Help me through a gallstones flare please ?

[Liverly]

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

I’m so sorry…

as soon as I feel a twinge I take buscopan, apple cider vinegar in hot water and a pain killer. Plus hot water bottles.

but I would try and get it taken out if you can.

Bless you, I feel so sorry for you. I had mine removed last year. A hot water bottle and drinking hot water helps. Only eating chicken, fruit and vegetables helped get rid of flare ups. I switched to skimmed milk in my drinks, it worked. Swapped butter for vitalite too. I had my operation done privately in the end as I couldn’t live like it. The pain is unreal.

You poor thing - gallbladder pain is horrific. At its worst the only painkiller that worked for me was IV paracetamol - nothing else really touched the sides - even liquid morphine. When it was getting a bit better, heat pressure helped a bit more than painkillers that just made me feel even sicker.

I cut out all fat which helped a bit - survived on plain baked potatoes with salad (no dressing😢). But what really helped me was that I pestered and pestered the hospital and the consultant’s secretary (I used to ring every few days to see if they had a cancellation) and was lucky to only have to wait 6 weeks for the operation to get it removed. I think they got fed up of me which was the point…That was 10 years ago but have had no problems since - the relief was immediate and immense! Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out soon.

I’m a seasoned sufferer! GP has prescribed morphine while I await surgery as like you even double dosing codeine did nothing. Unfortunately not as easy as just getting it removed, the waiting list is 18 months to two years here although the severity of my attacks has bumped me up the list apparently.

Weirdly a couple of times I’ve managed to shift the stone by physical movement. Last time it was touching my toes, I felt it move and instant relief.

I really feel for you, it’s awful pain.

Panadol soluable and get on your hands and knees for a while

I found that position allowed me to breath easier
soluable tabs act quicker
breath slow and deep
i suffered for 10 years or more as couldn’t have the surgery and then pregnant
put something on the telly as a distraction

Sympathies OP its hell - you won’t eat fat again once you’ve had another flare up as it’s just impossible. I found it equally difficult to avoid fat & was actually shocked how much it’s in things I hadn’t really considered. Even healthy fats like eggs & avocados are a no go. The fat in the egg yolk was enough to trigger mine so I tried egg whites but ate so difficult to cook & grim by time I’d tried I gave up. Have just had mine out & took a liver MRI with contrast to properly detect stones. CT of gallbladder didn’t reveal it. Luckily once I saw the surgeon he was happy to whip it out. I accepted a cancellation as I’ve read you can be on the waiting list for months. I declined the pre-op as wasn’t sure I could be on standby at such short notice for the op & the nurse said well still go to it bcos it’s valid & lasts for 6 months! Made me think there’s no way I can wait that long with these kind of flare ups! With a cancellation I still got a week’s notice & if it doesn’t work for you you can still stay no & remain on the cancellation list so if thoroughly recommend. In my local hospital/ health trust anyway. Good luck!

PS I opted for brown rice microwaveable pouches too till I read they’ve got a lot of vegetable oil in them - so beware!! I lived off low fat soups & white bread & bland zero fat stuff.

Get a hot water bottle for your back. Try to walk around and get DH to rub your back. Take off your bra if wearing one. Try getting on your hands and knees. And zero fat. Literally none, so no eggs, no cheese, no butter, no oil, skimmed milk only. It’s dull as shit food wise but I know the flare ups are beyond agony. I had mine out decades ago and have been perfectly fine and able to eat everything since, so there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Friend’s husband had it and ended up in A&E, needed an op (was sent home). So incredibly painful op, I’m sorry.

It says egg whites are ok OP not the whole egg

Milk of magnesia helps me

I survived on porridge made with water for weeks. By the time my operation to remove the gallbladder arrived I was sooooo thin!

In terms of avoiding future attacks, I found that timing was a factor as well - try not to eat anything in the 3 hours or so before you go to bed.

And one ‘treat’ food that I managed to work into my gallstones diet was pizza: a wholemeal bread pitta base, lightly spread with chopped tomatoes and sprinkled with fat-free cheese. Not as good as regular pizza obviously, but more interesting that most of the other foods I could safely eat.

Mayonnaise is literally oil with egg…probably one of the worst things someone with gallstones could eat! Egg whites might be ok but not sure I’d eat the yolks with biliary colic. I would check the ingredients on the brown rice pouches carefully too…they all seem to have added oil. You’re probably much safer making your own food from scratch - easier to control what’s in it.

I have one and have managed to get any symptoms under control by eating a vegan diet and drinking lots of peppermint tea, I was a veggie anyway so it hasn’t been a hugely tough change. I’ve allowed myself some chocolate and cheese over Xmas and the pain returned!

I used to take 2 buscopan
Drink some apple cider vinegar mixed with apple juice
Drink lots of water and peppermint tea.
Hot water bottle on sore area.

I hope it passes quickly

I’ve read milk thistle can help too, though I’m not sure how much truth there is in that!

Thanks so much folks. Lots of helpful advice here. I like DH suggesting I’ll be ok at the NYE party with a few glasses of fizz ?! It’s eased now but the gnawing / grumbly is lurking enough for me to be on herbal tea only. I didn’t think about oil in the rice pouches ! What a plonker. I’ll have to buy some brown rice. I actually love it and did learn to cook it well then forgot. I must make a batch. Would a bit of soy be ok do we think ?!!

That should say I like how DH isn’t really thinking it’s bad to suggest I’ll be ok drinking tomorrow ?!

Not me but a good friend can get rid if her gallstone pain by dry heaving. Every time. No longer needs medication.

Codeine, can make gallstone attacks worse.
I didn't know this until I met with the consultant prior to my surgery. After suffering for 10 years.

Buscopan, I used to take the full dosage daily, I'm not sure if that's good long term but it was the only way I managed to keep them under control and even that didn't work.

I really feel for you. Praying you can get the bugger out soon.

Please expand on this…! How??

I was diagnosed with gallstones 5 weeks post giving birth nearly 4 years ago. Honestly, the flare ups were more painful than the birth!
I had it removed 5 months after diagnosis as towards the end I was flaring on ice lollies.
I was on Naproxen too but found making myself sick stopped most of the pain. I made sure I did it before taking the pain relief. Try lying on your left hand side as this can take the pressure off your gallbladder and help the ducts drain. And a hot water bottle.
I am 3 1/2 years post removal and I’ve had several episodes of pain over those years. No where near as bad as flare ups but short sharp pains lasting seconds/minutes rather than hours/days. I had one the other night at about 2am (my own fault after over indulging in Christmas food!) and I made myself sick. Felt better in just a few minutes.

OP - this was me a few days ago.
ive been diagnosed via ultrasound

I am living on
jelly
roast chicken breast
white bread
Soup

i can’t deviate from this really though a massive fat intake was the trigger.

Sorry but it's downright irresponsible to encourage people to make themselves sick.

It is proven to NOT relieve attacks. Vomiting is a side effect of attacks due to pain usually. But not forced vomiting. That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard. People have multiple attacks a day, So are we going to advise making yourself vomit every time? Stupid, dangerous advice. Give your heads a wobble.

Low fat soup helped me:
Tesco own - lentil and veg, tomato.
Weight watchers
Heinz - chicken noodle is low fat, cream of chicken isn't. (I know you don't eat meat but I can't remember which veggie ones are low fat!)

Muller light yogurts.

Apparently fizzy drinks & caffeine cause the gallbladder to contract which can also cause pain. A definite no to alcohol too!