People who've had gall bladder attacks?
palmerdanielle
Posts: 341 Member
So, I'm going to go to a walk-in clinic tomorrow to get some medical advice but I've noticed since I've been eating better and losing weight I've been having some stomach pains. Generally late at night, really bad stomach aches where I've felt really nauseous and just can't sleep and lay in pain for about an hour, sometimes longer. I thought at first it was because I've been eating better, and the first time this happened I'd had Chinese food that day at the mall, and it tends to be very fatty/greasy. So I thought okay, my body just doesn't agree with this now.
But now it's happened quite a few times, and I've noticed it's always when I've eaten really fatty greasy foods that day. Problems with gall bladders run in my family. My grandpa had his out, my mom had hers out, and my little brother did at the age of only 8yrs old. So I'm seriously wondering if this could be it. Again, I'm going to see a Doctor and get a referral for an ultrasound if they think it sounds like that could be it, but I'm just wondering if anyone's had similar experiences? I know some people have much worse gall bladder attacks as well, did anyone's start out like this?
It may turn out to be something completely different, but right now this really seems like it could be the issue. It's just sucky because overall I'm eating way better than I did before and after losing weight it'd be really unfortunate to start having problems like this but that's just how things go I guess.
tl;dr: I'm having bad stomach aches and pains, nothing like I've ever had before, worried it could be gall bladder attacks as they run in my family, going to see a Doctor tomorrow but want to hear other people's own stories.
But now it's happened quite a few times, and I've noticed it's always when I've eaten really fatty greasy foods that day. Problems with gall bladders run in my family. My grandpa had his out, my mom had hers out, and my little brother did at the age of only 8yrs old. So I'm seriously wondering if this could be it. Again, I'm going to see a Doctor and get a referral for an ultrasound if they think it sounds like that could be it, but I'm just wondering if anyone's had similar experiences? I know some people have much worse gall bladder attacks as well, did anyone's start out like this?
It may turn out to be something completely different, but right now this really seems like it could be the issue. It's just sucky because overall I'm eating way better than I did before and after losing weight it'd be really unfortunate to start having problems like this but that's just how things go I guess.
tl;dr: I'm having bad stomach aches and pains, nothing like I've ever had before, worried it could be gall bladder attacks as they run in my family, going to see a Doctor tomorrow but want to hear other people's own stories.
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Replies
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The doctor should be able to give you a good idea of what's going on but it does sound like gallbladder issues to me!
Mine definitely acts up if I eat anything too fatty or greasy, and it used to be so bad all I could do was lie down in pain until it subsided... Now if I start to get one, I take a shotglass full of organic apple cider vinegar and chase it with a big glass of water. Tastes awful but it's honestly the only thing that helps short of getting it surgically removed.
I actually just started a "gallbladder cleanse" today, I can't vouch for the product yet but the reviews were good! Look up Cleanse Drops, you take them according to the directions and also drink half of your body weight (in ounces, so I'm 191, I have to drink ~96 ounces of water daily while I'm doing the cleanse), other people claim it's made a huge difference in their gallbladder problems :flowerforyou:0 -
Good luck at the clinic tomorrow. I hope it all turns out okay for you.
As a side note, I had similar symptoms and found out I had acid reflux. If I eat really fatty foods, it acts up so I stay far away as possible from them.0 -
i had mine taken out, my gallbladder was to thick so it wasnt even functioning. But it was CRAZY bad pains, that would cause me to double over in pain, itd also feel like a rock under my ribs right in the middle, vomiting, nausea, like you said no comfortable position to lay in, sit in anything, to me it sounds like gallbladder, the surgery isnt bad leaves you with 3 little scars0
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Thanks so much everyone!
I'm hoping it's nothing serious but as much as it would suck, I guess gall bladder could be one of the not as terrible things it could be, I mean there are always worse things. Yeah my mom and brother had the surgery and from what I remember recovery was quick and minimal scarring so at least if I have to get it there's always that- still no one wants surgery! But I also hate when you know something is wrong but it takes a while for doctors to figure it out so we'll see.
