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Original poster

gallstones- what CAN i eat...? :(

58 replies

duende · 06/03/2011 14:18

I have been suffering for a couple of months and last week ended up at the A&E where the doctor agreed that it was probably gallstones causing the pain.
I have been having attacks daily now and really don't know what I can safely eat.
I have eliminated everything fried, sausages, becon, mince, pork, beef, all dairy, eggs, oily fish, etc.
I am living on toast with jam and rice crispies with soya milk as even butter on my toast or cow milk with breakfast cereal were causing me horrible pain.
I am due to see my GP on Wednesday and will not leave without a referral for an ultrasound (especially taking into consideration I have private medical so NHS wouldn't have to pay) and hopefully will have the op soon if it turns out it is gallstones.

But I still need to eat something in the meantime. I am not getting enough sleep as my DS is waking up lots, the attacks leave me completely drained and I am constantly hungry. You can tell I'm feeling sorry for myself :(

OP posts:
sdotg · 07/03/2011 22:38

Ahh yes buscopan was recommended to me post op. Lucky not to have needed it but you can buy over the counter. Just remembered heat also eased as did lying face down. It's coming flooding back....my sympathies.

I think it's the endoscopy poking about in the bile duct to get any in transit stones that is the risk of developing pancreatitis. So they tend not to op if you are having an attack as that increases the risk.

blouseenthusiast · 07/03/2011 22:49

Some other thoughts for thinsg to eat:
I ate a lot of rice salad - rice, vegetables, a little tuna and some rice vinegar.
For treats I would have jelly babies and haribo type sweets.
Er, not much else...
I found recovery from the (keyhole) op very quick - felt not bad within a week. Worst bit for me was when a stuck gallstone caused the duct to become infected and had to have emergency endoscopy - a good reason to get diagnosis and op as soon as you can.

blouseenthusiast · 07/03/2011 22:50

Like some others, mine developed after pregnancy and obstetric cholestasis - no doctor suggested a link to me.

sdotg · 08/03/2011 10:04

blouseenthusiast i ended up as part of a trial with my OC with Jenny Chambers at Imperial college and St Thomas' hospital so she advisedme of the link.
Her research continues so I can give you her details if you would like to be involved, it's useful even after the event. Just a questionnaire and maybe a blood test.

Rorogeorge · 08/03/2011 11:38

I've been having problems on and off with gallstones too, for the last 10 years or do.
It was horrendous last night though, i had about 5 sever attacks lasting about 4 mins each and I actually thought I would faint.

I had a packet of crisps stupidly, but only tuna and salad for tea.

Anyway, long and short, I've decided to have the op, anyone know what I need to do? Do I just tell my GP I've decided to go for it? She is very supportive. Also, any idea what the NHS waiting list time is?
Thanks

Rorogeorge · 08/03/2011 17:47

bump

sdotg · 08/03/2011 20:26

Rorogeorge Wait depends entirely on your hospital, Start with gp, she might be able to get the wait times, possibly 2-3 weeks but a severe attack will mean you might not get op until it's calmed down due to the panceatitis risk.
Good luck

Bearskinwoolies · 09/03/2011 13:08

Cheers duende I hope things get better for you - I find I live vicariously through others, like encouraging my work collegues to tell me ALL about their drunken weekends or the slap up meal they had Grin

I was back at the gp yesterday, as I'm nauseous all the time and I've been referred back to the specialist. Not sure what they're going to be able to do though, but I've got my fingers crossed.

TheMoominator · 14/03/2011 21:49

I was diagnosed with gallstones last January, eventually! I went to the GP as I was feeling sick all day every day, bloated stomach, and pain in my stomach. He diagnosed a hernia and sent me to the consultant, who said it wasn't a hernia, but gallstones and kidney stones.

Given tablets to cure that, but didn't get better so I went back to the Consultant, who gave me an endoscopy, which found two peptic ulcers and severe gastritis.

Pain got really quite bad at stages, where I was having to go to bed at 8.00 and curl up foetal style to try and ease the symptoms.

