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perfectlyunique

Hi well to let you know a little bit about me first im 26 now about 7 years ago i had a excrutiating pain in my chest and was rushed to hospital. They checked my heart and found nothing wrong so i assumed it was just really bad heartburn well about 6 months ago i felt this pain coming on and omg was it so bad.Ive given birth before and id rather go through that again.Ive had these pains quite alot since and after my bf bugging me i finally went to the doctors after alot of going bk and forward for tests they found out ive have quite alot of big gallstones and my gallbladder wall is thickened .Looks like ive had gallstones for years :S oops well im due to have my gallbladder removed but that could take up to 12 weeks.Ive stopped eating fatty foods as that does trigger it.

 

My question is if i do have another gallbladder attack is there anything i can do to ease the pain just while i wait for my op?The pain terrifies me and at the moment all that i can seem to do is sit and wait the pain out.That can be 3 hours or more though.It is honestly one of the worst pains i have ever felt! i went into hospital because of it the other week and i was wondering if there was anything i could do at home? Please help someone thanks in advance

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dreamingoftigers

Oh yes gall pain truly sucks! I ended up getting mine done emergency-style on vacation because it became pancreatitis.

 

What worked a bit for me was getting on hands and knees so that there was no pressure on my gall bladder. Don't even think for two seconds of eating ice cream, you'll retch it up all night in dire pain.

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whichwayisup

Your doctor, or the Dr who you saw at the hospital should have prescribed painkillers for you. If they haven't, then my suggestion is for you to call your family Dr and talk to them about your concerns.

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perfectlyunique

thanks everyone i might try getting some painkillers then and will defo try getting on me hands and knees if i get an attack id do anything to stop the pain

 

another question is that i always have a feeling of something being stuck under my right shoulder blade which ive been told is the gallstones.its the same place the pain sort of radiates to during an attack..its quite uncomfortable the doctor said its my gallbladder sqeezing the stones although isnt actually an attack its not very nice is there anything i can do for that regular pain killers dont work

im suprised now they didnt give me anything :(

 

has any of you had there gallbladder removed? if so how are you now with eating etc?

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perfectlyunique
Oh yes gall pain truly sucks! I ended up getting mine done emergency-style on vacation because it became pancreatitis.

 

What worked a bit for me was getting on hands and knees so that there was no pressure on my gall bladder. Don't even think for two seconds of eating ice cream, you'll retch it up all night in dire pain.

 

really glad i didnt eat that ice cream the other day now :) thanks

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My question is if i do have another gallbladder attack is there anything i can do to ease the pain just while i wait for my op?
My attacks generally last 3-5 hours. I've found, perhaps oddly, that laying on the floor prone on my stomach with a pillow for my head seems to provide the best non-medical relief. Also, I'll break and take a very warm shower.

 

Edited to add that, when laying prone, I find rolling from side to side seems to 'push things along' and I can feel movements in my digestive organs when doing it. When the pain is worse, I can't feel that movement, but, when it happens, it's almost like a pressure relief. It's not gas, but rather feels like fluid. Once it starts 'crackling' regularly, the pain begins to subside.

 

Everyone is different, but I'll tell you what I've done to largely eliminate such attacks:

 

1. Cut out dairy, especially ice cream and milk. I use lactose-free milk and that seems to be OK.

 

2. Eliminate nearly all red meats. I eat chicken and fish now, with only the most occasional lean ground beef. No fatty meats.

 

3. Eliminate coffee and caffeinated tea.

 

4. Eliminate eggs, except for small amounts in baked goods.

 

5. Eat beets regularly. I can't stand the plain ones so I eat the pickled ones. These also seem to help with attacks, in that the severity isn't as bad if I eat some beets when I feel the attack coming on.

 

6. I use oils (sparsely) and non-stick pans instead of butter and margarine.

 

In my case, the attacks happen between 11pm and 4am. I've never had one during the daytime and have been dealing with it for about two years now. Surgery is an option, and I have insurance, but I'd rather not have invasive surgery if I can make lifestyle changes to manage it. Even with surgery, dietary and lifestyle changes are necessary to stabilize the digestive system, with diarrhea being one significant possible negative side effect of the resultant dynamic.

 

I found, most recently, ceasing caffeinated beverages and moderating alcohol (no more than two drinks a day) seem to stabilize the issue. Prior, even with careful diet, attacks would occur at least monthly. Now, I can go two-three months or even more without having one.

 

Edited to add that, if the pain gets really bad, intractably bad, I'll take a Neurontin or Seroquel and knock myself out. It doesn't kill the pain but rather puts me into a state where I don't care. I don't recommend that to anyone but it does work for me.

 

Just another part of life. It could be a lot worse. :)

Edited by carhill
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perfectlyunique
My attacks generally last 3-5 hours. I've found, perhaps oddly, that laying on the floor prone on my stomach with a pillow for my head seems to provide the best non-medical relief. Also, I'll break and take a very warm shower.

