Gallstones
lilme21baby
Posts: 125
Hi! I was just wondering if anyone else here has had gallstones since losing weight? I thought it was the other way round! I was hospitalised 3 weeks ago and they found atleast 15 gallstones! They didn't remove it as the pain calmed down! In the past 3 weeks since being home I have had the pain 4 times. The pains so bad I Litrelly lie on the floor and scream!!
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I haven't experienced that, but I did a quick google search to find the WebMD article on Gallstones. One of the causes is listed as rapid weigh loss. Not sure if that applies to you, but if it does taht could be why you are experiencing them now:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/gallstones0 -
I haven't experienced that, but I did a quick google search to find the WebMD article on Gallstones. One of the causes is listed as rapid weigh loss. Not sure if that applies to you, but if it does taht could be why you are experiencing them now:
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/gallstones
I have lost 126 pounds in 7 months so that might b the case! Thanks that's really helpful x0 -
I didn't know you could get them if you lost a bunch of weight fast. I gained a bunch of weight (and ate like crap and my doctor said since my mom had crappy gallbladder genes I did too). Hopefully they aren't tiny ones. Mine were and I went from March - September before getting my pain checked out, and that was enough time for the tiny ones to slip into the duct to my pancreas and block the enzymes from getting out. I got pancreatitis and was in the hospital for a week before they took my gallbladder out. If you start throwing up after every meal and whenever you drink, get your butt to the hospital. Seriously that stuff was not fun.0
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JeriAnne84 wrote: »I didn't know you could get them if you lost a bunch of weight fast. I gained a bunch of weight (and ate like crap and my doctor said since my mom had crappy gallbladder genes I did too). Hopefully they aren't tiny ones. Mine were and I went from March - September before getting my pain checked out, and that was enough time for the tiny ones to slip into the duct to my pancreas and block the enzymes from getting out. I got pancreatitis and was in the hospital for a week before they took my gallbladder out. If you start throwing up after every meal and whenever you drink, get your butt to the hospital. Seriously that stuff was not fun.
I have been really unwell for the past 3 days! The pain is unbelievable and I can't keep anything down! My local hospital is hopeless! I have been urinating loads aswell don't kno if that's anything to do with it! Xx0 -
This is not related to weight loss but my sister had her gall bladder taken out in August. They thought she had one obstructing her bile duct but when they went in, there were no gall stones. Several procedures, tests, biopsies later and she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She is 34. Everything pointed to gall stones until she had the surgery to remove her gall bladder and there were no gall stones founds. I would get a second opinion about your gall stones. If you have 15, I see no reason to wait until you have a blockage or another flare up to remove it. It can be a sign of a more serious issue and you would be better off to be safe than sorry.0
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rebeccatackett wrote: »This is not related to weight loss but my sister had her gall bladder taken out in August. They thought she had one obstructing her bile duct but when they went in, there were no gall stones. Several procedures, tests, biopsies later and she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She is 34. Everything pointed to gall stones until she had the surgery to remove her gall bladder and there were no gall stones founds. I would get a second opinion about your gall stones. If you have 15, I see no reason to wait until you have a blockage or another flare up to remove it. It can be a sign of a more serious issue and you would be better off to be safe than sorry.
I'm sorry to hear that x yes i need to go back after Xmas xx0 -
I had mine removed 13 years ago. I highly recommend not living in that kind of pain, regardless of what caused it. It is so horrible! You're going to hear horror stories about how hard it is to live without your gall bladder, but I'll tell you that my personal experience is that I just had to be careful of eating greasy food for the first year or so. After that, smooth sailing. No weight gain, no crazy problems of any kind.
Now, I'm going to go eat some cheese fries and wonder why I'm fat.
