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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:
ElectricSoftParade · 18/12/2011 08:13

I haven't had gall stones (thank you, thank you) but my late DM had months of agony with them but we didn't know what was causing it as our GP told her she had a "hysterical stomach" Hmm. This was in the 70s.

One night she started to vomit, could not stop and was in such pain. Whisked away to hospital and had surgery and was told that her (can't remember all details as was young) gallbladder had started to rot and she had been close to death!

I have always been terrified of gall stones and I am even more scared now!

Wishing you all quick recoveries and no pain.

ElectricSoftParade · 18/12/2011 08:14

143 stones!

QOD · 18/12/2011 09:01

I'm waiting for Gallstones as I've lost 7 stone and I'm always cursed lol. I've had kidney stones 3 times. not that they are linked but I understand the pain issimilar. eeek

uggmum · 18/12/2011 09:49

Yes. They are actually stones. I was amazed. I have kept them. (washed them).
Some of them are bigger than 1.5cm.

I was really ill though. I didn't know I had them until I developed septaecemia. It took me 6 Months to recover.

BayPolar · 18/12/2011 10:34

If you can do it, go on a fast. Intervention by surgery is the default way to go with gallstones but....
fast with Bentonite Clay, Barley Grass, Physsilium Husks --you feel no hunger, it's good for you, not dangerous fast, you get all your nutrients etc..then on the 7th day, before bed, drink 1/4 cup of cold pressed olive oil, swill mouth out with lemon juice..go to bed..while you sleep, your gall bladder contracts after not having to work all week.....the olive oil makes it do this...it squeezes out the gall stones..you go to loo in morning and count them...
Non-invasive.
Do some more research on this method to see if it's for you.
For preventative medicine, like I practice, do a fast like this twice a year to keep your gall stones in check.

I hate fasting, by the way, I usually drink wine daily and so on. Am not New Age, far from it, but do like this fast and what it can achieve re: gall stone removal and general upkeep of body so you don't wind up sick in the first place.

Original poster
DottyDot · 19/12/2011 10:08

143???!!

Not sure about the fast Bay - the thought of drinking Olive Oil is a definite turn off at the moment - I'm being as careful as I can at the moment about being as near to fat free as I can! But I'm having semi-skimmed milk on my cereal in the morning and the red wine went down very well this weekend so all's good Grin

OP posts:
Yuuule · 19/12/2011 10:20

Care shouldl be taken with gallbladder flushes.
If you have large stones the contractions of the gallbladder might be enough to flush the stones into the bile duct where it could lodge. This would be very painful and probably an emergency. If it lodges and blocks the common bile duct it could cause problems with the pancreas causing pancreatitis.
I would say if you are considering doing a flush to seek advice considering you are already having problems.

Groovee · 19/12/2011 13:33

I had mine out in Nov 2010 after 18 months. I lived with the pain for a year without realising what it was. The scan showed a massive gall stone and inflamation of the gall bladder too. I was booked for surgery but after a 4 day attack which wouldn't go away I ended up in A&E and a 3 day week for a theatre slot. Life is ok now but have to watch I don't overdo the grease (pepperoni is still a no no). I was kept in and had to beg to get out after the op due to my BP and a high temp. Took me 12 weeks to recover because the surgeon hadn't been told about the gall stone and had to bash it to break it up and get it out and internally bruised me. I also had to have dye injected into my liver as it was showing complications but it turned out to be general gall bladder related issues.

BluddyMoFo · 19/12/2011 13:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

catsmother · 19/12/2011 18:31

Like you're already doing .... you really do have to eat low fat, and, IME, don't stuff yourself either - even if it's with healthy food.

I had my first ever attack 6 years ago on Xmas Day evening .... hmmm, wonder why ? I thought I was dying - and was in no fit state to Google what might be wrong with me. I just thought it was a massive dose of indigestion or something. However .... had 2 further attacks within days, and kind of diagnosed myself by then. Did have to wait 15 months though to have the stones out, and by managing my diet, only had 3 or 4 more bouts in that time.

FizzyMoonDust · 19/12/2011 19:36

What happens if you have your gall bladder out though? I mean does the bile stay in the liver longer or something and can you then get stones in your liver instead?
Or somewhere else?
I mean, presumably removing the gall bladder doesn't remove the problems that caused the gall stones does it?

