Warning on Gall Stones

Roaringgael

I've really been torn on having the surgery. I am 39 and never been under the knife so I'm looking for natural solutions. I found an article somewhere that a doctor can perscribe medication to help remove the stones but it can take 6 months to a year. I've also talked to some people about natural treatments.

I just want to avoid the surgery if I can.

Honestly, have the surgery. Its minor these days. I had it as day surgery. They do it laproscopically.
Don't risk complications, it doesn't 'get better' or go away.
Like I mentioned earlier in a post, I still create stones in my liver duct - not everyone does this only the "lucky" few. But I still have never regretted the surgery.

jbee27

I've really been torn on having the surgery. I am 39 and never been under the knife so I'm looking for natural solutions. I found an article somewhere that a doctor can perscribe medication to help remove the stones but it can take 6 months to a year. I've also talked to some people about natural treatments.

I just want to avoid the surgery if I can.

Echoing several comments above, surgery is usually your best option. There is no "natural option" to remove gallstones. There is a medication, but you would need to take it the rest of your life, otherwise the stones will re-form. My doctor and surgeon both said they would only advise the meds if the patient is elderly and/or there are other reasons that surgery would be dangerous.

I also had never had surgery before (age 25 at the timeI had my removed via laparoscope, I have one, very tiny, incision scar that is located almost completely within my belly button. I had the surgery at 8:00am, was home by 4:00pm and was back at work 2 days later.

I only had one gallbladder attack, and that was enough for me. It was so painful that I could barely walk or breathe...not an experience I wanted to repeat.

eyecandyrayce

I asked my doc about those drugs and he said they don't really work.

I attribute mine to a combination of acid reflux, my rapid weight loss 5 years ago and my affinity for super rich, cheesy foods. It's horribly unpleasant and my insurance doesn't kick in until march so suffer on I must. The attacks are agonizing and I need pretty serious pain killers to cope.

I'm in the exact same boat as you.

QuietBloom

My husband had gall bladder issues and finally have it removed 18 months ago. It had gotten to the point where he lived with daily pain. Once the gall bladder was removed, the pain immediately ceased. Interestingly, the pains he had been having in his neck and shoulder also vanished. It's strange, but a bad gall bladder effects many parts of your physical being, many of which you would never consider. My husband recovered very quickly from the surgery, which was done via laparoscopy. Honestly, his only regret was the he didn't have it removed sooner. Please don't suffer needlessly if you don't have to.

Referred pain. It's quite common. I am glad that your husband is well now.

RLDeShazo

I had mine removed shortly after my 13th birthday. The night of my birthday, I had intense pain. I had had pains before off and on for months, but nothing like this. The next day, we went to the doctor, and they performed an emergency appendectomy. All was well for about 2 weeks, when the same pain started again. After some tests and an ultrasound, they found out that it was my gall bladder (although the surgeon still insisted that my appendix was also bad). 6 weeks later, I had it removed. During that 6 weeks, I was miserable, couldn't hold much of anything down and ended up losing about 15 pounds through the whole ordeal.

The doctor said I had so many stones, I had probably been developing them from birth. :grumble:

eyecandyrayce

I had mine removed shortly after my 13th birthday. The night of my birthday, I had intense pain. I had had pains before off and on for months, but nothing like this. The next day, we went to the doctor, and they performed an emergency appendectomy. All was well for about 2 weeks, when the same pain started again. After some tests and an ultrasound, they found out that it was my gall bladder (although the surgeon still insisted that my appendix was also bad). 6 weeks later, I had it removed. During that 6 weeks, I was miserable, couldn't hold much of anything down and ended up losing about 15 pounds through the whole ordeal.

The doctor said I had so many stones, I had probably been developing them from birth. :grumble:

Wow. That's rough.

I've been able to avoid most flare ups by watching what I eat but get one every now and then. I have some pills for the nausea and some for the pain. They help get me through the episodes but eventually I'm going to run out of pills.

ThriceBlessed

I lost weight very quickly, had a severe gall bladder attack that turned into pancreatitis because a tiny stone somehow ended up traveling through my bile duct to where the pancreas is supposed to able to secrete digestive juices, and lodged itself in the opening, so every time I ate my pancreas began to digest itself. It also took a toll on my liver and kidneys, and I nearly died.

After being in the hospital not allowed to eat or drink for a week (on IV for fluids), I was stable enough for surgery. A few days after surgery I was okay to go home.

I too wished that someone had told me about that risk. Also, my doctor said the chances of a gall bladder attack were highest on a low-carb diet.

This was all years ago... since then I gained back the weight, and now I'm losing it again....