Gall Bladder Issues?

nlewis22

Does anyone or has anyone else experienced gall bladder issues? I went to the doctor today and he said everything looked fine except when he was palpating my stomach, my gall bladder was tender. I have no other symptoms. I was just wondering what changes other people made and what helped when they found out theirs was acting up? I know eating fatty greasy foods is a no-no, but is there anything else? Obviously I'm already on here because I want to lose weight and this will be one more motivator.

xjellytotsx

HI i was having problems with my gall bladder last year i went to the doctor and i got palmed off with a water infection i then went to a different doctor as i was in exruciating pain (This pain would have me awake for hours all through the night). and i dont have a very fatty diet so not always caused by bad fats. i found out i had gall stones and finally had my gall bladder removed at the end of oct 2012. Im not saying this is what you have and if it was only tender when the doctor pressed on it then it could possibly be a water infection but if not and you are suffering really bad pain then i would definately get a second opinion.

hope that helps xx

VickiMitkins

The following is not to scare, but to let you know that mild symptoms can suddenly become severe and its good that you know you have a potential issue. My niece has had mild to moderate issues for years with her digestive system. As a small child she would refuse to eat (to the point her parents took her to see several doctors) and even as an adult she never ate a lot at any time. Although she had problems there was never a specific diagnosis. She is quite thin and from what I can tell eats a generally healthy diet. She recently became pregnant (her first) and began experiencing what they diagnosed as severe morning sickness. Poor thing could not keep anything down for weeks. In and out of the hospital and had an IV for weeks to provide nutrition. Thank goodness her Mom is an RN and her husband has a stong science background. They kept insisting it had to be more than morning sickness. Finally a gastro expert was brought in and did an ultrasound of her gall-bladder and said that was the problem. They immediately removed it. She has improved steadily since the surgery a couple of weeks ago. Another thing that no one thought of was a family history of gall-bladder problems. Two aunts had theirs removed in their early 50's. I think it just never occurred to anyone that might be her issue because she is only 33.

anvacarz_again

I had my gb removed in May 2012 after discovering several polyps growing inside of it. They kept checking for stones and couldn't see anything. Finally, one of these polyps grew large enough for it to be detected and the surgeon threw the word "tumor" out there and I had him cut it out! Before this discovery though, I lived with constant gb pain for about 6 months. It was in the upper right quadrant, would echo to my back and was just this sort of dull pain that wouldn't go away no matter what I did. My doctor recommended a bland diet, no fat (obviously) and even "complex" vegetables and fruits were off limits. This was hard for me to follow and I was happy to have it removed. There is only so much rice you can eat! I cannot remember the name of the test that I had, but it involved an MRI and I was injected with a tracer. They were able to "see" my gallbladder functioning and this was when it was decided that it needed to be removed. If you eventually go that route, recovery is easy and the entire procedure is nothing to stress over! Best wishes to you.

North44

Yes, I've had gall bladder issues. I had mine removed due to gall stones a couple of years ago. I'm 47 now, but even when I was in college sometimes I would have issues when I ate a lot of greasy food. I would feel very ill- like stomach upset, abdominal pain, plus headache, just very sick. I thought it might be my gallbladder but never had it diagnosed as such, so it's speculation on my part. Fast forward 20 years and I still would have those same issues if I over-ate, but one night it culminated in a horrible attack. I was eating a very fat-laden dinner at a restaurant and started having horrible abdominal pain. I almost thought I was having a heart attack. We drove to the emergency room, but the pain disappeared. I called my BIL who is a doctor and he diagnosed me as having a gall bladder attack. We went home and an hour later I had another attack. Back to the hospital, ultrasound, and surgery followed.

I still have the same issues as before, if I overeat I get very ill.

I ended up joining WW and losing 22 lbs. I gained some of it back- maintenance is a b****, lol- and so found my way here. My innards are so much happier when I limit my calorie intake to a reasonable level. You'd think I'd be able to do it on my own, but for some reason I just need more structure.

nlewis22

You all have helped so much! I am in the middle of some... I'll call it discomfort...right now. As this is all new to me, I just figured out today that I've been having symptoms for a few months, I just thought it was due to my poor posture and my job. Now, not so much. I have a follow up with my Dr. in a month, but if this keeps up I may have it sooner.
thanks again, and if you have any more advice, keep it coming! I don't really want to do this every night!

Careygirl1968

Have you had a gallbladder ultrasound, HIDA scan, or liver function tests? I just had mine out a couple of months ago, along with my appendix!

