Gallstones

itsalifestylenotadiet

I was googling and reading up on the issue for over fours hours prior to having my recent attack and it did say that sometimes small stones can also cause problems, but many people have been able to rid themselves of their stones that were no more than 10mm. With the health problems I have, I am willing to try anything natural instead of another surgery that my body will have a very hard time handling. There is also a medicine that you can take that can help you pass them but again mine are too large for that.

TheGaudyMagpie

afatpersonwholikesfood wrote: »

pspenny36 wrote: »

its a lot harder to lose weight and a lot easier to gain.

Nope.

I lost ten pounds the first month after surgery, and there are some other anecdotal reports here and there about that not being unusual. It is true that some people report weight gain, but I had a very rapid loss at first and I'm continuing to lose. Part of that is eating a lowfat diet, I'm sure. I'm also guessing that the intermittent infection and inflammation may have something to with it. I had a lot of pretty wild weight fluctuations. I imagine just losing that inflammation resulted in some weight loss. It may be my imagination, but I feel like my abdomen is just less bloated and swollen.

afatpersonwholikesfood wrote: »

I do know people who now have to run to the bathroom after meals, though, so it's not that I think that doesn't happen. It just hasn't happened to me. The people I know who have that issue still happily eat whatever - they just make sure they're within range of a restroom afterwards.

That's likely the bile acid malabsorption problem I was talking about above. This is what was happening to me and the surgeon immediately knew what it was and prescribed the bile acid sequestrant. I no longer have this issue at all. I have a friend who has the problem and her doctor just dismissed it as IBS. It seems like a fair number of doctors don't know that it's a problem that is easily treated. They also blame it on fat intake, when it's not an issue with fat at all. It's a too much bile issue.

kbarrett0701

I had mine taken out at 290 pounds. I'm 125 now and I still eat ice cream(halo top), bacon, cheese(once in a while but goat cheese), spicy food all the fine(I keep mini Tabasco's with me), I don't drink milk or have red meat very often.

AnnPT77

I had mine out in June of 2015 (laparoscopically), and it was pretty much a non-event, other than the activity restrictions for a month afterward (it happened during rowing season, GolDarnIt! )

I was told to avoid high fat foods for some time after surgery, but was still in deficit then & only eating moderate fat anyway, so kept that up & did fine.

I do wish I'd gone to maintenance calories, or a much smaller deficit, for 2-4 weeks after surgery: I think my energy level would've benefitted.

Nowadays, in maintenance, I don't really observe any special gallbladder-related food restrictions, and haven't had any problems at all. I don't see a difference pre- and post-surgery, other than that normal recovery period.

I know some people do have digestive/excretory issues, sometimes food-triggered, after the surgery, and don't want to minimize that. But I did want you to know that it's possible that you, like me, may see no real difference at all.

charlieandcarol

itsalifestylenotadiet wrote: »

I was googling and reading up on the issue for over fours hours prior to having my recent attack and it did say that sometimes small stones can also cause problems, but many people have been able to rid themselves of their stones that were no more than 10mm. With the health problems I have, I am willing to try anything natural instead of another surgery that my body will have a very hard time handling. There is also a medicine that you can take that can help you pass them but again mine are too large for that.

If your doctor recommends surgery, don't delay it in the hope of a 'natural' resolution. I have worked in ICU for 20 years and have seen people go through horrendous pain and suffering due to stones that obstruct bile ducts and cause peritonitis and/or pancreatitis and sepsis leading to multiple organ failure. As mentioned above it can result in a long, painful death or to protracted periods in hospital (6-12 months) with full recovery taking much longer than that, if it happens at all.

Especially if you have the cholecystectomy by laproscope rather than an open one, it should be relatively straight forward although as you have co-morbidities you might need extra support. I guess it is weighing up all the risks involved but I find that a lot of people treat problems with their gall bladder very casually not realising the potential implications if things go bad.

itsalifestylenotadiet

charlieandcarol wrote: »

itsalifestylenotadiet wrote: »

I was googling and reading up on the issue for over fours hours prior to having my recent attack and it did say that sometimes small stones can also cause problems, but many people have been able to rid themselves of their stones that were no more than 10mm. With the health problems I have, I am willing to try anything natural instead of another surgery that my body will have a very hard time handling. There is also a medicine that you can take that can help you pass them but again mine are too large for that.

If your doctor recommends surgery, don't delay it in the hope of a 'natural' resolution. I have worked in ICU for 20 years and have seen people go through horrendous pain and suffering due to stones that obstruct bile ducts and cause peritonitis and/or pancreatitis and sepsis leading to multiple organ failure. As mentioned above it can result in a long, painful death or to protracted periods in hospital (6-12 months) with full recovery taking much longer than that, if it happens at all.

Especially if you have the cholecystectomy by laproscope rather than an open one, it should be relatively straight forward although as you have co-morbidities you might need extra support. I guess it is weighing up all the risks involved but I find that a lot of people treat problems with their gall bladder very casually not realising the potential implications if things go bad.

