Anyone had gallstones for ages

[LouiseMon12]

Hello
I was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and has any advice.
I was diagnosed with gallstones in 2021 but due to some medical conditions, have been advised that for now, can't remove my gallbladder. While I've never had attacks as such, I intermittently get lots of wind, upper abdomen pain, some back pain, smelly stools and more recently a very sharp pain on left side. Sometimes I am able to eat fatty foods without issues and out of the blue, I will get the symptoms described above.
Dr still advised against removal for now. But I feel like I'm the only one living with a dodgy gallbladder. Is anyone out there managing to cope without removal but with symptoms like me? I take ACV but not sure if I can do anything else to help my gallbladder. I feel quite alone in my situation as everyone on here seems have theirs taken out.

Anyone?

Bump?

You can get digestive enzymes from the likes of Holland & Barrett to help digest any fattier meals. I found them helpful when waiting for my surgery and still take them now with fatty meals.

I didn't have to wait all that long between diagnosis and removal (private health cover helped!) but looking back I probably had the stones for about ten years. The attacks were very intermittent, sometimes with gaps of a year, and were never so debilitating that I thought it was any more than stupendously painful wind or normal pains from getting older. Eventually the pains ramped up and became much more frequent, which is when I sought diagnosis. By the time of the operation I was in considerable discomfort on a weekly basis and very glad to be seeing the back of the thing. This was in spite of cutting right back on fatty or rich foods as soon as I was diagnosed.

Since you can't have the surgery at the moment I'd suggest continuing to be careful with what you eat and noting what triggers discomfort so you can try to avoid it. A gallbladder attack can become very serious and they might be forced to operate, which would not be ideal if your other health issues mean it is better left for now.

The pain on the left side sounds odd and not gallbladder related as that is on the right. Have you mentioned this new pain to the GP?

Wishing you well and I hope others who still have their gallbladders can advise you further.

It's going to get worse, OP. Sounds like it already is. You need to ask the doctor what your management plan is if he doesn't recommend removal!

I've had gallstones for a long time, diagnosed about a year and half ago. Had a bad attack/gastritis about a year ago which landed me in hospital. Didnt want surgery, so started eating low fat, lost some weight, and have been fine since. I was very strict with low fat options to start with, but its starting to slip again and I've been fine. Doctor told me that you can pass gallstones if they're small.

The general protocol is that if you have them, and they are symptomatic, they remove the gallbladder...

Any that are passed will inevitably be replaced.

Good luck, had mine diagnosed at beginning of year.Still waiting for the NHS to remove it!

Yes i do . And also can't have removed yet. So I have buscopan on hand and decent painkillers. So if it starts to feel a bit off I take buscopan and seems to do the trick most time.
Mixed with a very limited diet

I haven't seen consultant yet so not sure if I can have it out or not.

I had an attack at work today. I took alka seltzer, buscopan and drank as much peppermint tea as I could.

Its so hard to live with.

@Puffin12345 thats interesting to hear, thanks for sharing.

@Starlight7080 how long have you had your gallstones?

The left side pain isn't always there and all pain has been low level.

About 18 months . Major flare ups are awful . But mostly I have a burning sensation on my right hand side that gives me a clue that its going to get bad.
And it can hurt more if I'm on my feet all day .
I have had pain on my left side too . But I already take tablets for my stomach so think they help .

Alka seltzer is brilliant aswell as other have said

DH has had them about four years. He only gets pain when he eats certain things.

Yes, I've got them and am trying not to have to have gall bladder removed. I eat whatever I like - I've tried low fat but fell off the wagon and found it didn't actually make any difference so don't bother now.

On the rare occasion that I start to feel a bit odd I take 2 buscopan and that usually stops it getting worse.

I haven't found a pain relief that works, tried all otc stuff and prescription strength coedine, cocodamol and oramorph. (not all together! 😂) but the only thing that has any effect at all is the buscopan.

I've been told if I get unbearable pain that doesn't go away with buscopan and otc pain relief I need to go to A&E and I'll probably have to have emergency surgery.

Ive had mine for i dont know how long, but ages.
Can't have surgery as i have severe COPD.

I try to avoid Buscopan as apparently it doesn't combine with anti histamines.

I must say though that when knew has a proper proper attack , Buscopan does not touch the sides.

*one, not knew!

GPs seem to always say this!

I have been to A and E maybe 8 times.

Sent away with a pat on the head and anti nausea meds.

Am now due non emergency surgery on Saturday .

Me.

I'm cautious with saturated fat. I have lots of fibre, including some nuts.

Yes, diagnosed in 2015 after a few bad episodes, they’ve stopped but I often get bloating and heartburn and I wonder whether it’s linked.

I've had them for about 12 years. Just 2. Rarely cause any issues - not had a proper attack just every now and then get a slight discomfort where the gallbladder is. I am under a gastro consultant and had an MRI to fully check everything. He says to keep the gallbladder as long as I can so unless I start getting attacks or whatever I won't have it removed. He calls me once a year to check me and if I do have an attack I can call his office straight away.

Can I ask what the pain is like during an attack?
I was taken into to hospital with a suspected heart attack and had 3 further attacks whilst there. ECG and troponin all normal, they sent me home with no further investigations.

Tight crushing pain around my chest and later episodes, my back. Sweaty and clammy, white as a sheet, pain so severe I was in tears, all typical heart attack symptoms - could that have been a stone(s) passing through the bile duct?

What are the disadvantages of having the gallbladder removed?

Could it be diverticulitis?

I was diagnosed with them around 20 years ago and still have my gallbladder. Other than a bit of discomfort now and again I've only had a further two attacks, and they weren't bad enough for me to want to do anything about them. I've got tramadol to use if necessary. I used to get a lot of trapped wind but seem to have got on top of that now. I eat pretty much whatever I want, although I don't go overboard with fatty foods.