Support thread for anyone who has/had gall stones.

[tortoise]

Hi all fellow sufferers.
I thought it would be nice to have a thread we can all use for support.

Oh dear Betty. I hope you find out what is wrong soon. Hope its a good thing that its not gall stones.

Sassy How are you doing today?

I am fine. Worrying about food i can eat while on Holiday in 2 weeks time. I really don't want an attack while we are away.

I am fine today, confession time, I had mcdonalds today and it DID NOTHING TO ME, yet I had a salad the other day and WHAM, 2 attacks that landed me in hospital. I don't get it!!!

I can eat fatty food and be ok too. Doesn't seem to be an exact thing to set it off.

but yet the all the doctors tell you to go on a low fat diet??? I just feel that I have a week to 2 of attacks, then no attacks but just this constant back ache and throbbing on and off in my side? My crap doctor told me this pain isn't related to gallstones

Well a success story here for removal. I developed pancreatitis (not nice)and was in hospital for a week, previous to that I didn't even know I had gall stones (I had more than 30 of the buggers apparently). They removed my gall bladder about 6 weeks later - no problems recovering and no problems eating anything now. I would recommend the surgery going on my experience.

Like Pheebe I had major complications with gallstones. Having not been diagnosed for ages and been admitted to A&E with suspected heart attack! When diagnosed followed the low fat diet - mad not to as not doing so may not cause an attack there and then but it will escalate the problem as fat aggravates/increases the stones.
In the end my gall bladder was necrotic, rotting inside me and nearly killed me - intensive care is not a good place. As a result had open surgery and took a very long time to get well. Now no problems at all.
All I can say is that the trouble it took getting diagnosed is partly due to how common the problem is and how it can present in different ways. But if you have had that pain you will do anything to get rid of it.
So follow their advice re managing it and kick up a huge fuss until you get the offending organ removed - good luck!

I seem to get attacks in batches, I get quite a few the week before my period. Other times I can sometimes eat something fatty without it doing anything but I do try to stick to under 5% fat as I hate these sodding attacks.

Sassy, if you are having fairly constant backache etc, could it be that your gallbladder is infected ? Mine was apparently so my GP gave me antibiotics to clear it up, which they did seem to.

I now take a combination of buscopan and 30mg prescription codeine, which combined with a hot wheat bag and lying on my left side make it fairly bearable, apart from the really bad ones.

Another thing, having spent 8 weeks in hospital, some of that on a ward, you see other people being bought in with the same problem. When you have been in hospital for a while you get to know the staff. I saw ALOT of people being bought in with gallstone problems, all shapes all sizes (one vile consultant said to me is so common in women who are fat fair and forty I was none of those!
But my point is that the staff are scathing of people who don't follow the advice (especially when someone is very large as happened a couple of times) They do expect people to manage the problem and with it being such a common problem and in most cases just painful (yes dreadful) not life threatening. Sad indictment of our health service.

Sorry to post again - it has had a big effect on my life! But not sure if you are aware that they won't operate right after an attack as the gallbladder is double in sise due to inflamation an increases the risk of open surgery (which believe me is foul). They will do anything to avoid doing this. I was scheduled twice for keyhole and they backed off (idiots)In theory you need to wait 4-6weeks after an attack to operate. Of course when you don't get a clear period and the attacks are escalating this is a problem so batter their door down and beg!
Sassy you say that when in St Thomas's they waited to see if you had another attack? They would have wanted to see if the stones were still moving. It is considered good if they are not hence letting you go home to wait for the inflamation to die down. Doesn't make the pain any easier I know - sorry.

If Gallstones is primarily a fat problem - which most of society believes, why aren't all fat people getting gallstones? My sister suspects she has then and has never been over a size 10 in clothes in her life???

I do watch my weight, although I am overweight, but I also have polycystic ovaries and a hormonal imbalance. I have managed to lose half a stone in the recent weeks and kept it off surprisingly. It is just amazing how one doctors opinion is "do the op now" and the surgeons opinion is "not urgent". My gallstones although small, are bunched together and presumably moving? When I got to casualty last week, my blood tests showed inflammation therefore they gave me one shot of antibiotics in and IV along with fluids, but they never gave me anymore on the ward. I did read that if you have small stones clumped together you are at a higher risk of developing pancreatitis, GREAT!

