and haven't had a problem since. Best of luck, it's a terrible pain and not one I'd wish on anyone :(

ThisIsNotMyRealName1 · 09/09/2018 04:50

Hope you can get through tonight if you must but as soon as you can get DH to get you to A&E for decent pain relief; as Neverkeep says, buscapan will def help. Try to build up a stash of buscapan for future attacks to carry you over until you can get scan and diagnosis.

HollyBollyBooBoo · 09/09/2018 04:56

Have you got an appointment with your GP about it? Just be careful of how much pain you're in, my friend decided to power through it and ended up being taken to hospital by ambulance and being in there a week on IV pain meds and antibiotics because there was a gallbladder infection as well as stones.

Once the infection was dealt with a v low fat diet helped - and he lost loads of weight which he needed to!

mrsbear81 · 09/09/2018 04:56

I completely understand I'm hopefully 2 weeks off my operation, cheese and ice cream are my no go items! I found once the surgeons knew about me it all went pretty fast, scan next day, outpatient appointment the week after, pre op the following week then operation date for 5 weeks later. I'm surviving on the most blandest of diets but I seem to be ok with chocolate which is keeping me going. Get some buscopan off your gp and take it at the slightest niggle and it can save the pain properly kicking in.

Disclaimer I'm up at this hour (in fact been up hour and half already) with a teething toddler -could be another thread entirely

Original poster

skunkatanka · 09/09/2018 05:06

Still awake and still in agony. Have been to docs once and they believe it's almost certainly gall stones. I tick most of the boxes for risk factors and there's a history in the family of it. Just awaiting final confirmation I suppose by ultrasound. Really disheartening to hear of a year's wait. Really can't do this for a whole year.

OP posts:

stresshead84 · 09/09/2018 05:09

Had my gallbladder removed Friday morning. Very glad it’s gone. Only on paracetamol for pain, naproxen as anti-inflammatory and co-amoxiclav antibiotics. I don’t react well to stronger painkillers but I’m fine. Definitely preferable to the pain of gallstones!

While waiting for the op, buscopan kept the edge off the pain and kept me out of A&E. But go to A&E if you need. Worst pain I’ve ever had other than labour.

Apple juice can help too.

stresshead84 · 09/09/2018 05:12

I was diagnosed Easter time, after they initially treated me for a urine/kidney infection.

Get to your GP and get some buscopan ASAP. You might be able to buy it over the counter without seeing GP, not sure.

Original poster

skunkatanka · 09/09/2018 05:12

I def need to sort some proper drugs in the morning. We only have paracetamol in the house and I might as well have left them in the packet. Spent most of the night crying and none of it sleeping. I'm exhausted.

OP posts:

HuntIdeas · 09/09/2018 05:12

I would get a taxi to A&E. Just leave a note for DH and he can ring. You when he wakes up x

nogooddeedgoesunpunished · 09/09/2018 05:16

So sorry and didn't mean to cause further anxiety by mentioning the wait time. Think I was trying to get across how important it is to push to be seen. My GP was clear with me that the list was v long but if you went to A and E every time you had an attack you would be seen, medicated by drip ( which really does the job) and would zip up the list. I know it can seem like a huge effort when you've got children etc but I got a telling off by the GP for not going in. As previous posters have mentioned- if you can't sleep because of the pain it needs investigating probably in hospital.

stresshead84 · 09/09/2018 05:21

At least you are at home, I stupidly went to France when they thought it was a urine/kidney infection and spent most nights crying, wanting to just go home and go to A&E, and in between crying looking up foot passenger ferry tickets and train tickets as I didn’t want to ruin everyone else’s holiday!

You have my sympathy.

I’m only awake now as I’ve been post-op napping during the day. Not in pain. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

HPandBaconSandwiches · 09/09/2018 05:24

You need to get your DH and the kids up now and go to A&E. Your pain will get properly investigated now rather than in a years time and if there’s any infection you may even be offered an urgent operation.
If you don’t attend medical care, and struggle on, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Ring the NHS number if you’re not sure - tell them you’ve been awake all night with the pain. I’m pretty sure they won’t tell you to put up with it!

