Gallbladder problems?

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leamatthew
leamatthew Posts: 162
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, wondering f i can ave a little advice, for the past 6months ive been suffering from bad pain which radiates from the left side of my chest through to my shoulder blade, back and middle of chest, i also get a dull/heavy feeling in my left arm, the first time i had it i thought i was having a heart attack....the pain feels like a tight crushing feeling and when it "peaks" i throw up. My peak feels like a cold tingly sensation all over my body, im usually stone cold but dripping with sweat, usually last for roughly an hour, they put this down to reflux but i thought not! Anyway after an attack a fortnight ago which lasted 2 and half days i couldnt cope with the pain so went to docd, they said suspected gallstones and took bloods and refered my for a ultrasound, bloods came back showing pancreatitis which made them sure about the stones but again until confirmed i have to wait for the ultrasound......last night was the worst so far, the pain was unbearable, i was about to be sick so went to go up stairs and passed out and fell down the stairs, my fiancee called emergancy services who checked me over but i wanted to stay home. I had 22grams of fat yesterday and think i may have overdone it? Can anyone who has experianved similar to me advice me on do's and donts until i get something done, i dont want to be passing out with the pain again :(
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Replies

  • cushygal
    cushygal Posts: 586 Member
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    When I had gallstones and suffered fromo the attacks there was nothing really I could do to stop them until my gallbladder was removed as mine were so big.

    My attacks got so bad that the hospital came out and accused me of faking the pain just to get pain meds, so not true.

    The one thing that did seem to relieve the pain aside from meds was throwing up, sadly.

    I hope you feel better soon and that you get the results back from the ultrasound very soon.

    Take care
  • leamatthew
    leamatthew Posts: 162
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    This is what i find, once im sick it starts to subside
  • BeccaAnderton
    BeccaAnderton Posts: 80
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    I don't have any personal experience of it, but my best friend had her gall bladder removed late last year due to gallstones, which she had for probably a good 6 to 8 months before having it removed. She found that certain food made the pain worse for her, it was usually stuff like cheese, or ice cream or particularly salty foods. Dunno if that's any use to you, but it helped her, so I just thought I'd let you know :)
  • fimary
    fimary Posts: 286 Member
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    When I had gallstones and suffered fromo the attacks there was nothing really I could do to stop them until my gallbladder was removed as mine were so big.

    My attacks got so bad that the hospital came out and accused me of faking the pain just to get pain meds, so not true.

    The one thing that did seem to relieve the pain aside from meds was throwing up, sadly.

    I hope you feel better soon and that you get the results back from the ultrasound very soon.

    Take care

    i know how you feel my doctor called me a hypochondriac when i kept getting taken into hospital with severe pains, they kept saying i was constipated and giving me tablets, eventually they did a scan and said it was the worst they had seen in a long time,
    if i ate anything with the slightest bit of fat the pains would be terrible, for me it felt like someone stabbing me with a knife.
  • izzydino
    izzydino Posts: 254 Member
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    Hello. Last December I had to have my gallbladder removed do to very similar conditions. It started in October. The pain lasted 3-4 hours. Medications didn't help the situation. It didn't matter what I ate. In December, after eating sushi with my kids, I thought I was having a heart attack . I was Rushed to the hospital by ambulance. They took a whole bunch of tests and finally an ultra sound revieled that my gallbladder was filled with stones and sludge :(. The next day it was removed. I have been pain free ever since.
  • Jgen62
    Jgen62 Posts: 66
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    I had my gallbladder removed 2 yrs ago. The pain was unbearable. I had times when I could hardly breath. Getting it removed was the best thing as I feel so much better. Before getting it removed I went on a lowfat diet which helped. Hope you feel better.
  • winterwolf227
    winterwolf227 Posts: 10 Member
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    I started Atkins in Feb of 2008, and in May, 2008 I had my Gallbladder removed after experiencing excruciating pain. Your symptoms are exactly what I was feeling. The worst pain I have EVER experienced>>>>

    Once my Gallbladder was out, I am 100% better. I would wake up in teh middle of the night with pain so sever I would vomit and nearly pass out.