I'll definitely keep the advice in mind, I've tried cider vinegar before, long time ago just to try it and yeah it's not great but if it helps I'd try that method, I'll see what the doctor says and update when I find out what it is!
And I'll see if it could be bad acid reflux but I've had bad acid reflux before and this doesn't feel the same- but you never know it still could be. I'll try and cut down my fats and any greasy stuff for a bit anyways.
Today when it happened- I'd had pizza for lunch followed by an apple with almond butter a couple hours later, and not long after eating those it happened and I know pizza's greasy and fatty, and I wonder if even the almond butter being more natural and very oily with natural healthy fats could've contributed too, and yeah, no position is comfortable but I find standing/walking is the absolute worst position when it happens and I need to sit or lay down and curl into a ball and it still hurts but not quite as much.
Either way, it's very uncomfortable so I'm not going to wait and just let it keep happening and possibly get worse.
Edit for typo.0 -
I have a friend who had her gallbladder out, but it didn't stop her sickness. She found out later that she is allergic to MSG. She says that MSG can overstimulate the gallbladder, so the symptoms looked like her gallbladder was the problem. (I may not have that all correct). Chinese food is notorious for having msg. It's worth asking the dr about.
Pizza also usually has MSG0 -
Mine was taken out. Pain was so bad once, I passed out. The stones were causing issues with my pancreas ... One night I called an ambulance, they ran some tests in the hospital and performed emergency surgery (I'm peachy-keen fine now!). I thought it was indigestion and put up with the pain for months and months. You're so smart for getting checked out! Good luck!!!!0
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My gallbladder attack was so bad I thought I was DYING! I was up in the middle of the night calling my doctors after hours number.
I realized what is was as I talked to her.Stronger than labour pains.
I was given the choice of going to emergency that night or to office in the morning. Youngest was still nursing frequently so I waited until morning. Was referred to surgeon and we made a date to remove it.
One attack was enough for me!
Surgery was motivating tho. I'd load youngest up in stroller and walk in the evenings or take all 3 out and I lost some of the post baby weight while waiting for surgery date.0 -
Wow, sorry you've all had to deal with this! I'm heading to the doctors soon but thanks all for sharing, it's definitely helpful and mine doesn't sound as sever as some but does sound similar, we shall see what the doctor thinks.0
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I had one gallbladder attack, no warnings prior to that that I had gallstones.
My attack came one night, and I was in so much pain. I kept throwing up and could barely move. The pain was centered between stomach and chest, right in the middle of my ribcage, but radiating around my torso/back. I was out of town with my family for my cousin’s wedding the next day, and ended up going to the emergency room I was in so much pain.
So, at the emergency room, they finally determine I have “a ton” of gallstones, and likely one of them rolled over the bile duct, which set off the attack. After a few hours the pain subsides, they did another ultrasound to make sure no stones were lodged into the bile duct, and recommended I see a surgeon.
Back home the next week, I had a consultation with a surgeon, who explained my options:
1. Surgery to remove the gallbladder
a. Laparoscopic, minimally invasive, quick recovery time.
b. Never have to think about it again.
c. Risks: It’s surgery. Anesthesia, risk of complications, etc.
2. Medicine to dissolve the gallstones
a. Would have to take it every day, forever. Once you stop taking it in some 90% of people they reform.
b. Dr. only recommended it for elderly people, or those with other medical conditions that would make it risky to have surgery.
3. Do nothing and adhere to a very low fat diet forever.
I opted for surgery, and had my surgery a few weeks later (August 2013). I had surgery on a Thursday morning; I was back to work by Monday. I only needed the pain medicine for two days, after that I was just sore, and it hurt to sneeze or cough.
It was a single incision laparoscope, no complications, and clean removal. My scar is completely inside my belly button, you can’t tell it’s there unless I kind of pull at the skin, and even then it just looks a little bit more red than my other skin.0 -
JUST had my gallbladder out in December. Yes, gallbladder attacks are like brutal labour pains--my attacks would last for about 10 hours and happened when I ate too much fat over the course of the day.
