Should I have my gallbladder removed ?

hi thanks for reply ,what made you have yours removed ?

I was replying to Caroline and saw your post  Diane. Thanks, it is good to see people post something positive as I am booked for surgery on 29th and feeling stressed about it, after a long wait and many ups and downs.

​I know most folk who recover well do not post as often as the ones who are unlucky and looking for advice. So thank you, it makes me feel more confident to have read your post. Best wishes and enjoy your horseriding!

I would disagree with you that things cannot get better with a bad gallbladder.  I do think it takes a lot of determination and willpower, but if a person is willing to change their diet, it can be done.  I have read many stories where people have stopped eating fried food and/or other foods that their KNOW will aggravate their gb.  It takes awhile, but the gallbladder did not go bad overnight either.  I would rather try to heal my gb myself than have surgery.  Having said that, the thought that I could just have a little operation and then eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted does sound very appealing.  But, I don't have insurance and I don't have thousands of dollars, so I'm going the route of trying to eat better, etc.

Hello kate

 I was kinda with you on NOT wanting my gallbladder removed. I am a believer that God put them there for a reason and really wanted and tried diet change 3 months before having it removed. I had trouble with it on and off for about 2 years. I really did not know it was the gallbladder until I kept going to the ER.  I did not have gallstones , as that is what they usually look for. I had ultrasound several times, a CT Scan and eventually the HIDA Scan showed total non functional. But, I still wanted to not have surgery. Three weeks after that and another ER visit changed my mind. I could not keep dealing with the severe attacks, my blood pressure kept spiking to 190/96, which is bad. My triglycerides were 774, the normal is 150. My HDL went to 37, normal is 150. My liver enzymes went crazy and even now after surgery I am still having pancreatitis. I wish I had done it sooner as now I am trying desperately trying to take care of my overly stressed liver and pancreas. I also had zero insurance, no job and my husband passed away. The pathology report found no gallstones, however the gallbladder was infected and had stuck to the stomach wall. Surgeon said this was only the second time he had seen this. So I guess there are many reasons to have them removed. I have not regretted it at all. The diet part afterwards is still difficult, but I am ok with it, since my health has way improved. I lost 21 pounds in 5 weeks before surgery, that was not fun. My weight afterwards is great. Even lost another 3 pounds. Diet is hard sometimes, and I would really like to eat a whole box of creme  filled doughnuts about now, but I eat pickled beets instead. Let us know how you progress with your gallbladder.

Hi, I have been diagnosed with gallstones after incfreasing symtoms and issues despite having a very healthy paleo/ primal diet for almost 5 years. I only eat organic and grass fed, healthy fats, no processed, only 'take out' we have is a meal out once a mth at the Indian or grilld. I never eat from the normal takeaways, dont buy packaged except packets of crisps. I dont eat cakes or pastries, dont eat fried except hubbys homemade stor fry chicken and rice. I rarely drink alcohol and only ate 90% dark chocolate. despite this I have been diagnosed and getting worse and mworse. My once very healthy diet with heaps of raw and fermented foods has been reduced to chicken and rice and corn chips as I can hardly eat anything. So diet does not always help.

Star, I know where you are coming from - I have exactly the same story, always have eaten good heathy food and kept to a sensible lifestyle and ended up with gallbstones issues and a host of accompanying things after a lot of stress happened in my life.

​I too have been living for a time on soups, rice and fish, occasionally a morsel of chicken and am  scheduled for surgery later this week. Will you have surgery? I tried alternatives for a long while that eased the symptoms a little but never got back to anything like normal or feeling well again.

I generally believe in natural ways to heal but have had to admit defeat with the gallstones as after 10 years and the last year in a lot of pain and hardly eating, nothing has cured the situation.

​I have been a trained complementary therapist myself and also trained in nursing and health research so I was able to look up all the evidence and try different foods, therapies and remedies. I am not convinced that surgery is a cure all as we know that by the time we have gallbladder symptoms, things have been abnormal already for some time.