    It took 3 trips to the ER (The last trip I was drugged on Morphine to stop the pain) to finally figure it out. Good Luck. The Dr attributes the Atkins Diet as the culprit....
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    oddly the triggers for me were stress and red wine (or indeed any kind of alcohol). I never had the being sick thing during an attack, just the sensation that someone was squeezing me REALLY hard and that I was full of gas. The time I got an infection worried me because I spent the night itching all over.

    I don't have any particular advice realting to food types, although fats are supposed to be triggers. I would imagine that anything that stimulates the production (and use) of bile would be an issue, hence why since havng my gallbladder removed I struggle to eat lamb or artichokes - when the gallbladder is removed the liver causes bile to feed continually into the stomach. Too much and I feel nauseous. The side-effect/downside of having my gallbladder out is having to eat regularly and most especially breakfast. Well that my excuse anyway!!!

    I would also try fitting in some relaxation techniques into your schedule. Learning to and regularly meditating really helped me, if only to help relieve the stress caused by all the pain!!!!
  • karendzar
    karendzar Posts: 23
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    i had the same pain as you are describing, it happened to me early one morning, i woke up in such pain, i tried all sorts of things and nothing worked, ended up in emergency and after assorted tests, they said it was my gallstones rubbing on my gallbladder, so the only thing they could do was to remove the gallbladder, which at the time i was afraid to have done, so they said cut out fat etc from my diet, and they gave me some codiene phosphate pain killers and as soon as i get a pain, i take two of these little pills and that gets rid of the pain - that was about six years ago and touch wood, as long as i don't have a lot of fat or fatty items, i am ok - but this last weekend i have had more pain than ever and i have put it down to eating a fruit bar that has hazlenuts and almonds in, i think they are too rich for me.
    the doctor said that next time i went to emergency with the pain they would remove my gall bladder - the thing that bugs me though, is garlic - if i eat any garlic, even if it is garlic flavour it brings on a pain, so i ban garlic alltogether..
  • Sambina32
    Sambina32 Posts: 25 Member
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    I have had gallbladder disease for over 6/7 yrs and I have experienced the same pain I have learned to keep a lower fat diet that meant limit the fried foods, cut red meat and stick to lowfat chips I also stick to very low fat cheese. I only experience pain when I have pineapple so I dont eat that ever, I know weird but the acid in the fruit is a trigger for me. I have kept the symptoms from happening by watching the Fat intake keep fat at about 15 grams per day if you are still in pain I would talk to a doctor about removal, but try a very low fat diet first. You dont want to just have organs removed for no reason if you can take care of it yourself!
  • phoenixoncemore
    phoenixoncemore Posts: 202 Member
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    I've just had this and have to wait 5 weeks for my ultrasound to confirm it, although my GP is pretty sure about his diagnosis.

    I found I had to eat very little in one go, and as low fat as I could manage. For instance I found even a cup of tea with 30ml of semi skimmed milk gave me the stabbing pain so I switched to black coffee and tea with 25ml of skimmed and that helped. I'm currently managing about 10-20g of fat per day (of my 40+ goal on here) and it seems to be helping. I went over for 1 day on Mothers Day when we went out for a meal, and I knew all about it! Initially I only managed about 500 cals per day as it hurt too much but I've built it up now. When I found out about the horrific wait for the scan, I realised I'd have to as I can't go that long on so little food.

    They think mine was partially blocked by a gallstone which caused it to get infected, so I had antibiotics to clear that and it is much better now. None of the excrutiating stabs anymore but it's like a constant stitch type pain under my ribs instead.

    My doctor also informed me that he has heard female patients say that the pain can be as bad as labour!

    It's no fun, and I hope you feel better soon. :flowerforyou:
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
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    I developed gallstones when I was pregnant and believe me, it's got to be the worst pain on earth (and I've broken bones before). I, too found that it came in waves, and getting sick sometimes helped temporarily relieve the pain. I felt like I was full of bile.

