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Coping with Pain, Bloating & Constipation

Posted , 7 users are following.

elizabeth112
elizabeth112

I've just had a scan and my gallblader is apparently full of stones, so I'm now on a waiting list to get them out. However, apart from telling me to avoid fatty foods, my GP practice hasn't given me any advice, or pain /antispasmodic medication to help with the (frequent and severe) symptoms of pain, cramps, bloating and constipation. Can anyone here give me some advice  on how to cope with these symptoms, which are getting more and more severe and are really making my life a misery.

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • amanda07073
    amanda07073 elizabeth112

    Posted

    Hi Elizabeth... I was also diagonosed back in June. I have 2 small stones and sludge. I didn't want to believe it to be honest as they found out by my body reacting to co codemol I had been taking for pains in my back. I became constipated and ended up in severe pain.

    At first I had a lot pains going on but it's seemed to have calmed down a bit. If my stomach begins to ache it feels like my intestines are all getting tangled up and my stomach swells. I was prescribed buscopan for this as I do have IBS and I feel it has become uncontrollable since knowing I have to have my gall bladder removed. I think maybe it could be stress related. If I do have pain I take paracetamol. It does help. I don't take them all the time only if I have too. I am waiting for the cameras to go in me first in both ends to find out excately what's going on in my tummy. I constantly have a swollen tummy and hopefully can make it smaller with exercise once I'm fit again.

    If your in pain Elizabeth you must see your doctor and make it clear to him that your in pain. No patient should be left alone in pain. It's tiring when your in pain and you will become weak. You need pain management. Wish you all the best. Let me know how you get on. X

    • elizabeth112
      elizabeth112 amanda07073

      Posted

      Thank you for the advice. I will go back to my GP & talk to him. I do have IBS- or, at least, that was what I beleived was wrong for a couple of years prior to this scan. I suffer from severe anxiety, and also arthritis, my pains were being put down to the effects of either one or other of those- the anxiety making the IBS symptoms happen. Maybe the two things are related, or it has been Gallbladder disease all along that's causing the problems? Thank goodness for shared expereience sites like this- the doctors themselves don't seem to tell people anything!

    • amanda07073
      amanda07073 elizabeth112

      Posted

      Try and change your diet too. Cut out fiber and drink plenty of water to keep you flushed through. Onions, beans and certain vegetables, bread and pizza, cheese are all the foods that react with me. You must eat a low fat diet.

      If you type in gallbladder diet on the web there are some helpful tips. X

  • hexiebob
    hexiebob elizabeth112

    Posted

    Hey there! I was actually the same as you! My gallbladder was full of stones and when I got my ultrasound the person doing it couldn't believe I was still moving! Turned out that my doctor didn't tell me to avoid anything so I continued to eat my normal food which ended in my gallbladder bursting. Not pretty one bit! Also extremely sore!

    The best thing I can say is really just eat a low low fat diet and avoid starchy foods or anything that keeps you fuller longer! Also don't drink fizzy juice at all! The bubbles will just cause even more pain and discomfort. Also Medicine won't help you much and actually causes more severe pain. I ended up passing out on my toilet floor in pain after taking ibpufon that my doctor prescribed for the back pain.

    Also when I did have an attack I found it helpful to find a cold cold floor ( my toilet had tiles) lye down on the gallbladder side and press to put pressure on it. Doesn't relieve the pain right away but you can feel it slowly fade away.

    • elizabeth112
      elizabeth112 hexiebob

      Posted

      Oh, my goodness- how awful!!! I hope you managed to sue the GP for negligence?! As patients, if not for sites like this, we' d all be totally in the dark about what is going on, and why, as the doctors don't tell us, just refer us on to a consultant for an op. months away, and leave us to muddle through till then. Thank you for the tip about putting pressure on the gallstones, I'll give it a go. Also, did you feel as if your belly was hard & swollen all the time around the area of the stones? I'd begun to think there must be a tumour growing there, but it might be the mutiple stones causing swelling, perhaps?

  • elizabeth112
    elizabeth112

    Posted

    Has anyone got any tips for dealing with the constipation issue? I have been taking Senokot or Dulcolax, but am concerned they are making the spasms and pain around my gallbladder even worse!
    • arman46171
      arman46171 elizabeth112

      Posted

      I was diagnosed through HIDA scan as having cholecystitis since my ejection raite is around 30% .

      I made my bowl movement returned to normal by just having lots of fiber in my diet. Either in food or snakcs such as organic goji berries! banana, beans and it helped me a lot. I didnt remove fat from my diet either, i kept it really minimal.

    • elizabeth112
      elizabeth112 arman46171

      Posted

      Thank you for replying. Unfortunately, as I have also have  IBS and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis,I can't follow any high fibre diet, as it causes me even more problems- when my GP prescibed Fybogel I had severe reactions, and bananas are a nightmare for me.. . However, I'll try some of the other fruits you recommend. Much obliged.

