Gallstones - have you had them?

Thanks for the reassurance, both. When I see the pain that some people go through then that is when I think I am a wimp 🙂

Yes. I had my gallbladder removed ca 2013 and since then I have been into A & E three times - in 2014 in Paris - where they diagnosed acute mild pancreatitis PROBABLY caused by a gallstone. Then in 2019 I had two bouts a week apart, the second of which took me to Abdn Royal Infirmary. And this Tuesday, out of the blue and the worst bout so far, again into ARI where I was given 4 mg of intravenous morphine by the paramedic. I don't drink hardly at all and I've (so far) been given no real help except what is effectively palliative care after an attack.
If anyone has any insight into what can be done to avoid this sort of problem, I would like to hear about it. In between times I have no problems at all - but one of these days I may get an attack - eg while driving - for all I know. Up to now all but one have been in the early morning, after a visit to the loo.

had them out 30 years ago For me they were very painful Big scare I believe the process is a lot quicker now No problem since thomasg2

Thirty years ago I started to suffer with bouts of nausea. It took months before we found out that it happened whenever I ate anything with fat in it. Eventually I had my gall bladder removed by which time I had lost a lot of weight. The worst thing was when I didn't know what was causing my sickness and even wondered if my husband might be poisoning me!

I'm sure diagnosis and treatment is better these days and keyhole surgery would be such an advantage. I do hope you have had the operation by now and are feeling better.

Many years ago I was having an ultra sound scan for something else and was told I had a good crop of gallstones. I asked what I should do about them and was told 'if they don't trouble you, do nothing'
They didn't and I didn't.
Some years later I had another scan for something else and asked about my gallstones and was told I had none! They'd disappeared over the years and never given me any problems.
So, I presume yours are giving you pain and other symptoms and hope you get treatment soon.

Thanks, jeanmark 🙂

I have been told that the pain is equivalent to having a heart attack so definitely not a wimp, HerefordAnn.

I had my first bout of pain back in the early part of 2006 and it took three more bouts before I finally had my gall bladder removed in early 2007. I have never known such pain, (I will admit to being a bit of a wimp).

I had my gallbladder removed 6 years ago and I waited about 2 months for the op, I was shocked at the amount of stones there were, I had two urine sample bottles full of them!! they looked like sweetcorn, never eaten sweetcorn since!

Yes when in hospital the Dr's said I should get a chicken pox vaccination but when I told them I have never had chicken pox they said I can't get shingles.
You cannot get shingles unless you have had chicken pox

I had keyhole surgery to remove Gall Bladder at 41 fortunately I was in BUPA through work and had the operation pretty much straight away.62 now only experienced a bit of reflux straight after the operations other problems

I started getting severe pain in mid January this year but did not know the cause. The pain really was very uncomfortable and often kept me awake at night. Two GP's thought that I had a urinary tract infection despite a sample not showing a problem. As my mother had suffered with 56 stones in the 1970s I start to realise that the symptoms that I was getting were very similar. My GP was going to send me for a kidney scan and I requested that they look at my Gallbladder at the same time. Within seconds of starting the scan the ultrasound operator informed me that I have a gallbladder full of stones. That was in April this year. I saw the consultant in July and September and have signed all of the consent forms for the operation. I am now awaiting a date for surgery which I am told will be before Christmas. Every day I take a cocktail of painkillers.

I am currently study a Master Herbalist diploma and have discovered a number of things that can help. I take a tonic of milk thistle every day and have recently order some artichoke juice which is said to be wonderful at cleansing the liver and gallbladder. I also have tincture of Barberry, dandelion root, burdock and agrimony.

There is an excellent book by Andreas Moritz titled The Liver and Gallbladder Cleanse. I have not done the cleanse, because it can be very dangerous if you don't know what size stones you have. The book however is wonderful at telling you how to manage your diet and side effects. It also gives advice about avoiding IBS if you have your gallbladder removed. In the past two years I have had a couple of teeth break. This book explains about the high levels of bacteria and acid in your mouth if your gallbladder is not functioning well. It also suggests that people have higher susceptibility to the herpes virus. Last year I suffered from shingles so this would seem to explain why that occurred.

I look forward to having the operation and being pain free.

I had a cholecystectomy about 30 years ago - before key-hole surgery had been invented so now have a scar about 12" long. The foods which triggered my excruciating pain were fatty things like ham and creamy sauces. As I don't like/eat many dairy things it was the hidden fats which used to take me unawares. I suppose that I was fortunate in that I worked in an A&E department when I had one of my attacks so I was admitted straight away and had my operation the following day. In those days you were kept in hospital for a week and had to stay off work for 12 weeks! There was a woman, who wrote a diet book and who had diet and exercise classes country-wide (I cannot remember her name - sorry!) who suffered from gall-stones and as she didn't want to have an operation, she followed a very low fat diet and not only lost a lot of weight but didn't have to have an operation either. Since the operation if I eat fatty foods e.g. a full English breakfast I have to take up residence in the bathroom!!! One of the nurses told me that I didn't need to follow a diet after the operation but that I would soon find out which foods I couldn't eat - and she was right!

Hi I passed stones in May this year how painful that was like 12 hours of being doubled up in pain . I had been going to docs feeling uncomfortable for ages and they said IBS and anxiety. so after scans afterwards and MRI no damage done to the liver only by good luck thankfully no surgery required so good luck and look forward to being pain-free I have never felt better

I had a Cholecystectomy six years ago but couldn't have key-hole surgery. However, I was 'lucky' as I had health problems which meant preparation had to be made in the build up to surgery and thus I didn't have to wait too long.

My sister had hers removed years ago, and she was fine when I went to see her the same evening. I don't know how long she had waited for the operation though. She did seem to put on a lot of weight after, but I'm not sure if that was the cause.

My husband is currently suffering with a gall bladder full of them, still awaiting surgery(been told it will be before Xmas ), some days the pain is excruciating for him, I do feel kind of helpless.....even as a retired nurse there is little I can do to help, apart than be there for him. He is in the meantime trying lots of self help 'antidotes ' , as he is currently studying for a diploma in Herbal Medicine. Looking forward to reading others stories about their gallstones and how they coped.

Fortunately not Jazzy as I believe the pains can be awful but my dear mom had them donkeys years ago and shortly after coming round a nurse gave her a little pot containing five knobbly grey 'tablets' Mom reached for her glass of water and said " these are a bit big to swallow but I"ll try" Grabbing them back the nurse said " don't do that we have just got them out of you " Yes, they were her gallstones,yuk!!