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I have had gallstones and have had my gallbladder removed because of them. I can only tell you from my own experiences that rapid weight loss can cause stones. I can also tell you that I totally FEEL your pain with the attacks you're having and I would strongly encourage you to seek medical help, even a surgeon to remove the gallbladder. I can tell you that I am a procrastinator, dreaded surgery, put it off until I couldn't bear the pain any longer and was pretty much told by my GI doctor that I was VERY lucky as I developed an infection in my liver due to a stone causing "backup" from blockage (thats the pain you're experiencing is a stone is blocking the duct). She also put me on an antibiotic before my surgery to help with the infection and had I not had gone in when I did, I could've had the "old school" surgery where you're cut open with a HUGE scar left and 6 weeks out on medical leave as opposed to the minor surgery from laser and back to work after a weekend. So just putting it out there, if they tell you surgery, do it...you'll feel like a million bucks after!!!0
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They are more common in older individuals (over 40) but there can be some genetic disposition too I believe. (They run in my family for instance.) I have only one but it's asymptomatic, and unless it starts giving me attacks I'm just going to let it chill in there. Among other things, women are more likely to develop them than men too.
If yours are giving you pain I do suggest a removal unless you can bear it. The pain is when the gallstone sticks in the neck of the gallbladder, making it freak out a little. Some stones can pass, but others risk getting stuck in the bile duct and can give you all sorts of trouble. (Like jaundice, vomiting, fever, and more - worse yet, it can get infected and spread that infection to your liver and other organs making it a life threatening situation.) My doctor said "you'll feel it if it passes" so it probably won't be easy. If yours are already giving you trouble, it may be worth looking into surgery.
Which is scary, I know, but my mother had hers out when I was little - and she was still able to eat many of the foods from before but it was dairy she processed a little harder. No all you can eat sundaes, for instance, but milk in her tea every day didn't give her a lick of trouble.0 -
lilme21baby wrote: »JeriAnne84 wrote: »I didn't know you could get them if you lost a bunch of weight fast. I gained a bunch of weight (and ate like crap and my doctor said since my mom had crappy gallbladder genes I did too). Hopefully they aren't tiny ones. Mine were and I went from March - September before getting my pain checked out, and that was enough time for the tiny ones to slip into the duct to my pancreas and block the enzymes from getting out. I got pancreatitis and was in the hospital for a week before they took my gallbladder out. If you start throwing up after every meal and whenever you drink, get your butt to the hospital. Seriously that stuff was not fun.
I have been really unwell for the past 3 days! The pain is unbelievable and I can't keep anything down! My local hospital is hopeless! I have been urinating loads aswell don't kno if that's anything to do with it! Xx
OP, find a different doctor or a different hospital. Not to be an alarmist, but I agree with this post: getting a second opinion and some relief is important.0 -
find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery0
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LianaG1115 wrote: »find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery
And if it turn out it's not her gall bladder?
OP: I'd get a second (and possibly third) opinion on your issue. TBH, gall bladder surgery is major surgery and it's not something to enter in to lightly.
My sister was having issues several years ago and the doctors were adamant that it was her gall bladder -- even though tests showed nothing wrong with it. Thankfully she got a second opinion and found out she had celiacs! She took the info to the original doctor who was still adamant that she get her gall bladder removed "regardless" (she didn't). Get a second, third, fourth, hell even fifth opinion. Make them run tests and make sure they are absolutely thorough AND they show you the results and explain them to you (and if need be take THOSE results to another doctor to have them analyzed). Don't just get your gall bladder removed because that is what you're told you should do and because other people have had it removed.
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Yes, I experienced this. I lost about 100lbs in a little over a year and ended up developing gall stones. My doctor told me that this is fairly common after a large weight loss due to the way the gall bladder functions to help break down fat. When I cut down my calories, I did an unintentionally low fat diet and the gall bladder wasn't needed to release the same amount of bile that it was used to. So it just kind of sits in there and calcifies into stones.
I had a couple of pretty bad gall bladder attacks and then my doctors sent me to a surgeon and they took my gall bladder out. My understanding is that, once you have the stones, it just gets worse until you take the gall bladder out. I saw a few alternative therapies to break up the stones when I researched it, but it seems like the consensus is that they will just come back eventually. I highly recommend getting referred to a surgeon in your case. Your GP should be able to help you or you can just look one up on your health insurance website. It sounds like the pain level more than justifies it.