Sometimes the ultrasound or exam can be negative, but the actual function of the gallbladder is failing, which causes an overall feeling of, let's call it death, instead of the intermittent excruciating pain stones can cause.

Good luck - I certainly don't miss mine!!!

Healthydiner65

All the females in my family have had ours out.The pain was excruciating and diet did not help.Don't let them mess around with your life!

mynameiscarrie

I had mine taken out my first semester of college--fun times. I will say you need to keep an eye on it. I went to the doctor complaining of pain in the area. When he took some blood and saw a slightly elevated white blood cell count he sent me immediately to the emergency room and I was soon after admitted to the hospital for testing and observation. It turned out that the function was just very low so I had it taken out a few weeks later. Gall bladder issues can get serious very quickly- as someone else posted. If you are feeling pain, you really need to pay attention to it.

ETA: when/if you get it taken out, make sure to be careful with your diet. Some things--high in fat usually-- cause me to have intense pain and I'm in the bathroom about 30 seconds after I eat it. I can't eat homemade mac and cheese or hardly anything fried. It's good and bad

Lib_B

I had mine removed. I had stones. gall bladder attacks were the worst pain of my life -- which includes a torn ACL and ACL reconstruction plus knee rehab and two c-sections. pregnancy can cause stones - which is why women are slightly more prone to them.

sounds like they aren't ready to take yours out yet? i was so glad to have mine removed, but yes, cut way back on fats will help to some degree. for me, it was lying down that would land those stones in my gall duct and that's what was causing the pain. and if you do have it out, fats may go right thru you in the future. good luck!!! oh, and i had mine out on a Friday and was back to my desk job on Monday. if they only have to scope you, recovery is a breeze.

mynameiscarrie

I had mine removed. I had stones. gall bladder attacks were the worst pain of my life -- which includes a torn ACL and ACL reconstruction plus knee rehab and two c-sections. pregnancy can cause stones - which is why women are slightly more prone to them.

sounds like they aren't ready to take yours out yet? i was so glad to have mine removed, but yes, cut way back on fats will help to some degree. for me, it was lying down that would land those stones in my gall duct and that's what was causing the pain. and if you do have it out, fats may go right thru you in the future. good luck!!! oh, and i had mine out on a Friday and was back to my desk job on Monday. if they only have to scope you, recovery is a breeze.

LOL I just said the same thing about fat going right through you. Glad I'm not the only one!!

Manda86

I had mine removed as well - my issues with food didn't end after surgery, however, I have post cholecystectomy syndrome. My body hits the 'reject' button on several foods, especially fatty ones. I can eat greasy food, but get sick pretty quickly afterwards so I choose not to if I can avoid it. My gall bladder was functioning at 10% prior to removal, I was NPO for a WEEK during my hospitalization prior to surgery! It was miserable but I felt much better afterwards.

Wanted to add, here's some help formulating a new diet to help w/gall bladder issues. Eating habits make a HUGE difference in comfort.

Hope this helps!

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/gallbladder-diet-foods-for-gallbadder-problems

rockermom5

I had issues for about 2 years before it was determined that I had gallstones. I had bad reactions to different foods and had a near constant bloated painful abdomen. I finally had one bad attack that ended up with an ER visit and I finally found out what the problem was. I got my gallbladder out just about 2 months ago and I feel a ton better. I didn't realize how bad I felt until the source of the issue was gone. I also ended up having an umbilical hernia that they repaired at the same time.

Before I got it removed, I controlled the pain by eliminating a lot of fat content from my diet. That got me through until surgery. Good luck!

m000nica

When you are on a low calorie diet or loosing weight rapidly, there is a risk of developing gall stones because of the bile composition changes.

kerriberry74

I had problems for a good 12 years before finally having mine out. Whenever I would find a specific food that set off my system, I would avoid it. Things finally came to a head when I hit the point that the only things I could stomach were bagels & toast. Everything else would at the very least threaten to make an escape; I spent a lot of time praying to the porcelain god. I was told the usual, avoid fat, dairy, caffeine, ect. By the time I had my surgery, I was feeling a whole lot better, but I knew from history that it would not have lasted very long. Turns out, I had 3 HUGE stones. Having my gb removed was probably the best thing I could have done. I also have the post surgery issues still, but considering i'm not in almost constant pain, i'll happily deal with it.

One thing that helped for me when I had pain was to curl up with a heating pad against my stomach. It was probably more of a comfort thing than anything else, but I had hit the point that i'd try anything.

