Can I have some advice on gallstones?

[JugularPiggy]

For the past couple of weeks I have been having really bad pain just under my ribs and in my back.

This got so bad on a couple of days ago I was doubled over and could'nt do anything all day. The pain seems to come and go as it pleases regardless of what i am eating/doing.

The pain all started when I decided to stop taking xenical and started at the gym. I have'nt been able to get back to the gym for the past few days as I have been in so much pain.

I had a blood test last week and my liver results are raised as they were in pregnancy. GP has referred me for an ultrasound and one possibility is gallstones.

Can anyone suggest what I can do to try and minimise the pain? Gp has advised paracetemol but some days it just doesnt touch it.

Also about a week ago I started to get alot lower tummy pain like period pain. I now have constant aching in my hips, my legs especially my shins and what feels like period pain on and off in my tummy and back but its not that time of the month! Is this related? GP dismissed it but the ache in my hips and legs is keeping me awake at night!

Can anyone offer some help before I google and scare myself silly?

probably your coil irritating the womb lining,it can do that sometimes.

Just thought I would update on this and thank everyone for their posts.

Had the scan and gallstones were found. Gp says there was no sign of inflammation/infection so is unsure why my liver results are raised.

the only option given was referral for surgery. I declined as I am not great dealing with hospitals since DD's nightmare birth.

We have agreed to monitor the situation and redo bloods in the new year.

Is there anything else I can do to minimise the chance of another bad flare up or is it best to get on with the process of having surgery?

jiglypiggle I had my gallblader out and honestly (I am a real woss when it comes to hospitals, dentist etc) but the operation was so much easier than the attacks I had. I had keyhole surgery and maturely cried all the way down to the operating theatre!!!! but needed no pain killers afterwards and could eat anything. I took it easy for a week or so as I am not great with ga they make me sleepy for days but that was all.

In fact I had the op on Dec 23rd and was sitting up to table eating a Christmas lunch on the 25th. The only time I didn't have to cook the Christmas lunch myself!

I would book the operation as there is a waiting list - I was pretty deperate by the time it came to my op. I couldn't eat anything and was very very weak.

Basically if you don't have surgery you have to have a fat free diet quite hard to do but some people can do it.

Good luck I hope you get things sorted out positively for you soon

good to hear a positive outcome minimu.

diet wise I am not too bad, as I am veggie and follow slimming world but I do have some weight to shift still.

my syns go on (and my downfall is) chocolate. I can go without alcohol, any savoury foods such as crisps, take aways etc but not chocolate.

I am going to get myself motivated diet wise and review my symptoms after xmas. I can live with the ongoing niggle I have in my chest and back at the moment but I guess I have to face upto the prospect of surgery if it flares up again.

JigglyPiggy be careful with the chocolate; it used to trigger my attacks before I had my gallbladder removed.

I found any food with more than 3% fat in would trigger an attack. That included butter, marj, crips, olive oil, cheese, mayonnaise and so on. I sometimes could get away with 3%-4% fat in food but really wasn't worth finding out if I could or not.

I was also doing slimming world at the time. Weight just fell off. Never mind that it came back after having the kids

As for pain relief I had buscopan and (lots of) codine. Also had a few rushes to A&E - morphine v effective!

Best of luck, but note what you eat and if it triggers an attack.

I had my gall bladder removed and it was the best thing I did. My trouble flared up after I was on a low fat diet - I had one bit of stuffed crust pizza after being on weight watchers for a year and the surge of bile forced a stone into the duct where it got stuck. Every time I had anything with any amount fat in it it was agony. The keyhole operation was really great - short and in and out in 24 hours and I had completely recovered after a week. Wasn't even sore afterwards. So much easier than the agony of an attack. I have had no digestive problems at all and it was removed 10 years ago
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

I had an ultrasound last week that confirmed gall stones. I've also been at Slimming World for a year and have lost 3 stones, but my G.P. said the stones would have been there for years and can be hereditary. I have since found out that my Grand-dad did have his gall bladder removed. I'm seeing a consultant in 3 weeks time and will jump at the chance to have mine removed. I had never experienced pain like it when I had an attack before Christmas despite having been through a c-section. Have had several small episodes this year and don't want it to go on and on. I have also found this weblog very helpful for anyone who is facing surgery for gall stones, The Gallstones Diet/Jamie's Weblog. It has lots of first hand accounts and reassured me that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I have two friends who have had their gb's removed and both eat whatever they like and say it's the best thing they ever did. Good luck to anyone suffering from this condition, hope you all have healthy outcomes.

stress is a trigger, hot items make me worse. i used flannels to cool me down as i get a high temp.
lighter life diet can cause gallstones and make them worse!

a very low fat diet and bread and items like bread is a no go area.

I have gallstones and have been referred for surgery. it is excruciating when i get an attack. My doc give me buccastem tablets to stop the sickness and then i take two 30/500 co-codamol. I found that when my gallbladder went it made me very sick so i got the anti-enemic to be able to take the painkillers. there is no food trigger for an attack for me but stress can sometimes kick it off. i find that there is no way of easing the pain except for waiting for the painkillers to kick in.

weirdly i find that after an attack just as it is easing i really need to pee.

I have gall stones too - ultrasound showed lots of tiny ones sitting like gravel in the bottom of thegall bladder. I had my first bout of pain when I started to diet and I've had two more, one when I ate too much cheese on holiday and one when I did a 10k run and drank lots of diet coke. I find that if I eat sensibly - low fat and not huge quantities - things are OK. I'm anxious to avoid surgery if possible.

The pain is the worst imaginable, and nothing seems to ease it, no change of position helps and a hot water bottle makes it worse. I'm really hoping it doesn't happen again, though I am getting better at coping with agony!