Gallstones :( What CAN i eat? theres so much i CANT

jessica182517

UGH!!! So i have been having this really bad pain coming and going and lasting for at least 4 hours at a time..I went to the Dr and guess what? I have issues with my Gallbaldder, and have to get an ultrasound next week and talk to the surgon after that. In the mean time i have to follow a SUPER strickt diet so that the gallbaldder stays calm and the stones dont get stuck and cause me the horrible pain ive been having. She sent me home with this list of stuff i cant eat and you wouldnt even believe how long this list is! No eggs, milk, broccoli, pretty much any meat besides cold water fish, not even tap water...OMG how am i going to survive LOL the list of stuff i can eat is so small and half of it is nasty food lol Have any of you had this issue? What was your take on it? What did you find that really made things worse and what helped? When i get the pain its just about as bad as labor pain so i want to avoid it as much as possible, I will be getting my gallbladder removed but its probably going to be a few weeks at least...I have been doing my own research all morning but everytime i just find more things i cant eat, basically i have to be on a diet of fish and maybe some fruits...HELP

Brelynn

Wow...how often do you have these attacks? I only had attacks (yes, I can relate to the pain) when I ate meals quite high in fat. And when I was diagnosed and told I had gallstones I was just told to stay away from high fat foods. I am thinking everyone's tolerance for fatty foods may be different and your doctor is just wanting to be sure that you don't have any more attacks, but having said that, you may be able to eat some of the foods on that list. Just consider your history and what foods caused you to have attacks in the past and stay away from those.

ColtyHan

I was the same as the other poster. I only had attacks with greasy foods, lettuce, and popcorn. I found that if I got dehydrated, the stones would "settle" or "stick" and I would have an attack, but if I drank a few big glasses of water the attack would go away sooner. I think every body is different, and you will find things you can eat. I would advise small meals, so the gallbladder doesn't crank into high gear. Other than that, don't put off the surgery too long. I did, and ended up with a stone blocking a duct. I got pancreatitis and had to spend 3 days in the hospital. I couldn't eat anything for the first 2 days until my pancreas and galblader settled down and they could safely get me into surgery.

LeightonSays

I had my Gallbladder taken out two years ago because I had gallstones. I can't tell you much about what you can eat, but I know a few things that ease the pain, (which is similar to a heart attack!)

- rocking back and forth in the fetal position moves the stones around
- I found taking a shot of vodka calmed me down enough to relax and the pain went away
- going outside.. the cold air shocks your system a bit
- leaning over your bed with your chest against it, bent at the waist

Hope some of these help you!

lizziebeth1028

I had my gallbladder out 2 years ago after a series of painful PAINFUL attacks. Ugh. I had to wait 3 weeks until my surgery was scheduled. I ate a lot of white rice, jello, low fat foods in small portions, grilled chicken, soft cooked veggies (fruits were a trigger for me so I avoided them). No pop, no high fat, fried foods and generally no over eating...stuffed belly = gallbladder attack. It was a long long 3 weeks and yep I lost weight and not in a healthy way. Surgery was a godsend. Absolutely no problems since then!!! Best thing I did!!!! Good luck, hang in there, you'll be feeling better in no time:flowerforyou:

ebonyroche

A low fat diet is what my dr put me on until my surgery, I had my gall bladder removed in November. I had one attack and I couldn't take it anymore, it was like labor pains.

OMGSugarOHNOS

I was the same as the other poster. I only had attacks with greasy foods, lettuce, and popcorn. I found that if I got dehydrated, the stones would "settle" or "stick" and I would have an attack, but if I drank a few big glasses of water the attack would go away sooner. I think every body is different, and you will find things you can eat. I would advise small meals, so the gallbladder doesn't crank into high gear. Other than that, don't put off the surgery too long. I did, and ended up with a stone blocking a duct. I got pancreatitis and had to spend 3 days in the hospital. I couldn't eat anything for the first 2 days until my pancreas and galblader settled down and they could safely get me into surgery.

