Living with gallstones

[Lees83]

Hello
I've been diagnosed with gallstones. My symptoms are discomfort upper right side, lots of gas and floating mushy stools.
I don't have typical gallbladder attacks which I hear about, I just get some mild discomfort under right ribs if I eat a fatty meal.
Because I am not in pain and my liver panel blood, FBC etc are all normal, I have been told to adopt a watch and wait approach.
Is anyone out there also living with gallstones (I.e. has anyone been told they don't need surgery for now)? My bowel movements are frustrating me, I feel like I have IBS with floating stools!

Digestive Enzymes!
I have stones and sludge and since starting to take digestive enzymes before every meal my symptoms are minimal and I can eat everything (including very fatty foods) in moderation.
I also keep peppermint tea and peppermint oil capsules on hand.
I was taking Buscopan daily before I started on the DEs. I've taken just two in the past 3 weeks.

don't have typical gallbladder attacks which I hear about, I just get some mild discomfort under right ribs if I eat a fatty meal

You will. You're being fobbed off. Just because you had had the crying while puking into a bucket doesn't mean you won't.

Or maybe if you're strict with your diet you might get lucky.

*haven't had

@Lees83 Same here I’ve been diagnosed with gallstones by ultrasound not specifically looking for stones. Like you I don’t get the typical symptoms (yet) but I’ve had stomach issues for years which I put down to ‘virus’. Awaiting to be fully assessed by gastroenterology.

@geamhradh thank you for that suggestion, I'll look into that. How long have you been living with your gallstones and do you have any pain?

@purplepumpkindream sorry to hear you have the same issues. How did you manage to get gastroenterolgy to follow you up? I was told by the surgeon that I should stick to low fat diet and see how things go for now

Looking back, sort of weird digestive related symptoms since last summer. I went through the whole gamut of health anxiety related doom and gloom googling, and actually went for a private gynae scan first as a lot of symptoms were in my right groin and near my right hip. (I've since learned aches and pains in that area are very common with gallbladdery issues!)

Also, maybe 4-6 times over the last few years, I've had excruciating pain around chest, up into right jaw which had it been on the left, I'd have thought heart attack, but as I'm not Dr Who, I was puzzled- turns out that's a textbook gallbladder attack.

There's a really helpful FB group I'm always directing people to- run by an American called Buddy Black. I'll find the link.

Oh forgot- my GP said to go for abdo scan when I thought I had a UTI and that was how I was diagnosed. The sonographer actually said "sludge and stones, all normal at your age" (55) Apparently up to 40% of women have gallbladder issues post 40!

I have been diagnosed with a gall stone via an ultrasound. I was sent for the ultra sound due to raised liver enzymes.

I met with a surgeon this week and he down not believe my raised liver enzymes are due to the gall stone. So has referred me for an MRI, I'm waiting a date for that.

I'm similar to you. No typical gall stone attacks, mainly discomfort and a niggling pain in my right side. I also get very bloated.

@Lees83 The ultrasound revealed other issues in the area, fatty liver with cysts, inflammation etc so my GP referred me to gastroenterology. All my liver function tests are fine.
@Blueskythinking123 so there are more of us who don’t have typical gallstone symptoms!

Yes, OP, me. My doctor was right in my case-mine was worse than yours, and involved a hospital trip, but I adapted my diet and lost some weight and after a few months of grumbling and half a dozen lower level attacks, I've been fine now for 5 years.

@tinpotspectator thank you for that and glad you're ok now. Do you still not eat any fats? I can't imagine never eating cake, cheese etc...

[quote PurplePumpkinDream]@Lees83 The ultrasound revealed other issues in the area, fatty liver with cysts, inflammation etc so my GP referred me to gastroenterology. All my liver function tests are fine.
@Blueskythinking123 so there are more of us who don’t have typical gallstone symptoms![/quote]
It's amazing how many symptoms I've now realized are due to such a pesky little organ not working properly.

www.facebook.com/groups/GGSG1/?ref=share

This is the FB group.

Thank you for all your replies and I will look at the Facebook link.