For the record, I had zero complications from my surgery and still eat pretty much anything I want (once in a great while, very greasy things don't agree with me). The first week or so after surgery can be uncomfortable due to the air that they pump into the abdominal cavity for the procedure, but I only took painkillers for the first few days. I was back on my feet the day after surgery and walking my dogs a mile a day again in less than a week. I did take two weeks off of work and I'm glad I did just because I think a person needs to get some rest after any major surgery. But yeah, it's definitely worth the little bit of discomfort and recovery time in order to not go on in that kind of pain.0 -
Definitely get a 2nd and/or a 3rd opinion. My 15 year old had to have hers removed last month.0
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I lost a lot of weight around 2005 and had to have my gall bladder out emergency surgery.
It was done laparoscopic and I was in the hospital overnight (on a Thursday) and back to work the next Monday. Really not a huge surgery and very little down time.
As gallstones can cause way more problems with your gallbladder than simply pain, it's really best that you just have that gallbladder out. I've had mine out for almost 10 years and I've never, ever had any issues, even with eating the occasional fatty, greasy food.
Gall bladder surgery isn't like it used to be. It's a fairly non-invasive procedure these days.0 -
I went on my first and last low cal diet when I was about 29, losing about 60 pounds in four months. 5 months later I started having all the debilitating pain in my stomach and back. I put up with that for another year and then finally found I had gallstones and had them and the gallbladder removed. The surgery was pretty simple with a two day stay and no complications.0
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I had stones and had mine removed in 2012. Best thing I ever did. They did it lapro, so I only had a few very small incisions. I was up and moving like normal two days post. The only thing they didn't tell me about was the bile dumping, which doesn't always happen. Would have been nice to know about it though! LOL Now though, I don't have any noticeable issue with certain foods (like grease) and I hadn't had any issues shifting the weight. It was a great decision for me. Get another doctor and another opinion. You shouldn't suffer with it if that is what is going on.0
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I think she had said they found she has 15 gallstones??goddessofawesome wrote: »LianaG1115 wrote: »find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery
And if it turn out it's not her gall bladder?
OP: I'd get a second (and possibly third) opinion on your issue. TBH, gall bladder surgery is major surgery and it's not something to enter in to lightly.
My sister was having issues several years ago and the doctors were adamant that it was her gall bladder -- even though tests showed nothing wrong with it. Thankfully she got a second opinion and found out she had celiacs! She took the info to the original doctor who was still adamant that she get her gall bladder removed "regardless" (she didn't). Get a second, third, fourth, hell even fifth opinion. Make them run tests and make sure they are absolutely thorough AND they show you the results and explain them to you (and if need be take THOSE results to another doctor to have them analyzed). Don't just get your gall bladder removed because that is what you're told you should do and because other people have had it removed.
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Thanks everyone for your comments. Yes when I was in hospital I had a scan, he counted 15 stones then have up! I had been nill by mouth overnight ready for them to remove my gallbladder but because the pain had gone by the morning they left it and said fingers crossed it won't cause you more pain but in the past 3 weeks it's come back four times! Xx0
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You will need surgery eventually. I had a lot of small stones. I tried controlling the "outbreak of pain" with diet, but it didn't matter. My gallbladder became infected, and I had to have emergency surgery.0
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If you are having a lot of pain, get a second opinion. Also for attacks lasting more than 4 hours you NEED to get to an emergency room. You can get some major infections if it stays blocked. Think gangrene.
My gallbladder is filled with stones. I've only ever had 2 attacks. The first when I was 15 and the most recent when I was 28. They are horrible. Its been 4 years since the last one and I could in theory go the rest of my life without another one. I don't plan to have kids so I don't have a need to remove mine at this point in my life. If you were going to have children in the future I would recommend it. I hear gallstones cause major heartburn and attacks when pregnant and at that point you get 40 weeks of torture since they wont remove it until after baby.0 -
Don't get your gallbladder removed unless you are absolutely sure that is the problem. Even if you have gallstones, they might not be causing problems. My gallbladder was chock full of them (I had a CT scan and you could see them) but I didn't have to have it removed until it became infected, just having stones does not mean you need to have it removed. I do fine without it, but I do eat low fat dairy (as much as I want), and overall I eat a moderate (not low) amount of fat. There are risks though, some do fine like I did, some have problems after removal although it is a small%, you can't know that before the fact. Just use common sense and find a Doctor who will rule out other things first.0
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goddessofawesome wrote: »LianaG1115 wrote: »find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery
And if it turn out it's not her gall bladder?
