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Original poster

Gallstones - bloody hell!

76 replies

DottyDot · 12/12/2011 11:16

Just back from spending the night in A&E where I was admitted with severe abdominal pain. It came out of nowhere and the nearest thing I could relate the intensity to was contractions!

They've diagnosed it as gallstones and have booked me for an urgent scan then gallbladder removal.

I was wondering how others found the pain during an attack - I was terrified and really want to avoid it happening again so will be eating a very low fat Christmas dinner...

Also, assuming I have the op, how did others find it? It's come right out of the blue for me so wanted to hear from anyone else who's been through the same!

OP posts:
Fo0ffysFestiveShmooffery · 12/12/2011 11:41

Sorry to hear this. It's bloody horrible when your going through it. I remember rolling on the floor desperate to find a position that might help relieve the pain but nothing helps till it subsides itself. Just excruciating.

I had my Gallbladder removed by keyhole surgery which was 2 days in hospital. 4 tiny holes navel, mid abdomen and 2 slightly lower to the right they were the drainage holes.

You wake up with the drains still in but they get removed a little later. You are pumped with air to inflate the abdomen during the OP and I honestly found the sharp pains in the shoulders afterwards the most annoying thing about recovery. I was off work 6 weeks in all. It is painful and you absolutely must take it easy but keep reminding yourself what the attack pain was like and it's bearable.

Hope that's helpful and not too detailedSmile

sfxmum · 12/12/2011 11:47

it can be awful I was never hospitalised but at the worst I spend 2 days vomiting and in almost constant pain unable to eat

the attacks can be scary as the pain is so intense
I had it removed in February, home the same day but in bed rested 2 days able to move around a bit afterwards, was out and about following week albeit not very comfortable

Original poster
DottyDot · 12/12/2011 11:50

Thanks both - I was also rolling around on the floor last night - my body didn't know what to do with itself! It was just such a shock to be in that much pain out of nowhere. Hoping I'll get my ultrasound appointment through soon as I'd rather get on with it now...

OP posts:
haddock1976 · 12/12/2011 12:00

Fabulous sense of relief when I came round from having my gall bladder out.

Didn't even bother taking the pain killers after op as the pain was nothing compared to an attack. I was out of hospital after a night, back at work within a week and the only bad thing that happened was the speed at which I put the stone I'd lost back on Sad

Original poster
DottyDot · 13/12/2011 15:28

I'm really nervous now about what to eat - I really don't want to have another attack... I've had a low fat yoghurt today but don't want anything with fat in. Aaarrggghhhh.... Back to work tomorrow so I'll need to eat properly. I just don't understand how foods one day can be OK but now might cause an attack. Sigh.

OP posts:
higgle · 13/12/2011 15:33

I had two episodes of terrible gallstone pain close together and a third later when I ate lots of cheese on holiday. There is nothing like it because no change of position or medication or heat or cold will make it better, only waiting for it to subside. When I had my ultrasound there were lots of tiny stones, like silt in the bottom of the gallbladder. I decided not to have surgery but to keep to a low fat diet. I have only had one more episode of pain since, which was when I drank loads of very cold fizzy drink after a 10km run. I would definately have the op if I had more episodes, but fortunately it seems under control now.

mrsscoob · 13/12/2011 16:38

You have my sympathies, a gallbladder attack is awful.

I had the operation 6 years ago, was home the next day and had 2 weeks off work. I have been fine since.

While I was waiting for my op I ate a low fat diet. I would look on the back of packets and not by anything with over 5% fat per 100g. I actually managed to eat quite healthily in that time and lost 2 and a half stone! Put it all back on now though! I was very scared to eat but once I was on the low fat diet I didn't have another attack.

sfxmum · 13/12/2011 16:48

Dotty I think the trigger foods vary from person to person, personally I always felt that I needed to eat plenty of fibre would help, I could never have coffee on top of a fatty meal especially after having wine, and I could never have coffee on an empty stomach
eggs were fine for lunch but not for breakfast I think it still holds true that low fat is best
Citrus fruit were very bad for me too

pennefab · 13/12/2011 17:08

I, too, have been having gallstone attacks for about 6 weeks now. Surgery scheduled in another 6 weeks. I have to keep to EXTREMELY low fat diet to avoid attacks - less than 10g fat per day! Surgery can't come soon enough.

You're right about pain! Worst I've ever felt!

Good luck to you!

Original poster
DottyDot · 13/12/2011 19:04

Thanks all. Ironically I've been going to slimming world since August which is very low fat and have lost just over 2 stone - but it was nice to be able to cheat from time to time! What triggered it, I think, was having cake and scones (with clotted cream, ahem) at a friend's afternoon tea party. This was really unusual for me to have and I think my body went into shock!

I've tried semi skimmed milk with my cereal this morning and have been OK so that's a relief. Have just had a no fat yoghurt and fruit for lunch and then home made leek and potato soup for tea - no fat.

It's just with Christmas coming I would have splurged and come off slimming world for a week or two. And I've been having treats every now and then which will have to stop completely now.

Feeling very sorry for myself - mash for Christmas dinner instead of roasties..?!

OP posts:
lynyrdskynyrd · 13/12/2011 19:44

The pain is excruciating and I couldnt cope very well with it. I found I couldnt keep still and at one point ran across the ward when I couldnt get my painkillers (embarrassing, I felt like some crazy hypochondriac). I really couldnt lay in bed with it. At night I was pacing the floor at home. It somehow really got my adrenaline flowing and at times I was somewhat manic. I had mine out with keyhole surgery, it was successful. I kept the stones (think granola). No more trouble! Get it whipped out if you can, you cant go on with that sort of pain.

Original poster
DottyDot · 13/12/2011 20:33

I'm so glad it's not just me (not that I'm happy you've all been in loads of pain Grin). I felt like a right wuss....

