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Original poster

Help me through a gallstones flare please ?

160 replies

Liverly · 30/12/2025 15:34

I’m in tears in the bath. GP sent me to an and e. A and e GP has got me a consultant appointment for a few days time but the pain is blood horrible. Luckily I’ve got some codeine from a bad back earlier in the year but it’s not touching it. I think food flared it. Half a bloody sandwich earlier and it wasn’t even a very nice sandwich. Amy tips / magic or just healing thoughts for me ? It’s so horrible. Only just got diagnosed November after going with suspected reflux pain and finding my liver was out of whack. I haven’t drunk much this Christmas at all. Always the way. Too busy hosting to actually relax. I did however eat califlower cheese which seems to have set me off. I just can’t get comfy. Please help. Silly stories, anecdotes , anything. Talk me away from this pain. Please

OP posts:
Original poster
Liverly · 30/12/2025 16:01

Anyone ? Please. I need distraction. Dog is trumping merrily which may serve as an anaesthetic soon but until then is anyone there to chat ?

OP posts:
Lennonjingles · 30/12/2025 16:14

When I was diagnosed with a large gallstone in May this year, after ultrasound, GP just told me to cut out all fats, which did help, I cut out all cakes, pastry, biscuits, mainly ate smaller meals with a small portion of meat and lots of veg. I think I was quite lucky in that I didn’t get pain all the time, but seemed to have pain during the night. I had my gallbladder out in August and apparently it was in a very sorry state.

CrochetMadRosie · 30/12/2025 16:15

I’m sorry you’re going through this. Having had my gallbladder out in the summer I can sympathise with the pain… it’s horrendous!
Did they not give you anything at A&E for the pain? I found ibuprofen made my gallstones worse, but definitely keep topped up with the codeine and paracetamol.
No other advice I’m afraid but hopefully the consultant will help in a few days.
Distract yourself with something if possible… easier said than done I know.

Iocanepowder · 30/12/2025 16:21

Hi op, i had my gallbladder out last year.

I had to follow a low fat diet, not eating foods that were higher than 3% fat. Also didn’t drink any booze. Other things also gave me attacks like spicy food and not eating enough/being hungry.

What was in your sandwich? Was there butter in it?

As well as codeine, take paracetamol and also Buscopan. And drink lots of peppermint tea. I always carried around emergency cocodamol and buscopan wherever I went.

Definitely on the list for surgery.

In the meantime, if nothing is helping with the pain, i know some people have managed to get morphine on prescription. The GP wouldn’t do this for me though as I have young kids to look after.

Best of luck x

LittleRedYoshi · 30/12/2025 16:22

Sympathies - it’s horrible. Buscopan was the only medication that offered me any relief during an attack.

weathervane1 · 30/12/2025 16:28

Hi. My wife has just had a serious gall stone flare-up three days before Xmas and we went to hospital in an emergency ambulance. Her symptoms sound similar to yours in that she was doubled over, screaming in agony and struggling to breath though the intense pain. She can't take aspirin and ibuprofen due to other medications she's on and so can only take paracetamol and co-cocodamal. Anyway, she was out into IV morphine and after about four hours the pain started to reduce to a manageable level. She is now going to have her gall bladder removed but that could take months. In the meantime, the gastro consultant recommended Buscopan to reduce and also control the cramping that occurs. It's available over the counter without a prescription. It does seem to work and her GP has now given her a prescription for it to be taken before each meal.

in addition we've cut out fat as much as possible, increased the fibre content of our meals and started eating smaller portions to reduce the chance of triggering an episode. Hope some of this helps.

cityanalyst678 · 30/12/2025 16:34

It will pass, you may be sick beforehand.
it is absolutely agony, the worst pain ever. I had it many years ago, when the GP would come out and give a morphine injection. I was one of the first patients to have my gall bladder removed via keyhole surgery…
Moving on, avoid all fats. And try and get some morphine tablets on prescription….
I really hope the pain passes soon. When I had my first bout of pain, I was at a client dinner. It then took 6 months to diagnose gallstones, as I was young and skinny. I had some flare ups at the worst moments, before being diagnosed.

ChristmasLeftovers · 30/12/2025 16:39

Buscopan!

Thedogscollar · 30/12/2025 16:44

Omg @Liverly I still remember that pain it's absolutely hideous worse than childbirth.
I had keyhole surgery to remove gallbladder in 2019 so relieved. Post op recovery off work two weeks. Can now eat anything I want whereas before everything was low fat.
I hope it improves very soon. I honestly feel for you as it's truly the worst pain ever.

Original poster
Liverly · 30/12/2025 16:57

I had just been in a bath and then trying laying on my stomach. I wanted to rock at various points. I’ve had super strong cocodamol and a naproxen and it is ever so slightly better but I can’t sit up. Have to lean forward. Peppermint tea on the go too. Supposed to be at a party tomorrow and DH is just assuming I’ll be there. Did me rocking in pain not hint that it might not be happening for me ?!! The sandwich was a meal deal tuna mayo. Literally had one sandwich no crusts at 1 ish as I hadn’t eaten all day Pain eased a bit walking out of hospital but as soon as I ate it came back twice as bad as it was this morning. The internet tells me I won’t suffer if I don’t eat anything solid today so I may just stay off the food altogether but am not sure this is going to work as a long term strategy so have sent DH for brown rice pouches and bananas. As also recommended by AI. I don’t eat meat so the recommended lean chicken and rice isn’t for me. And eggs seem to be a no go. It was an egg mayo sandwich yesterday that set it off so bread is off the menu for now too. This truly sucks. Thanks to every single person who has replied. It means a lot to have the support and experience.

