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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is there anything you can do to fix gallstones??

125 replies

StillMe89 · 17/09/2020 20:42

Sorry, posting here for traffic! I woke up in the night not feeling sick, but with a super bad pain under my ribs and radiating all round my back. I thought it would fade off through the day, but it was getting worse and ibuprofen wasn't even touching it. So I called 111 and they told me to go to an Urgent Care Centre. I know that's going to sound like I was being OTT, but it was hurting so much!

I thought it must be a muscle thing, but the doctor at the Urgent Care said it was a typical onset of gallstones and told me I need to contact my GP asap to arrange an ultrasound and figure out what needs to be done. She prescribed some codeine (which was helped!!) and said that there's not much to do in terms of diet, etc. which would help at this point. I'm stressing out because I seriously can't take time off work this coming week and... urgh. I just can't believe it. Such bad timing!

Has anyone had this and was there anything you did that helped, if so? Anything - in terms of pain relief, diet, lifestyle...?

OP posts:

fairydustandpixies · 17/09/2020 20:49

There is a diet that involves lots of apple juice but I can't remember the details. My friend tried it when she was diagnosed and it was successful. I'm sure if you Google it you'll find it.

BigFatLiar · 17/09/2020 20:51

I don't think there's a lot you can do about them once you have them. Your gp May have you have an ultra sound scan to see where they are. If they get stuck in the duct not only can it be extremely painful it can also cause serious problems. I have them and all the doctor says is to keep an eye on them and if the pain comes back I'll have to go in and have the gall bladder removed.

Cistavay · 17/09/2020 20:52

The usual advice is to stick to a low fat diet and avoid alcohol and definitely avoid bingeing on alcohol.
I had a diagnosis of one gallstone - I was in agony for about a week. The consultant at the hospital said if I had another attack they’d probably recommend gallbladder removal. Fortunately I haven’t had another attack. I’ve tried to eat healthier - and lost weight and it has definitely helped. I do drink but not regularly.
The good news is that gallbladder removal is apparently a fairly straightforward op & can usually be done by keyhole surgery in a day.
I hope you feel better soon.

Cistavay · 17/09/2020 20:54

@fairydustandpixies

There is a diet that involves lots of apple juice but I can't remember the details. My friend tried it when she was diagnosed and it was successful. I'm sure if you Google it you'll find it.

I was told by an American friend that apple cider vinegar is supposed to help- I have been taking capsules from Holland & Barrett. Not sure if it works but I’ve not had another attack.

GoosetheCat · 17/09/2020 20:54

I had my gallbladder removed this year just before lockdown (thankfully!) and when going in for tests they explained that diet very much plays a role. They advised me to lay off fatty and greasy foods for awhile and that really helped.

AranciaRosso · 17/09/2020 20:54

You can and should massively reduce your intake of any kind of fatty or spicy food. That will keep them from flaring up but as far as I know once you've got them it's only a matter of time before you have to have them out. You really don't want your gallbladder getting infected into the bargain.
And as BigFatLiar said, if you get one stuck in a duct the pain you have now will seem like a walk in the park.
Get them sorted, go to the GP, do yourself a big favour.

mynameiscalypso · 17/09/2020 20:55

Avoiding fat can manage the situation for a bit but my doctor told me that, once you have gallstones, the only thing you can do long term is have it out. That said, sometimes attacks are a total one off. There were three years between my first attack and my second and then another year before I suffered a series in quick succession.

IndigoHexagon · 17/09/2020 20:55

The only sure fix is to have your gallbladder removed.

A low fat diet will probably be recommended because it’s the fat in your diet that triggers the gallbladder to release the stored bile that helps to digest it. The more fat, the more often the gall bladder is called upon and the likelihood of stones moving through the system or getting stuck increases. Some people (like me) have just one or two large stones which can block the gallbladder and others have lots of little ones which get flushed out of the gallbladder and into the ducts, where they get stuck! Gallbladder pain is the most pain I have ever experienced!

LizzieSiddal · 17/09/2020 20:58

Please get some proper diet advise. Although you should try to avoid fatty food you should not try a very low fat diet. That can make gall bladder pain worse!

