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Has anyone controlled Gallstone attacks with diet successfully?

Posted , 11 users are following.

lisa40891
lisa40891

I was diagnosed just over a year ago

2 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

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  • joanne20797
    joanne20797 lisa40891

    Posted

    Yes so far I have. I had terrible pain and was taken into Hospital on a few occasions. I have changed my diet, all food is prepared freshly at home so no more fast food, take aways or going out for meals. I havent cut out fat completely as the gallbladder needs fat, it can make the pain a lot worse if you don't eat a little good fat such as olive oil, coconut oil, all natural oils. No fried foods but dry roasting, boiling and grilling are all good. I only mainly eat chicken as other meats are harder to digest. I drink lots of organic apple juice and apple cider vinegar (with "the mother") as it contains malic acid which softens gallstones. I take the tincture Chanca Piedra which is known as a stone breaker, twice a day and also a digestive enzyme with meals that assists with breaking down fats, this is a life saver, its called Beta TCP and is made by biotics reseach. I actually enjoyed Christmas thanks to this protocol. My GB according to my scan is bulging with small stones and is thin walled, 4 months ago I couldnt even function but since I have started to reseach I have had a huge improvement. Are you on Face Book? There are various groups on there where members share what has worked for them including the Liver flush, Liver cleanse and Gallbladder flush group. Its not all about liver flushing but also how to keep your GB happy. 
    • DebbieH
      DebbieH joanne20797

      Posted

      Can you please let me know the gallbladder group you spoke of so that I may join? I have had several attacks and would like some help.

      Thank you.

  • stella43632
    stella43632 lisa40891

    Posted

    I tried this and it holds it back for a while whilst I was waiting for the operation, but I have never had a fatty diet in my life and my gallbladder was full of stones and dispite not wanting an operation ended up having one because which is worst discomfort for a few months after op or the fear that the gallbladder will burst and be fatal, did you see the news a few months ago a woman kept leaving it and she kept having bad bouts of pain and admitted to the hospital and they left it too late it got to the pancreas and she died, I had a pancreatic attack some years ago and the doctors told me if it were to happen again it could be very serious.  I am a nervous person, have i.b.s and fibromyalgia, I was scared stiff of the operation, but the doctors at Chesterfield Royal Hospital were brilliant, I went in early in the morning on the 12November was out at teatime, they looked after me very very well, they were all great since first being diagnosed in May I wanted to put if off with diet, but I'm glad I had it done because the fear of it irrupting or going to the pancreas would be and could be horrendous.  I have used apple cider vinegar, spent allot of money on the top make, i.e. the mother and it made no difference used olive oil everything, still made no difference, if you take the risk of taking a stone breaker they could get stuck and that's what I was afraid of, its up to you in the end but I thought I would tell you I've tried all these and the surgeons told me I was dicing with death, thanks stella
  • lori73442
    lori73442 lisa40891

    Posted

    You can try it. I changed my diet and it helped but I had the surgery. People who have waited for years to have the surgery all say they wish they had it sooner.

    I had mine Nov. 11. I'm doing great.

    Any questions just ask.

    Lori

    • may30117
      may30117 lori73442

      Posted

      How are you doing after your surgery? It would be great to hear as we evaluate surgery for my husband.

  • lisa40891
    lisa40891

    Posted

    Thank You... all your comments were very interesting.

    As I said: I was diagnosed in Nov/Dec 2013 with a Gallbladder full of stones after a few awful attacks - and I can tell you all know exactly what I mean smile

    I was booked in for the op asap, but had to see doctor for jaundice the day after being released. Because it was an emergency appt I saw a very young doctor doing his GP placement. He contacted his friend who happened to be doing a placement on the ward I'd just been released from and together they advised me to try removing ALL milk products - dairy. almond, soya, etc, etc, from my diet.

    At first I found the removal of my favourite meal of the day (breakfast cereal) very difficult, but taught myself to have a Nature Valley Breakfast bar instead. Of course, I also had to figure a way around my beloved milky tea and did this a variety of Twinings Tea's. I have Peppermint & Nettle to start the day and Camomile & Spearment to end it - both with honey.

    I've always liked my coffee black so that wasn't a problem, but I did find my bladder seemed inflamed and irritated if I had too much so tried Fennell tea, with honey again, and discovered that VERY soothing.

    Strangely enough, I suddenly realised my op was due and I hadn't had an attack, so after a discussion with my doctor, a 3 month delay was arranged with the hospital.

    Now, over a year later, I feel great, my skin is noticably clear (or so people keep telling me) and not a twinge.

    I do eat healthily most of the time, but I'm not obsessed with it - probably because I don't have to be.

