Gallstones/gallbladder problems

[babybell89]

Hello so I need to change my diet to reduce my night time attacks! I am seeing the doctor also so no worries on the seek medical help front.

I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem and if Diet has helped. What are you eating? What are your triggers?

I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant and had never had a problem with my gallbladder until about 3 months ago, I've had cholesystitis twice and then developed pancreatitis about a month ago from the gallstones.

Low fat is definitely the way forward, I have to be very careful what I eat and avoid all dairy especially!

As someone said buscopan is very good and I assume it's ok in pregnancy as they gave it to me during my hospital stays. Also have to take dihydracodeine when it's bad which they have said is safe.

It sounds odd but fresh lemons and limes squeezed into ice water really helps settle my pain and I have been drinking this a few times a day for the last month and have had much less pain, possibly coincidence but worth a try!

@outnumbered4 lemon in water is actually helpful to flush the liver which is making the bile so it makes sense that it helps.

I had pains on the first day I tried lemon juice! So scared me off! Pretty sure it was a coincidence x

Reading all these messages with interest. I'm been on waiting list for op since January.

My gall bladder attacks could be triggered by an apple or a salad to be honest. Good luck with it, it's a horrible thing to have.

babybell if you are having pain in the same place on the other side you need to be checked for pancreatitis.

For whoever it was that asked, I had horrendous diarrhoea for a couple of weeks after every bad attack, only usually stopped my immodium (on the advice of my gastro consultant).

notanurse both alcohol and fizzy drinks are on the 'don't eat/drink' list for gallbladder issues. Especially alcohol, as your liver function is most likely already haywire.

I could pretty much only eat carbs while I was waiting for my op. Slightest bit of fat set me off, but I could eat high sugar things like sorbet and jellybeans with no problems at all. Also lived on toasted danish loaf with honey on and potatoes (baked - no butter, new potatoes and salad, home made dry baked chips).

Two weeks post op here and I tried a couple of slices of pizza, which gave me an upset stomach. Bought digestive enzyme supplements from the health shop though and was ok with toast and a scrape of butter and a few squares of dairy milk. After my experiments I am now back to being low fat again (although not almost-fat-free as I was pre-op) and will take reintroduction of higher fat foods very slowly from now on.

Re post-op weight-gain. From what I've read and seen in various blogs and vlogs, it's another thing that affects everyone differently. Some people lose a fair bit of weight post-op, others seem to gain. Two weeks post op I haven't lost any more (other than the several stone I lost pre-op) but I haven't gained either. My midriff is looking pretty flabbly, but that's most likely because I lost weight very rapidly and was too ill to exercise, so I've lost muscle tone.

@moosemama it's more of a very mild dull ache that's only comes on when I'm getting gall bladder pain days.

So probably linked. When I get my ultrasound they will be able to check both? Or should I have a word with my GP to ensure they check it?

When I think back over the years when I got gallbladder pain I got the aching in my other side and back too hence thinking I had water/kidney infections.

I suppose pancreas and liver functions suffer when the gall bladder does.

I'll mention it to GP I think to be safe. Hoping my new vegan and plant free diet fixes me!! I have health anxiety too so need to keep a level head and not worry too much x

Full on panic attack that I have pancreatic cancer...

babybell if it's not constant and only there during attacks, then it's most likely not pancreatitis. Iirc, even mild pancreatitis doesn't subside and there is no pain on earth like a full blown case of pancreatitis. I think I would have swapped mine for a gallbladder attack, given the choice. If you have had bloods taken they woukd probably have picked up raised pancreatic levels anyway.

My attacks were never under my right ribs and never radiated to my shoulder. They were central, spreading out to both sides just below the ribcage and felt more like a heart attack than what I've heard a 'typical' gallbladder attack feels like. First attack was misdiagnosed as gastritis initially.

I am back from holiday after having two attacks landing me in a Greek hospital. I saw my gp and both she and the dr in Greece said if it were pancreatitis you would know it as you become very, very unwell.

Daily so sorry it ruined your holiday. It really is the most evil condition.

Yep, I was bluelighted into hospital, by an ambulance called by my GP, with severe dehydration and blood sugars so low they said I should have been unconscious, because I couldn't even sip water without it causing agonising pain. I have a condition where my body doesn't retain fluid too, so that made it worse.

The ridiculous thing was they already knew I had pancreatitis, but messed up and discharged me after 36 hours, when I should have been kept in on a drip and nil by mouth. Was in for a week after being transferred back in and so grateful for iv morphine and fluids.

Thanks girls! I have health anxiety and slowly came of meds a few weeks ago so it easily happened. I wish I read your comment last night I may have slept easier lol!
I am such a nightmare with it it's really embarrassing!

Has your pancreatitis gone now gall bladder problems gone? Xxx

babybell yep, all better thank you.

I had my op on Monday 3rd July, so two weeks ago tomorrow and it was absolutely the best thing I could have done. No more pain and I am slowly returning to a normal diet.

I was so ill for the first 6 months of this year, so many inpatient stays and A&E trips, then the recovery afterwards each time. It's going to take me a while to get my life back in order after living day to day and having so much time when I was pretty much useless.

Have an appointment to go over the results of the blood test and ultrasound (know there is a stone already) and worried what they will find.

Have a google.of sphincter of oddi dysfunction..ideantical l. Symptoms.to gallbladder attacks.