Hello, very interested to find this thread. Have been having attacks for months without realising what they were and then recently was hositalised with jaundice and had a stone evicted endoscopically. I was wondering whether anyone has managed to control their problems long-term with diet (and whether anyone has particular tips for following a lowfat diet)? Alternatively does anyone have any particular recommendations for a surgeon in London?

Hi Krabbypatty

Welcome to the thread Sorry to hear about your recent hospitalisation - it must have been horrible. How far along the gallbladder removal route are you? I can't believe they treated you for jaundice and removed a stone, but not the gallbladder??? I personally haven't had much luck with the low fat diet, I have eaten mcdonalds and been ok and eaten a salad and had an attack. I try my best to watch what I eat, but it is very very hard.

Where in London do you live? I am in East London and have to wait till October just to see a consultant at my local hospital.

This my 1st post on this thread but have posted on similar.
Anyway got a phone call yeaterday offering me cancellation for op on tuesday.
YAH!!!!
Can't believe that'll be me.

Message withdrawn

lisalisa, interesting that you still get "attacks" post op. I have been told this isnt the case but i certainly still have some problems, it is associated with fatty food in my case. Some other people i know have been told they will need to be careful and a friend of mine has had pain post op.

Hi krabbiepatty! Like sassygirl my attacks seem to be quite random, can happen after I've had something fatty or not. Having said that, I've made an effort to avoid v high fat foods, chocolate, crisps and now [sob] pizzas!

Well, I've had my blood test done, should get the results of that tomorrow and my scan is next Tuesday! Am hoping that they will find something.

Hi Sassy, they couldn't take the gallbladder out due to infection, yuck. I am not all that keen to have the surgery despite my horrible experience (at the Homerton) but understand I could get it done fairly soon, I think because it was a fairly nasty attack. I am interested by the pattern re pregnancy - my youngest is 16 months and I had a horrendous pregnancy in terms of digestive symptoms followed by an induction for suspected obstetric cholestasis. Gallbladder attacks started after the birth...
Very interested in people's experiences with lowfat diets; anyone had any luck? [deeply hopeful emoticon]

Krabbiepatty

I get you. I am really keen to get this damn gallbladder out, it is making my life hell, besides I have been getting side and back pain for years, which I put down to lots of different things. I have 3 children and the youngest is nearly 2.5 years. I remember feeling rotten after her birth but was told it was just likely caused by my body re-adjusting?

DO MANY OF YOU FEEL SICK? I HAVE GALLSTONES BUT THIS LAST MONTH KEEP FEELING SICK ESPEACIALLY IN THE MORNING (DEF NOT PREG) BUT THE STRANGE THING IS I DONT FEEL SICK FROM MY STOMACH ITS MORE A SENSATION IN MY THROAT AND I JUST KEEP WRETCHING. THOUGHT I WOULD GET IT CHECKED OUT WITH DOC SHE SAID IT NOT LINKED TO GALLSTONES AND I NEED A CAMERA DOWN STOMACH WHICH I SHOULD HAVE AN APPOINTMENT IN NEXT FEW WEEKS. IM A BIT WORRIED

SORRY ABOUT CAPS JUST REALISED NOW

Orangehead, I have heard of nausea associated with gallstones from other people. It hasn't especially been a feature with me except during my recent severe attack...

I saw the GP for the results of my scan today -there were no gallstones and the gall bladder looked normal apparently.

She said that the 2 attacks I've had could have been a gallstone passing through to my bowel hence no longer visible.

I had the option of being referred on (but that seemed pointless as theres nothing to see, blood tests were fine) so we left it that if I have another attack I will go back to GP immediately.

Anyone else have a scan show up nothing?

thanks krabbiep. the sickness is not same time as pain. Just read yr previous threads low diet worked well for me 4 quite a few months but not as good recently. have u tried low fat diet yrself

krabbie, it's always worth trying the lf diet tbh.

Betty, I've got my scan on Tuesday so will let you know!

Not caught up with the thread so hope all are ok.

I had chips for tea and already starting to get a pain to the side where gall bladder is . Haven't had an attack for a while now. I relax what i eat the longer i am attack free then regret it when i do get an attack.
Hoping this one is minor and will fizzle out soon.

I had the op 4 years ago, have had no problems since.

Until about 3 weeks ago, when I foolishly took codeine and had an all day attack where I felt as ill as I did when I had gallstones attack.

I will never take codeine again.