    I've taken a digestive enzyeme tablet as part of my usual vitamin routine for years, and perhaps that's helping too - judging by Joanne's comment?

    Obviously I did look on here, when first diagnosed and the reason I posed the questionnow was to see if anyone had any other tips/experience on how to manage it, because there seems to be a lot of info on pain management etc. especially afterwards and surprisingly little on how to survive without problems.

    Thank you again, all, for replying. I appreciate it.

     

  • stella43632
    stella43632 lisa40891

    Posted

    Hi Lisa this happened to me years ago when I first had them ate very healthy as I always did, didn't have an attack in 5 years, but all that time they were still there and getting more and more, and I had to have the operation eventually as they told me the gallbladder would errupt, its good that we can go for a long time without attacks but I would be careful because they fooled me like this, but in the end it did not pay off because even though I was eating healthy and I have done all my life really never ate anything farry or fired etc so it was not really the food that caused them in the first place, I was told by a surgeon that after a bad attack it can sometimes be years before they start causing problems again, which in my case was such, and I really did think they had gone, but unfortunately not, so be very wary and I wish you luck, take care, Stella
    • lisa40891
      lisa40891 stella43632

      Posted

      Hi Stella, I hear you and thanks! smile

      The thing that bother me is: the amount of posts about post-op problems...  seems like neither position is better eh?

    • angela72602
      angela72602 lisa40891

      Posted

      I was surprised also at the "bad" effects of not having a gallbladder. The attacks were still worse than the efeects afterwards to me. One has to judge for themselves if they want to put up with the attacks or put up with diarrhea and some pain after the gallbladder is gone.   rolleyes
    • fumanchu
      fumanchu lisa40891

      Posted

      I'm the same. And once it's out then you can't put it back in again...!
    • stella43632
      stella43632 lisa40891

      Posted

      Hi Lisa, you know and read and read different things about people having diarrhea after the op and still pains, I to be honest was scared and started to try all kinds of diet and potions like cider vinegar and olive oil, beetroot mixes and all kinds of juices, I kept phoning the doctors up at my surgery to ask their advice and because I was admitted to hospital several years ago with it going to the Pancreas they all told me I was walking a dangerous path.   I definitely did not want it out but it was full of stones and I viewed the lesser of the two options, did I leave it and hope that a low fat diet and potions would get rid of it or did I listen to the doctors and go ahead.  I was afraid that if the attack happened again i would not get to the hospital in time and it would go to the pancreas.   It was the 12th November when I had the op, I went in at 7.30 in the morning, was very scared because I am a nervous person in allot of ways and get very stressed I also as I probably said previously have I.B.S. and fibromyalgia.  I was out at 5.30 in the afternoon, could not move very well on and off of chairs and turn around in bed for the first week, after second week slight improvement and gradually eating getting back to normal, not stuffing myself of course. I could not do any chores around the house, my husband had a week off work to do this and cooking,  I took it easy for3 to 4 weeks it is now 10 weeks, I am eating nearly all the normal foods, not too fatty as I don't want to pile allot of weight on, I eat cakes and chocolate as I love these, as I have IBS I still have trouble with my stomach and from the waist to the groin I get sometimes a pulling pain, not too bad, I have now started work (from home again) but I heard from on-line sourses that there is a meridian nerve that runs from the area of the gallbladder to the groin and this takes a while to ease up, I hope its that.  In the end I have not been too bad after the op, no diarrhea as I said but I could not risking leaving them because they are dangerous to your other organs, if the gallbladder bursts it can cause peritinitus and this was how the woman on the news died because of this, this is how it was with me I am only telling you how it was and advising you, you will have to go with your own judgement and of course the advice of the doctors at the end of the day, let me know how things are going, bye Stella
    • lori73442
      lori73442 stella43632

      Posted

      Will said Stella! I'm doing fine after my operation too had mine November 11. I have IBS and fibromyalgia too. My IBS I haven't had much issues with it since I was pregnant but stress or smelling some foods can kick it in.

      I haven't had any real issues since my gallbladder was removed. Don't know where they are finding all these issues they're talking about. I'm stay on my low fat diet but will have a cheeseburger or pizza once in awhile, don't do both in one day.

      I'm doing great!

      Lori

    • stella43632
      stella43632 lori73442

      Posted

      Hi Lori do you have any groin pain at all, I have had this for a few weeks on and off from the waist on the side of the gallbladder to the groin, not bad, but niggly.   Thanks Stella
    • lori73442
      lori73442 stella43632

      Posted

      No groin pain! Have you talked to your doctor about it? Probably has nothing to do with the gallbladder surgery unless you got a hernia.

      I hope you find out why your groin hurts real soon. Have never seen anyone talking about groin pain after gallbladder surgery until now so it could be something else.

      Lori

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