  • kevinhj
    kevinhj elizabeth112

    Posted

    Hi Elizabeth

    I had my gall bladder removed about 4 weeks ago but in the lead up to the op which was delayed in March (at the 11th hour) due to a mix up in the NHS with my notes it was successfully removed this August.

    At first when I was diagnosed last September I had hoped it was a one off flare up .

    They have me lactolose as a laxitive (15 ml taken twice a day helped a lot) because as you may know co-codemol containes opiates to relieve pain and these frequntly are associated with constipation.

    The scans although not showing stones did show a build up of sludge and a thickening of the gall bladder wall.

    Since that time I have received about 6 re occuring bouts of pain that starts in the chest and moved to my URQ under the rib cage. Always bought on by too much food (in my case a normal helping). After seeing a French doctor who proscribed very strong anti biotics - cotrimoxazol Teva  800mg/160mg this relieved a debilitating infection in the gall bladder after just 3 days so I kept a supply with me in the UK and on trips to France that saw me through other bouts till the op this August. Please dont feel you need them its just my experience so discuss with a GP if you want. If necessary I took co-codemol but ALWAYS took lactulose each night to overcome constipation. You will find it may give you the runs but better to clear yourself out and have a comfortable nights sleep that be bunged up for a week as I was.

    The op was successfull except after 10 days (when the NHS says you can go back to work) I had an Indian Curry which produced a reaction as bad as anything before. This slowly subsided after a week and now after a further Ultrasound scan I have been cleared of all but some minor blood clots that will slowly be absorbed. My op also included the removal of an abscess behind the bladder so was more extensive than most.

    I seem to be ably to eat normally but still have several smaller meals than 3 big ones and in any case I cant eat large portions these days so my wife and I share 1 meal when we go to a pub for example.

    So in summary, take your meals in small amounts, don't eat foods that cause gas such as pulses, curries etc, drink plenty of water/tea to stay hydrated and if you have a flare up see your GP about anti biotics.

    Incidentally when I had a flare up my blood CRP (indicator of infection so get this tested) which is normally 0-10  was 460 so no wonder I felt unwell last September but managed to control it with the antibiotics mentioned above  on and off till the op this August.

    Hope this helps

    • elizabeth112
      elizabeth112 kevinhj

      Posted

      Thank you very much for your comprehensive answer. I will most certainly talk to my doctor about lactulose. I have got IBS, so I find high fibre makes that a lot worse, and due to pain meds, I do tend to get very constipated, even prior to this gallbladder issue. My recent blood test, following the scan, appears to indicate I've not got any infection, but as I have autoimmune disease (Hashimotos Thyroiditis) I am very prone to infections of various sorts, so will need to keep my doctor on his toes about this. It's horrible to have so many disorders, and I do wonder if it isn't all connected, in some way. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

  • Mona54
    Mona54 elizabeth112

    Posted

    Hi! I ended up in the ER twice with symptoms like you mentioned. The second time they gave me bentyl which helped with the cramping. As time went on I had to eliminate so many things from my diet I was running out of things to eat. I ended up having the surgery. But am still in pain eating a bland diet. Try to eliminate what is causing the pain each time. See if that works. I hope you feel better soon. IT can reek havoc on your everyday life and sleep. Ask the dr for the bentyl.
  • angel58607
    angel58607 elizabeth112

    Posted

    I am 4 months post surgery. I don't feel chronic pain but a little discomfort that I can tolerate. I started back working out in the gym maybe 2 months after surgery. Each day after surgery I felt better and stronger. My doctor told me I can eat whatever I want as long as my body can tolerate the food. My first major discomfort was with bake ziti maybe 6 weeks after surgery. Don't know if I over ate or the cheese or sauce but I felt like I was 6 months pregnant. I discovered that wasn't one of the foods for my new system. In regards to bowel movement I never had a problem my first few weeks after surgery I Went regularly with no diarrhea episodes. Now that I can pretty resume my regular eating habits, I frequently experience constipation, so this meant I need more fiber in my diet. My doctor put me on a stool softener. I use as needed and I now know my trigger foods to avoid bloating. If I am constipated for 2 days I know the foods that will help me to release. Currently I can eat bake ziti but I don't over eat it and I now know the foods that are good and bad for me. Spicy food is definitely a no no. The end results get to learn the foods that you can eat. I drink plenty of water, eat fruits and veggie to combat the constipation. I even incorporated some prunes into my diet. Good luck!

  • deborah11738
    deborah11738 elizabeth112

    Posted

    Hi Elizabeth,

    ? I hope this helps you as it did me before i had the surgery drink lots & lots of water.

    ?Start your day with water end with water but I did the lemom first thing in the morning with \very warm water. Before you eat anything drink this also when you get a pain take the lemon and just squeeze the juice in your mouth.

    And I am not a water person but I surely found this takes care of pain constipation

    and bloating.

    ?I promise it works let me know just had the surgery a month ago still drinking the water and lemon because of the benefits!

    ?Good Luck

    ?Deb

     

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