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Cholecystitis with UTI sepsis - diet is perfect so why?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Tumtum1963
Tumtum1963

I eat quite frugally - have been gluten free for four years since being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2011. I also avoid caffeine, dairy, never eat saturated fats, have very healthy gut (ie no IBS and very regular) and have lost four stone in four years. The remaining weight I need to lose won't come off at all no matter how hard I work on myself with exercise and diet - but I am Hypothyroid so I blame this.

I have just spent 7 days on the acute ward of local hospital with severe upper abdominal pain - ended up on very heavy IV antibiotics and morphine. The surgeon wouldn't operate to remove my gallbladder although he didn't think the sepsis was caused by my gallstones as they looked much the same (large and quite a tribe!) as they have for 15 years and my gallbladder was only marginally distended because I hadn't been eating lately. So I was discharged with what he believed was a severe UTI with sepsis and have just finished my fourth cours of antibiotics this year.

Meanwhile my GP believes this was actually acute Cholecystitis (infection/ inflammation of gallbladder). He explained that it will be best to wait for my scheduled op in early July rather than have an emergency gallbladder operation. Apparently with the latter the risks are high of internal bleed because of the dense vascular system surrounding the gallbladder. 

So I am desperate not to trigger another attack now, assuming my GP is right about acute Cholecystitis. I can't have a more healthy diet than I already do although I'm keen to lose more weight aroumd my tummy if possible. 

Any my suggestions how to stay out of trouble with further attacks of Cholecystisis - apart from avoiding saturated fats and spicy foods and alcohol? 

 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 Tumtum1963

    Posted

    Poor you Tumtum. I had a doctor come to me in early December because I had had bad stomach ache on and off for a week and done nothing about it. It came to a head. She said she thought I ought to go to Hospital because she thought it might be gallstones, so off I trotted.

    They discharged me saying it was UTI. A couple of days later I had a letter from hospital asking me to make an appointment for Ultrasound scan.

    I did this, had the scan and lo and behold GALLSTONES.

    I then had several attacks of bad pain with gallstones and finally had my gallbladder removed last week.

    On the mend and feeling so much better.

    If only the Hospital had listened to me in the first place, I had a feeling the GP doctor was right.

    Not a lot I can suggest really.

    I have been on Buscopan and Omeprazole both of which have helped,so it may be worth asking your GP if you can give them a try.

    Hope this settles down, I really feel for you.

    Praying for you.

    Lots of love Sarah ,

  • shalaya
    shalaya Tumtum1963

    Posted

    For me adding 500 mg of magnesium a day made a huge difference. Even eating heathy i was getting two attacks a week. With the magnesium it went down to once a month (estrogen triggered). Maybe it will work for you too. Also avoid popcorn even plain. I had a 3 day attack from plain popcorn. Not fun
    • Tumtum1963
      Tumtum1963 shalaya

      Posted

      Thanks - will restart magnesium then and see if that helps. 
  • rachel_1971
    rachel_1971 Tumtum1963

    Posted

    I have had the same experience as you . Although I had a stone blocking the bile duct causing acute cholecystitis attack which left me in excruitiating pain for 4 weeks . Even soup and water triggered it . I lost 2 stone in 6 weeks . An ERCP ( camera via throat couldn't detect the stone and it had since shifted through which I am not surprised after a 4 week wait of basically hell ! I was admitted for a week and had the Iv antibiotics . I was told that an inflamed gall bladder was risky surgically wise and so waited 4 months for removal . I had the op via laparoscopy three weeks ago - however, up until that time ALL foods caused pain . My diet was extremely low in fat and I cut out all caffeine , bread , cooked meats , cakes . Everything . In fact I lived on jacket potato , no butter and a spoon of low sugar baked beans . Almost every day for 3 months . Super weightoss - super depressing . All I can say is be prepared for any thing to cause pain as the gallbladder is now malfunctioning , enlarged and inflamed until you have the op . This is my experience - it may be different for you.
    • Tumtum1963
      Tumtum1963 rachel_1971

      Posted

      Thanks Rachel. This does sound similar and my GP feels that acute Cholecystitis would not necessarily be picked up by ultrasound or endoscopy anyhow whatever the surgeon says.

      I'm glad you've had the operation and hope you go from strength to strength from now on in terms of feeling improvement.

      My situation is different to yours as I can eat my usual food without always provoking pain. However I have lost half a stone but had a chest infection in March so should have lost much more as I became malnourished with this.

      And it's possible that my pain threshold is very different to that of others because of having RA and living with peripheral neuropathic pain all the time these days. So I have an instinct that my troubles are tied up with my autoimmune system rather than just with my gallbladder - have read up and there are links with Vasculitis and Cholecystitis because the area surrounding the gallbladder is so vascular and small vessel Vasculitis is a possible cause for me as my systemic inflammation levels are already high.

      But cheering to know that you've been through quite similar stuff and are out the other side following the op. TumTum

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