MissyMouse2323

I had mine taken out a couple years ago... One night I laid down to go to sleep and had this excruciating pain in my abdomen... I could not take the pain anymore... I seriously thought my appendix had exploded.... I went to the emergency room and they diagnosed that I had gall stones... A couple days latter I had the surgery to have it removed... The doctor counted 100 stones!!!

I don't notice much difference except when I eat A LOT of fatty foods... and when I drink sugar (for some weird reason)... which doesn't really bother me anyway because I try to avoid both!!!

GoTeamMeaghan

i had emergency to have mine out when i was 20. get a doctor that you trust & that will listen to you-i had a specialist tell me it was probably just horomones...at 20?! fast forward 6 months & i'm getting emergency surgery! its so frustrating when you go to the emergency room because it takes them so long to get an ultrasound, that the attack is over and they cant see the stone...so annoying! im not usually one to want to get surgery, but it is seriously a really easy surgery. even with complications, i was back to work in 2 weeks. definitely stay away from greasy & spicy food! hope you feel better.

cathrynfay

After my pregnancy I developed gallstones out of the blue. I was fine one day, and the next day I was crying in pain, doubled over. My gallbladder was removed a week later. For me it was much better to have it out than try to deal with the attacks. I avoided fat for about six months but now I eat normally with no problems.

MyChocolateDiet

Yeah I have issues. It just galls me when my bladder can't even hold a couple ounces. I mean I drink a little water cause you're supposed to during a workout but then I have to stop my workout to pee. Plus I really take issue with my bladder when it has the gall to demand I run to the restroom emergency style and then the tiniest amount comes out. ANNOYING!

HopeAnchorstheSoul

When you are on a low calorie diet or loosing weight rapidly, there is a risk of developing gall stones because of the bile composition changes.

I thought it had something to do with losing weight rapidly. This happened to me 2 years ago. I was on 1200 cals for like 5 months then when I went back to my old eating habits I started having pain and went to the emergency room, they did an ultrasound, and said I had a gall stone. They suggested I have removal surgery but I never did . I haven't had any more problems though even though I was eating poorly. Now I'm back on here and I was doing 1200 for the past 2 weeks but I just upped my cals to 1800...

LauraW1219

Everyone develops differently. I had some discomfort, but the pain was worse then child birth. Make sure you tell the doctor everything. .Mine exploded so but the time I got to the next doctor he had to cut three holes in my stomach to get all the floating pieces out. Theres no mistaking that kind of pain. I don't know if my symptoms are different, but it caused to me have a lot of gas. I burped all the time and that isn't like me.

ruthieg10

I had mine taken out a couple years ago... One night I laid down to go to sleep and had this excruciating pain in my abdomen... I could not take the pain anymore... I seriously thought my appendix had exploded.... I went to the emergency room and they diagnosed that I had gall stones... A couple days latter I had the surgery to have it removed... The doctor counted 100 stones!!!

I don't notice much difference except when I eat A LOT of fatty foods... and when I drink sugar (for some weird reason)... which doesn't really bother me anyway because I try to avoid both!!!

Oh my word 100 stones?!? I had about 7 stones in mine and i was in agony, by far the worst pain i have ever been in!You poor thing!Hope your all better now :-) xx

nlewis22

Again thanks everyone, and good morning! I have been awake for a little over 2 hours and my discomfort has begun again. I slept all throught the night, but woke up and drank some water (wth?!) and boom, that weird feeling again. I will say that it's not the excrutiating pain that you all have been describing, so maybe there's hope for me yet? I guess we'll see and I'll be eating a whole lot less fat, I can tell you that! It's just going to be hard because I've been working on the sugar part because people in my family have diabetes. I guess watching what you eat is a lot harder than I thought...:grumble:

WBB55

I have been awake for a little over 2 hours and my discomfort has begun again. I slept all throught the night, but woke up and drank some water (wth?!) and boom, that weird feeling again.

My gall bladder story is similar to many others here. You might not realize how much pain you're in all the time. I didn't. I woke up in recovery after the surgery, laid still, and for the first time in 10 years I was pain free. I didn't even know what to do. I hadn't realized how much pain I was in every day until the pain was gone. The doctor later told me he'd never seen such a large -- but intact -- gall bladder, not even close, they usually rupture LONG before they get that big, and he had been doing 10/day for 15 years. He sat me down, very sympathetically, and said "I'm so sorry it took this long for a diagnosis. I bet you were in a lot of pain for a LONG time."