@babybell89 I had a stone removed via the mouth a few weeks ago. It had got stuck in the bile duct and was messing up my liver function. I also had acute cholecystitis and am having gallbladder removed soon. If you are still worried about the blood tests, I would guess it could be due to stones causing problems with the liver or some inflammation in the gallbladder? I became very ill suddenly, having had pain attacks for a couple of weeks. The stone that was stuck was completely blocking the bile duct and I got jaundiced. Before that, I had no issues at all.

I've been on a very low fat / fat free diet for a few weeks now while I wait for the gallbladder op and have had no attacks, even though my gallbladder is still full of stones and according to the last scan is not looking healthy.

I've been eating rice cakes, fat free cottage cheese, fat free greek yogurt, roasted vegetables like peppers (red, yellow, orange), cherry toms, mushrooms, red onion, broccoli (roasted without oil, and actually really surprisingly tasty!), turkey meatballs (found a great recipe in Mimi Spencer's 5:2 diet recipe book), home made soups, lots of fruit and dried fruit, M&S skinny chicken burgers (3 x packs of 4 burgers for £10), smoothies made with fat free yogurt and fruit, porridge, overnight oats (soak oats in skimmed milk or water, add chopped fruit & or dried fruit).

I've maintained my weight but am eating a lot more than when I can have healthy fats. I usually eat a lot of nut butter, olive oil, cheese, butter, avocado etc and less bread / pasta / rice etc but find I get really hungry without fat so bulk my diet out with starchy carbs to fill me up. Hasn't made any difference to my weight!

And just to reassure you, for the stone removal procedure, I was sedated but basically fast asleep, so have no memory of the procedure at all. It was as if I was completely out, I couldn't tell the difference between sedation and general anaesthetic, to tell the truth.

Well since I have been eating better I've been absolutely symptom free. I have gilberts syndrome it turns out so my liver is fine.
Bloods done today to check the pancreas as I mentioned the odd pains there too.
Tonight I have eaten the most fat I've had in a long time so fingers crossed I'm ok.
I keep having a liquid day every 3/4th day. So home make soup or smoothies no solids.
I'm loosing weight slowly and my BMI is now 26.2 which is class for me close to being in that golden 25 and under!!
I'm hoping I won't need any removing but perhaps I am being too hopeful! My diet would kill me eventually if I kept it up so I'm kind of pleased I have been forced into a good one.
I am now vegetarian which I have wanted to be for years but didn't have the will power and 4-6 days a week I am vegan!

Got my period too which is good as was TTC but advised against it for now.
Xxxxxx

@AHobbyaweek @notanurse2017
Hi I couldn't remember all the posters who are still having active gall bladder attacks sorry!

How are you two getting on? I know one of you were awaiting an ultrasound or tests and you were concerned?

How's everyone's attacks been? I use my fitness pal, so it's been easier to spot triggers.

I ordered smoothies from Nosh detox (Groupon) expensive but used them as meal replacements 2 main meals a day. They have worked wonders not only for my attacks but my mood and energy.

Past two days been pretty sloppy with food, no high fat but just crap with no nutrition such as hoops and jam on toast. Woke up around 5am to a 3 minute-ish attack. My sugar was over but not my fat so this could have caused it. Also took tumeric past two days, I knew this could cause problems as it causes your gall bladder to contract but as it was fine day one I took it again day two. Not sure which sugar or tumeric set it off!
Got another order of nosh smoothies coming Thursday thank god and I have my ultrasound booked in on the 6th of August.

I'm going out Saturday night and I was to drink alcohol, what alcohol/mixer is ok for you?

Xxxx

Also pain happens when a stone is stuck in the duct, when the pads passes does that mean we have passed the stone too? Or has it gone back up into our gall bladder?

Hi all, can I join the gallbladder troop?!

Thanks to Dr MN, I trundled off to the GP about this mystery pain I've been having on and off for years but which has been giving me grief for more protracted periods since early April. Mostly central breastbone to navel pain, more constant than crampy, migrating under both ribs around to back, generally followed by mild diarrhoea, although not always - only if it's gone on for over an hour. Never absolutely excruciating, luckily, just intensely uncomfortable (keeps you awake at night, can't hold a conversation during the day as pain is distracting kind of thing).

GP suspected gallbladder was the culprit - as did MN when I posted nervously about it recently - so I had an ultrasound yesterday which identified "a lot" (GPs words) of gallstones. She rang me at 9am, I was only there at 3.30 yesterday! Bloods all normal so no blockages or liver/pancreas problems, great news.

She is, however, writing to the surgeon straight away to see if they want to remove it. I was surprised, I thought they'd make me hold on a while and stick to a rigid diet to see if I could control the attacks myself?

I can't say that there is a specific trigger, I might have an intense attack of 30 minutes after a bread roll, or one lasting three days after eating licorice sweets, who knows - but 2 slices of pizza yesterday had me panting and clutching the sheets manfully at 2am, and not in a good way.

I could do with losing a good 4 stone. I guess I go very low fat from here? Does anyone know why a gallbladder attack brings on diarrhoea (or ibs anyway)?

Hi Babybell glad to hear you've got your ultrasound booked. I'm waiting for my operation date now, got woken up by an attack last night and it's still going on although it's not unbareable it's still not nice.

There are no food triggers for me it just comes on randomly. I hope that eating different foods is helping for you - do you think you will go ahead with the op as you mentioned trying to manage it with diet before?

Hello and welcome @BillyDaveysDaughter did you get to see them on your scan?!
Use my fitnesspal whatever you do then at least you can see what's causing it then identify which nutritional area it is, sugar fat etc.

@snoopyokay I would love to just control it via diet but how can I dissolve the ones I already have? That's my question! I'm hoping I can control via diet! Will know more after my scan I guess! Xxx