THIS! be careful, same thing happened to my wife but it was more like a month in the hospital and she went almost 2 weeks with out eating anything..she almost died. Good luck!

cajuntank

I just had mine out in early November; and although mine wasn't stones; my HIDA scan showed only working at 5%. Luckily, I had to only wait about a week before my surgery, but it was plain baked potatoes, low fat greek yogurt, baked chicken or fish, and rice for me during that time...not that I ate much because I did not want to go through that kind of pain again and was really scared to eat. I've read that if you do feel yourself having a gallbladder attack, to mix a little apple cider vinegar with some unfiltered apple juice and drink that down as the type of acid in apples helps quiet attacks. Good luck.

ShrinkingDown

WARNING ******* Weight loss can CAUSE gallstones *********

Gallstones is excrutiating. Right up there with childbirth!

I had gallstones & a gallbladder removal about 5 yrs ago. BUT what caused it was being on a very strict low calorie diet with hardly any fat. I went on Reductil (Sibutramine) to curb my appetite, lost about 4 stones in 6 months by eating less than 1600 cal per day (often much less) and exercising every day and felt absolutely amazing and motivated! Until..aaarrgghh!!!!

HOWEVER, what I didn't know was that a LOW FAT diet/weightloss can CAUSE gallstones (Google it!). I started off not being able to eat certain foods but in the end I couldn't eat anything. Everything caused pain and I was stuck on a waiting list for an op until I had a bad attack one day, called the doctor, who gave me morpine and phoned for an ambulance.

If your urine turns orange, go to the doctor/hospital immediately. I didn't realise this was a sign that things were serious and the bile was building up in my liver.

Touch wood I have been OK since the op, but unfortunately have put all my weight back on...+ a bit more (I am so cross with myself for this).
I now realise that I can't 'crash diet' as I don't want to risk the gallstones returning, especially as I have no gallbladder to help dissolve them in. So, I'm looking at a slow weight loss now.

BTW I agree the best position for me was kneeling down leaning over the sofa and rocking! Good luck!

Clemsonmom

My surgeon put me on a low fat diet. He told me that 1 piece of pizza could put me in the emergency room. I eat rice, green beans, baked or grilled chicken, fish, jello, just low fat and NOT greasy. Everyone is different. My mom had lung cancer and I needed to put my surgery off. Hope you find things that will work for you.

Beamll

Gall stones run in my family. My grandmother had her gallbladder removed is was so bad. My sister is looking to get hers removed. I will do anything to avoid surgery so I have changed my diet and added some herbs and I haven't had an attach since started them. I added ginger and milk thistle. Gall stones actually start in the liver so the ginger and milk thistle help with cleansing the liver. I also started eating more apple because pectin help dissolve the stones. Like I said not attacks for over two months.

jessica182517

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I will be going to the dr next week for an ultrasound and to talk to the surgon about when i should get surgery. I hope its right away so i can just get it done with and feel better. I am so scared to eat anything becuase i dont wantto be in any pain like someone else said its pretty close to labor pain only it lasts for hours on hours at a time you dont get a few sec break between like contractions I have already lost about 5 lbs in the past few days all i have eaten is some carrots, hummus, chicken and salmon and some apples...it sucks i had the worst headache and stomach ache yesterday it was terrible...just want this to be over with...ill slowly start adding things i think will be ok that are on the do not eat list since there is so much on there and i just feel like im not getting enough of what i need and my body dosent like it lol

lilysmama08

I feel for you! I had gallbladder attacks for 10 weeks before i could get it removed because i was pregnant. Fatty foods set mine off too, and make sure you watch out for oily dressings!!

sabrina_stafford

I started having attacks while pregnant, and just delt with if for a few years after before finally having it out. I would go days without eating while pregnant to try avoiding the attacks at first. But still had them, so for me what I ate wasn't an issue. After having mine out (almost 10 years now I would say) I still get attacks from time to time. Like a previous poster, cold air seems to help ease the discomfort for me.

PomegranatePriestess

You may not like what I'm about to tell you, but I am only the messenger. This advice actually came from my doctor, who told me that all of those "what not to eat" lists are BS. ANY food can cause an attack. Every time you eat, your digestion is activated. I agree with people who said that fatty/greasy foods are worse because I think your gallbladder has to work harder, but if you look at what an attack consists of (in most cases, a gall stone moving into the bile duct) you'll agree that it's not any particular type of food that suddenly makes a stone move. It's digestion in general.