OP: I'd get a second (and possibly third) opinion on your issue. TBH, gall bladder surgery is major surgery and it's not something to enter in to lightly.
My sister was having issues several years ago and the doctors were adamant that it was her gall bladder -- even though tests showed nothing wrong with it. Thankfully she got a second opinion and found out she had celiacs! She took the info to the original doctor who was still adamant that she get her gall bladder removed "regardless" (she didn't). Get a second, third, fourth, hell even fifth opinion. Make them run tests and make sure they are absolutely thorough AND they show you the results and explain them to you (and if need be take THOSE results to another doctor to have them analyzed). Don't just get your gall bladder removed because that is what you're told you should do and because other people have had it removed.
I had my gangrenous gallbladder removed laparoscopically and the only reason I was in the hospital for so many days was because it was so infected I had to have almost 2 days of antibiotics before they could operate. It's not like they are going to gut you like a fish to get it out. Don't be alarmist like that, especially when you are not a medical professional capable of determining what is and is not considered "major surgery".
OP - I'd go to a different hospital if you can. Being in pain is unacceptable, end of story.0 -
Try some changes to your diet, lower fat is one that helps if it is gallbladder problems, also eat smaller amounts more often instead of very big meals and drink lots of water. All of those things helped me before I had mine out, and my pains were not from stuck gallstones, they were from indigestion and gas which can be very painful, the smaller amounts of food at a time helps that a lot.lilme21baby wrote: »Thanks everyone for your comments. Yes when I was in hospital I had a scan, he counted 15 stones then have up! I had been nill by mouth overnight ready for them to remove my gallbladder but because the pain had gone by the morning they left it and said fingers crossed it won't cause you more pain but in the past 3 weeks it's come back four times! Xx
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PrizePopple wrote: »goddessofawesome wrote: »LianaG1115 wrote: »find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery
And if it turn out it's not her gall bladder?
OP: I'd get a second (and possibly third) opinion on your issue. TBH, gall bladder surgery is major surgery and it's not something to enter in to lightly.
My sister was having issues several years ago and the doctors were adamant that it was her gall bladder -- even though tests showed nothing wrong with it. Thankfully she got a second opinion and found out she had celiacs! She took the info to the original doctor who was still adamant that she get her gall bladder removed "regardless" (she didn't). Get a second, third, fourth, hell even fifth opinion. Make them run tests and make sure they are absolutely thorough AND they show you the results and explain them to you (and if need be take THOSE results to another doctor to have them analyzed). Don't just get your gall bladder removed because that is what you're told you should do and because other people have had it removed.
I had my gangrenous gallbladder removed laparoscopically and the only reason I was in the hospital for so many days was because it was so infected I had to have almost 2 days of antibiotics before they could operate. It's not like they are going to gut you like a fish to get it out. Don't be alarmist like that, especially when you are not a medical professional capable of determining what is and is not considered "major surgery".
OP - I'd go to a different hospital if you can. Being in pain is unacceptable, end of story.
Forgive me but any surgery can be considered major surgery and carries a lot of risks.
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Oh, MFP! I love you and your alarmist medical advice. Don't ever change.0
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goddessofawesome wrote: »PrizePopple wrote: »goddessofawesome wrote: »LianaG1115 wrote: »find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery
And if it turn out it's not her gall bladder?
OP: I'd get a second (and possibly third) opinion on your issue. TBH, gall bladder surgery is major surgery and it's not something to enter in to lightly.
My sister was having issues several years ago and the doctors were adamant that it was her gall bladder -- even though tests showed nothing wrong with it. Thankfully she got a second opinion and found out she had celiacs! She took the info to the original doctor who was still adamant that she get her gall bladder removed "regardless" (she didn't). Get a second, third, fourth, hell even fifth opinion. Make them run tests and make sure they are absolutely thorough AND they show you the results and explain them to you (and if need be take THOSE results to another doctor to have them analyzed). Don't just get your gall bladder removed because that is what you're told you should do and because other people have had it removed.