Did anyone have floating stools? This symptom is worrying me

My experience was low level gallstone attacks indigestion and some pain/discomfort when eating fatty meals. I changed my diet and it was okish for a while and then had horrendous attacks. I could not eat anything without it kicking off the pain. At the time the waiting list was about 9 months so we paid privately to have the op as I could not function.

The op was amazing and no problems since.

So I would get on the surgery list, and try and manage by lifestyle changes, if that works fab if not you will not have months and months of pain whilst waiting for the surgery. I imagine the waiting lists are mega at the minute.

I was told the floating poo was because of the fat that was not being absorbed and also all the gases that my ill digestion was creating. No idea if that is right though

[quote Lees83]@tinpotspectator thank you for that and glad you're ok now. Do you still not eat any fats? I can't imagine never eating cake, cheese etc...[/quote]
Not a lot. I didn't at all for about a year or more, as it wasn't worth "poking the beast". Now I can eat some, as it's all calmed down.,I have the odd biscuit or ice cream, but not much. I eat nuts, which I was told are good. A little cheese, sometimes now. Around 30g.

Christmas cake or fruit often doesn't have fat in it! Honestly, you'll adapt and after a while prefer it. I personally prefer it to a gallbladder operation, as long as it is working.

I don't know about floating stools, I don't remember having that.

I was diagnosed with gallstones in March 2020 after a few years of a load of gastro issues mainly heartburn/reflux.

Also had an endoscopy 6 months ago which picked up excess bile in the stomach but nothing else.

Haven't heard anything from gastroenterology since so basically just living with it at the moment.

TO manage my gallstones while waiting for surgery I had to eat practically no fat at all.

And just to warn you, now years after surgery I miss my gallbladder and can't tolerate fatty food. So while it isn't as bad as when I had the stones, I'll have indigestion after cake, biscuits, cream, cheese etc etc.

Now you've got them, it's a message for a lifestyle change

@AnnaMagnani, I've heard people say they have struggled with the surgery.

I was told by the consultant that there's a big waiting list for surgery now because of covid and that there are a lot of people out there that need it more than me, so I think there would be a long wait for me....

Life without gallstones is way better than life with gallstones, don't get me wrong.

But neither is as good as never having had them at all

I had floating stools, and still do even after having my gall bladder removed. My dietician thinks I have bile acid malabsorbtion .

I've got the same issues at the moment, OP. I have the floating stools, too...or at least I do when I have anything overly fatty. I also haven't had the typical attacks, just a constant gnawing, nagging pain. Lots of gas and heartburn.

I had a scan on Sunday and it didn't show any stones, but i've read about a billion threads, both on here and on FB and it seems those with the constant pain are most likely to have sludge, and the excruciating attacks come from stones/blockages.

How are you feeling?

@Geamhradh

Looking back, sort of weird digestive related symptoms since last summer. I went through the whole gamut of health anxiety related doom and gloom googling, and actually went for a private gynae scan first as a lot of symptoms were in my right groin and near my right hip. (I've since learned aches and pains in that area are very common with gallbladdery issues!)

Also, maybe 4-6 times over the last few years, I've had excruciating pain around chest, up into right jaw which had it been on the left, I'd have thought heart attack, but as I'm not Dr Who, I was puzzled- turns out that's a textbook gallbladder attack.

There's a really helpful FB group I'm always directing people to- run by an American called Buddy Black. I'll find the link.

It's interesting you say that about the lower right pain. I have Gallbladder issues at the moment and I was thinking I had potentially an ovarian cyst too because of the pain down there going into my hip. Fascating. You hear of the pain radiating up, but not down.

@MadameOvary81 you sound just like me! I haven't had floating stools for the past couple of weeks but I have been avoiding high fat foods too. I am still a bit tender under right rib area and recent repeat FBC, LFTs have been normal.

What has your GP/hospital advised for you?

The sonographer who did the gallbladder ultrasound said it could be an ulcer. And the GP has been about as useful as a chocolate teapot. I had an appointment yesterday over the phone, annoyingly as i'd quite like examined, but hey ho, and he was in agreement that yes, I do tick all the boxes for gallstones, but oh, it's probably celiac disease.

So! It's safe to say, i'll be going private by the looks of it, at least to get a second opinion ultrasound or a HIDA scan.

Bloody useless.