Has anyone ever had gallstones?

[Deleted]

And not had to have their gallbladder removed? Did you change your diet? Did you take supplements?
My years of thinking I had a stomach of steel are over

[Roc A Bee]

I had mine removed and am so happy I did. I can eat whatever I want again. Just 10 weeks out, I feel great!

[blueshirt2003]

I had them but had mine removed. The best decision ever!

[mellie35]

Another one that had surgery. I was against the surgery at first but then changed my mind when they told me it can only get worse with pregnancy. I also never wanted to experience another attack. One was enough for me.

[Deleted]

How long did you all wait to have surgery?
I've had 4-5 "attacks" I guess you call them-they used to be infrequent but now I feel like I can hardly eat anything I like. Like salsa and I can't have it.

[Pilsy]

Flygirl, are you the one with the noisy DH who needs no sleep?

[shopgirl07]

Diet and supplements won't help. Once the gallbladder is diseased it has to come out. Trust me, if the attacks get worse you'll be begging for surgery.

[Deleted]

pilsy--yes thats me. I am going to get some sort of white noise machine this weekend.

[Deleted]

I had mine out at 19, almost 18yrs ago. I have had no long term effects. I had attacks for 2 mo & when they finally figured it out I was happy to get it removed.

[Pilsy]

Oct 12, 2012 19:50:16 GMT -5 flygirl said:

pilsy--yes thats me. I am going to get some sort of white noise machine this weekend.

Good grief. Nobody deserves interrupted sleep *and* gallstones!

Sorry I have no advice re: gallstones. I hope you find relief soon!

[Deleted]

Oct 12, 2012 19:56:26 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

Oct 12, 2012 19:50:16 GMT -5 flygirl said:

pilsy--yes thats me. I am going to get some sort of white noise machine this weekend.

Good grief. Nobody deserves interrupted sleep *and* gallstones!

Sorry I have no advice re: gallstones. I hope you find relief soon!

Yeah, when he woke me up on Sunday night, I had an attack--I could have killed him. I still don't understand why its so hard to get into bed in the dark. We have a sheet and a comforter, pull it back and lay down.
I started giggling when I saw your post because H is now going to be "NH" for noisy instead of DH. H said "what are you doing?"
I said just posting about you. He said "are you complaining about me online?" Sure am dear. lol

[Pilsy]

LOL

I finally told my own NH a little more about GBCN last night. I am going to tell him he has a long-lost twin.

[Deleted]

Just get that shit out. The surgery is a breeze compared to the attacks. I had mine out a while ago - maybe seven years now. I had pretty much cut all fat out of my diet and was eating nothing but fruit and steamed vegetables, and was still waking up every.single.night with an attack. It would last for about two hours every night, so I wasn't getting sleep, and I was barely functioning during the day. It was absolute hell. When I woke up from the surgery I nearly cried from relief knowing that I didn't have to suffer through those attacks anymore.

[krystee]

Definitely get it out! My doctor said once you have stones, you pretty much have to. I have had no problems with any foods after the surgery--not even pizza or spicy foods.

[keyslover]

I have a stone or sludge- inconclusive from the ultrasound. I decided to make some dietary changes and saw a nutritional therapist/chiropractor. I have cut out all dairy and am taking a supplement that thins bile. The idea is that it thin out the sludge and be absorbed in with the rest of the bile.

I am on week 4 of this and so far so good. No attacks. My goal is to keep my parts as long as I can. If this doesn't work and I have attacks I will look closer at the surgical option.

[jena]

I was diagnosed with gallstones when I turned yellow. A stone in the bile duct can give you jaundice... or cause your pancrease to more or less digest itself and kill you.

Fat is what brought on my attacks. After eating a ridiculously lowfat diet for a month while waiting on my surgery (including a Thanksgiving meal!) I was ready to have it out rather than have to continue to eat that way.

It's been 5 years. I still have some digestive issues, but mostly only when I eat a super fatty meal - and even then, I only need to run to the bathroom there's no pain involved. Even though surgery wasn't a perfect cure for me, I still think it was the best choice.

[stingsharkruns]

Oct 12, 2012 22:42:00 GMT -5 jena said:

I was diagnosed with gallstones when I turned yellow. A stone in the bile duct can give you jaundice... or cause your pancrease to more or less digest itself and kill you.

Fat is what brought on my attacks. After eating a ridiculously lowfat diet for a month while waiting on my surgery (including a Thanksgiving meal!) I was ready to have it out rather than have to continue to eat that way.

It's been 5 years. I still have some digestive issues, but mostly only when I eat a super fatty meal - and even then, I only need to run to the bathroom there's no pain involved. Even though surgery wasn't a perfect cure for me, I still think it was the best choice.

This. When a patient has stones it is recommended that they have the gallbladder removed to avoid the common bile duct from being blocked.

This is the pamphlet that we give to our patients, www.facs.org/public_info/operation/cholesys.pdf

Good Luck

[rubytue]

I kept mine for about 9 months after my first attack. It wasnt until I had 3 attacks in a week that I threw in the towel and had it out. I can't decide if I regret it or not. 3 years post surgery I'm still dealing with digestive issue. Basically, now I have IBS/bile salt diharea issues (well, until my latest medical issue. First time I've been constipated in 4 years. Thanks prednisone lol)

[game blouses]

I had pregnancy-induced gallstones and had my gall bladder out shortly after DS was born, about 2 months ago. I had 5 attacks in 3 weeks that had nothing to do with what I ate. I haven't had an attack since. Best decision ever. I'm so glad my OB recommended surgery because I probably would have tried to wait it out, just so I wouldn't have needed to go back into the hospital. But I was out the same day and fully recovered 2 weeks later.

[Deleted]

2 attacks and I was done, best decision ever. The surgery was not my favorite thing, recovery for me was slow b/c I was heavy and out of shape at the time. I'd still have done it though, looking back.

You can try diet changes and supplements, but ultimately, you're going to need to have it taken out. Don't delay it.

[kaylie]

I had one attack and there were a TON of stones in there, so it had to come out immediately. Most things I digest just fine, but with milk and dairy I have to stick to skim/low fat varieties or pay the price later. I would not have left it in under any circumstances, though. That pain was crazy.

In my case, I knew what it was as soon as I felt the pain. I'd had weight loss surgery about a year before and losing weight quickly puts you at high risk for it. Recovering from the gallbladder removal was much easier than the WLS - was back to work in a week. Both were laparoscopic.

[jayhawkbecca]

i had my gall bladder out two days before xmas last year; i had three attacks in three weeks and it was awful. only good thing is that the doc took me seriously and i was able to get my ultrasound confirmation and scheduled for surgery within days. I was sore on the 23rd, but was able to go to xmas eve service the next day and then cook xmas dinner.

highly recommend getting it out; best decision ever!

[hopenotlost]

When my first daughter was almost 10 months old, I had a minor attack one night. I thought it was indigestion. The next night I had one so bad I collapsed in pain and cold sweats, then started throwing up bile. The ER dr diagnosed me with acid reflux. The following day I had another attack, went to my dr who diagnosed me with gall stones. Surgery was scheduled 10 days from then, but that night I went into the ER again because I was in so much pain, vicodin wasn't touching it. It turned out one of the gall stones was stuck in the bile duct, and I had jaundice. I was admitted that night, taken by ambulance to a bigger hospital the next day, where a scope was done to "pop" that stone out of the way. I would have had surgery to remove the gall bladder right away, however I developed pancreatitis (awful, btw...just freaking awful) and had to wait til that cleared up. I ended up in the hospital for about a week.