gall bladder attacks

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collingmommy
collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm going to elaborate on this more later, but gallbladder attacks? I know it's very common but my question is after losing a large about of weight has anyone else had medical issues coming up such as gallbladder attacks, constipation, headaches? I've lost 102 lbs, healthy way.. no crazy diets, no pills, just calorie deficit and exercise and here recently in the past 2 months I've had some medical issues come up. I think I'm like a new car, I have my recalls. Such as gallbladder, stomach lining, and head. I'm going to the dr as soon as I can get the money, can't afford another dr bill. Just looking for similar issues
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Replies

  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
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    Yes, I got a big fat gallstone which I learned can happen from weight loss. What helps me is to keep the gallbladder working by eating fat. Some people do the opposite and avoid fat, and I tried that, only to feel worse. You've got to see what works for you.

    From being on a low carb diet and ketosis, I got a leaky gut. Once I started eating oats and other resistant starches, I felt much better.

    I also got low stomach acid. Now I drink lots of fresh lemon juice in bubbly water. Helps to balance stomach acid.

    As far as headaches, is your deficit set gently enough? Now that you've lost so much, maybe you want to slow down even more, and eat more cals. Also, if you're eating mostly unprocessed foods, you need to monitor your salt to be sure to get enough.
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
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    Did they ask if you wanted to get you're removed? Or is it just there cause it's manageable?
  • LaGordita87
    LaGordita87 Posts: 161 Member
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    When i lost 40lbs i started having gallbladder problems, i ended up having mine taken out because after they did an ultrasound it showed multiple small stones and one was stuck in the duct leading out of my gallbladder.
  • Pusarah
    Pusarah Posts: 124 Member
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    I had an attack last July when I'd lost some weight, I haven't had another one since. The dr did say he wanted to take it out but advised me to lose some weight first, especially since it was only one attack and the risks were greater at my size, but he said otherwise if I was a healthy weight it would be coming out.
  • hickorycutie
    hickorycutie Posts: 210 Member
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    i had mine removed bout 20 yrs ago.. only took one gall blkadder attack to happen before i was ready for surgery... dr, told me id lose 30 lbs after surgery and im still waiting on that 30 lbs to come off.. lol
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
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    my mom had hers romoved 20 years ago, and she never lost weight.. i wonder, did any of you all have tremendous stress to accompany the issue? im wondering if stress has something to do with it? Im not scared of having it removes, and i know that it would be better for my health if i did, but i m really scared that the dr will find other stuff wrong also. ive told myself that if i dont have another attack, that i will set up a aappt for a full physical after may 21, (i work retail and that is our inventory day) if i make it that long. any way thank you all for your advise and stories. every little bit helps, I just always thought that if i lost weight, i wuld avoid things like this. mmmhmmm guess not!
  • Pusarah
    Pusarah Posts: 124 Member
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    I'm not sure about stress, tho I don't think stress really helps anything much. lol I wasn't stressed when I had my attack, I just had a fatty brunch and regret it fully! lol
    Are you thinking there are other things that potentially could be wrong or are you just worried in general? Maybe some blood tests would be good to put your mind at ease about other things and go from there. I finally had a full physical after 10 years because we didn't have a family doctor and SO glad I did. My dr now is really great and things that I have been lax on are being addressed (sleep apnea, hernia, gall bladder)...and I feel so much better for it.
    Probably talking to a dr about stress and the effects of stress would help as well to put your mind at ease. Good luck :)
  • stixwithit
    stixwithit Posts: 8 Member
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    Gallbladder attacks are often seen in people who loose a lot of weight quickly. Don't suffer in pain. Dr's often suggest low fat diet as fatty food tend to increase attacks for some reason.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    No, knock on wood, no issues here. It was something I had always worried about as I heard folks trying to lose a lot of weight can have gallbladder issues.
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
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    I started getting severe gallbladder attacks after losing 40+ pounds. It turned out to be a large (2.7 cm) gallstone that was attempting to get out of the gallbladder. It wasn't going anywhere.

    It was removed (gallbladders can burst so keep that in mind if worried about surgery) and that removal was the best thing to happen to me. I feel so much better. I'm not restricted on what I eat (in moderation of course as I still have weight to lose) and I no longer get attacks.

    I'm not a surgery type person and proved that by trying to control it myself before finally breaking down and going to emergency (after an attempted urgent care visit as my primary doctor was not available). You can attempt to control it but speaking as one that went through the pain of controlling it as well as the surgery, I only wish I'd found a way to get surgery sooner.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    I just had a gallbladder attack last week. I have to go have an ultrasound and a gastric emptying study. I have Crohn's disease… my whole GI tract is inflamed but inflammation is most prominent in my small intestine. I also had a colon cancer scare earlier this year. A mass was detected on my colon during an abdominal CT scan. I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy… fortunately it was just a cyst which was removed laparoscopically. So I've dealt with a lot of stomach problems.

    I eat a fairly low fat diet. Typically around 30-40 g a day. Fatty food is a trigger for gallbladder attacks.

    Have you had an ultrasound, colonoscopy, or endoscopy yet?
  • rexroars
    rexroars Posts: 131 Member
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    My mother had to have her gallbladder removed maybe 30 years ago, but she hadn't recently lost weight (so I'm not sure the cause of her gall stones). She got sick a lot because of the gall stones and lost weight because of that, however.

    I'm concerned because my "stomach" has been extremely sensitive more and more. It seems if I eat too much bread, too much fat, or just too much in general, I get EXTREMELY bad bloating, gas, and pain in my stomach or I even throw up.

    If I'm careful and eat only small portions at once, and avoid bread and fatty/fried foods, my stomach is generally fine. But I will literally split something high fat (like a basket of poutine) with 3 friends, and eat LESS than them, and I am the only one getting sick afterwards. Like laying on the floor, vomiting, dizzy, etc.