My story: When I had my first attack, I didn't even know what it was and didn't see a doctor. It's important to note that I had not started a diet yet... there goes the idea that dieting causes the attacks. (Actually, it's probably more like genetics and poor diet.) After I started to diet, I had another attack. This time I saw the doctor, who recommended surgery. I didn't want the surgery at first. I resisted it, opting to continue dieting and take my chances. It was another six months or so before I had the next attack and decided to have the surgery... by then, I had dropped 73 pounds. I was in much better shape to have surgery at that point, and I'm glad I had it.

The only issue I've had since then is that my body does not appreciate greasy, fatty foods. Otherwise, I'm fine, and my lifespan isn't impacted by the loss of the organ.

rubberbiscuit

I had my gallbladder removed due to gallstones almost 3 weeks ago. My doctor had me eating as low-fat as I could manage. After several days of eating ultra low-fat, I was feeling almost normal. Prior to low-fat, I was feeling sick 24 hours a day, not just when I was having an attack.

Looking through my diary, some of my staples were non-fat cottage cheese, non-fat greek yogurt, lean chicken and pork, salads with non-fat dressing, fat-free soups, potatoes with non-fat sour cream, and sweet potatoes. I'm also diabetic and on low carbs, so I struggled a lot with getting enough calories. Since surgery, I'm still low-fat, but I'm not as strict as I was prior to surgery. I feel 100% better and I'm not even struggling with the issues most people have with having their gallbladder removed. My doctor said that if your gallbladder has been sick for a long time, that you might barely notice that it's gone. Good luck to you.

DBBA21

I had gallstones diagnosed over 12 years ago very rarely had any pain nothing seemed to aggravate an attack however the month of October was a problem (mmmm not sure why) 2 admittance to hospital in October of different years. If i did have any pain i found that it helped to find a comfortable position & not move out of it. my last attack was virtually constant pain for 10 days couldn't sleep couldn't move. At the last scan it showed 1 stone however it was 44mm in size I waited 12 months for surgery which I had last February. Luckily by keyhole surgery recovered in about 6 weeks returned to the gym 8 weeks later. Recovery does differ dramatically some people up & about in a week. I do seem ok to eat most things now however I do suffer occasionally with 'dumping' if have an unsuitable meal.

Hope your gallbladder settles down and your pain remains manageable.

I developed gallstones as a result of weight loss lol oh the joy

jessica182517

I dont think mine is really from weight loss, i have only lost about 20 lbs and its been over about a 5 or 6 month period i didnt want to lose too fast and i was starting out slow so i didnt give up. My mom had the same thing when she was around my age so im pretty sure its genetics and the fact im overweight probably didnt help. But i didnt have an attack yesterday just a horrible headache and felt like i was going to throw up all day so i just laid around and tried to sleep it off...This morning has been ok and im keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way (knock on wood) but thanks everyone for your stories and what helped you its helpful knowing that i dont have to be totally dependent on that stupid list of foods...ill just stick to low fat she told me mostly saturated fat will cause the gallbladder to act up the most, if you dont eat things that make it act up and have to produce bile it should stay calm so thats what i have been trying to avoid..do you know how hard it is to find food to eat with an upset tummy that have NO saturated fat?? LOL its crazy..

PomegranatePriestess

Sounds like a plan.

To be more specific, my doctor made some pretty good points. He said, "Have you seen what's on the list of things you're not supposed to eat? It reads like the typical American diet. Why is that? Well, they compiled data from all the people who had attacks. They said, 'What did you eat today before the attack?' And so people listed off whatever they ate, and where similarities were found, conclusions were drawn. But it wasn't really conclusive evidence."

Since super greasy/fatty/fried things make the gallbladder work the hardest, I'd stay away from those... and since you're wanting to lose weight, you are most likely staying away from those sorts of things anyway as a general rule. Good luck!!

neverstray

Doctors are idiots. PMing you,.

mwownbey

I had my gallbladder removed in Dec 2005. This was after about 3 years of having horrible attacks that put me in the ER several times. They kept telling me I had Chest Wall Pain. It felt like I was having a heart attack it was so sharp and painful. Finally a friend said it sounded just like her pain and hers had been her gallbladder. I called my Dr the next morning and when they did an unltrasound I had a huge stone that would move around and get stuck in the duct and cause the pain. It would last until the stone worked loose and sunk back down. It never seemed to matter what I ate when I had an attack. It would just come on. I could go weeks and be fine and then it would hit. I agree that it is probably one of the most painful things ever.

