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Gallstones

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Bellaboo1973
Bellaboo1973

Does having gallstones cause bloating and abdominal weight gain along with chronic body pains? 

2 likes, 61 replies

61 Replies

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  • Fergus1227
    Fergus1227 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    @Bellaboo1973 idk but I'm having the same issue I have gallstones but thanks by the grace of God I don't hafta have surgery I just need to follow up with a doc about getting them out so their not in no dangerous way right now I just need to act fast I was told not to wait to long because they can become serious and I don't won't that but I do have the swelling of the stomach so I want to know as well is it the gallstones, I can some times feel a knot in my stomach and see it as well and I have a feeling is the gallstones if anybody know anything about this please respond to my post. . . . .
  • Tigress63
    Tigress63 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Hi Bellaboo, 

    I was looking if I was the only one who is gaining.   I am definitely distended (bloated) and the last few days I've lost my appetite completely.   I have just one more week before I get an upper GI barium and an ultra sound.   I haven't heard back on the blood tests so no news is more or less good news.    I went through all of this a few years ago - they did a hida then.   The doctor does suspect I have gallstones.   It runs on my maternal side - five of my mom's siblings had their gallbladder removed and my mom died from gallbladder cancer,   Imagine what is going through my head....   One thing I found was that malic acid (it is found in apples) helps but if you take the magnesium citrate + Malic Acid this acts as a chelating agent and is supposed to make them rubbery.   I just bought the stuff a couple weeks back but I don't take it consistently  sad    The pain is getting worse and now I'm out of breath when I walk - as usually it is after a meal or beverages (non-alcoholic).   I am finding in the last couple months I am exhausted more than usual (although magnesium is supposed to help with that) and I've been straining muscles lately - probably because I can't eat a full meal anymore.     For me it starts under my rib on the right side about 20 minutes after I eat and then about 45 minutes post meal my back starts aching like someone's kicked me.     I've found some comfort from gentle swimming so I've been swimming more and more because it's the only time I don't feel pain for several hours.  Despite swimming I'm not losing weight  sad      I feel a bit better after reading the responses because it helps not to think the worst.

  • Gwenn1120
    Gwenn1120 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Hi Bellaboo1973 (and everyone),

    I have posted on abdominal disorder forums several times, but since I think this is possibly (?) gallbladder related, I thought I'd read some forums relating to that.

    Sorry you are unwell and have the added unwelcome stressors because of your Mom's illness and I'm sad for your loss too.

    I'm finding that as I'm unwell with no clear answers as yet, that I'm jumping to the worst case scenario, which I'm sure does me no favours mentally or physically, but it's finding a way to deal with it that is proving a challenge.

    When you described as feeling as though you have been kicked, that's exactly how I feel. It goes from being tender and sore underneath my right ribcage  to burning and downright pain. I think I have had undiagnosed gallbladder attacks (as I concluded recently) over the years based on what I'm experiencing now.

    I've also  just realised that my gallbladder issues coincided years ago with taking fish oil and evening primose oil tablets, which a health professional said that even though they are 'healthy oils', some people's systems find that these are not processed and can cause gallbladder issues.  At least I think(?) that's what happened with me.

    Worse mentally, is the alarming stool colour changes that are a reminder that all is not well. Clay, to pale, to yellow, undigested food, temporarily normal before returning to not normal. (sorry for the graphic details). I have always been terrified of pancreatic cancer after a relative died at a relatively young age, which I know is a ridiculous and unhelpful mindset, but it keeps unwillingly entering my mind. Googling symptoms as well, was probably the worst thing I could have done, that's all I'll say!! :-)

    I have had ct scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork (recently flagged for ?Thyroid,vitamin;anaemia but will find out soon) and other than a fatty liver, all has presented as normal. A friend told me that she was asymptomatic except for nausea and vomiting prior to having hers out, no gallstones or sludge, but she was very unwell and went back to normal post surgery.

    I'm due for another ct scan on Wednesday and have another appt with the specialist in June, although I feel that cannot come quick enough.

    I've read on these forums to stick to a really low fat diet which I've just started, as well as incorporating apple juice/puree/etc and I feel so desperate for improvement that I'm willing to give any suggestions a go that others have found helped them. I've been given a script for endone tablets to take when the pain ramps up, but it's frustrating because it's just a way of masking the symptoms and not addressing the cause.

    (I recently had a colonoscopy and gastroscopy which pending  biopsy results found no 'nasties')

    Apologies in advance for being  somewhat of self centred sad sack, but it's very wearing at the moment.