OP posts:
LividArse · 30/12/2025 17:00

It's not the bread, @Liverly , it's the mayo.

My relative just had her gall bladder out. Seems there's an epidemic of it at the mo caused by rapid Mounjaro weightloss. She's lost more weight because she couldn't eat a thing with fat!

MadisonMontgomery · 30/12/2025 17:07

It is the most miserable thing ever and you have my every sympathy, the pain has to be felt to be believed! Before I had mine out I basically lived off dry cereal as that was about the only thing I could manage. I used to do two hot water bottles - one on your front, one on your back, as hot as you can possibly stand. If the attack had been going on for a while I used to try and make myself sick, as the muscle contractions from vomiting can pass the stone.

Also apparently rollercoasters can help you pass kidney stones and gallstones, however unless you live near Alton Towers that’s not terribly helpful!

Original poster
Liverly · 30/12/2025 17:13

I live near Blackpool….is the big one open ?!

OP posts:
Original poster
Liverly · 30/12/2025 17:13

I contemplated trying to be sick earlier but chickened out. I did wonder if it might help.

OP posts:
rosie1959 · 30/12/2025 17:17

I had my gallbladder out years ago the pain is awful. With the sandwich it would have been the mayo and probably the butter, bread and egg should be fine. I found being sick helped also lying on my front.

PoppySaidYesIKnow · 30/12/2025 17:19

Agree it’ll be the mayonnaise. Stick to the blandest of diets with no fat at all if possible. Other things which can exacerbate it - onions, garlic, tomatoes. Plainest things you can think of until your gallbladder is removed. Buscopan might help with the spasms. However if you feel really unwell and cannot get the pain under control, you need to go back to A&E, in some cases you can become very medically unwell if gallstones become stuck in the bile duct so you’d need this to be ruled out. Hope you feel better soon.

Thedogscollar · 30/12/2025 17:23

Liverly · 30/12/2025 17:13

I live near Blackpool….is the big one open ?!

Oh bless you. Yes the pain really is that bad.

WhattheFudgeareyouonabout · 30/12/2025 17:24

Be mindful of gallstone blocking bile duct symptoms- if your urine turns dark and your stools turn pale go STRAIGHT to hospital. If your skin starts to itch that’s a sign too. It can lead to obstructive jaundice or infection. Hope you feel better xx

Original poster
Liverly · 30/12/2025 17:24

do we think plain eggs are ok? I had mixed results on googling that but am not eating again today. I can’t face that pain again and after seeing it hurt almost instantly after eating I need a break now and Darent risk anything else exacerbating it. I know to look for yellowing and worsening pain and to go back. Fingers crossed it doesn’t get worse.

OP posts:
Sugarcube84 · 30/12/2025 17:25

Buscopan along with codeine I also used to have an anti sickness and omeprazole as I had a lot of central pain. Lying on your left with your right arm over your head helps

HostaCentral · 30/12/2025 17:25

As others, mine was always triggered by fat..... One memorable occasion being after I pigged out on After Eights. I was sooooo sick..... Mine was painful, but my main symptom was being violently sick, all night. Always had to have a day off after to recover.

Get the bugger removed. Pay privately if you can and the wait is long.

PoppySaidYesIKnow · 30/12/2025 17:31

I think eggs would be ok, depending how they are cooked. A poached or boiled egg should be fine.

Bluebunnylover · 30/12/2025 17:41

I had a gallbladder attack and making myself sick did help a bit. It’s horrible pain I feel for you

SheSellSeaShells · 30/12/2025 17:41

Its the worst. I thought i was having a heart attack the first time. Gallbladder removed now.

You need to avoid fatty foods. And basically food beginning with C (cheese cream chocolate caffeine etc (what my consultant told me)). The pain only started subsiding after i vomited when i had an attack, buscopan is good for contracting the bile ducts (or something like that.. i had to take it every day in hospital as i had a blockage in my bile duct and went yellow! It helps move the blockage and the cramping).

Hope you feel better soon its just so painful

anonymoususer9876 · 30/12/2025 17:45

Reduce your fat content. Bile is used to break down the fat so if you reduce (or even remove) the fat content in your food then less bile is needed. I used hot water bottles but I also found relief in vomiting. It would last a day or two.

I did get yellowed eyes and lost a significant amount in weight but they couldn’t find any gallstones when scanned (this was many years ago now). When they eventually showed up on a scan some years later, I was offered surgery and took it. I had 40 of the bloody things removed!

Have you had a scan @Liverly? Do you know what to look out for if one blocks your bile duct? Also, any temperature means possible infection and you’ll need to get advice quickly (when I was younger it was an emergency issue).

Theres nothing like the pain, you have my sympathy and hope the attack is soon over.