​As I am over 60 now, timing is important, as surgery is more risky for older persons and living on only a few safe foods is not a balanced diet to live on indefinitely. Good luck though, some people say they stave off symptoms by lifestyle, perhaps if caught early.

PS surgery is later this week, so I will update on how it goes. As I said, I am not expecting a miracle but any improvement would be a blessing. If it does not help, the surgeon has said they will continue to look for something else, as all they have so far led them to believe the gb is not functioning and should be eliminated as the cause.

i apologize to you and others if I came across as judgmental.  I think I am just anxious and don't like not having control over this!

May I ask some questions?  Do you all have constant pain (on any level) or do you feel fine between attacks?  Do your attacks come more closely together?  What is the longest you have been sumptom free?

Do you not only avoid certain foods or do you add others?  I've added beets on a regular basis and I have also been drinking apple cider vinegar (in water or apple juice) every day.  I've heard both of these are good for the gallbladder.  I've also read of other supplements - flax seed tea, other herbs, etc., but I haven't tried those yet.

I'm skeptical of flushes - I've read reports that you are not really passing stones, but solidified olive oil.

My last gb attack was a week before Thanksgiving.  I've had none since then and actually my digestion seems pretty good (except when I think about and then I have "imaginary" pains lol).  

The 1st time I ever had an attack (and I didn't know it was gb then) was after a year of eating very low fat.  I had broccoli every night for 5 nights.  I had horrible pain for 10 hours (which I know believe was my gb).  At the time I thought it was gas.  I was fine until a few months later and then it happened again after having a huge Starbucks mocha drink.  The next one was months later after having a VERY rich piece of chocolate cake and coffee.  

I have read that eating very low fat can cause gallstones.  I didn't have any issues until after a year of eating very low fat.

I have read a couple of blogs where ppl have been able to "heal" their gb.  One did the supplement, diet change, flaxseed tea and, at his last writing, had not had an attack in 2 years.  

Best to you all - we all have to do what we think is right for ourselves, but I really appreciate the feedback and stories.

Hi. I had a lengthy reply typed, but it is waiting to be moderated? Don't know why - nothing controversial or offensive.  I was basically asking other members about their gb attacks, if they are in constant pain, or intermittent.  If you add supplements, etc.

Anyway.....I do hope that everything goes well for you.  Take Care

Good luck with your surgery xxx

I am 42, however my mum, nanna and both cousins on my mums side have needed their gallbladders removed, guessing mine might be genetic? My mum eats pretty healthy too! 

I am very natural and have been for 5 yrs, dont even use chemcials in the house and all my meat is from the organic butchers or free range and use co ops for all my organic and natural supplies, so not happy all this is happening I guess thats life. it just annoys me when people blame diet and weight as I am not overweight, infact loosing all the weight has size 8's ( UK) slipping off me now and I certainly dont eat junk and crap.

Kate, my issues are intermittent and becoming constant. Slight niggle almost stitch feeling under my rib, constant awful reflux diagnosed as GERD which I am crontrolling with a much less than perfect diet sadly ( my diet was 90% great prior to all this for many years) and IBS symptoms. Ultrasound found my gallbladder full of mobile stones, many up to 1.5 cms. I dont eblieve 'bad' food causes them in all cases, certainly didnt in mine, so changing my diet will make no difference. Infact removing all the trigger reflux foods has only stopped the reflux and IBS symptoms, the niggle is becomming constant under my rib and my belly sounds like a washing machine if I even try to eat anything which triggers.

I am also working with a natropath and on many herbal and natural suppliments and vitamins to help with the loss of essential nutrients and to help my digestive system and gallbladder and to replace the nutrients I am suddenly loosing due too food restricitions. These restricitons are vitasl to keep me of the toilet or not eating at all due to the feeling I am eating hot peppers from waking until bedtime.

i have read about many natural methods but also read how it just reoccurs as an emergency down the track, people dying due to infections or rupture and emergency surgery from many trying to 'flush'. 