I agree with the previous posters that leaning over and rocking was about the only thing that seemed to help any. It definitely did not make it go away, but helped easy it. Good luck until you can get this taken care of!!!!

PomegranatePriestess

Doctors are idiots. PMing you,.

Not all doctors are idiots, actually.

kikionna4

I had gallbladder attacks right after I had my son in 2010 which lasted off and on for a year until I found out I had gallstones. Idid get pancreatitis in November 2011 while being like 7 weeks pregnant with my daughter so I couldn't get it removed. I have had maybe 1-2 attacks since then but none serious more just achey. I know what my triggers are for them so I basically just eat low fat foods. My triggers are anything dairy related pretty much. Cheese is by far the number 1 trigger for me, which sucks but you get used to it. After improving my diet I haven't felt better! Also what caused my small stone to get stuck in the bile duct is from leaning forward and rocking back and forth. Baaaad idea. I will have to get it out eventually but as for right now with knowing my triggers it's fine. Also this might be tmi but I can always tell when I need to give my gallbladder a rest is my BMs will be yellowish. Which is very common when you have gallstones.

strangesoul79

Had my gallbladder removed about 2 years ago or so. I had had attacks for a couple years before that but the last one sent me to the er with a pulse of 34 and blood pressure up a good bit. Main thing to avoid is grease and fats. At least that was how it was with me. I drank milk all the time and ate greens but never had attacks when I had had them it was only when I ate way to much grease and fats that it would hit.

bwhitty67

Having mine out next week! Yikes!!

I was also told, losing weight can make them very upset (the stones). That its not just fat that can bring on an attack its a combo of fat/protein. But now anything does it, but I think I'll have a pretty good idea what a heart attack is gonna feel like when this is out of me. :explode:

blakenz

A friend of mine recently went on a weekend long organic apple ONLY diet to help with gallstones, she said that she naturally passed through quite a number of gall stones.

You may want to look into it further.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5139430_apple-juice-remedy-gallstones.html

losinjen

I'm going in for an ultrasound tomorrow to see if I have gallstones. Interestingly enough I had my gallbladder removed in 2000. I had been having attacks and went to the ER several times only to be told that I had heartburn. They didn't expect a 21 year old to have gallbladder issues is what I was told. I ended up with a blocked bile duct and severely ill.

After having my son 12 weeks ago I've started having attacks that felt similar. I went to the ER last weekend hoping they could figure out the pain. It never occured to me that I could have gallstones again since it's been removed. Well seems like my doctor is thinking gallstones. It's apparently not common but it can happen that you develop stones without even having a gallblader. I'm not even sure how you treat that!

I don't have any trigger foods really. I've had attacks after eating a turkey sandwhich. I've had an attack after eating crackers. I've had an attack after eating chicken & rice. It seems like pretty much anything can cause me to have an attack.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Wow...how often do you have these attacks? I only had attacks (yes, I can relate to the pain) when I ate meals quite high in fat. And when I was diagnosed and told I had gallstones I was just told to stay away from high fat foods. I am thinking everyone's tolerance for fatty foods may be different and your doctor is just wanting to be sure that you don't have any more attacks, but having said that, you may be able to eat some of the foods on that list. Just consider your history and what foods caused you to have attacks in the past and stay away from those.

My sister was able to re-train her gall bladder with the help of her doctor to avoid surgery and get her body to be able to eat higher fat foods.

She had to do under the advice of a doctor and very slowly............

Her Dr also said the low fat way of life that everyone is told to eat is the blame for the high incidences of gall bladder issues we see today. People need to train their bodies to be able to accept digesting fat.

yuckidah

I've had mine removed (10+yrs ago) but before the op, after my one and only HUGE attack, I didn't make any dietary changes and had no ill effects whatsoever. Guess I was lucky as it was over a year from the attack to the surgery.
My GB was FULL of rocks - I've still got them in a specimen jar, lol.