No doubt, I am just waiting for the referral to see a specialist about it. I have enough problems and certainly don't want to die from this. What gets me is this last trip to the ER, the doctor told me not to worry about them if they don't bother me. Had I known that I had them two years ago it wouldn't have gotten to this point. Sigh, doctors who don't want to help us and just throw everything under the rug are a bain to my existence. I had to look up co-morbidities because I didn't know what that was and am happy to report that I smoked for 10 years, quit for one, smoked again for five years and have now been smoke free for 17 years. and I don't use illegal substances either and very rarely ever drink alcohol.

Zedeff

itsalifestylenotadiet wrote: »

charlieandcarol wrote: »

itsalifestylenotadiet wrote: »

I was googling and reading up on the issue for over fours hours prior to having my recent attack and it did say that sometimes small stones can also cause problems, but many people have been able to rid themselves of their stones that were no more than 10mm. With the health problems I have, I am willing to try anything natural instead of another surgery that my body will have a very hard time handling. There is also a medicine that you can take that can help you pass them but again mine are too large for that.

If your doctor recommends surgery, don't delay it in the hope of a 'natural' resolution. I have worked in ICU for 20 years and have seen people go through horrendous pain and suffering due to stones that obstruct bile ducts and cause peritonitis and/or pancreatitis and sepsis leading to multiple organ failure. As mentioned above it can result in a long, painful death or to protracted periods in hospital (6-12 months) with full recovery taking much longer than that, if it happens at all.

Especially if you have the cholecystectomy by laproscope rather than an open one, it should be relatively straight forward although as you have co-morbidities you might need extra support. I guess it is weighing up all the risks involved but I find that a lot of people treat problems with their gall bladder very casually not realising the potential implications if things go bad.

No doubt, I am just waiting for the referral to see a specialist about it. I have enough problems and certainly don't want to die from this. What gets me is this last trip to the ER, the doctor told me not to worry about them if they don't bother me. Had I known that I had them two years ago it wouldn't have gotten to this point. Sigh, doctors who don't want to help us and just throw everything under the rug are a bain to my existence. I had to look up co-morbidities because I didn't know what that was and am happy to report that I smoked for 10 years, quit for one, smoked again for five years and have now been smoke free for 17 years. and I don't use illegal substances either and very rarely ever drink alcohol.

Your ER doctor was right. Gallstones that don't bother you (ie asymptomatic stones) do not require treatment.

itsalifestylenotadiet

Your ER doctor was right. Gallstones that don't bother you (ie asymptomatic stones) do not require treatment.[/quote]

I get that, the problem is I have had these attacks before but didn't know it was from gallstones because the first ER doctor I went to two years ago didn't do his job and diagnose me correctly. So until I started reading up because of my recent ER visit and then researching them and the attacks I was completely unaware.

ElleMay1978

After I had the stones removed I was fine and could eat what ever i want. It's when I had the stones I had to have a strict diet or I would be sick! In the end eggs would make my sick so I made the decision to have them removed. Good luck with the op!

Golbat

I got my gall bladder out about 7 years ago and it was a very easy surgery. I went in at 7 am and was at home relaxing and watching TV by 11 am. It isn't a difficult surgery. There are some tummy issues as your buddy adjusts to not having a gall bladder, but that goes away.

Getting that darn thing out was the best thing I ever did. Gallstones are ridiculously painful. I think that was more painful than childbirth.

Fuzzipeg

Some find relief by adding lemon juice or fresh ginger to flavour hot water, this can be cooled if preferred. This works by increasing one's own digestive acid which eases bile flow reducing the amount of bile salts which clump making the stones. It works better along side advised dietary changes to help things settle. A health food store would be able to direct you to some other products which help many.

itsalifestylenotadiet

nicoleggates wrote: »

I got my gall bladder out about 7 years ago and it was a very easy surgery. I went in at 7 am and was at home relaxing and watching TV by 11 am. It isn't a difficult surgery. There are some tummy issues as your buddy adjusts to not having a gall bladder, but that goes away.

Getting that darn thing out was the best thing I ever did. Gallstones are ridiculously painful. I think that was more painful than childbirth.

I was thinking the same thing and I had my last two children with no pain meds. Lol

markrgeary1

I didn't listen and had a rough year eating greasy food. It eventually went away. Pay attention to the docs add back foods you want slowly. Life's so much better that it's gone.

Golbat

itsalifestylenotadiet wrote: »

nicoleggates wrote: »

I got my gall bladder out about 7 years ago and it was a very easy surgery. I went in at 7 am and was at home relaxing and watching TV by 11 am. It isn't a difficult surgery. There are some tummy issues as your buddy adjusts to not having a gall bladder, but that goes away.

Getting that darn thing out was the best thing I ever did. Gallstones are ridiculously painful. I think that was more painful than childbirth.

I was thinking the same thing and I had my last two children with no pain meds. Lol

Mine were without pain meds too. Gallstones are a different kind of pain, and it felt worse to me. Horrible! I tried not just eating greasy foods but eventually I had the pain with pretty much anything. It's horrible.

gracesmom0626

I had mine out. It's not a big deal. After a few weeks of recovery your body will adjust and you will be able to eat whatever. I will say some days some foods don't digest well and I have to poop but I was in so much pain with my gallstones I don't care.

kshama2001

My OH had his gallbladder out almost 4 years ago and only needed to change his diet for a very short time.