I had my gangrenous gallbladder removed laparoscopically and the only reason I was in the hospital for so many days was because it was so infected I had to have almost 2 days of antibiotics before they could operate. It's not like they are going to gut you like a fish to get it out. Don't be alarmist like that, especially when you are not a medical professional capable of determining what is and is not considered "major surgery".
OP - I'd go to a different hospital if you can. Being in pain is unacceptable, end of story.
Forgive me but any surgery can be considered major surgery and carries a lot of risks.
nhs.uk/Conditions/Laparoscopiccholecystectomy/Pages/Riskspage.aspx
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I am a surgery scheduler and gallbladder surgery is one of the most common surgeries performed. Gallstones are really common and you don't have to be overweight to get them. It is either hereditary or just bad luck like appendicitis. You can control symptoms (sometimes) by sticking to a low-fat/nonfat diet. Sometimes you will get symptoms no matter what you eat. If you have frequent gallbaldder attacks, you should get your gall bladder out - I've heard the pain is worse than child birth! They can remove it laparoscopically as an out-patient procedure and it is covered by insurance. You should do it before you get another attack, otherwise you will end up back in the ER after eating something greasy or a dairy product.0
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goddessofawesome wrote: »PrizePopple wrote: »goddessofawesome wrote: »LianaG1115 wrote: »find a general surgeon, don't need a hospital to get scheduled for surgery
And if it turn out it's not her gall bladder?
OP: I'd get a second (and possibly third) opinion on your issue. TBH, gall bladder surgery is major surgery and it's not something to enter in to lightly.
My sister was having issues several years ago and the doctors were adamant that it was her gall bladder -- even though tests showed nothing wrong with it. Thankfully she got a second opinion and found out she had celiacs! She took the info to the original doctor who was still adamant that she get her gall bladder removed "regardless" (she didn't). Get a second, third, fourth, hell even fifth opinion. Make them run tests and make sure they are absolutely thorough AND they show you the results and explain them to you (and if need be take THOSE results to another doctor to have them analyzed). Don't just get your gall bladder removed because that is what you're told you should do and because other people have had it removed.
I had my gangrenous gallbladder removed laparoscopically and the only reason I was in the hospital for so many days was because it was so infected I had to have almost 2 days of antibiotics before they could operate. It's not like they are going to gut you like a fish to get it out. Don't be alarmist like that, especially when you are not a medical professional capable of determining what is and is not considered "major surgery".
OP - I'd go to a different hospital if you can. Being in pain is unacceptable, end of story.
Forgive me but any surgery can be considered major surgery and carries a lot of risks.
The potential for complication from ignoring symptoms is far more risky than a preventative laparoscopic surgery when the body is in a healthier state as opposed to waiting until a situation like mine where perforation or rupture is a very real possibility. Also, the OP has already stated the doctors had found gallstones, so your sister with celiac disease story has no bearing in this situation.0 -
I had my gallbladder out a few years ago for gallstones. I was lucky and only had 2 attacks and they didn't last long.
When I walked into the ER, I already knew what was wrong but they didn't believe me, and insisted on doing all sorts of tests for appendicitis and other assorted ailments before doing the ultrasound (6 hours later) of my gallbladder. By then I was no longer in pain, but it was the middle of the night and I was pretty pissed at being kept up all night for diagnostics that they should have done first thing.
The surgery was laparoscopic and went smoothly, except that my belly button really took a beating. 6 inch dark purple bruise around it. But other than that, there were 3 tiny incisions along my right side.
Some people experience something called "bile dump" after the gallbladder is removed. This means that after having a greasy meal, a bunch of bile gets dumped at once by the liver and has nowhere to be stored, and you basically have to run to the bathroom fast. Fortunately, I only experienced this a few times, and it's gone away altogether now.
It did take me a long time to no longer feel pain in my abs. My doc told me it was because my abs were tight and were pulling and putting pressure on the incisions, causing them to heal more slowly. Regardless, I got about 4 weeks off of work with paid medical leave, so that was nice. The first week of it, I was too sore to do anything but shuffle around the house, but after that it slowly became an enjoyable vacation.
Now you can barely even see the scars.0
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