Is there anything you can do to fix gallstones??

[StillMe89]

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...?

I’m another one who got a gallstone lodged in my bile duct and turned yellow plus was in the most excruciating pain- far worse than childbirth! Definitely get on the list to have it taken out- the operation was a breeze, I only needed one day off work and the relief was amazing. No problems since and can eat a normal diet.

The waiting list is long though so in the meantime stick to a really low fat diet- don’t eat anything with more than 5% fat - and be really strict about it. The attacks tend to get worse in my experience so try to avoid getting one!

My BMI is like, 16, so I kind of feel like cutting fats out of my diet is not an excellent idea.

On the other hand... I would do literally anything to make this pain go away at the moment! Lol, sorry... I'm feeling so sorry for myself! I just hope it's going to be better in the morning...

I've got a dozen, OP. I had them diagnosed about eight years ago and I've still got my gallbladder. I got to the spasm stage but no terrible attacks. The stones are too big to block a duct I've been told so if I don't get pain I needn't worry. I'm a bit underweight too, and I think they really kicked off when I ate erratically and lost weight after starting a new job. The thing I found most helpful initially to get rid of discomfort was grated raw beetroot with lemon juice & olive oil - you can find info about it at gallbladderattack.com and it really works. There's lots of advice there about how to get rid of pain. But that's rubbish about diet; you will have triggers - coconut milk was the first trigger I identified. Be suspicious of all fats plus eggs, nuts and seeds while you're getting pain or discomfort. Avocado on toast was ok for me to get some fat aside from olive oil. Buddha bowls. Miso soup. Apples and apple juice are great. Marmite toast. Steamed tofu, veg & rice.

Cut out fat, dairy and alcohol and anything spicy. I had similar and lived off toast, sandwiches with just plain ham and salmon and potatoes etc. Sometimes sandwich x 2 instead of Salmon. Stopped the pain and had the op 5 months later and 2 stone lighter!

Not lovely to read this, but slightly reassuring. Spent all day in hospital with pain and had scan to reveal large gallstone stuck in duct. Ouch. Now up feeling hot, v sore and tired and not sure how to get comfy. I'm a bit depressed reading it could be weeks or months to have an op. I could have had one today but they weren't keen on admitting me as they had an upturn in COVID admissions so figured I'd be safer at home. Safer, but in a hell of a lot more pain. Gentle hugs for you OP.

Hi

Suffered with horrendous pain for years. Was scheduled for surgery but got cancelled three times. First because I got pregnant, secobd and third time because of covid. But I finally got my gallbladder removed a few weeks ago- after suffering 'attacks' weekly towards the end I am pain free and its bliss!

This is the recipe, OP
Beet Recipe for Gallbladder Pain
1 Large Organic Beet – raw, washed and grated
Lemon juice
Flax or olive oil to taste (1/2 Tbsp to 1 Tbsp)
Take one teaspoon of mixture every hour throughout the day.

I found fatty food really didn't help ,I was OK with booze though. And like gamer chick I still get triggered by eating fat.

@nokia3210567

Hi

Suffered with horrendous pain for years. Was scheduled for surgery but got cancelled three times. First because I got pregnant, secobd and third time because of covid. But I finally got my gallbladder removed a few weeks ago- after suffering 'attacks' weekly towards the end I am pain free and its bliss!

Just to add - for me diet barely played a role. I found at the beginning it was stress related seemingly! Didn't have any trigger foods and towards the end it was just anything and everything even though I was only eating soup, vegetables and shake meals.

By all means try low fat it works for some but it might not. My gp said it isn't always recommended now anyway as rapid weight loss from low fat diets can actually cause gallstones

Lemon juice and water- it can dissolve them! It really works! Plus even if it doesn't help much, it's not dangerous so no harm in trying...
Don't go no-fat- yr gall bladder needs fats to contract to release the bile... so go for healthy fats... but avoid white carbs and white potatoes... good luck !

I had a really low fat tolerance threshold once mine started, even whole milk in tea was too much and that is just 4%fat! Had to watch baristas making my skin lattes like a hawk . Other triggers were being hungry, eating too much at once and hot drinks.

My tip tips are gentle movement (eg downward dog), hot water bottle, and shed loads of painkillers. In the end waiting for my op I had oramorph prescription, it was 18 months from first attack to op for me.

To maintain weight there are some things you can still enjoy, haribo, jam, and cheap products tend to be lower fat to cut production costs eg budget gravy, chocolate flavoured syrup.

Take care as some things which are healthy are surprisingly high fat eg salmon, porridge.

I really don't mean this to sound dismissive bit if lemon juice, beetroot, or apple cider vinegar actually worked then the NHS wouldn't be spending money on gallbladder surgery. There is very little reliable evidence that they work, whereas surgery is proven to be an effective treatment.