    Should I go to a doctor or can it just be normal to be extra sensitive to fatty and starchy foods?

    Spicy foods don't make me feel bad at all, as long as its veggies or chicken breast etc...
  • rayofsunshine2368
    rayofsunshine2368 Posts: 108 Member
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    Gallbladder attacks are often seen in people who loose a lot of weight quickly. Don't suffer in pain. Dr's often suggest low fat diet as fatty food tend to increase attacks for some reason.
    I am glad I stumbled upon this blog. I know what kidney stones feel like. I have had stomach issues starting last nigh. After eating my eat up day. I felt like Pizza hut put me over the edge and over my maintance calories. I am waiting to see if it goes away or if it gets worse. right now its tolorable. just drinking liquids to flush me out. tomight
  • Braincatcher
    Braincatcher Posts: 66 Member
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    I lost 60 lbs and ended up with big gallstones. I'm a natural healing kind of girl, but gallstones don't go away once they're there. I went for the surgery.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    My mother had to have her gallbladder removed maybe 30 years ago, but she hadn't recently lost weight (so I'm not sure the cause of her gall stones). She got sick a lot because of the gall stones and lost weight because of that, however.

    I'm concerned because my "stomach" has been extremely sensitive more and more. It seems if I eat too much bread, too much fat, or just too much in general, I get EXTREMELY bad bloating, gas, and pain in my stomach or I even throw up.

    If I'm careful and eat only small portions at once, and avoid bread and fatty/fried foods, my stomach is generally fine. But I will literally split something high fat (like a basket of poutine) with 3 friends, and eat LESS than them, and I am the only one getting sick afterwards. Like laying on the floor, vomiting, dizzy, etc.

    Should I go to a doctor or can it just be normal to be extra sensitive to fatty and starchy foods?

    Spicy foods don't make me feel bad at all, as long as its veggies or chicken breast etc...

    Have you been tested for Celiac disease?
  • GrammaTree
    GrammaTree Posts: 22 Member
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    The worst possible thing for your gallbladder is yo-yo dieting - taking weight off and then regaining it. Beyond that, being an RN, I can tell you that doctors look at 4 "F's" of gall bladder disease: female, fertile, fat, and forty-ish. And yes, I was pretty much right in that range when mine had to go. :)
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
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    my mom had hers romoved 20 years ago, and she never lost weight.. i wonder, did any of you all have tremendous stress to accompany the issue? im wondering if stress has something to do with it? Im not scared of having it removes, and i know that it would be better for my health if i did, but i m really scared that the dr will find other stuff wrong also. ive told myself that if i dont have another attack, that i will set up a aappt for a full physical after may 21, (i work retail and that is our inventory day) if i make it that long. any way thank you all for your advise and stories. every little bit helps, I just always thought that if i lost weight, i wuld avoid things like this. mmmhmmm guess not!

    I replied to the initial post and then read more and needed to chime in again. Yes, stress will affect it. But also, some of the signs of an attack mask as stress signs (I had severe back pain and neck pain, in all the same places as I get with stress, so example is under the shoulder blade). And I'm with you on thinking if I lost weight I'd avoid things like this. Also, one other thing to know about gallstones (and I'm actually sure that this is any pain but my most recent experience is gallstones and then the surgery) is that the pain will raise your blood pressure even if you aren't in pain at the moment that the blood pressure is taken.

    Also, realize that my surgery was just over a month ago. And it ended up being unscheduled as I thought I could control it until it was more convenient for me. Doctors have not found anything else (and I was worried too).
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    My girlfriend lost > 50 lbs and now has Ulcerative Colitis. No drugs or magic potions. Just hard work. Go figure.
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
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    My mother had to have her gallbladder removed maybe 30 years ago, but she hadn't recently lost weight (so I'm not sure the cause of her gall stones). She got sick a lot because of the gall stones and lost weight because of that, however.

    I'm concerned because my "stomach" has been extremely sensitive more and more. It seems if I eat too much bread, too much fat, or just too much in general, I get EXTREMELY bad bloating, gas, and pain in my stomach or I even throw up.

    If I'm careful and eat only small portions at once, and avoid bread and fatty/fried foods, my stomach is generally fine. But I will literally split something high fat (like a basket of poutine) with 3 friends, and eat LESS than them, and I am the only one getting sick afterwards. Like laying on the floor, vomiting, dizzy, etc.

    Should I go to a doctor or can it just be normal to be extra sensitive to fatty and starchy foods?

    Spicy foods don't make me feel bad at all, as long as its veggies or chicken breast etc...

    At my worst, right before the surgery, I had all of that. The sensitivity (which happened after confirming the stones and I'd started trying to be kind to myself) to the bloating, gas and pain my stomach. Right before emergency, I had a piece of toast thinking it'd be safe on my tummy and was sick.
  • dreawest
    dreawest Posts: 208 Member
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    I had gall bladder attacks for years (I was in surgery avoidance) but they were very infrequent, at most 3 a year. When I started MFP the first time and dropped about 45lb I started having them all the time. My own fat was triggering them. I don't eat a lot of greasy foods and so I had been fine while I was large but losing weight became so painful I opted to have mine removed. The surgeon was quite shocked, I had one stone that was the size of a golfball and had streched my gallbaldder while causing major scarring. He figured that it hadn't been functioning in years. The upside was there was no chance of stones travelling and I had no 'bathroom issues' post surgery as my bowels had adapted to life sans gallbladder years ago.

    And I wasn't under stress but I do recall a string of things and being a tad surprised as I had been neglecting myself for years and now that I'm doing better my body chooses to fall apart? But I'm a comedy of errors person so I got the joke :)

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