     

  • clare0604
    clare0604 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Hi Bellaboo

    I'm hoping things have all been resolved now with your gallstones?

    I know it sounds weird but it really helps to hear about other people's similar journey's as you do begin to feel like its a cycle of pain and little relief.

    My gallbladder problems began last year and meant Christmas was a fun time, it wasn't diagnosed until May this year. I have been to A&E (no joke in Britain) only to be really talked down to by the receiving nurse who said what more can we do you're on pain medication.

    Anyway what worries me is the consultant and the doctors seem to think my symptoms are atypical. They've confirmed I have large gallstones but as I seem to be in low grade near constant pain (pulsing pain radiating from extreme left to extreme right) most of the time with flare ups that take days to settle back down, this is atypical?

    I've lost 21lbs in 4 months(due to low/no fat diet) and find I have to avoid all foods with ANY fats and my stomach cannot tolerate any lean red meat whatsoever.

    I feel so down, the consulatant intially agreed to remove the gallbaldder would be the best option and there was a waiting list of 3 months but when after 4 months I rang back they said it will now be 8- 9 months, I feel so low and am really struggling.

    Its the nagging pain that wears you down, bucsopan and colpermin don't seem to do anything. I can't take the Sopadol as I have to drive and it makes me woozy so I take cocodamol.

    I was just wondering have other had this low grade near constant pain?

     

  • KkH
    KkH Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Well, I am wondering the same question about bloating and weight gain due to gallstones. No one has posted since over a year, so I hope someone notices this question. I do have extra constipation too, and my Dr. said that it was part of the gallstone issue. So, I have felt like maybe the weight could be a part of it all too. I don't have the terrible pain (touch wood), but I have terrible nausea. It gets very bad.
    • cynthia89958
      cynthia89958 KkH

      Posted

      Hi I know this is an old thread - I too have bloating and a huge tummy developed due to several months with gallstone and digestive issues - total hell! It is common for ppl to gain weight after gallbladder removal according to posters on here. I have no appetite and am only able to tolerate small amounts of mainly bland liquids as anything else now feels like I ate razors, but back despite this low cal diet! Cannot win, eh.
    • cynthia89958
      cynthia89958 KkH

      Posted

      Meant to add, still have gb as on surgery list, dreading an op but need something as life on hold.
  • emily67434
    emily67434 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Help ! Iv lost 2 stone in two months, it started about 3 months ago and the pain would last all night but then id be fine the next day .... its a sharp stabbing all up my back and pain right in the middle and sides of the top of my stomach

    Alrhough this week has unvearable as iv been having attacks everyday all week im physically exhausted .. iv been to ane twice this week where they discovered im pregnant . My dr thinks its gallstones but the hospital arnt doing anything ? All they have done was bloods and gave me morphine ... although now im so scared because if it is gallstones they cant do anything because im pregnant .... does anybody else have a similar situation ... im desperate ... havnt eat for days .. had 1 piece of carrot before and im getting warning pains already sad so miserable

    • cynthia89958
      cynthia89958 emily67434

      Posted

      If you are still checking in, hope you soon get sorted, good luck and it does seem tough to get medical ppl to take an interest, however poorly you feel, unless your blood work is way off or you have fever/ jaundice or something serious they can actually see.
    • izabelask
      izabelask emily67434

      Posted

      My pain was similar to yours ..

      I did hida scan which showed 19% ejection fraction . my dodctor wanted me to go for surgery but because it took so long to figure it out i did lots of reserch and i went to chinise medicine doctor who helped me . im still taking herbs simce july and honestly i have to say what a diffrence.. No more every days pains . once in a while i will feel something bit its nothing what it use to be .

      Try naturopath or chinise medicine . it works .. Its not quick fix but defintelly works !

      I wonder if u can take milk thisle while pregnant? Helps too.

    • Guest
      Guest emily67434

      Posted

      My husband was prescribed Ursofalk for his gallstones.It's active ingredient is ursodeoxycholic acid. It is supposed to be safe for treating gallstones in children and pregnant women according to the internet. I would like to say that it worked but he wasn't on it long enough to tell either way.  Basically his story is he had bad gallstone pain half a dozen times in the last 2 years - always after eating t

      "Trigger" foods - see below. He was booked in to have his gallbladder removed in a month's time, so he asked the doctor for Ursofalk in the mean time as according to the ultrasound his stones were quite small - the largest was 9mm most were 2-3 mm - and Ursofalk is supposed to dissolve smaller stones.  The first couple of days after taking it he felt nausea and was very tired - I "treated" the tiredness with Q enzyme 10 and magnesium and he felt much better.  He continued to feel great until the early horus of this morning - when he had a severe gallstone pain attack.  As I type this response to you he is still in hospital being treated with painkillers. They are probably taking his gallbladder out this week even though he hasn't finished the Ursofalk. He doesn't mind either way - he just wants his life back.