Being that I'm petrified of surgery, I tried in vain to control it through diet (lost some weight even!) but while on vacation had two horrible attacks so decided it was time.
Best of luck! If it does turn out to be your gallbladder and you opt to have it removed, laproscopic surgery is the way to go.0 -
I had my gall bladder removed a few years ago. The first symptoms for me looked like heartburn, pain the in the middle of my chest late at night. I'd never had heartburn before so I bought some Tums and assumed this was just going to happen as I got older. The early attacks were infrequent and I never really put two and two together that it might be something worse.
The later attacks, for me, looked more like food poisoning. Vomiting and such through the night. After a weekend of that I finally went to the doctor and told them my gall bladder was trying to kill me. It was a small town and they admitted me directly to the hospital. I spent the next day on pain and nausea meds until I could get into surgery.
I had my surgery laparoscopically and was back on my feet in a couple of days.0 -
I have gallstones - I wound up in the ER one night about ten years ago because the pain was so awful, they did an ultrasound and there they were.
The surgeon wanted to take it out right away, I'm not one to rush those things, so I said I'd wait. I'm kind of lucky, I have an attack maybe once every two years and I find taking a super hot bath eases the pain.
I do not maintain a strict low fat diet at all, but the attacks definitely happen after some sort of "ridiculous" meal. Everyone is different - my sister had frequent attacks that were so bad she had hers removed. It was a quick outpatient procedure and I don't know if she missed more than a day or two of work. She has no complaints about side effects and the like.
Good luck!0 -
Sounds like gallstones to me, very similar to my experience. I had mine out and it was pretty easy. I was sore for a while but it was better than the excruciating agony along my diaphragm that marked the attacks I had prior. Good luck at the doctor, and if it is gallstones don't be sad, be happy they know the problem and can solve it fairly easily!
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before I started my diet my dr prescribed me gallbladder medicine because she knew i would lose weight rapidly, I still take it now.0
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Well, I got some blood work done and have an ultrasound booked for next Friday so we'll see what happens. Until then the doctor recommended to try to lower my fat intake.
Some of your stories sound very familiar though... I've noticed an increase in heartburn in this past year, I normally never used to get it and do occasionally now, and have had really bad heartburn at times but it could always be a coincidence...
I had the same experience too that the first time these stomach pains happened I thought it was food poisoning. I'm not at the point of actually throwing up yet but usually feel like I'm going to. Thanks everyone for sharing it definitely eases my mind a bit if it does turn out to be my gall bladder knowing that the surgery wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It's making me hope it's my gall bladder and not something else! I would probably opt for surgery over the other options unless the doctor strongly recommended otherwise.
I keep coming across things about rapid weight loss playing a part in this- I don't know if mine's been rapid I thought it's been nice and slow aside from when I started eating better I dropped an initial 10lbs but I assume it was water weight mostly and I lost slowly and steadily after that...0 -
It sounds more like a reflux issue to me. I had gall bladder problems for years. A gall bladder attack feels like you are having a heart attack. You have stabbing pains. You get sweaty but you are cold. You feel shaky. Seriously, it is often mistaken for heart failure, sometimes I would throw up....but only big blasts of air came out. I sounded like the air horn on a 16 wheeler truck. It didnt happen at night...it happened after I ate, within an hour or two,
My gall bladder was removed in 2000. But I still have reflux. Reflux often happens at night when you lie down. I start to feel nauseated and queasy. Sometimes I have a lot of bloating. It is challenging to keep lying down, I want to sit up. Sometimes I bech a lt. Often I need to eat something starchy...potatoes or crackers...to absorb stomach acid.0 -
I'm so glad you got blood work and will have an ultrasound. With my acid reflux, I got really bad heartburn, got nauseated, ended up getting sick a few times in the middle of the night on days I ate fatty food, and just didn't feel good in general. I took prilosec for awhile, cut out a lot of acid foods and fatty foods as instructed, and today I don't take Prilosec any more, and I don't get sick either. I love oranges, was having one every day, but had to stop because they seem to trigger heartburn. I have had to cut back on tomato sauce too, which I love.Well, I got some blood work done and have an ultrasound booked for next Friday so we'll see what happens. Until then the doctor recommended to try to lower my fat intake.
Some of your stories sound very familiar though... I've noticed an increase in heartburn in this past year, I normally never used to get it and do occasionally now, and have had really bad heartburn at times but it could always be a coincidence...
I had the same experience too that the first time these stomach pains happened I thought it was food poisoning. I'm not at the point of actually throwing up yet but usually feel like I'm going to. Thanks everyone for sharing it definitely eases my mind a bit if it does turn out to be my gall bladder knowing that the surgery wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It's making me hope it's my gall bladder and not something else! I would probably opt for surgery over the other options unless the doctor strongly recommended otherwise.
I keep coming across things about rapid weight loss playing a part in this- I don't know if mine's been rapid I thought it's been nice and slow aside from when I started eating better I dropped an initial 10lbs but I assume it was water weight mostly and I lost slowly and steadily after that...
Lots of changes in my dietary habits helped.
Good luck in finding out your results.0 -
Getting my gall bladder out took care of all of that nastiness pretty quickly. It's a Laproscopic procedure now, and I would definitely say it was an 'easy' surgery. That pain made me miserable for two solid years until my doc finally found what was going on. I'll never have it again.0
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Do you have pain in your upper belly on the right side? I'm an ultrasound tech and we scan gallbladders all the time. That's another classic sign of stones. Good luck!!0
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So, I'm going to go to a walk-in clinic tomorrow to get some medical advice but I've noticed since I've been eating better and losing weight I've been having some stomach pains. Generally late at night, really bad stomach aches where I've felt really nauseous and just can't sleep and lay in pain for about an hour, sometimes longer. I thought at first it was because I've been eating better, and the first time this happened I'd had Chinese food that day at the mall, and it tends to be very fatty/greasy. So I thought okay, my body just doesn't agree with this now.
But now it's happened quite a few times, and I've noticed it's always when I've eaten really fatty greasy foods that day. Problems with gall bladders run in my family. My grandpa had his out, my mom had hers out, and my little brother did at the age of only 8yrs old. So I'm seriously wondering if this could be it. Again, I'm going to see a Doctor and get a referral for an ultrasound if they think it sounds like that could be it, but I'm just wondering if anyone's had similar experiences? I know some people have much worse gall bladder attacks as well, did anyone's start out like this?
It may turn out to be something completely different, but right now this really seems like it could be the issue. It's just sucky because overall I'm eating way better than I did before and after losing weight it'd be really unfortunate to start having problems like this but that's just how things go I guess.
tl;dr: I'm having bad stomach aches and pains, nothing like I've ever had before, worried it could be gall bladder attacks as they run in my family, going to see a Doctor tomorrow but want to hear other people's own stories.
I've been having what it are describing since last night.... Severe stomach pain. Along with nausea and vomiting.... Also a slight fever. I can't get comfortable and I squirm and it hurts so bad.
Mine is caused from diverticulitis. It flares up about once a year for me but this is the second this year. It's not fun at all! I made myself get up and eat part of an avocado and the second it hit my stomach was just instant pain again....0 -
When I lost weight a good few years ago I kept getting the most horrendous pain every now and again. It was a dull ache below my ribs and went round to my back. I was sick until I was throwing up bile! Anyway after misdiagnosis (acid reflux of all things!) I went to accident and emergency, stayed in hospital for 5 days and was suffering from an inflammed gallbladder!!
2 months later I had the thing removed!0 -
Wow so many with similar stories, and occasionally different problems but similar symptoms, thanks everyone who has shared! It gives me something to think about for sure, and if it turns out to not be the gall bladder I'm glad some people have shared with similar stories with different issues that I can always look into. Hoping I hear back this week about the blood work, then I'm not sure how long until I get the results from the ultrasound, hopefully sometime the next week. It's not even that long of a wait but I still feel like the results can't come soon enough!
That's the only thing I haven't specifically noticed, the pain isn't on my right side I don't think, (I'll try to pay more attention if it happens again though) but generally is the centre of my stomach, just below the rib cage.
~Warning TMI - but my bowel movements are usually off for a day or two (hasn't happened every time but has happened a few times) after these stomach aches occur- the next day I'm often constipated, then the following day will have diarrhea (usually burns). So I don't know if this could have anything to do with it either...0 -
So, I'm going to go to a walk-in clinic tomorrow to get some medical advice but I've noticed since I've been eating better and losing weight I've been having some stomach pains. Generally late at night, really bad stomach aches where I've felt really nauseous and just can't sleep and lay in pain for about an hour, sometimes longer. I thought at first it was because I've been eating better, and the first time this happened I'd had Chinese food that day at the mall, and it tends to be very fatty/greasy. So I thought okay, my body just doesn't agree with this now.
This sounds like EXACTLY what I felt before my cholecystectomy. Abdominal pain at night, sometimes excruciating, with horrible nausea. It was really strange because I would be just fine again by day and then the cycle would repeat each night. I was only 12-13 at the time so the doctors never even considered that my gall bladder was the issue...a month's worth of painful nights later it was full of stones and bursting. Not fun. But I felt MUCH better immediately after the surgery, so if that's what's going on for you I hope you're able to get it taken care of soon! Wishing you the best.0 -
I was on daily pills as i was not sure if i want my gallbladder out or not. In the meantime I was using regularly a tea extremely diuretic that i have used to loose weight (bought from Superstore). After almost a year of taking that tea about 3 times a week I forgot to take the pills. This is how I have discovered I might have been cured. There was a post prior about a "cleansing bladder procedure". I would follow that one. The tea I got from Superstore was "slimming tea" - found on organic aisle. I did not have any issues at all in the last two years. I am using the tea maybe once a week but not all the time.
Gallbladder pain usually happens around 2-3am. Water and vinegar, warm pack where it hurts (or fill your tub with hot water), stay away of heavy/fatty foods. GOOD LUCK !!!0 -
I was reading and couldn't see but maybe I missed it..... Is the pain more right below your ribs or more lower abdomen around belly button level or lower?0
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Hi there! I've had gb attacks as well. As far as my experience, mine were right after my first child, then randomly after that. I do not have stones, so I decided to try and keep it. Look up some info for yourself first. I do not remember everything because it's been a few years, but the Dr. didn't tell me. I found out myself, from a medical journal, that you have a greater chance of colon cancer if your gallbladder is removed. I decided to take some really good digestive enzymes that had bile in them. Sounds crazy, but after a few months of taking those, I came off all my acid reflux meds and have very infrequent, very mild, gallbladder attacks. It's always when I've been eating fast food, too.:(0
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I had my gallbladder out and my story sounds just like yours. That's how my attacks started, with fatty and greasy foods. They misdiagnosed mine though. My attacks got worse and worse, once I thought I was having a heart attack and actually left the hospital after waiting five hours and still not being seen and complaining of chest pains. One doctor told me I was just attention seeking, nobody bothered to do an ultrasound. It wasn't until I had an attack that lasted three days and I couldn't even hold water down that they did anything and I still think that was because I saw a different doctor in the practice that morning. Even after the ultrasound tech saw the stones and noticed my physical symptoms (pale, weak, fever, vomiting, pain scale 100 out of 10) they sent me home. The doctor saw the results and sent me back and had a surgeon waiting for me. As it turned out I had a stone protruding through the wall of my gallbladder and it had actually become a life threatening situation.
But I felt like I had an alien growing in my upper right abdominal area with spikes tearing my insides apart. Extreme nausea and vomiting, cold sweats, I couldn't get comfortable in any position and I had a rapid heart beat but that was probably from the anxiety and pain. My attacks would usually last anywhere from 30 min to several hours until a few weeks before my emergency surgery.
Aside from a small list of foods I need to avoid now, all is great. My surgeon told me that large weight fluctuations can cause gallstones. Good luck on your ultrasound and thanks for getting help quickly.0 -
I've had gallstones for many years...I had the worst attacks about 5 years ago..where they would last three days or more. I saw a surgeon and he recommended I lose weight before I have the surgery due to possible complications..I was losing weight fast..doing wonderfully..and he said I wasn't losing it fast enough..after several times of hearing him harp on me even though I was doing everything I knew I could do..I gave up on losing weight at that time...gained every bit back. I am now losing weight again. On my own terms. Yes I still have attacks...but they are not anywhere near as bad now..its a very rare thing for me. Whenever I do eat very greasy fast food and especially Chinese food..I will have at least a minor attack causing diarrhea for a couple hours and some stomach pain...after that I'm fine. I do know how to manage it now so I don't have the major attacks..and I'm working on losing the weight without a doctor's supervision now...without their medical-know-it-all attitudes that I'm not doing enough when I am.
Yes the pain is in your upper mid-section..and it always felt like my stomach turned to a rock...the pain would radiate around to my back including my whole upper back. I would spend hours, if not days, in the bathroom sick to my stomach fearing that it would explode.
The doctors gave me a list of things I shouldn't eat that would trigger the attacks being fatty foods, lettuce, seeds, nuts, fruits with seeds. Honestly the lettuce sometimes gets me..but not as bad as Chinese food will. You will rarely see Chinese food logged in my diary because I won't go near it usually. Noodles!!!! I won't even look at spaghetti anymore. My kids wanna cry cause I won't fix it..I love it..but it was bad about bringing on my attacks. You have to figure out what triggers it for you and manage it while losing weight if you are as big as I was/am.
Once I get down another 50 lbs. I will get myself in for surgery assuming the thing doesn't try to blow up on me or something. LOL
Good luck with your journey and whatever it is that is ailing you! :flowerforyou:0 -
I was reading and couldn't see but maybe I missed it..... Is the pain more right below your ribs or more lower abdomen around belly button level or lower?
It's right below my ribs, right in the centre of my stomach, so upper abdomen.
One of the times I had one of these "stomach aches" I had a lot of upper back pain but I don't know if it was from it or not, I remember wondering why my back hurt thinking maybe because it was my TOM even though I never experience back pain with that...and I'm pretty sure during the TOM it's usually lower back pain people experience. I don't *think* i've had back pain the other times though, but just as I haven't noticed if the stomach aches are more central or to the right or not, at the time I'm just curled up in pain.
Wow I can't believe some of your stories, having to wait that long and doctors dismissing the pain? It reminds me of when my little brother was having gall bladder attacks to the point of throwing up and the doctor tried to say he must've pulled a stomach muscle... :noway:
I'm going to have to look into some of this information shared. I wonder why there's an increase in colon cancer, that's scary... I'll definitely be doing more research especially if it ends up being my gall bladder, I'll be sure to find out as much as I can before I make any decisions!
and @weightedfoots, wow, well congrats on all you've lost so far, that would annoy me if the doctor was pushing me to lose weight faster... isn't it enough you're already working on losing and slower is healthier anyways (in most cases).
I actually caved and had a bit of Chinese food this afternoon. so if I have any horrible stomach aches I've done it to myself this time knowing it could happen. I didn't have as much as I normally would but I guess at least if it does happen again it will be a good indication that this is most likely the cause and I can try to pay attention to the symptoms...but to be honest if I do get it again I think I'll be REALLY regretting that Chinese food. Otherwise I've been doing good trying to limit fat intake and haven't had any issues since Thursday...0 -
Wow I can't believe some of your stories, having to wait that long and doctors dismissing the pain? It reminds me of when my little brother was having gall bladder attacks to the point of throwing up and the doctor tried to say he must've pulled a stomach muscle... :noway:
In my case, and I think in many other cases there can be trouble communicating the symptoms in a way that tells a doctor where to look for the problem. When I had attacks, it felt a lot more like a searing hot pain in my spine, not in my abdomen or side. I felt like I was just melting from the inside. As soon as I found a doctor who didn't think I was drug seeking for "back pain" and she sent me over for an ultrasound, the rest of my symptoms began to make sense as well.
Our bodies are ridiculous.0
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