Original poster
DottyDot · 20/12/2011 08:37

From what I've read, everything goes back to normal - hurrah! Grin

OP posts:
susiedaisy · 20/12/2011 13:25

I was just told to be sensible with my fat intake after having gall bladder removed, no other post op info really, and I do find if I have a couple of days of snacky rich food I still get an uncomfortable feeling in the same area as I used to get the pain when I had gall stones.

kazzymac · 20/12/2011 13:37

I had these attacks a few years ago and nothing for a while. About 2 weeks ago, I had a pain on my right hand side which felt like a pulled muscle which hurt when coughing/sneezing. Now I can't lay on that side at all so off to the Docs I went and he confirmed gallbladder stones. I am waiting for an ultrasound scan but this pain is dull and there all the time so very different to the attack pain I had before. My Mum and sister have had their gallbladders out over the past few years so I guess it was a matter of time Smile

FizzyChristmasFairyDust · 20/12/2011 13:57

So no change from before then really? I mean I was sticking to a low fat diet before I had my gall bladder out (and had no more attacks) and now I should stick to a low fat diet as well.
Still, I suppose it was better out than in (today is day 4 post surgery) even though I am still very sore.

BallerinaBetty · 20/12/2011 15:20

I had my gallbladder out in August 2008 after suffering for about a year - although I wasnt diagnosed until Feb 2008 then had to wait for a MRI scan, then the bile duct got blocked, had pancreatitis...and excrutiating pain along the way. You have my every sympathy.

Whilst I was in hospital I spoke to the dietician who gave me a leaflet with low fat recipes. My problem was that I am small anyway and lost so much weight through being ill that at one point I was 6 and a half stone and being told to put weight on (on a low fat diet!!)

I hope it gets sorted quickly for you and that you manage to avoid another attack over Christmas.

Original poster
DottyDot · 20/12/2011 15:23

See I'm feeling bad now that I've only had 1 attack, have got a scan within 3 weeks of it happening and am going to put on my stroppy patiend head and try to get put on the op. list asap... Why has it taken so long for so many of you? I'm still hoping I'll be done and dusted in the Spring/by Summer - maybe I'm being overly optimistic... Hmm

OP posts:
FizzyChristmasFairyDust · 20/12/2011 15:52

I had one attack and the GP wanted me to go for surgery then and there but I couldn't for various reasons. I saw the consultant within a month or so, then had the MRI scan, then delayed my surgery until after the summer holidays. I was promised a date in September and they offered me half term week in October but then they cancelled that and offered me an appointment a few days before one of the DCs birthday, I turned that down and then got offered the one last week.

susiedaisy · 20/12/2011 16:26

Oh no I am much better than before my gall bladder was removed and only get dull pain if I eat too much crap and fat but no where near the severe pain I got when I had gall stones, moderation I think is the key (must remember to follow that advice over the next week or two)Grin

Original poster
DottyDot · 21/12/2011 10:08

I'm possibly getting gallstones obsessed now, but did anyone else have backache with them - before they had their gallbladder out?

I've got this low level grumbly back ache around the right hand side of my back and kind of round to my ribs - but could quite possibly be bonkers fixating on it and therefore kind of converting ordinary 42 year old fat woman aches and pains into gallbladder related aches and pains!

And it hurts on my right hand side when I breathe in. Grumble, grumble...

OP posts:
kazzymac · 21/12/2011 10:14

Dotty-thats what I have now and it bloody hurts! Apparently women who are fat,40 and fertile are prime candidates - and I fit all three Sad I hope you feel better soon - it is really rubbish.

susiedaisy · 21/12/2011 12:19

dotty yeah I had symptoms like that when I had gall stones deep breathing hurt always a dull sore ache around my righthand side of ribcage and into shoulder blade etc still get it now if I overindulge!!

BallerinaBetty · 21/12/2011 14:02

Dotty - I had those symptoms too which meant I went undiagnosed for so long as the doctors assumed I'd just pulled a muscle! Which meant they kept prescribing more painkillers. Which my liver couldnt cope with because of the gallstones. Which made the pain worse. Which meant the doctors prescribed more painkillers. Which my liver...and on and on until I got rushed into hospital by ambulance (a few hours after being prescribed more painkillers!!!!)

I hope you are not too long and it does get sorted out. In my case there was a serious cock up that only got sorted when a consultant who'd fitted me with a shunt in the bile duct as a temporary measure kicked off because he'd said I needed the gallbladder out URGENTLY (in May, the op finally took place in August after I had follow up appt and he realised I still hadnt had surgery).

You have my every sympathy.

Original poster
DottyDot · 21/12/2011 14:19

Ah OK - glad I'm not going too bonkers. Except I've been eating virtually no fat at all for over a week now and still have the back ache. Tut.

Scan next week - can't come a day too soon! Smile

OP posts:
dulwichparkrunner · 21/12/2011 17:29

I turned down the first opportunity i had to have the gall bladder op as I foolishly thought that I could control the attacks by strictly following a low fat diet. But thought a low fat diet definitely helped reduce the frequency of attacks, (I managed 5 months with no attacks), they always did return and were growing in intensity. So when I got the chance a second time to have the operation, I took it. So far so good (the op was 12 days ago). I feel loads better so much so that i now wonder if the gall bladder dragged down my health in general as I feel less tired than in years.