    I'm so sorry you're suffering; I wouldn't wish that type of pain on my worst enemy. Hope you can get it taken care of soon!
  • jaajh
    jaajh Posts: 1,262 Member
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    I had my gall bladder taken out about 8 years ago. I remember the pain from the gall stones very well though. The first time I had a bad attack I honestly thought I was having a heart attack. And yes, you are right that once you have been sick (thrown up) the pain subsides a little. For me the best way of avoiding attacks was to cut back on fat. It was eating too much fat that triggered an attack every time. At least it is one good motivation for reducing your fat intake (every cloud has a silver lining, and all that!) However, I hope your doctor manages to get this seen to really soon and that you don't have to wait too long for surgery.
  • JadeRabbit08
    JadeRabbit08 Posts: 551 Member
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    Really low calorie diets can trigger symptons too not just certain foods. When I was at 1200 calories a day I started getting gallbladder attacks. My quality food intake was the healthiest it had ever been. I went up to 1500 and they stopped.


    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000273.htm

    "The following also make you more likely to develop gallstones:
    Rapid weight loss from eating a very low-calorie diet, or after bariatric surgery"


    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9665682

    "Gallbladder motility and gallstone formation in obese patients following very low calorie diets"



    http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/gallbladder/a/dietinggallston_2.htm

    "Why Does Weight Loss Cause Gallstones?
    Researchers believe dieting may cause a shift in the balance of bile salts and cholesterol in the gallbladder. The cholesterol level is increased and the amount of bile salts is decreased. Going for long periods without eating (skipping breakfast, for example), a common practice among dieters, also may decrease gallbladder contractions. If the gallbladder does not contract often enough to empty out the bile, gallstones may form.
    Are Some Weight Loss Methods Better Than Others in Preventing Gallstones?
    Possibly. If substantial or rapid weight loss increases the risk of developing gallstones, more gradual weight loss would seem to lessen the risk of getting gallstones. However, studies are needed to test this theory. "
  • JadeRabbit08
    JadeRabbit08 Posts: 551 Member
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    Yep just went and checked your diary and you are often netting way under 1200 cal a day.

    Editing to add went and checked more of your diary..Seriously? 600 net, 800 net , 900 net.

    Please look at upping your cal to above your BMR you will still lose weight and if your can avoid too many fats it might be bearable until you can get something done. Once it gets to the fainting with pain stage I guess its a matter of getting the op?
  • djsupreme6
    djsupreme6 Posts: 1,210 Member
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    worst pain i've ever experienced...had major attacks over and over and I got scared to even eat anything...I lived off toast and jello seriously until I had it taken out...however I never felt like I needed to vomit...it subsided when I pretty much stopped eating...initially going to the hospital led them to treat it as a heart attack because the symptoms show to be similar...ughh...I feel for you
  • kelleybelly35
    kelleybelly35 Posts: 73 Member
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    having a gallbladder attack is worse than childbirth....i had mine removed when i was 5 months pregnant 12 yrs ago. my trigger food was chocolate and any kind of smoked or bbq meat. i still have to watch my fat intake if i eat to much i still get sick....very sick... because the bile doesn't get to your intestines as fast as it use to to break down the fat...i usually have to throw up to relieve the nausea...but knowing how i will feel if i over eat tends to keep me on track....
  • milove1029
    milove1029 Posts: 308 Member
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    Hi there, First of all, I too hope you feel better soon! Do not eat foods that are fried, stay AWAY from tomato sauce, chocolate, cheese, milk, black pepper, black tea, and coffee that should help with the pain. (inflammation of the gallbladder) if you have gallstones probably it is going to have to be removed surgically. You can have a laparoscopic procedure which is less invasive to remove your gallbladder and the gallstones, if your stones are not blocking the bile duct. Do not drink any kind of alcohol! Especially since you are definitely diagnosed with pancreatitis the alcohol will just worsen it. I hope that helps!!
  • milove1029
    milove1029 Posts: 308 Member
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    @Jaderabbit08 I have personally seen that to be true, I agree!
  • hazey123
    hazey123 Posts: 14 Member
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    Hey! Had my gallbladder removed last August. The pain was unbearable. It got that bad that I ended up with acute
    pancreatitis so consult your doctor regularly. The pain lasted anywhere between an hour or 4 hours. As soon as you feel an attack coming on, I recommend you drink flaxseed tea, will help with symptoms. The best thing to do is to get it removed, no pain since I had mine removed, and you can go back to eating a normal diet within a month.

    For the mean time stay away from dairy and fatty foods, coffee, grapefruit, oranges, corn and fowl. Try omega 3 oil because the body needs fats. I'd recommend the vegetarian diet up until your surgery. Hope this helps xxx

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