Hawkmoth · 17/09/2020 20:58

I've definitely noticed a decrease in frequency of attacks since going on a very low fat diet. Its a bit miserable though. Also I have stronger painkillers than codeine for when attacks come on.

WouldBeGood · 17/09/2020 20:58

Get your gallbladder out. Best thing.

Dmtush · 17/09/2020 20:59

Gallstones can be deadly. I ended up with pancreatitis and liver failure owing to mine (though I’d ignored mine for years). If you’re prone to them getting rid is an impossibility long term.

Hawkmoth · 17/09/2020 21:00

Ah yes, like PP said, losing weight can make it worse. I'm topping up with bread so it's not too rapid.

LizzieSiddal · 17/09/2020 21:00

If you are overweight, attaining a healthy weight will be beneficial. However, it is important to do this gradually, as rapid weight loss has been associated with the development of gallstones. A safe weight loss of 1-2 lbs (0.5 to 1 kg) per week is recommended.

patient.info/news-and-features/gallstones-diet-sheet

Chicchicchicchiclana · 17/09/2020 21:02

You usually have to have your gallbladder out but it won't be treated as an emergency. You need to eat a very low fat diet, don't ever overload with food. I waited 6 months for my gallbladder op pre-C19 so I honestly don't think it's a case of you having it out next week, don't worry. I got plenty of notice - at least 6 weeks - before the actual date. And that was without the current backlog of routine day surgery in the NHS.

StayClosePooky · 17/09/2020 21:04

I've had mine out, stick to a really low fat diet. I stopped eating meat in an attempt to manage it while I was waiting for the op date. That helped a lot and I had like 1 attack between may and October (few years back now). I still had it out though as the attacks when they happened were horrendous and left me really unwell for several days afterwards, including not being able to care for my son. Oramorph was my saviour.

Original poster

StillMe89 · 17/09/2020 21:16

Thx for the replies! Interesting... I don't know much about it but I had his vague idea about eating low fat, but when I asked the doctor she said there was no particular diet to follow. I don't generally eat a lot of fatty foods anyway

I haven't had this before, but the info on NHS website seemed to imply that an "attack" would last 1-5 hours. This started at about 5 in the morning and has been going on all day! I can't even flippin' breathe normally. Feeling seriously fed up!

OP posts:

MistyGreenAndBlue · 17/09/2020 21:16

I've had mine out. If it helps it was keyhole surgery. Fast recovery. Really fine. I'd reccomend it. I was pretty ill and massively jaundiced. Push for that and in the meantime yes, low fat diet. Cut out the red meat too.

Original poster

StillMe89 · 17/09/2020 21:18

I'm also vegetarian... so no stress about cutting out red meat!

Just from interest, what are considered to be the risk factors for this?

OP posts:

giantangryrooster · 17/09/2020 21:31

I had mine out a long time ago. But waiting for the operation i avoided fat, spicy foods, eggs. All things that start the bile production, which then move the stones when flowing.

Where I'm from some use Resium for gallstones, don't know if it is effective though.

gamerchick · 17/09/2020 21:36

I pretty much lived on soup. Half a tin for dinner and half a tin for tea for months until I got my op.

Green traffic signals on food for fat. Don't be tempted. It took a night of puking crying into a bucket before I paid attention though.
I will say that when an attack happened leaning over a footstool so pressure was under my rips helped with the pain. Not the most comfortable position.

BreasticlesNotTesticles · 17/09/2020 21:37

Risks are 'fat female fair and forty' apparently. Deffo hereditary though, me and DB has ours out and he's none of those things!

I had mine out at 22 which is very young but have been fine since.

Fat makes your gall bladder active and can move the stones about. If it gets infected the pain doesn't go - I had that a couple of times and anti biotics sorted it.

gamerchick · 17/09/2020 21:37

And he op didn't cure it completely. I still get a lot of pain if I eat fat.

BreasticlesNotTesticles · 17/09/2020 21:39

Also you can get a really nasty indigestion from it but you can get tablets to stop the acid production. I still suffer from that on occasion

Redred2429 · 17/09/2020 21:40

Op you are not being silly the pain is agony it won't be treated as an emergency so it will take a bit of time to get it removed I got mine removed this year and got it as an emergency after getting pancreatis but I don't regret having it removed no pain since feel a million times better

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