Gall Stones??

[Queen]

hello all, I am not sure about this but hey I am game...
I have just been diagnosed with having Gall Stones:eek: (causing HEAPS of abdominal pain)..so I have to have my gall bladder out.
I am just wondering if anyone has ever had this problem:confused: ? Knows of some "alternative" methods to help with pain etc?
Any tips/advice/stories welcome...
Thanks in advance

[ally cat 78]

Hello i know what you are going through:hugs: to you. I had gall stones and my gall bladder removed last september and yes the pain was up there with child birth for me any way and then more.

I had to wait from febuary till september to have the operation. I had key hole and was in hospital for 3 nights and the scars heel but there for life. You get 1 cut on tummy just below your breasts then 1 under bleey button and 2 small cuts on right side near the bottom of your tummy if that makes sence.

But i assume you've already been told the gory details ect. Yes the pain was real bad. Late one sunday night couldn't staand it was on floor holding my tummy so tigh and my partner said this is no good and he rang abulance and spent the night in hospital on a drip and pain killers. But the drip was put in by a trainer nurse and it poped out blood everywhere. That was a fun night NOT!!!! hope i've helped ya out a bit. Ally

[Moorish]

Hi there - you poor thing, very painful indeed.
I had gall stones when I was about 34 weeks preg with #2. Unfortunately it wasn't diagnosed so all the attacks I kept getting I thought was gastro and by 37 weeks I was told by the hospital to come in because I was so bad, the only way to help it go away was to make myself sick (sorry TMI). I never ended up going to hospital before the baby was born and when she was 12 weeks it was finally diagnosed and I had my gall bladder removed 3 days later.

The only way (in hindsite) I could have relieved the symptoms is to cut out any fatty or spicey food in your diet (even if it's only a small amount - I had an attack after eating a toasted cheese sandwhich - 2 slices of cheese). These are 2 of the major causes of attacks as far as I was concerned.

It's worth having a look at Dr Sandra Cabot's web site for heaps of info - I read up a lot about it after my operation. I'd say that unless the stones are small and can be laser blasted, your best option might be to have it removed.

I wish you lots of luck!
:hugs:
P.S. Just thought I'd add this for you
Gall bladder info (http://www.weightcontroldoctor.com.au/index.php?page=az&subpage=gallbladderdisease)

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

I know what its like VERY painful hey.Try to avoid any greasy foods as this can cause attacks,also when you have the pain a little panadeine forte works wonders.

[Kizmet]

I feel your pain!!!! I started having excruciating attacks when i was 30 weeks pregnant and was told by the doctors all 6 times I was admitted into hospital that iw as just heart burn! I was furious. I couldnt walk, talk, breathe, move anything! I didnt get diagnosed until Abigail was 2 weeks old then I had to have the operation 2 weeks after that but I had cmplications with my keyhole surgery-they thought some of the gall stones had gotten loose and were in my pipes somewhere so i had to be transferred to a different hospital for another surgery only to find nothing. By the time I got hom eto my 4 week sold I was so emotional I just sat and cried in pain but also in exhaustion.

The only way I stopped attacks was cutting out all saturated fat in my diet and I mean all! I would only eat things that were below 1 gram of saturated fat. I had never felt better in my life and lost like 10 kilos but then after my surgery my body thought woohoo fatty food and put 20 kilos on

whens ur operation?

[Ange&Seth]

Oh you poor thing!! All I can say is BLAND BLAND BLAND FOOD with absolutely NO FAT :no:

Serioulsly, I would rather go through child birth every day for a month, LONGER than a month, than have to put up with gall bladder attacks again!

I was diagnosed with Gall stones at 6 months, and almost the last 3 months of my pregnancy were spent in hospital on a morphine drip! I expected DS to be born with a drug addiction!! I ate the blandest of foods. It was disgusting, but the pain was worse. Much much worse. I even had attacks when I cooked the food and MADE SURE there was little to no fat in the meal.

I had my gall bladder out when DS was probably 6 wks old, and I have had one 'phantom' attack since then ( about 4-5 months afterwards). I still get shoulder point pain, but 2 herron blue and I'm good to go, instead of a shot of morphine or tramel.

Good luck, I hope you don't get any more attacks.

[jade21887]

I found all that helped me was getting it out. While I was waiting for it to come out I was in and out of hospital for morphiene. I cut out all saturated fat, did nothing. But then again, mine got all infected as well. I was diagnosed about 4-5 weeks ago. I had it out 3 weeks ago.

I've had one phantom attach since, but so far so good.

[Kizmet]

oh you guys get phantom attacks too!!! Thank god!!! I thought I was the only weird one! How do you stop phantom attacks because thy are so uncomfortable and weird. I get them every now and again.

[Queen]

Thank you all for all your advice (thanks chenicimo for that website:hugs: )
I haven't been booked in yet (no private health insurance)I am waiting to see a surgeon, they close the theatres for six weeks over Xmas...
I am quite lucky (touch wood) that my attacks haven't been frequent, and I was diagnosed early....
I am on a diet currently so the low fat diet is easy...they think thats what caused my problem I lost too much weight too quick:no: 24kg in 8 weeks...but oh well have more weight to lose yet....
Thanks again, anymore nice stories out there???

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

I've had one phantom attach since, but so far so good.
Can i ask what a phantom attack is?

[~Kimba~]

no advice as to remedies (I have stones too and am waiting till I stop breastfeeding before having mine out) - just big :hugs: to you because I can sympathise regarding the pain!

[Queen]

no advice as to remedies (I have stones too and am waiting till I stop breastfeeding before having mine out) - just big :hugs: to you because I can sympathise regarding the pain!

Big:hugs: for you too....hope you aren't in too much pain....

[Kizmet]

A phantom attack is just a lot of tightening pains in the same area as your other attacks but is a lot less painful and you can still breathe. Mostly feels awkward and weird

[sandj]

hello,
yes i too had my gb and stones taken out last Oct. it was a horrible year and took them forever to diagnose what was wrong!

I saw a natrupath and she was fantastic. i went on a diet and had little fat at all. the only fat i had was avacado or almonds or olive oil (good fats) but even these may set you off. She was suggesting to me that i might be able to 'blast out' the gall stones naturally but i decided not to go down that path as it took awhile and my stones where too big. anyway maybe see a natrupath it may help you? esp. if your stones are not that big?

otherwise for now i would suggest eat very very bland, stay away from spicy food and alcohol all together. every time i drank alcohol it would set me off. i remember having 3 drinks of alcohol then going out into the city and having to lie on the pavement when i got out of the taxi as i was in severe agony/pain and had to lie straight and was also getting hot flushes etc. (i swear people must of thought i was on drugs! it was so embarrasing! this was before i was diagnosed with gall stones)

good luck

[Mel-Jane]

I had my Gall Bladder out in March when DS was 8 weeks old. Best thing ever, I had been to 4 Emergency Rooms in a week and finally got diagnosed after a really late night visit to another ER. Really hard when you are BFeeding and it is too painful to even have your baby with you.

I hope that you find the Bland diet helpful, because that is about all that there seems to be to help.

I'm glad that others have phantoim attacks too, I just thought it was me.