Am now getting worried that after the ultrasound they won't let me have the op if I'm managing without it OK. But I'll only be managing by not eating anything at all interesting..!

I'll put my stroppy patient head on and cry hold my ground. Don't relish the thought of an operation but not being able to have anything with lots of fat in forever would send me loopy.

OP posts:
Mrsfluff · 13/12/2011 23:04

I remember my midnight dashes to A&E, sat there doubled over, trying to get my head near my ankles, desperate for relief. The only thing that stopped the pain was morphine injections. I spent most of summer 2010 on the stuff You have my every sympathy, I found natural childbirth a walk in the dark in comparison!!

Fo0ffysFestiveShmooffery · 13/12/2011 23:09

Dotty there is the chance that they'll do what they did with my Sis which is if the stones are in the bike duct rather than the gallbladder itself they might just perform a gastroscopy and remove them that way.
Personally I think it's better just to have the GB whipped out. Massive sense of relief.

maighdlin · 14/12/2011 00:07

they really are the worst pain ever. i have anti-sickness tablets and tramadol on me at all time in case of an attack. They make me really sick and faint with the pain. I have had attacks for nearly two years now and no closer to surgery despite several letters from gp and one from a&e after i went in after 28 hours of agony. so far no progress just help to cope with the attacks. i sometimes feel like cutting my gallbladder out myself. My abdomen is swollen for a few days after an attack and i would get them regularly. some times i would go weeks without one and then have 3/4 a week. i got the scan done fairly quickly but surgery seems very far away. I saw a gastroenterologist (sp?) in january and was told i would be reffered to the surgeon. still waiting on the appointment about the surgery. Angry i don't have any triggers which makes it a bit more difficult. my last attack was on Saturday after having cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk, previous one was nothing! a few minutes after i woke up it started. OP you have all my sympathies its hateful.

dulwichparkrunner · 14/12/2011 09:28

Hello - I can really sympathise. I have just (three days ago) had my gall bladder removed after having recurrent gall bladder attacks for the last two years. I can honestly say the operation is not that bad and the sense of relief that I won't be having any more attacks is huge.

I managed to keep the attacks at bay for most of the two years by sticking to a low fat diet and avoiding foods that seemed to trigger attacks - all the same things as people have posted above (cheese, heavy red meat meals, roasties,croissants etc) but my triggers were also muesli, rye bread and alcohol.
I had hoped to avoid having the operation by sticking strictly to this diet but even so, the attacks still came, sometimes as long as 5 months apart, but they grew in intensity to the point where i reluctantly decided to have the op. I am very pleased so far with how the op has gone, despite not being able to have it via keyhole the pain was very mild (i only needed paracetamal) and now am not taking anything at all. Very grateful to my surgeon and the nurses and would recommend it to anyone suffering recurrent gall bladder attacks.

echt · 15/12/2011 06:09

I had classic gallstone pains; CT scan showed nowt, but apparently gallstones can be sludgy and not show up on CT.

Have had no pains since. The power of CT.:o

carernotasaint · 16/12/2011 21:12

Dottydot i started at Slimming World in Feb 2002 and lost a stone a month for seven months then it took me a year to lose the final 3 stone. In July 2002 i got excrutiating pain which was in my stomach back and chest. Ambulance came and took me to hosp. they thought it was a heart attack. I had a scan on 19th December after many more attacks and in and out of hospital and it was gallstones. Now i lost weight very quickly and had NO SINS for months. i saw a consultant and he said the cause of it was because i had lost the weight too quickly. There was also an American study which my DH found on the internet which also concluded that gallstones can be caused by rapid weight loss. i got so bad i couldnt eat SOLID food and had my gall bladder out in April 2003.
Unfortunately a lot went on in my personal life over the next few years and i regained some of the weight.
Ive been dieting since August and have only lost a stone but i would rather do it slowly because that experience taught me that doing it slowly is a more healthy way of doing it.

FizzyMoonDust · 17/12/2011 21:59

I had my gb out last night, the discomfort from the operation is 2/10 compared to 10/10 for the gallstones attack. I controlled it well with a

Original poster
DottyDot · 17/12/2011 23:06

Thanks all and blimey fizzy and dulwich hope you recover quickly - just in time for Christmas!

I've got my ultrasound date through - December 29th which is quick. I'm horrified at how long some of you have waited for the op - I think I'm going to be horribly stroppy/ demanding and try to insist on a date asap. Don't know how much good it'll do but will give it a go..!

OP posts:
susiedaisy · 17/12/2011 23:12

You have my sympathies gall stone pain is horrific I remember it well, I stuck to a low fat diet when waiting for the op, and lost two stone, I had the op and was home the same day and took several weeks off work as i have an active job,

FizzyMoonDust · 18/12/2011 07:54

thats good dottydot, and thanks. i had an mri scan for mine.
now i am very sore but the painkillers help a lot but i cannot bend or twist
buy/get very loose clothes for afterwards, i can only wear my pre-weight watchers trousers or pjs.
forget housework and cooking, you will not be able to do it.

uggmum · 18/12/2011 08:01

I had my gallbladder removed in 2010. I had 143 stones and some of them were massive!
My consultant said he had never seen so many. Grin

hillyhilly · 18/12/2011 08:02

I had mine out by keyhole two years ago and now never give it a thought. I was able to ease an attack by lying in my left side and my trigger was chocolate. I was home same day. Bed for a couple of days, went out though tender after 4-5, and near normal after a week.

FizzyMoonDust · 18/12/2011 08:09

143 stones!!!! Heavens above, you must have had so much pain. I thought 31 was a lot!!!! I was amazed that they are actually stones, I was imagining a sludgy mess.