Eventually going in to have gall bladder removed next week, after finally being granted the op back in November. Lets see how it goes.

Not sure whether the pains I have now are gall stone related or gastritis, and won't know until I don't have a gallbladder! Process of elimination I guess.....

Original poster
duende · 14/03/2011 22:25

Hi, TheMoominator.
Fingers crossed your op goes well next week and you feel better afterwards. I have a scan on Thursday so will find out if I have gallstones. I had an attack which lasted 5 hours last Saturday and gnerally feel shit most of the time :(

Were you given any antibiotics for the ukcers...?
And how was the endo? Is it very unpleasant/ painful?

OP posts:
TruthSweet · 15/03/2011 14:42

I had pancreatitis last year due to gallstones getting stuck in my bile duct, I even got pancreatitis AFTER my gall bladder op as a stone shot down the bile duct whilst the bladder was being removed.

The last bout of pancreatitis was waaaaaaay worse than child birth (labour a 4, passing a gall stone about a 6 and pancreatitis a 10 on te pain scale) and I ended up on morphine, diclophenac, bucscopan, IV paracetmol and had the biggest cannister of G&A I had ever seen and it still hurt worse than the 2 unmedicated babies I had. I literally writhed in pain for hours. You have my sympathies.

Anyway in between the first bout and the op I lived off diet cuppa soups, krackawheat crackers (the ones that look like polystyrene), muller lights, jelly babies, weetabix made with skimmed milk (nuke two weetabix in the microwave and they swell up loads so you feel full for ages and aren't tempted to snack), loads of fruit and weight watchers frozen ready meals. I lost 3 1/2 stone in 3 months so it may not be the best diet for you if you already want to gain weight. Perhaps if you snack on things like bananas in between meals you could get a few more kcals in.

If you have trouble with getting a diagnosis go to A&E when you are having a pain attack and get an arterial blood gas done (they take a blood sample from your wrist which hurts more than a venous blood sample but worth it) - if you have gall stones it should show up with it.

TheMoominator · 15/03/2011 18:08

Hi duende

Yes, I was given antibiotics for the ulcers, and Omeprazole too. Felt "better" within a week. The endoscopy was unpleasant more than painful: I opted for the numbed throat, but kept gagging all the way through. Then I had to have a second one to check the ulcers had cleared. That one wasn't so bad, but felt it more than the first one.

Going through what I think is gastritis pain at the moment, which is like someone tying an elastic band around your middle and pulling it really tight. Even tougher because I made a roast dinner for the family and couldn't manage any myself! Envy

BluddyMoFo · 25/03/2011 11:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
duende · 26/03/2011 15:38

Hi BluddyMoFo, good and bad news for you!

I had an app with the surgeon last Thursday. I am due to have an endoscopy next week and gallbladder out at the end of April (private).

Can't wait!

OP posts:
sdotg · 27/04/2011 08:55

Hey duende
all the best for you op, hope the endoscopy wasn't too rough.
just to warn you about the chest shoulder pain after the gallbladder removal, it's quite sharp and worrying but if just some muscles that have been stretched after they inflate your stomach cavity. sorry if tmf but even though I was told it would happen, the pain was so sharp it concerned me, it goes after 3/4 days
s

sdotg · 27/04/2011 08:56

you op?
I mean your op
gah

Original poster
duende · 27/04/2011 22:50

sdotg, thank you, very kind of you to remember.
I'm going in on saturday.

I had the endo, and it was very unpleasant but manageable.
It turns out I have hiatus hernia and reflux with some damage to my oseophagus (?) as well as gastritis. I will probably have to stay on omeprazole for a while but luckily they found no ulcers.

I can't wait to have a poached egg! I haven't had an egg for 3 months now.

OP posts:
sdotg · 02/05/2011 15:12

How did it go duende? How's you feeling?

Original poster
duende · 02/05/2011 21:25

Hi Sdotg, it went OK.
I stayed in overnight and got discharged yesterday morning. I felt worse than I expected after the GA and I was more sore than I thought I would be, but I wasn't in agony. I am feeling better today and am a bit more mobile. Appetite is coming back slowly.
how are you?

OP posts:
ohnelly · 03/05/2011 07:08

Hi watching this thread with interest. I ended up in a&e on sat night with what they think is gallstones too. All the symptoms described on here fit mine perfectly. I thought I was having a heart attack, it was so painful, I could hardly speak.

I am waiting for an appointment for my scan hopefully this week and am going to pop into chemist to see if there is anything they can give me. I had another attack last night, not as bad as the first but still horrible. What do you take for the pain when it happens? I had some strong co-codamol in the drawer left over from when I broke my ankle so I took that last night. Is it worth seeing gp rather than chemist, to be prescribed something?
Also do most attacks occur at night or anytime? I have looked it up on the Internet a bit but would really appreciate some advice from others who have, or are going through the same thing. I am trying to follow a low fat diet, and am a vegetarian already so any food tips much appreciated too. I suppose I should stop drinking diet coke for a start. Thank you Smile

Original poster
duende · 03/05/2011 19:00

ohnelly, it's pants, isn't it? In my experience, each big attack was then followed by a week or so when anything would kick it off and I would be in pain a lot of the time, with the lowest amount of fat.
What did you eat on Saturday night before the attack? My first one happened after some salmon risotto with lots of parmesan.
As for pain relief, the only thing that worked for me when it was really bad was 30mg of codeine with some paracetamol, sometimes with buscopan. it didn't always work :(
My attacks happened mainly during the day, only once at night.

In my case, fizzy drinks or spicy food didn't cause me any trouble , but any amount of fat would (so muesli with soya milk was a no-no, but fat free, very spicy vegetable curry was fine...)

OP posts:
ohnelly · 03/05/2011 19:36

Hi thanks for reply. We had been to cinema on sat night & then nando's where I had veggie wrap, chips & corn on the cob. Also 2 glasses of wine when we got home. Felt fine going to bed, but woke up in terrible pain at about 2am. We did have Indian takeaway on the fri night too, so don't suppose that would have helped.
Was then fine Sunday night, but pain again last night after spaghetti bolognese (quorn mince) and salad. Today I have been eating homemade soup and laying off the carbs/fat to see if that helps.
How are you feeling now? I just hope I don't get another bad attack as dp is working away till fri and I have two ds's aged 1 & 5 to look after. I do tend to eat late, when dc's in bed so am going to try & eat earlier to see if this helps too. Hope your on the mend?

Original poster
duende · 03/05/2011 20:47

ohnelly, I know how you feel re being on your own with the children. I got to the stage where I was scared to be on my own with DS, in case I had an attack, scared to drive long distances on my own, etc. I missed quite a few social ocassions and trips away.
I'd be surprised if carbs were causing your problems, to be honest.

I'm now feeling OK. Still a bit sore but I am mobile and I've just had a lovely chicken risotto :)

Hope you get sorted out soon!

OP posts:
sdotg · 04/05/2011 08:20

hooray duende, glad to hear you are on the mend and enjoying food again.

So sorry ohnelly that you're suffering with this, no food tips I'm afraid as I wasn't diagnosed correctly until just before my op but I found lying on my front helped and do try the buscopan which you can get from the chemist.
My DS was between 2-5 months when I had my attacks so well done you for dealing with 2 DC's, tbh I would use that to push for a sooner scan and op date. I assume your gp did blood tests?

I found I was in no fit state to care for a baby when having an attack and the codine just sent me away with the fairies, cue a few trips to a&e with baby in buggy and me writhing on the floor crying. It did send me a bit potty tbh.
good luck

ohnelly · 04/05/2011 18:25

Thanks both. I went to gp today and got some codeine and buscopan so have that ready for next attack!. Yes I had blood tests (at hospital) which were fine and also a chest xray, also fine, so just waiting for scan now.

Good point about pushing to have it sooner because of ds's too, I will definitely bring that up. Thank you, will report with any more news!