 

Edited to add that, when laying prone, I find rolling from side to side seems to 'push things along' and I can feel movements in my digestive organs when doing it. When the pain is worse, I can't feel that movement, but, when it happens, it's almost like a pressure relief. It's not gas, but rather feels like fluid. Once it starts 'crackling' regularly, the pain begins to subside.

 

Everyone is different, but I'll tell you what I've done to largely eliminate such attacks:

 

1. Cut out dairy, especially ice cream and milk. I use lactose-free milk and that seems to be OK.

 

2. Eliminate nearly all red meats. I eat chicken and fish now, with only the most occasional lean ground beef. No fatty meats.

 

3. Eliminate coffee and caffeinated tea.

 

4. Eliminate eggs, except for small amounts in baked goods.

 

5. Eat beets regularly. I can't stand the plain ones so I eat the pickled ones. These also seem to help with attacks, in that the severity isn't as bad if I eat some beets when I feel the attack coming on.

 

6. I use oils (sparsely) and non-stick pans instead of butter and margarine.

 

In my case, the attacks happen between 11pm and 4am. I've never had one during the daytime and have been dealing with it for about two years now. Surgery is an option, and I have insurance, but I'd rather not have invasive surgery if I can make lifestyle changes to manage it. Even with surgery, dietary and lifestyle changes are necessary to stabilize the digestive system, with diarrhea being one significant possible negative side effect of the resultant dynamic.

 

I found, most recently, ceasing caffeinated beverages and moderating alcohol (no more than two drinks a day) seem to stabilize the issue. Prior, even with careful diet, attacks would occur at least monthly. Now, I can go two-three months or even more without having one.

 

Edited to add that, if the pain gets really bad, intractably bad, I'll take a Neurontin or Seroquel and knock myself out. It doesn't kill the pain but rather puts me into a state where I don't care. I don't recommend that to anyone but it does work for me.

 

Just another part of life. It could be a lot worse. :)

 

thanks for your advice..because of my age the surgeon said that if i didnt have my gallbladder out there would be other complications in the future so in a way im really glad im having it out.I have a little boy too so i dont want to be in and out of hospital because of it.i understand there will be changes after surgery but id rather not have the excrutiating pain.I do understand where your coming from though :)

 

Im from the uk and having the nhs it doesnt cost me anything to have surgery so im lucky i suppose.I always have pains 2 hours after eating tea (or dinner if thats what you call it cos some people do :) ) i eat tea at 5pm and at 7 the pain usually starts if i have an attack. Since not eating fattening foods i havent had an attack yet just that uncomfortable feeling under my right shoulder blade.Although everytime i do eat tea i worry for 2 hours afterwards.

 

Alcohol doesnt seem to bother me or any other drinks its just food especially crisps, mash potato, and creamy sauces. To be honest id never really heard much about gallstones before, i have heard a few things but didnt realise how painful having them actually was!

 

can i ask how old you are if you dont mind?you dont have to answer..its just my mum seems to think its a thing only older people get and being 26 i wouldnt say thats old..also the doc said ive had them years so probably over 7 years now.it doesnt sound good lol

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My age and demographics are listed under my avatar. Once I recover financially from my divorce and my mom's death, I'll reconsider surgery, as I don't have a caregiver and am self-employed so would be absent income post-surgery until recovered. Everything in due time.

 

There are some good web sites providing information on lifestyle changes and non-medical options which might mitigate the frequency and severity of attacks until surgery becomes available. Here's one example

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perfectlyunique
My age and demographics are listed under my avatar. Once I recover financially from my divorce and my mom's death, I'll reconsider surgery, as I don't have a caregiver and am self-employed so would be absent income post-surgery until recovered. Everything in due time.

 

There are some good web sites providing information on lifestyle changes and non-medical options which might mitigate the frequency and severity of attacks until surgery becomes available. Here's one example

 

hi sorry lol i didnt realise to look at your profile :) thanks very much for your advice its most appreciated. Its nice to know im not on my own! ill have a look at the website thankyou and if you want to talk about anything ill listen its the least i can do x

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No worries.... If anyone sees me posting at 3 or 4am PDT, there's a really good chance there's a reason why. I'll often post to distract myself from the pain. Just me and my laptop on the floor with the cat laying nearby. He gets super-attentive when I'm in pain like that. Real vocal. Typical Siamese. I often think hey, it's a little like menstrual cramps, so figure I better suck it up :)

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perfectlyunique
No worries.... If anyone sees me posting at 3 or 4am PDT, there's a really good chance there's a reason why. I'll often post to distract myself from the pain. Just me and my laptop on the floor with the cat laying nearby. He gets super-attentive when I'm in pain like that. Real vocal. Typical Siamese. I often think hey, it's a little like menstrual cramps, so figure I better suck it up :)

 

thats the thing though with me i wouldnt be able to even type because its got that bad, i cant even talk because it takes my breathe away and breathing in to hard hurts alot too. I suppose its my own fault its got that bad because i didnt do anything about it for so long. I suppose going in an ambulance a few times should have made me move my bum a little quicker but at least its getting sorted now ..better late than never :)

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