Help.....In the grip of a Gallbladder attack. Is there anything I can do other than take painkillers?

[LackaDAISYcal]

Been having a gallbladder attack since yesterday evening . Have taken ibuprofen and co-codamol this morning and still in pain.

Is there anything else I can do?

oh dear poor you. I had this when dd2 was 3 weeks old but got panacristis (rare effect) and kidney failure!
Like you i was determinned to BF, but they kept me in for 3 weeks in the end and i was way too poorly to look after dd2 so i pumped and dumped for those 3 weeks. I know i was lucky as once panacritis cleared they took gall bladder out, so only suffered for 3 weeks. I cant believe they leave people in all this pain for so long.
I was told to aviod ALL fats where possible so no cheese, no red meat, no egg yorks, chips anything! even boiled chicken rather than roast!
god luck

try buscopan (the brand name for hyocine bromide). its an anti-spasmodic that relives pain. you can buy it over the counter in boots.

No one's mentioned granny smith apples, which I was told to eat - one a day. Don't know why it was specifically granny smiths, but that was important.

I got given buscopan in the hospital fledtoscotland. I didn't realise you could get it over the counter so thanks for that. It did give me the runs though!

Interesting about the granny smith apples. Nothing to lose by trying them. Cucumber, grapes and ginger are supposed to be good too, and sounds like a winning juicing combination to me.

Lisad . Sounds horrific, and sorry it meant you couldn't BF. They were worried about me developing pancreatitis as one of the stones was stuck for five days. Thankfully it cleared itself though. I've been told to monitor my temperature and watch out for signs of jaundice during an attack.

lackadaisycal - it usually works well if you take it with co-codamol 30/500. i used to work in a colo-rectal/gastro ward and cholecystitis is really common. are you planning on having your gallbladder removed? a fat-free diet can help as the gallbladder produces bile in response to fat in our food. have never heard of the granny smith apple theory - sounds like it will give you abdo pain as they are really acidic.

hope it passes soon

Has anyone mentioned having a v hot bath, when you can? But don't pass out in it!

strangly enough apples, grapes and cucumber are a big no no after your gall bladders gone Dont let them tell you can go back to eating normally, it isnt that easy!

Im still feeding dd2 now though, as spent the 3 weeks expressing to keep milk going. If you do need to go in worth asking if they can get a pump over from materity. I also got a private room the whole 3 weeks so dd2 could comewith dh during the day

Yes do keep an eye on yellowing, my eye whites and body had gone yellow, and OMG the pain of pancretisit is terrible, I would rather have given birth all over again!

Thanks for that fledtoscotland (as a Scottish exile in England I love your name ). I'm waiting on a date for my gallbladder op. I have been trying to cut out fat, but it hasn't been easy. I was feeling a bit blase about things as I hadn't had an attack for a couple of weeks so was being low-medium fat rather than fat free. My resolve to go fat free has been strengthened by this latest attack though (the pain is still going on this morning ). Steamed haddock for tea tonight!!

Interesting about the diet after removal of the gallbladder lisad. I thought you could pretty much go back to eating normally!

I've been trying to find some books on diet for a gippy gallbladder and can't find anything. I've ordered a no fat cookery book from amazon though, as I'm sure I'll get fed up of steamed fish and chicken soon enough!!

I do what Fledtoscotland says, buscopan and codeine, then lie on my left side with a heated wheat pad/hot water bottle over my gallbladder. I've found this combination makes it manageable.

thanks wynken. I'm going to try and get out to the chemist this afternoon. I've been cuddling DD's microwave teddy bear; the heat is lovely and soothing.

I'm not sure whether to call the GP or hospital though. The pain has been ongoing since Sunday so looks like a stone has gotten stuck again. Not sure what they can do for me.

Can I just ask whether one of the symptoms of gall bladder problems is persistent , and 'hard/dry' burping after eating certain foods?

sorry one more question - I often get quite bad pain on waking on lower back left hand side.

burping/indigestion type symptoms can be connected sincitylover, especially deep burps. the back pain may well be, as I get pain front right under my ribcage and at the back below the right shoulderblade and down into my kidney area on both sides. foods that typically set it off are fatty, spicy or acidic.

thing is I have had indigestion on and off since I was a child. I do also have a hiatus hernia which popped out when pg with DS2 and didn't pop back again.

However the burping thing is different to hearburn etc and it also makes me feel quite weird while it is going on.

I'll have to think about going to the GP.

sincitylover-a couple of us with burpy problems are on another thread trying to decide what's wrong with us! I'm reading these gallbladder threads, as although my pain and irritation is nothing like as bad as these ladies describe, I'm wondering if it might be the start...someone else suggested helicobacter infection....