mrsbear81 · 09/09/2018 05:24

Agree it's much quicker once you've been in a&e (and they give you the good painkillers) I agree tell your DH you are going to a&e you really don't want to take your kids as I was there 8 hours the day I got sent from work. As above too you need your bloods taking to check for infection

wednesdayrobyn · 09/09/2018 05:33

You have my complete sympathy, I had gallstones at the beginning of this year and it’s the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. Regarding wait times I think it all depends where you are. I had my first bout of pain in a Friday evening and another on the Sunday afternoon both times relieved by vomiting. I went to gp on the Monday and was told to go for blood tests at the hospital straight away and was also offered a same day scan. Unfortunately this wasn’t an option for me as I had a month old baby and nobody to watch him which I went to the hospital. I managed to go the next day for blood tests and although my referral had gone through for a scan I popped around to the department to ask when my scan was likely as I’d we offered same day but couldn’t make it. I was offered one for the next morning and was called by the gp with results within an hours of leaving the hospital to confirm gallstones and liver infection. Sadly I did have to wait another 3 weeks for a surgery consultation but was given a letter to show a and e and told to go staging there if I had another attack so to speak. I was referred for an mri to confirm everything before surgery with a wait of 3 weeks as my hospital doesn’t offer them. My mri confirmed my stones had been passed (I’m told this very rare for gallstones) but I was still offered surgery to prevent any future issues. To be fair I’ve not got a date for surgery yet but I imagine I’ve very near the bottom of the list as low priority. I just wanted to reassure you it can be dealt with quickly in some cases.

If your pain is very severe and going on for hours I would try a and e as it might help speed things up in terms of a scan plus you will get decent pain relief.

Original poster

skunkatanka · 09/09/2018 05:41

Have phoned 111. Just waiting on a call back.

OP posts:

HPandBaconSandwiches · 09/09/2018 05:48

Good.

Don’t down play your pain.

oliviatrivia · 09/09/2018 06:11

Hope you are ok OP. I only waited a month for the op once mine was confirmed - I was prescribed strong painkillers (oral morphine liquid) to get me through after ending up in hospital with flare ups. Hang in there, you’ll hopefully have some pain relief soon.

PetuliaBlavatsky · 09/09/2018 06:15

Glad you have called, we had to do the same for my DH last year, he was taken in by ambulance and given strong painkillers and muscle relaxants. They also have him buscopan cramps and painkiller suppositories to take if it recurred while he waited for his op: hope you get some relief soon, he had his op last summer and was back at work after 2 weeks

Original poster

skunkatanka · 09/09/2018 06:20

I've got an appointment this morning to see someone so hopefully will be able to get some proper pain relief sorted. Thanks so much everyone. Absolutely horrible night. Your support and advice was really helpful.

OP posts:

Pinkprincess1978 · 09/09/2018 06:25

I had gall stones so sympathise with you. Tbh, there isn't much you can do to sop it. I found two hot water bottles (tummy and back helped, I had codine from dr. I did find the straining action of trying for a poo temporarily eased the pain but that effect only lasted as long as you did it. Mind my attacks used to make me feel like I needed a poo even though I didn't so I would make frequent trips to try.

Buscopan can also help, I was only prescribed that when a stone got stuck though and I was in constant pain for a week,

Awful time, good luck to anyone suffering. Surgery really does cure it and for most it is a very simple operation.

StopCloudSeeding · 09/09/2018 06:33

You poor thing. Certain things triggered the pain for me. I had to stick to a low fat diet and lost loads of weight!
Before I was diagnosed I often ended up vomiting. My doctor prescribed an anti vomitiing drug so one night I ended up like yourself, in absolute agony with no relief. My DH called the doctor who took one look at me and diagnosed gall stones. Gave me an injection of morphine to knock me out. Next morning I woke up and vomited as usual.
I hope you get it sorted and watch what you eat. 💐

ThisIsNotMyRealName1 · 09/09/2018 06:34

Hope your appointment is fruitful. My husband had a niggling gall bladder for 14 years. After a proper diagnosis earlier this year it was removed and he hasn't looked back since.

MummyPig89 · 09/09/2018 06:51

As others have said it’s best to have a virtually fat free diet, although even that didn’t stop the attacks for me. I was pregnant when I had it so was in and out of hospital, they gave me pethidine one night I was in so much pain. Once baby was born the gp said he’d refer me to have it removed but it was a 6 month waiting list. I went private and had it removed 2 days later. I still have to avoid cheese now but apart from that can eat normally again. Good luck

MsFrosty · 09/09/2018 07:20

I got prescription codeine off the gp for attacks but the best remedy was no large meals and being aware if foods that triggered attacks

JupiterBelle · 09/09/2018 07:28

I had this and it got to the point I couldn’t breathe whilst being in so much pain I couldn’t move! Was taken to hospital (we didn’t know it was my gallbladder at the time) where only morphine touched the pain.

They did a scan and turned out my gall bladder was massively infected and booked me in for surgery that day.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread