Gallstone Pain

I haven't been diagnosed with gall stones, but all my symptoms fit. I have been suffering abdominal pain since Oct 07. Most days it is just a grumbling, but sometimes I have severe pain for several hours. My pain, too, is more left-to-central but it does radiate out towards the middle of my back and shoulder blades. I, too, have been prescribed with anti-acids which do no good and so having read up on this web site and others will be going back to the doctor. I am fair, forty and fertile but am fit, slim and don't eat a fatty diet. Indeed, my diet is high in fibre and fruit. So I am disappointed to think I've developed a fatty eater's problem. Anyone else think their diet/lifestyle doesn't deserve gallstones. Also, if/when diagnosed, I'm very keen to keep all my bits, ie don't want to have my gall bladder removed. Does anyone have strong feelings/experiences either way? Many thanks.

In reply to the point that your lifestyle/diet does not fit the profile for someone with gallstones -- me too! But i definitely have them - just seen them on the scan. And i have had three horribly painful attacks so they are not asymptomatic. I was a vegetarian for 20 yrs, although I now eat fish about once or twice a week at most but no meat. I eat 5 fruit & veg a day minimum, am fit, take exercise, drink very moderately (no more than 4 glasses of wine a week). Yes I am over 40 and a woman, but really it is very frustrating to find myself with gallstones -- and there is definitely a moral tone within the medical profession when they tell you your diagnosis. You know, a shake of the head, a tut-tut, and, \"You'll have to give up on those cakes & biscuits\". Well, i can't remember the last time I ate a flippin biscuit! I fear that genetics play a big part as i have several close relatives with gallstones. I also think there does need to be more scrutiny of the evidence for a low-fat diet. The advice out there is so contradictory. One authority says no olive oil, another says eat more olive oil! What to do? And is surgery really the only answer (or do i have to try the mad-sounding Epsom Salts and pints of olive oil thing???).

I would not recommend the olive oil, epsom salt etc. I asked my doctor about that once he had diagnosed gallstones after suffering from constant attacks over a period of 4 or 5 years and he advised against it because it may cause the stone to get stuck and cause major problems. I only had 1 gallstone but it was over an inch big, I constantly felt unwell and bloated but the extremeley painful attacks were due to the stone getting stuck in the bile duct. I was apprehensive about having it removed but could not go on wondering when i was going to have an attack as it was so unpredictable. As soon as i had the gallbladder removed by keyhole surgery i felt better and i can honestly say its the best thing i have ever done.

Hear Hear Rie1711, I was so pleased to get mine removed and I also had one big one and some gravelly bits.

I am from a gall bladdery family - my paternal grandmother apparently died from it sometime in the dark ages (well it was before I was born) and from my 3 sisters and 2 brother, three of us have had the gall bladder removed and all feel much better for it.

Hi

I used to get pain allover the abdominal area.. after the first attack in Sept 08, my tummy was always bloated and in pain.

I had about 1 attack a month from Sept 08 a month after having my son.

Anyway, I had my gallbladder removed last weds, and I can honestly say (apart from being sore from the op) I feel like a different person!! I feel so much better, nomore feeling like crap! just waiting for everything to heal then I can go back to work!

Good to hear you are on the mend, dont know about you but once i had mine removed i realised that i hadnt been able to digest food properly before the op and was always bloated and full after eating anything. It was strange, i kept saying to people that i felt hungry but couldnt possibly be as i had only eaten 4 hours ago, i didnt realise this was normal.

How good it has been to read the experiences of fellow sufferers. I have had digestion problems most of my life. (I am 61) Over the last 18months I have experienced a severe pain in the middle of my chest and to the left. The pain also radiates in a circle around my body and generally all over my upper body. I have been sick on several occasions. I saw the doctor in May and was put on Lamprozole but this had little effect. I started feeling much worse, pain all the time, unable to eat and a loss of 3 stones. I was referred to the hospital in November and saw a specialist who arranged a ultra scan a week later (showed up gallstones) and an gastroscopy in January which showed up Barrett's (inflamation of the gullet) and a 4 cm hernia (no ulcers, no cancer). My medication was changed to Omeprazole. I saw the specialiast yesterday who feels sure the pain is due to the gallstones and not the reflux. I have now been referred to another specialist with a view to having the gallbladder removed. I just want back some quality of life. To be pain free and be able to eat without pain. I look awful with either grey skin or sometimes yellowy. I have to stay on the Omeprazole because of the Barrett's. It was such a relief to read other people had experienced the same symptons. Thank you.

Every few months, I had the agonising pain that lasted 24 hours and made me unable to lie down or do anything. I realized it was after eating cream of any kind so stopped doing so and have not had that pain but every day I now have pain on my left side. It is not agonising, just uncomfortable. I didn't realize it could be gall stones until I read these postings. because I thought the pain was always on the right, so now I am not as worried as I was. The doctor insists it is acid stomach but omeprazole does nothing for me. Infection was found in my stomach, so the dr could be right about that, but why do they not realize you can have more than one stomach problem? I am afraid of having that awful pain again.

hello , i have been suffering pain in my right side upper abdomen and it goes into my back upper area the pain is very severe and i can be bent over with it. I was put on lansropozole and it didnt make any difference the doc thought i had an ulcer or some sort of acid reflux problem. my last attack was 3 days ago and it was severe , and it lasts several hours. i went to the g docs in june with severe pain and he mentioned gallstones and all my symptoms fit with that. he gave me an injection for pain and within half an hour the pain had gone what a relief it is but i dread my next one . im not sure what to do next .

Hello fellow sufferers, I sympathise with anyone that is suffering with this pain. Mine started one afternoon on my way home from work with a dull ache like I had been winded in my middle which intensified until I was finally sick, this carried on and off over the next couple of days.

I mentioned this to my doctor during a routine appointment who felt I had gallstones and arranged for an ultrasound. I did indeed have gallstones, lots of them, they looked like shingle. So I awaited the appointment for the hospital which would be about 4 months.

Within days of the ultrasound, the pain was back, but this time it did not go away when I was sick, and was also in my right side and through to my back. The pain was so intense I was unable to think of function, but managed to get to A&E. I lost the next 3 days through the pain. I was diagnosed with cholecystitis and told that I need an operation to remove my gallbladder, but as it was currently infected they would have to wait for this to be treated.

Then, I was given the BEST bit of advice of my life.... the Surgeon said that most doctors and hospitals advise a LOW FAT diet, but this was rubbish and that I needed to follow a NO FAT diet, if it wasn't a fruit or veg then I couldn't eat it... no meat, no fish (and definitely no fast food - you know what I am talking about )

So, here I am 6 weeks later, with no pain, I have lost over 2 stone, I have loads of energy and I haven't felt this well in such a long time. My operation is booked for Christmas Eve and I am really proud of myself. I will not kid you (or myself) its been hard! but the pain is harder. I will be honest, I have had a couple of lapses (one as recent as last Sunday) and I had almost instant pain. I am never hungry but I do crave and its this that is the hardest to deal with.

You can do it.... just think FRUIT & VEG.... and think of everything else as a killer. Point to note though.... baked beans have very little fat and are good with Jacket Potatoes.... and spice up mashed potato with sweet chilli sauce..... its amazing how creative you can become. I am a very busy Mum with 3 jobs and so time is at a premium, but I have been able to do it.

I have spoken to a few people who have had gallstones and they have all said the same about the pain. I was told that if I could cope with changing my diet and things improved then I wouldn't need surgery, however most days I feel like I have been hit by a cricket bat and I live in pain killers, unless you suffer noone understands on how it impacts your life, things you once enjoyed become pointless and I've been to the doctors not much they can do its just a case of waiting for your turn for surgery. You are not a pain at all and I think people who have no time to listen and ignore you need to go through it themselves it's not nice and it makes you miserable. I've had people tell me to smile and why am I so grumpy I hate it when people say stuff like that because you don't ask to be ill it just happens you have no choice. Know it's hard chin up, keep fighting you are stronger what you think you are.