Gallstones found - what to expect next at GP?

[BrightLemonSnail]

Hi, hoping for some advice. I began having intermittent extreme "gut attacks" as I called them about 6 months ago. 1 a month then it started to get more frequent. I had a private ultrasound around 7 months ago due to an uncomfortable full feeling under my right rib but nothing was found besides fatty liver. That was before my first attack which lasted about 5 hours which was the worst pain I've ever had. The attacks since have been lasting about 20 minutes but during that time it's agony. Anyway, day before yesterday I had one, and another yesterday whilst I was driving which was absolutely horrendous l. I booked in a private ultrasound for this morning and my gallbladder is now full of stones, largest 1.8cm and small ones.

I have a GP appointment to discuss this "mystery pain" in 2 weeks (booked 4 weeks ago) but was wondering if I should ring on Monday and try to get one earlier? What can I expect from the first visit? Is there any medications I could be prescribed to help during attacks? will I be referred to a specialist or put on a surgery wait list etc? Told to wait and see?

I'm concerned I've had 2 in 2 days and under my ribs feels overinflated and sore constantly. I tried to drive just now but had stabbing pains there and had to turn back. Ive been to the shop and bought fat free healthy foods, little and often as I understand it.

What is next? And should I be giving the GP a ring Monday?

I would ring 111 if you're having this much pain-they might well advise you to call your GP, but at least you have the chance to get professional advice asap. I am not medically qualified, but would want to ask a person who is. quickly.

Yes - you need to be seen earlier..Ideally a fast track to a consultant who can put you on his list for removal. It is urgent. Next time you have an attack, 2 buscopan will help.

You will get a referral to a surgeon to have your gallbladder out.

That's it, in the meantime there's no medication or other treatment.

I lost loads of weight waiting for mine as by the end I could only eat plain veg and grilled white fish. Even then I would still have random attacks just because my gallbladder felt like it.

Take paracetamol as soon as an attack starts. Then just bide your time on the nhs waiting list … I’ve been waiting a year so far and probably another 6-12 months to go

@BrightLemonSnail Gallbladder attacks are the worst pain, once it's removed the difference is phenomenonal.

hi OP - You’ll be down for removal, but I know the NHs is 8 months, if you go to A&E 5+ times in a month while on a waiting list you get moved up the line according to my consultant.

I was hospitalised for my major attack but had a 15mm stone stuck in my bike duct, and even for me in hospital on drips and in agony I was told 6-8 months for surgery, I was starting to wonder how I was going to survive on morphine for 6 months.

We eventually got my husband private healthcare to kick in and my gall bladder was out in 4 weeks from my major attack. Private is about 6-7k and to be honest I’d put it on the AMEX and try and get on with life over the waiting list.

Sorry to hear about the pain it is awful, buscopan is your friend you can take tables daily x3 your GP should prescribe. You want zero fat, not even a tiny bit of butter, oil nothing. I lived on bread with jam and plain jacket potato’s for about 4 weeks while in hospital and after removal its take me about 5-6 weeks to be able to eat normally without pain.

but now I feel fab, I think that infected gall bladder was stopping everything being processed, my formals feel better, my energy levels feel better I just feel fresher!!

Yes Im afraid it will be this.

Despite your agony, this is not urgent

Its only urgent when its starting to impact on your pancreas functioning or you end up in hospital with an infection they cant control or a burst gallbladder if a stone is stuck in the pipe.

All very worrying because of course really, ideally, healthcare should be preventative

Can you get it removed privately OP?

I would

Go to GP is you are having/had a lot of attacks.
They will recommend gall bladder removal and you will be put on a waiting list for it.
No. Idea of wait times but go to GP every time you have an attack as that may put up the waiting list of attacks are frequent or severe.
Gall bladder pain is horrendous but at least you know the reason, and the prognosis is excellent just need to get that gall bladder out!
Avoid greasy fatty and spicy foods as that can often trigger an attack. I think stress may as well but that's harder to avoid.
Hot water bottle , hot baths, lots of rest whilst having an attack, and if you can vomit, I found that can ease it.

Sympathy for you it's a pain like no other. Mine were severely infected I was hospitalised for a week on drip of antibiotics and painkillers. I wad put on 12 week waiting list for gallbladder removal. The surgeon told me next day after the op that it had been "complicated". I still have a no fat diet or dairy as I have had furthur attacks, which they warned me could happen. The only tablet that eases pain for me is one that was recommended on here I believe. Planetary Herbal Stone Free is the name. I get them from Amazon. I hope you get relief soon.

As others have recommended, try to have a diet as free of fat as you can. Eat lean meats only and lots of fruit and veg. I found this stopped me getting attacks, but yours sound more frequent, so it might not be successful. Try to see the GP quicker.

You really need strong painkillers to get you through when you have an attack. I wouldn't have been able to function without them and just had to lay still and wait for the pain to slowly pass. The more attacks you have will put you up the list. I even ended up having a stay in hospital once.