      In his case it is more than fatty foods which trigger his gallbladder attacks. Since you are pregnant I'd advise you investigate the whole food intolerance/ food sensitivity link to gallbladder pain as well - there's heaps of research about it.  Eliminate any foods which you think are culprits.  In my husband's case fatty foods like cheese and full cream milk and hamburgers trigger the worst attacks. He can tolerate lactose free milk, but has to be careful of lactose free cheese. Foods like salmon, eggs, sweet potato, salad greens and black rice don't trigger attacks at all in him - we've been living on them for the past 2 years. Foods that contain glutin like bread, pasta and white rice trigger bloating-type attacks in him although the doctors have never tested him for glutin intolerance. If he avoids glutin and lactose he hardly feels bloated and rarely gets gallstone pain and in combination with Ursofalk he never feels bloated if he avoids glutin and lactose.  

      I think this latest attack last night was triggered by a small amount of cheese and butter in an omelette he had for tea (I didn't make the omelette). Normally he doesn't have omelete - he has boiled or poached eggs without cheese and I use avocado instead of butter where possible.

       

      He's had half a dozen gallstone pain attacks in the last two years but the painkillers the ED have given him have always worked within a couple of hours in the past - but not this latest attack - he's needed painkillers for the past 12 hours and I'm still not sure the worst is over. I don't know if this very bad attack is due to the Ursofalk, or if he's passing a stone, or if a stone is caught in the bile duct and if one is if this would have happened anyway - the doctors don't seem to know either. They say his bloods are good (whatever that means) but he is still needing painkillers.  

      I guess the combination of morning sickness and gallstone pain must be extra difficult - you could try rasberry leaf tea as that helps with morning sickness.  Try find a handful of things you can tolerate and live on them - I found through trial and error that my husband never got gallstone pain from any of these foods - baked or mashed sweet potato, pumpkin, potato; avocado, mushroom, baked salmon, tuna, trout (no sauces or breadcrumbs on it - just plain fish) lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, boiled eggs, beans, sauerkraut, olives, small amounts of butter and coconut oil, lactose free milk, glutin-free potato bread, bread with no E numbers (but small quantities), most salad greens,  I hope this list helps as a starting point - your list might be different.  

  • gaurav_47601
    gaurav_47601 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Hi dear I am some advice my gallbladder remove and my upper stomach pain so someone advice eat diet and relief my pain plzz suggest me diet...
  • rita56327
    rita56327 Bellaboo1973

    Posted

    Hiii,

    A colleague of mine got the gallblader stones removed about 3 weeks ago, But she is getting worst! I'm getting concerned because she is ex[periencing severe middle back pain, nosea, lost 25 kilograms and can't walk anymore. She has done all necessary tests from MRI, Ultrasound and blood test before the surgery.Today she came to work feeling horrible she couldn't walk and she went to the emergency room to check it. she showed her results to many doctors and all had the same opinion that all is fine. Is it a post surgery effect? Can anyone help me with some answers please

    • sally_14743
      sally_14743 rita56327

      Posted

      Hi 

      its difficulty because you do get pains quite severe if u over do it .. You really shouldn't lift or use your abdominal muscles for 6 weeks after operation ... And it takes 3 months to get your energy back ..Just sweeping the floor had me in agony for two days..you have had an operation with lots of internal stitches ..

      but they can of missed a stone which can then block the duct a scan will spot this but if this was the case she would be unable to come into work doubled up in absolute agony ..

      nausea for many occurs and diahreah and takes several months to settle ..as the liver is just constantly dripping bile into the stomach ..for others constipation and indigestion as they don't have enough bile dripping into the stomach ...her GP may prescribe a proton pump inhibitor omeprazole to reduce the bile and help the nausea ...

      hope this helps 

      Sally 

       

    • rita56327
      rita56327 sally_14743

      Posted

      Thanks a lot Sally! Appreciate your reply this is really helpful Thank you
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