Suspected Gallstones, Surgery Anxiety, Feel so Lost

just to throw into the mix my surgeon doesn't believe there is such a thing as IBS; it is just an umbrella that undiognosed gastric issues get chucked under,he has been doing gastric surgery for 32 yrs, food for thought.

It does sound like very bad gallbladder attacks you are having but, when you have the scan it will give you the cause.I suggest that you go on a low fat diet ,try to lose some weight, and to help your gallbladder settle.If you dont feel like a like eating ,try porridge.If its gallbladder pain it should settle if you take care of yourself ,but of course if you have stones or signs of infection it may have to be removed ,general anaesthetic is very good these days and if you ask you will probably be given something to help the anxiety you are suffering from. It is possible your tablets made you feel sick ,as this has happened to me ask your GP for some antisickness tablets. Most people feel anxious about having to have an operation but if gallstones are your problem it would seem the best thing for you .there are lots of people who have had gallbladder removal and make a good recovery and are fine afterwards .

hi all. back in june i was diagnosed with fatty liver disease and gallstones from an ultrasound after having a massive hour long attack of pain in the center of my chest. yes i drank too much alcohol and ate too much greasy fatty food so i have nobody to blame but myself. i went on a strict diet from fruit and veg, fish, chicken and turkey. white grains removed for wholemeal. this was quite a success and i lost 2 stone in weight through doing it. i had lft's done and ive had an mri scan. my liver function test was back to normal and my mri confirmed gallstones (the largest being 14mm) but the main thing was none of the ducts from either the gallbladder or pancreas were blocked. it was the case of see how i go. i dont eat anything high in fat anymore but had another attack on xmas day night. 500mg 30mg co codamol did the trick very efficiently this time after having nothing in the way of pain relief previously! ive had a constant ache on my right flank for weeks and weeks and its gradually got worse so now im back at the docs with this and seeing a consultant next week about removal of the gallbladder. first im wanting to see another ultrasound to see if my liver has got any better or whether this is still a gallbladder issue. my attacks dont occur on my right side like most other reports on here but right in the center of my chest i suppose more like a heart attack but the ache in my side never goes away. it feels like a bruised rib like ive been whacked on the back so theres obviously inflammation of something. the trouble is, gallstones can take months/years to form and the vast majority of them will never leave your gallbladder hence why we are recommended surgery so the more you have the more at risk of passing them, as the pain we experience is the bile ducts contracting whilst pushing stones through to the small intestine. after the stone has dropped, the pain resides. they will never all go though. not even if youve changed your diet. youre diet is to prevent more from forming. ive done the diet change. for six months but still had an attack afterwards. surgery is possibly the only way of piece of mind knowing your stones have been removed although i have read that pain can still occur after removal. id get a second opinion on that though as it cant be stones moving through the ducts. thats impossible as its been removed. if this has happened to anyone then maybe they need to check their pancreatic state. the pancreas also excretes bile through the common bile duct so stones can form from that direction too so if pain exists from gallbladder removal, it must be related to a pancreas issue and would then finger point at diet. i may be wrong but i cant see how pain can still exist if the gallbladder has been removed unless theres another issue. an upset stomach is about the only ongoing issue youd experience after removal because of the bile overload but meds can be prescribed for that in the long term.

I think all comments are valid, I can only speak from my own experience, dr's always go the easy route! on explaining I can't digest fat it was assumed I had gallstones, basic blood tests were done, liver, kidneys etc ok. Yawn, yes fast forward 3 years, gallbladder removed h hernia repaired and I still can't digest fat and I am awaiting a referal to see another gastro team..........it drives me insane, endless waiting, I have tried every diet cha nge, known to man, pro-biotics, kefir, reflexology, sacro cranial therapy etc, etc. I bought all the books on liver flushes but as I have no faith in the medical profession i daren't try as I worried about stones getting stuck, tough to do on your own.

Anyway happy new year, good to hear opinions.