I was properly diagnosed just coming out of COVID. They had prioritised the surgeries , priority 1 was cancer , I was the next band down. I had the appt in April and the op in August. Not too bad seeing as we were coming out of COVID with all the havoc that caused to waiting lists.

The GP might organise blood tests for your liver enzymes as they can be affected. Mine were through the roof and resolved once the gallbladder was out.

Also, sitting in a hot bath drinking hot peppermint tea helped with the excruciating pain.

Go to A&E when you are having the next attack, may then take it out if its bad enough, or you might move up the list
That's what we were told to do

Thanks everyone. Looks like im in it for the long haul then! Wish I could go private but I'd never be able to afford it sadly. I've got buscopan now, will give that a go next time. No fat for me until the op. How can you tell the difference between a regular attack and one that means the pancreas has been affected, or it's bursting etc? Is it 'when you know you'll know' sort of thing? Id only ever be able to get to an A&E via 999 as I would never be able to drive in that kind of pain and don't have anyone that could help me. I'm assuming it's fever with the pain, or going yellow?

The only thing I had before the removal was co-codamol.

I went private for the removal so only had to wait about a month.

if it's pancreas you'll know. I got pancreatitis because the stones got into my pancreas. That was a whole different ball game. I ended up in a&e two nights on the bounce and then admitted for ten days and I couldn't eat for about five days while they brought the pancreas problem under control.And then the gallbladder came out.

It really is the worst, and it's so common.

You can take the buscopan daily, without an attack.

I was 999 in to hospital twice during mine, so you are perfectly ok to use the ambulance service if needed, mine was a stuck stone so it was blocking me completely so it was mimicking pancreatic issues as it was mechanically stuck. The pain goes up to a whole different level, I’d been having attacks for a few years on and off and this was like nothing I’d ever felt before.

I think for me it was vomiting uncontrollably for hours and the pain combined with fever and that’s when I went in thr first time, 2nd time was similar I could drive no taxis and I started vomiting again. Then they just get you on a drip with paint relief and on the 2nd go I had antibiotics.

Acute pancreatitis you’ll be in absolute agony, 999 job, as it can be dangerous and is agony. You certainly wouldn’t think about driving and perfectly acceptable to call 999. I got a lift to A&E and was seen very quickly my first attack (brought on by an ercp) even though waiting room was very busy. I was given IV morphine which helped and was vomiting green bile. Not all gallstone attacks lead to pancreatitis but even if a regular gallstone attack you can go to A&E; maybe a taxi if a friend can’t take you. I guess go if you can’t manage the pain at home.

DD2 was recently unwell and visited her GP, who did blood tests. Her liver enzymes weren't good, so she had more bloods over the week. Then in the middle of the night I was called by 111 and asked to take her to A&E. She stayed in for 6 nights. They thought her raised enzymes were due to omeprazole, and discharged her when her ALT had gone down to 200, but booked weekly bloods for 4 weeks.

A couple of weeks ago she had the pain back and virtual ward sent us back in to hospital. Her ALT, which had come down to 57, was back up at 101.

When she saw the Consultant in outpatients, he said that he wanted to make sure she didn't have sludge or stones in her tubing, so she's going to have an endoscopic ultrasound and an MRCP (MRI scan). If they are both normal, he'll refer to the surgeons for gallbladder removal.

She's 18, so they may want to watch and wait, but he said that if it's causing trouble now, it won't last long, so it would be better to come out before it gets really upset.

Thank you everyone. Ive been to the GP this morning and been referred for surgery. I felt I had been lucky to have a private ultrasound report and been able to give him my copy as theirs hadn't come in yet from the clinic. It was £137 to have a next day abdominal ultrasound privately. I don't know what would of happened if I didn't have that. I hate to think of this type of pain going misdiagnosed 😥. Ive stocked up on Buscopan. Sadly a fat free yogurt caused one attack yesterday and jam on a piece of brown bread a few hours later, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this. 5 attacks in 4 days has been horrible. They are lasting between 30mins to 45mins which isn't too bad. Very strange when they pass, its they like to come and go quite suddenly. WowZA this is a painful condition!! Only pain close to this is that awful moment after stubbing your toe hard and you want to howl the house down!

Didn't the Dr give you strong painkillers that was the only way I could cope and I have a very high pain threshold.

I think the pain can be variable. Some people have large stones that actually block the exit. Others have tiny stones that cause pain as they pass into the bowel and then it resolves. If @BrightLemonSnail has one large stone and lots of small stones, it's possible that the the little ones are squeezing their way through, causing the pain which then passes. DD2 has lots of tiny stones and sludge in her gallbladder. When she was admitted to hospital, the pain passed the next day, because the pain had been during the week when they were doing blood tests. Her ALT had gone up to 562, and her AST 300, but she had no treatment in hospital, just monitoring and an ultrasound. She still wasn't allowed to go home until her ALT dropped.

She has her endoscopic ultrasound under sedation on Monday.

Would you recommend going to the GP everytime it happens then? Is it worth the effort of getting an appointment.

Ive had an ultrasound but it didnt show anything. I can go months without anything so the GP was quite dismissive but Im sure its my gall bladder.