 

I know have a constant pain in my ribs breast bone ,sometimes find it hard to breath ,the funny thing is I started to have attacks 8 years ago ,when I was doing 3 classes a day at the gym I was putting it down to a pulled muscle and I never go to the doctors ,I only found out 2 and a half years ago I had a gallstones by chance I was having a scan on my liver that's how I found out,,trigger foods for me are meat any meat ,and stress is also a major trigger,it's said that eggs are a trigger but they don't trigger my attacks

funnily meat causes me no issues at all, infact it what I mostly ate at xmas and even lamb was fine, however potatoes, nuts, eggs, lots of coconut, starchy veg, raw veg, more than a glass of alcohol, fruit juice and many other things casue reflux and IBS I am following the fast track at the moment and it has been the most help with reflux but also mixed with low fodmaps with restricitons due to intlerances. 

I am also taking slippery elm, digestive enzymes, probiotics, zinc, magnesium and other help from the naturopath and all help with the reflux and IBS but nothing with the constant and progressive ache under my rib.

One slip, such as at Xmas I ate a potato and a few glasses of amoretto for a few days and still suffering with mild reflux and tummy ache!

back to chicken and rice!

 

I am currently grain and gluten free, dairy free, no starchy veg or potatoes, no more than a few nuts, wheat free etc.. and doesnt help with the ache! only the reflux. ( i was paleo anyway, so didnt eat most of those groups regardless) 

I've been having attacks for 8 years now and now they are getting worse ,the last 2 I have been on the verge off going to a&e, now I am in constant pain a niggle in my side and ribs all the time and my chest hurts also I feel weighed down all the time no matter what I eat

Hello Kate,

 No offense taken at all! We all understand your frustration. I eat beets and pineapple on a daily basis, and apple cider vintages in between as well. I also ate low fat and all foods mentioned above prior to having my gallbladder out. I did have in between attacks, and usually when I cheated on my diet, coffe, mochas, cake, chocolate chip cookies, etc. My poor digestive system would give me the ride for my life all night long. I started going to the ER more as the attacks were getting closer together. My blood pressure was really getting out of control, to the point the my blood pressure mess would not help. At that point, I was forced to make appt with a Gastro Doctor. Prior to GB surgery, I had to be scoped both ends. Endoscope and Colonoscopy, to rule out polyps, tumors, etc. He did remove polyps, and my stomach lining and intestines showed inflammation, much more than normal. Not everyone probably has done all this, but I had not been scoped for more than 10 years and I am over 50, so they highly twist your arm about it, due to higher percentage of finding cancer and such, due to age and medical statistics. Even after all the tests and finding out the gallbladder didn't work, I will admit I still did not want it out, and for 3 weeks I still resumed my diet,  just to see if things could improve. They didn't for me, but nothing wrong with trying. Just keep it up. Add new foods slowly, and stick with foods that you know will work. Taking Probiotics daily to aid in digestion always helped me, before and after. Good luck. Keep persevering!

I could be wrong, but I do think my diet has played a major role in my tummy issue.  To note, I have not been diagnosed with gallbladder stones/issues, BUT the attacks were textbook.  As I mentioned, the 1st one was after eating very low fat for a year (said to cause gallstones).  The next one (months later) was after very fat food.  Both lasted 10 or so hours.

The last one I had (a week before Thanksgiving) was *only* 3-4 hours.  

The reason I think diet is that I have been eating like a teenage boy.  Because of many factors, we have had TONS of fast food - fried chicken, french fries, sauces, gravies.  And, I had dessert EVERY night - usually around 9pm.  This was for MONTHS All of those things are such No-Nos!  I do think my gallbladder said "enough is enough."

I hope that I am able to repair and reverse the damage.  I am not eating totally low-fat because from what I understand, the gb must have some fat to function.  

If my eating efforts are not enough, I guess that I get my answer.  

Take care everyone.

I never did the low fat rubbish,, infact always ate healthy fats. I am not a desert peron only very dark chcolate, never been a huge drinker. I have only been overweight after pregnancy and then lost it again. I have had takeaways prior to 5 yrs ago such as mcdonalds and pizza but it was not all the time and dont really like fried food. I have had 4 babies though, am over 40 and have a lot of family history with gallbladder and auto immune, so i dont believe food has casued mine at all.