Gallstone pain that isn't an acute attack - anyone else?

[IHeartKingThistle]

I've had one largish gallstone for over a decade which has never really caused problems. I've never (touch wood) had an acute attack. But it does niggle sometimes.

This week it's been niggling a lot and now it's quite sharp when I breathe in. Does anyone else have periods where it flares up like this? Do I just wait it out?

Also have (TMI alert) floating stools for the past few months which I think can be gallstone related but not sure.

Yes. You should see your GP to arrange an ultrasound to see if the situation has deteriorated. Obviously if really severe pain, you should go to A&E.
Yes to the stools. I recently had the gall bladder removal op privately but it sounds like you are not even on the NHS' radar. I had a couple of acute attacks which led to my diagnosis on NHS and then just dull aches up until the surgery. The surgeon said the gall bladder was inflamed upon removal.

Surgeons seem to be of the opinion that once the gall bladder starts playing up, it will eventually warrant removal, so why wait and risk an emergency?

Thanks for the advice. I'll see if I can get in for an ultrasound. We do have private cover so that may help.

Seems strange to think about taking something out that doesn't cause many problems, but I guess it'll only get worse right?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/gallstones/

If you have private cover, then I would get in and have it whipped out. Once they start playing up it does seem to get worse/more frequent. Looser/floating stools may suggest that it’s worth getting looked at too

Is that something I should be worried about?

I had one acute attack and the surgeon recommended surgery. I asked if we should wait and see if I had a second attack.

He replied that I now had an increased risk of pancreatitis which has a 20% mortality risk. I had the op!

@IHeartKingThistle

Also have (TMI alert) floating stools for the past few months which I think can be gallstone related but not sure.

@IHeartKingThistle How are you feeling now. I am in the same boat, no acute attacks as such but jiggly pain under right ribs, upper right shoulder blade pain after eating and sometimes floating stools. During periods of calm, my stools are normal, but float during flares. How long have you had these issues and will you be getting your GB removed?

It was only when I had my gallbladder removed that I realized how rubbish I had been feeling for years even when I wasn’t having an attack it even grumbling. If you have private cover just get yourself booked in for a removal. It will only get worse and you will feel great without it.

@MindBodyChocolate can you describe these grumbling please?

And how long did you have your issues before you got your GB removed?

I’m just off the back of a weeks stay in hospital with severe jaundice caused by a stone stuck in my bile duct. I had an ERCP to remove the stone and spchinterotomy to open up my bile duct. 0/10 do not recommend.

I’ve actually been having attacked for over a year but was ignored/ misdiagnosed as trapped gas/pregnancy pains/body returning to normal after childbirth/ food poisoning despite crippling attacks leaving me with residual pain. Only when after the latest attack when my pee brown and my poo turned grey did I see GP, by which point I was on my way to kidney failure as my bilirubin was so high. Terrifying.

I’m getting my gallbladder out under private insurance ASAP.

I’d describe ’grumbling’ gallbladder in a variety of ways: as a constant dull ache in upper abdomen that’s always there; discomfort in same area after eating; discomfort on waking up; pain/ache going through body from front to back.

@MindBodyChocolate that's how mine is, no actual acute attacks. How long did this go on for? I've just been told the waiting list for GB removal at my hospital is 18-24 months!

I waited for about 5yrs about an ultrasound confirmed gallstones. At that point I had very infrequent, but short acute episodes and I preferred those over the thought of surgery.

Unfortunately over the course of a couple of month the attacks become more acute, more painful and left me jaundiced and nauseated after each one. After a set of blood tests which showed my LFTs were massively elevated (gammaGT 1000+) I was taken in quickly and had the operation.

I wish I had it done 5yrs earlier and saved myself a summer of pain. It was always going to need done.

@ChocolateDeficitDisorder glad you are better now. When you say you were jaundiced, did your skin turn yellow or was it just dark urine/light stools?
The problem is covid had massively increased the waiting time for ops

When you say you were jaundiced, did your skin turn yellow or was it just dark urine/light stools?

The skin thing wasn't so obvious, but definitely the dark urine for a couple of days after each attack. I would be incredibly fatigued and nauseous for about 24hrs then it would improve until the next attack. My LFTs would reduce again, but each attack did more damage and they remained more elevated between attacks.

My attacks were short (less than an hour) and excruciatingly painful - at least 9.5/10. Along with the pain I felt hugely nauseated and often vomited, my temperature would shoot up and I had to strip off as my body was on fire. The attack would build up over a 20min period and then fade away again in the same way, leaving me feeling utterly exhausted and ill for the next 24/48 hrs.

I started the summer having about 2 attacks per day and the week before my surgery I had 3 in a day. I never want to go through anything like that again.

I never get acute episodes, it just grumbles on for a few weeks of dull ache and rib pain plus feeling crappy, not eating properly etc. Then it comes right for a bit, then another episode of feeling naff. I've got one stone and some sludge and there's no talk at all of sorting it out any time soon. I think they're waiting for me to have a serious pain attack and get it sorted during a trip to A&E tbh.

@KurtWilde I'm like you, how long have you had this for?

@ChocolateDeficitDisorder I'm sorry you went through all this and glad you got it sorted. I will be keeping a close eye on mine

I started the summer having about 2 attacks per day

This should read '2 attacks per week' not per day.

Bottom line though...once you have gallstones they're not going to way and they're only going to get bigger.

I've had a couple of acute attacks. The grumbling niggly stuffs a lot more frequent.

It's coming out next month.

@Abs811 about 18 months, first noticed it October 2020, had a scan and they found sludge. Intermittent symptoms over the course of the next 12 months - bloating, nausea, dull pain, no appetite type thing. Had another ultrasound last November and I had the sludge plus a stone. The 'grumbling' can last anything from a couple of days to weeks on end.

[quote Abs811]@MindBodyChocolate that's how mine is, no actual acute attacks. How long did this go on for? I've just been told the waiting list for GB removal at my hospital is 18-24 months![/quote]
The private removal fee if you don't have insurance is about £7k.

@Noway100 gosh thats alot. I wonder how many people are in this boat where they need to wait years for the op...