By all means try lemon juice, beetroot, or vinegar but be aware that they can have their own risks such as stomach upsets and do consult with a doctor about what theyd recommend as a treatment.

My surgeon told me that I had what was basically sludge in my gallbladder and this sludge eventually forms into stones. I'd had one gallbladder attack where I was rolling in my bed with my fists jammed in my mouth to keep from howling as it was so painful. He told me that as I didn't actually have stones I didn't need to have it out but I had a family history of gallstones through my mam and my nana. He said it was better to have the surgery as an elective operation while my gallbladder was stable and to have it done now while I'm relatively young and more able to bounce back than to have it done as en emergency surgery in my 50s or 60s with an inflamed or infected gallbladder which is then harder to recover from. I did ask about alternatives to surgery and was advised that the only reliable and sure way to solve the problem is removal, once you have stones then you have stones. By the time I had my surgery the sludge had formed into stones and I had two large ones in my gallbladder when it was removed.

Hi OP. I have been suffering with gallstones for a couple of years, currently awaiting surgery to have my gallbladder removed.

My doctor recommended having a zero/very low fat diet. But that didn't help.

The only thing that helps me is not eating late or heavy meals. I take 2 codeine every evening which usually stops me having an attack. I still get them if I eat late or have a take away.

Avoid greasy fatty food and alcohol

Risks are 'fat female fair and forty' apparently.

Yes, this is what my doctor told me, it went like this.

GP: I think you might have gallstones. How old are you now?
Me: 42
GP (laughs): Ah yes that’s what they say, the four Fs, fair, female, forty and f...

OP, the only way to cure it is to have the gallbladder out, though diet can help with the attacks. They won’t get you in for it now so it won’t affect your work this weekend. You’ll get booked in if needed but it could take months - I ended up having mine out as emergency surgery when a rogue stone blocked my bile duct and I developed pancreatitis. But it took me being really very ill indeed before anything happened quickly.

Has anyone had the surgery done privately? I am hoping my current state of no pain will continue but am aware it likely won't....

If the NHS waiting lists stretch into years, how much would it cost to go private and does anyone recommend anywhere in London/ SE? I don't think I could put up with the pain I had in July and August for years without wanting to remortgage my house and cancel all non-necessary spending!

Dr said taking out gallbladder is a last resort, as a lot of people still have problems afterwards with pain etc.

@Ladylimpet your Dr doesn’t know his arse from his elbow. I had mine out a few months ago- these 9 big boys were nestled in it- and I was told by several doctors that surgery was quick, low risk and the best way to sort it out once and for all, best done before it ends up infected. They were right. I can eat whatever I want and have never felt better.

Don’t think pic posted

Waiting lists aren't all that long for it, at least where I live, as it's a relatively short surgery and its done as a day case. I was referred in August 2019 and was mean to get it out in October 2019 but I was ill so couldn't. I was given a new date of March 2020 but it was cancelled because of covid. Then I got a phone call at the end of July asking if I wanted to come in at the end of August for it.

I had 6 months of a low fat diet and almost no alcohol whilst waiting for surgery and didn't lose a single pound in weight (and I am about 35lb overweight).

And yet my GP says there's nothing wrong with my metabolism or thyroid function and I just need to try harder to lose weight. Uh huh .

@Cistavay

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.

This advice is good.

I have a couple of small ones. I keep an eye on it as, touch wood, I’ve only had one incident but my goodness it was painful! I ended up in a&e where the dr gave me co-codamol and buscopan, and the relief was amazing. Both OTC so you could try that?

Op buscopan helps with the cramping.

I take 4 buscopan, 2 ibuprofen and 2 paracetamol and it definitely eases........ everything is inflamed from the cramping so the ibuprofen is very important.

@hopsalong I had mine done privately as the NHS wouldn't do it, as I had one 3cm stone so not the agonising pain of small stones, but the indigestion, nausea, grumbling and diarrhoea which they said couldn't be sure was due to the gallbladder, even after I had every other test possible! They said watch and wait, no thanks, my life was extremely limited due to the diarrhoea.

I do have health insurance (not wealthy but go without a lot of other things to pay for it) but saw the final bill to Bupa and it was just under £4000 (outer London) including all consultations before and after the op and 1 night in hospital. My scans were all done on NHS so that any have saved some money. A quick Google search suggests it could be more like £6000 if you are self-funding.

11 months on and I'm doing fine, but it did take some months for the diarrhoea to settle completely and I eat whatever I want now (although still have to be careful with chocolate )

• Dr said taking out gallbladder is a last resort, as a lot of people still have problems afterwards with pain etc

Not sure this is true.*

Had my gallbladder removed in 2017 by keyhole surgery and am still suffering attacks requiring IV Morphine. Likely due to SOD,or cholesterol deposits from the liver inflaming surgical striatum. Open surgery reduces this risk.