I really think the constant low level pain, feeling ill and uncomfortable after meals, and (at the end) MASSIVE SEVERE LEVEL 10/10 PAIN (Doctors had been telling me for years that it was stress and all in my head) caused a lot of my eating issues and binge and hunger and emotional things that I treated with depression/anxiety/sleep medication.

gallblader-ectomy? rated 10/10. Would do again in a heartbeat.

dancngdolfn

I never had gall bladder problems then one day i was having a problem breathing and it last about 10 minutes with a pain in between my shoulderblades and the chest and it felt like i was in a vice being squished. They started happening once a month and sometimes they would last for 10 minutes longest was 4 hours is was horrible horrible pain. Found out it was my gall bladder and 3 months later they took it out and i have felt great ever since. Hope you figure it out. I know my grandpa has gall stones but he never has any attacks so they haven't done anything with his.

fatjavotte

Gallstones are NOT caused by fat in your diet.
Doctors took seven years to diagnose my gallstones (with hindsight, my symptoms were textbook!) because I was overweight, so of course my stomach pains must have been caused by overeating (even when they happened in the morning before breakfast).
Giving birth without pain relief was a walk in the park after that!

cas2you2

I was in so much pain after eating and come to find out my gallbladder was acting up. My doctor told me that usually everyone has gall stones and they don't know it but when they get caught in the opening and don't let the gallbladder close again it can cause a lot of pain. We can live without it but you will find that your food is digested differently and there will be some foods you can't eat as well or as much of. Sometimes eating fatty foods will cause you problems and sometimes it won't.

SanteMulberry

Crash dieting can precipitate gall bladder issues (that is why it is better to limit weight loss to 1 pound or less per week if you have a tendency). The old maxim of those prone to gall bladder issues being "fair, fat, forty and flatulent" is true to some extent although I had mine removed at 28 and my daughter had her's removed at 30 (the flatulence is typically due to the incomplete digestion of fat and it will go away as the liver compensates for the loss of concentrated bile from the cholecystectomy--removal of the gall bladder). It is wise to have it removed if there are stones present, as getting a stone lodged in the common bile duct is a crisis and requires emergency surgery ASAP--it can also make someone VERY ill. I didn't have stones, but I did have chronic congestion, inflammation and infection (as it turned out, the duct leading out of the gall bladder was "kinked"). The surgeon, was initially reluctant to remove my gall bladder because x-rays didn't show stones, but when I continued to be ill with symptoms, they did a special x-ray that showed it was "non functioning" and went ahead with the surgery. He said, after the surgery, that it was very scarred and calcified and was going necrotic when he removed it. The pathology report confirmed what the surgeon said.

TrailRunner61

Have you had a gallbladder ultrasound, HIDA scan, or liver function tests? I just had mine out a couple of months ago, along with my appendix!

Sometimes the ultrasound or exam can be negative, but the actual function of the gallbladder is failing, which causes an overall feeling of, let's call it death, instead of the intermittent excruciating pain stones can cause.

Good luck - I certainly don't miss mine!!!

This.. I started having pain in the general area and knew exactly what it was due to family history. I had a sonogram and mine looked normal, but since my aunts, mom, sisters and everyone else in my family had already had theirs out, I pushed for more tests. I had a radioactive scan (i think that's what it was) and they found out that I didn't have stones but it was full of what they called 'sludge', and wasn't functioning correctly, which is just as bad. I had mine taken out within a few days, on a Thurs and went back to work Mon. with no problems. I do not miss it! Don't wait around and let it get infected or have to have emergency surgery! Good luck!

DeborahBatewell

I had to have my gall bladder removed after loosing over 100 pounds about 6 years ago. I've also had other friends that lost a lot of weight and it happened to them too. Rapid weight loss can make your gall bladder go haywire.

Lib_B

I never had gall bladder problems then one day i was having a problem breathing and it last about 10 minutes with a pain in between my shoulderblades and the chest and it felt like i was in a vice being squished. They started happening once a month and sometimes they would last for 10 minutes longest was 4 hours is was horrible horrible pain. Found out it was my gall bladder and 3 months later they took it out and i have felt great ever since. Hope you figure it out. I know my grandpa has gall stones but he never has any attacks so they haven't done anything with his.

This explains mine perfectly. It was difficult to breathe, had pain in my chest and it radiated to my shoulder blades. The night I was diagnosed, I woke up around 1 AM thinking I was having a heart attack. My husband was working 1,500 miles away and I had to call my sister and her hubby to come watch my 1 year old and have them take me to the ER. I seriously thought I was going to die. Took 3 morphine injections to alleviate the pain.