Gallstones and orange urine

[NoManJan]

I had gallstones confirmed after an ultrasound last week. I spoke to the GP who said to manage with a low fat diet.

I have been doing so but yesterday suffered another attack (sore back, tender tummy) and today I've had light/mid orange colour urine despite drinking plenty.

I've googled and am now panicking. I had a blood test before the scan and my liver function was slightly high.

I was unable to get a GP appointment this morning but will try again tomorrow in hope of getting referred for surgery.

Has anyone experienced the same? Also I'm still ebf my 5mo DD...is this safe?

Oh no, thats not good. Fingers crossed for you that the surgeon can offer surgery quickly for you.

My IBS is actually settled more than it was before hand at the moment. Will have to wait to see if this is long term or short term.

Take care and hope no more attacks for you

I am laughing (hollowly!) as I think I may have gallstone problems, so was reading around to find out a bit more. The pain (right side under rib, radiating round to back) is making me feel a bit queasy, but then thought maybe eating might help so forced a soft boiled egg and toast down. I just read someone's tip to avoid egg and bread...

Anyway, just in case any of you are around, can I ask how whether your aches, etc were constant? I've had problems in same area for years (pain under right rib), but hugely intermittent - I can have an attack, then nothing for 6 months. I had an ultrasound during a bad attack two years ago and they found nothing so the GP decided to call it IBS. This time the pain's there in varying degrees pretty much all the time and getting worse. Annoying!

Hiya Traalaa. My pains were very intermitant. Last year I had two attacks spaced 10 months apart (but worseing in pain and time), previously I would get around 6 a year, about once a month in the winter (suspect roast dinners my weakness). The Dr's blamed IBS for many years as its easier and cheaper for them.

However if an ultrasound found no stones, then I dont know, but I was advised to keep a food diary to record what could be triggering them.

Keep hassling your dr's to get further tests done

Pericombobulations thanks for your well wishes. Glad to hear your IBS has settled. I hope it stays that way.

Traalaa I hope your egg didn't give you any trouble. I've not had any egg but I still eat bread and have skimmed milk.

My attacks are intermittent but sadly not so far apart. Apparently sometimes stones don't show up on ultrasound but your gallbladder can be full of sludge which still cause pain. If you're in pain all the time, I'd definitely return to your GP. Maybe ask for a liver function blood test too.

Hello. Thought I'd join the gallstones chat.
I'm waiting for a date to have my gallbladder removed. Not had any biliary colic attacks since August but lots of gnawing pain under my ribs on the right.
I'm overweight and I'm ashamed to say not even the thought of the horrendous pain has made me cut back my eating. Well I've paid for my poor food choices again this evening and had another full on attack. Took some co codamol and thankfully it only lasted an hour. I can deal with it better now I know what it is and know it will pass, but bloody hell it hurts!
About 2 hours after I started feeling nauseous and was then sick and I've now woken again and been sick again. I've never had vomiting with this before. Do you think it's related or is it something else? I feel fine once I've been sick thankfully. Just got awful heartburn now.

Thanks Pericombobulations8 and NoManJan*. I had a liver function test when I had the ultrasound and that came back as normal. The GP did mention sludge, so maybe that's the culprit I have suddenly started having pale coloured stools too (sorry for detail!). Is that something you found? Did you get a lot of gas too? Mine's sort of okay this morning. I've decided to keep a diary for a few days and then go and see the GP if it isn't budging.

snozzlemaid I hope you feel better soon. My attacks aren't as painful as yours. It does hurt, but not unbearable or vomiting, though at worse I have felt like that. The gnawing rib pain sounds v.similar though. I hope you get your op date v.soon.

snozzlemaid hope your attack went quickly. The vomiting is quite normal apparently although I've never had it but I have made myself sick before and it did seem to help ease the pain. Hope your op date is soon too.

Traalaa pale stools can be a sign of jaundice/liver problems so I would definitely make a GP appointment asap. I do get gas and gurgling. Diarrhoea quite often too.

Sludge is often a sign that gallstones are going to develop from what I've read. So if the scan before didn't show anything. That might not be the case now as the stones may have formed.

Thanks NoManJan - I will go next week. I will just keeping a diary for a few days more and I'm lucky as it's gnawing pain but not excruciating. Also life's mighty stressful at the moment so I have a feeling that's not helping. I'm hoping a calm few days might make the world of difference as if so that'll tell me it's just IBS. Not that 'just IBS' is a trivial thing, but it's better than needing an op to have Gaul Bladder out!

Stress can trigger attacks too. Gnawing pain sounds awful. Maybe ask the Dr to prescribe buscopan see if that helps.

I saw the surgeon today, he is happy to go ahead with the op but due to the orange urine I had and liver function, he wants to do an MRI to ensure there's no stone blocking my bile duct. So my op should be within the next 6-8 weeks hopefully!

Orange urine can be a sign of hepatitis, as swelling in the liver causes bile to travel directly to the kidneys. However, the most common cause of orange urine is dehydration. The kidneys work all night, when you don't get up to drink water, and keep removing urochrome without removing the water to dilute it.
Source: www.steadyhealth.com/articles/abnormal-urine-color-what-it-tells-and-doesnt-tell-about-your-health