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 found I could eat sugary things with no fat like marshmallows and jelly. I checked tins and jars to make sure they were 5% fat or less. Vitalite in jacket potatoes with spaghetti or beans were fine for me.

Gallstones are dicks, a good friend was nearly killed by hers just before Christmas (blocked liver leading to sepsis), she survived but with possibly lifelong health consequences. Please take any complications very seriously and don't be fobbed off.

My gallstones were diagnosed in late summer, I immediately switched to a v low fat diet and was fine until a week of random attacks in October. This was when I learned that rapid weight loss can also trigger them - talk about not being able to do right for doing wrong 😐. Since then I've been ok, Christmas was a depressing minefield but worth it to feel relatively healthy. I'm on the waiting list for removal but will be surprised if it happens this year (unless I go private).

Honestly, you go in these cycles. Attack, eat nothing but chicken for a couple of weeks, then you start pushing it. And then the cycle starts again. I had about six months of normal
eating so I had got totally blase about it, and then was humbled! But now I’m back to pushing it again

I’ve got my pre-op assessment next week so hopefully surgery is on the horizon.

I’ve had an MRI to check for any blockage and now waiting for next steps. I have been incredibly stressed this week and craving chocolate. I guess even though it was a mini bar of dark chocolate the grumbling was my body warning. I’ve lost weight too after a week of veggie chilli and brown rice ! So likely get more stones. Horrible. At least my son has eaten my Christmas white toblerone so o can’t look at it and miss it !

Just had a strange questionnaire by text. I googled it and it looks like it’s NHS pre op. EPA’s? I hope this means something will happen soon !

Liberty, you really need to read up on low fat diets and gallbladder. I’m helping someone with recently diagnosed gallbladder so it’s trial, error and learning time.
What we learnt:
Replace all dairy with soya, coconut, almond etc. Chocolate is definitely off the menu, dairy and fat. It is also advised to avoid spicy foods. Coffee can also be a trigger.

For treats, dairy free ice cream, Swedish Glacé is nice, jelly, custard made with DF milk (egg can be added), fruits fresh or stewed. Stewed eating apples/pears with cinnamon are good. Have a look at pure cocoa powder, not Cadburys. I had a dark organic one, can’t recall the name. You can sprinkle over everything if you crave a choc hit.

As others have advised, go for a simple bland diet for the moment.

Hope you are sorted soon. It’s a nasty condition.

Epaq was the questionnaire and looks like it might be a pre operative question set. Let’s see

@spotddog I actually loved
cooked apples and cinnamon ! And jelly. And soya milk is fine too

Just checking in with an update for anyone who is interested. My MRI was cleared for surgery as an urgent case. One has been cancelled so far and now moved out again. It’s flared again today so I need to get back on the super super bland food to get it under control again. Wish I could buy gas and air….in the meanwhile there’s codeine

Good news, hope you won’t have to wait too long.

Thanks for the update. Really plsd they want to operate & feel for you on standby & now flaring. Hang in there. After an initial adjustment I’m eating everything again & almost forgotten that I couldn’t! Hoping you go in soon x

@Otterdrunk last night was awful. Sweating in pain but codeine eventually calmed it down but will no doubt be feeling bunged up soon 😬.

Fingers crossed for you. Mine is finally coming out in a couple of weeks, just under a year on waiting list in the end as I was escalated as emergent case, so could have been worse!

@Liverly oh god that sweating with the pain just had me in flashbacks - really hope you get in soon. Have you said you’d take a cancellation? (If you can).

I’ve said I’ll go when they’ll have me. It’s flaring again now. It’s so mean a pain

Have you tried the water trick OP? Drink as much water as quickly as you can. It was the only thing that stopped my pain.

@DialSquare. Not tried speed drinking. Will give it a go when it inevitably goes again

Just thought I’d check in and say I’ve now had my GB evicted and back home after day case surgery. Bruised and battered and in some pain but got the good opiates so I’ll be mainly sleeping I hope Happy to answer any questions if anyone is I tereses

Congratulations @Liverly 🥳 the offending article has gone! Good luck with your recovery & don’t be alarmed with how your body responds initially to fats again initially. I waited a couple of weeks anyway & then had a few unpleasant reactions but it then righted itself & not looked back. Hope same for you too x

@Otterdrunkim really struggling to sleep tonight and as moving hurts I can’t Toss and turn either to get comfy. I had a small square of chocolate earlier just to let melt as my throat is sore but let’s see how it goes. I’m just assuming no food today doesn’t really matter. Although I did eat half a slice of delicious hospital toast (with difficulty) earlier. It would have been delicious!

Oh no take it easy OP I’d forgotten how tender & out of it you are straight after. I was ok pain wise but definitely overdid it too soon & paid for it after (& got shingles! but my immunity was lowered due to other reasons). Rest up lots. Haha love that you had a little piece of choc to soothe your throat! Start as you mean to go on 😉

I have gallstones and have to be very careful with eggs, they've set it off around three times already.

I am 4 days post surgery for emergency GB removal, really uncomfortable at moment after a good day yesterday, worried about what to eat as the world of low fat is a mystery to me!

I found out that straightaway foods that I hadn’t eaten for a long time, I was fine. Had a cheese and pickle sandwich 2 hours after op, was surprised how much I ate, the next day a full roast dinner, albeit a small portion, everything seemed so tasty after weeks of bland, boring food.

Do keep up with the pain medication, it really helps the first few days. Nobody told me about the shoulder pain you get from trapped gas, a day after, but it only lasted a day. Wishing you a speedy recovery.