I've been prescribed pariet (a stop-acid-forming thingummy) but it hasn't done anything as it isn't acid-burpy IYSWIM? I'm off back to doctors in a mo to see if she'll test me for gallbladder trouble and/or h.bacter.

Sorry for hijack!

LackaDaisycal - i really feel for you,nothing can describe the agony of a gallbladder attack(not to mention the vomiting every 30 mins as i was doing).
All my attacks happened at night so i ended up having a doc come out & give me a painkilling injection in my bum!
After about my 4th attack i was prescribed morphine but then i wasn't BFing.
Finally had my gallbladder removed in Sept last year,op took over 2hrs as it was in a bad way,retracted & bound up in fatty tissue - took surgeon a while to find it apparently!
This explains why i was in such a bad way,i could eat cereal,a sandwich & a small portion of spag bol & still be in agony all night.
6 months on & i'm absolutely fine can eat most things as long as i don't binge on takeaways & all i have to show for it is 4 tiny inciscion scars on my belly!

Thanks can you link to the other thread cos it would be interesting.

I have had this burpy thing on and off for a long time but there can be long periods when it doesn't flare up.

I also had a series of food poisoining episodes about four years ago so think that area was weakened.

The gallbladder attacks sound horrendous.

thanks for that salopiangirl. My main worry is caring for two under two while I'm recovering

Things have moved on a bit here. DH started a new job in December and although he has private health care, there is a six month qualifying period so we aren't covered. Well, obviously his boss is fed up with the time he has taken off so far and the amount he might need between now and my op, so they had an emergency meeting of the board of directors and have got us covered as of now! So, I've seen the GP this morning for a referral and am seeing the consultant (the same one I saw at the NHS hospital!) tomorrow and could have the op as early as next week! My GP assured me that the elective ops are done outwith the NHS list so I'm not jumping the queue and said he would always advise private for non emergency procedures if possible.

He also prescribed me buscopan which is making a huge difference combined with the cocodamol.

sincitylover and poorlytum, I've had digestive issues for years but also have coeliac disease, so have attributed it to that, but now that I know what's going on, I think this has been building for quite some time. The site I linked to further down the thread has some stuff on gallbladder symptoms as well as concoctions for making things easier. since having my DS2 four months ago I have been having huge bellowing burps and also the most noxious farts, which I now realise are connected with my gallbladder.

I hope you both find out what's going on soon. tummy discomfort is awful.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/711279-Bad-stomach-any-ideas?msgid=14581622

Sincity- here's the other thread....as you can see I've just been back to docs and am bow booking a scan to see if it is a gallbladder issue.....

Lackadaisy- glad to hear you might be getting yourself sorted soon! Fingers crossed for you....

For pain during an attack drink 1/2 a glass of apple juice with 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (raw unfiltered is best) and voilá, pain is significantly diminished in about 10 mins to 30 mins.

HTH

Hi i had my gall bladder out 6-7 yes ago i had attacks while i was pregnant infact i had it for over a year before it was discovered...attacks all the time the worst was in ikea i was heavily prgnant and i had my three other young kids with me...one of them just two got out of the trolley and started running off and i could not go and get him..i was sooo upset....i just layed on the sofa on display there..everyone walked past and did not say anything!
it was their hot dogs which set it off.....be careful when i had my gall bladder out i carried on eating the same and balloned up to size 24...only last year i managed to get the weight off by eating right and finding a great nutritional shake which can be used for weight loss or weight gain..it filled me up and gave me all the nutrition i needed...i would not look back now still keeping the weight off no more attacts...anyone want info on the shakes or to check out my pics mail me :)O)

now i am helping others like yourself to eat more healthy get nutrition and keep weight at a normal level :)

size 10 now!

Hi i had my gall bladder out 6-7 yes ago i had attacks while i was pregnant infact i had it for over a year before it was discovered...attacks all the time the worst was in ikea i was heavily prgnant and i had my three other young kids with me...one of them just two got out of the trolley and started running off and i could not go and get him..i was sooo upset....i just layed on the sofa on display there..everyone walked past and did not say anything!
it was their hot dogs which set it off.....be careful when i had my gall bladder out i carried on eating the same and balloned up to size 24...only last year i managed to get the weight off by eating right and finding a great nutritional shake which can be used for weight loss or weight gain..it filled me up and gave me all the nutrition i needed...i would not look back now still keeping the weight off no more attacts...anyone want info on the shakes or to check out my pics mail me O)

now i am helping others like yourself to eat more healthy get nutrition and keep weight at a normal level (in luton)

lisa i was told pancreatitis was a big problem with gall stones. i had an attack before my gall bladders was removed and one attack after it was removed. Apparently you still produce stones eve though you have noe gall bladder to store them in. Also when they remove your gall bladder the doctor does not flush out the bile duct incase it flushes a stone into the pancreas. pancreatitis was the most excrutiating pain i have ever had.