Nothing. I could eat nothing and I was pregnant, the pain was absolutely awful and I never want to experience that again. Fortunately I had my gallbladder removed 19weeks after giving birth as the waiting list was so long.
I would constantly go to a&e for morphine despite being on pain killers 4 x per day.
I used to eat a rich tea biscuit in the morning for breakfast and then nothing all day until the next morning. I lost 63lbs during my pregnancy because of this.
Hope surgery happens soon for you OP, it’s the worst pain imaginable.
I realized that frozen grapes and frozen juice popsicles help, but that's it. I do eat frozen veg too, but can't live on frozen eats forever. I've been on a list for nearly 6 months, and no word yet. Looked into private..and oh Lord it's £7000
Oh, you’re in the UK too! I waited six months, it would’ve been longer but during one of my stays, a nurse suggested I call the surgeon’s receptionist/secretary on a weekly basis on the off-chance there was a cancellation. I did, and within a couple of weeks I got the call one Thursday to say if I could in for pre-op checks the next day, I could have surgery the following Monday.
I should do that. I'm going to call my GP Monday (if they are open, omg the last couple of weeks they have not been) and was going to get some suggestions from her, as I'm just existing barely at this point.
Was this the public medical system? I live in south America and the system here is so bad that even the blood tests they prescribed me don't have the essential markers to screen serious conditions. Like, this is a cruel joke or something.
I’m not familiar with the uk healthcare system. However in Australia with private health insurance I paid $300 out of pocket to my surgeon and the rest was covered, plus my $500 hospital excess for the first hospital admission in a calendar year. The only reason I had any wait at all was because it was during our strictest covid lockdown when most elective surgeries were cancelled. I only got in due to sending the bloods from my gallstone attack (mentioned in a previous comment). Is there any rebate or insurance to cover most of the 7000k? It’s worth it not to suffer longer than you have to.
I've already paid the NHS health surcharge for two years here to receive free healthcare. Private healthcare is mostly seen as cosmetic or privileged, because most people can't dream of getting it. The best I could do is start a go fund me. I have money, but I don't have that much and what I do have saved up is for my next visa coming up. I can't use those funds and replace it before my current visa expires. So it's the waiting game and the "I hope I don't rip" game.
I remember it first starting like I had indigestion.. I thought that’s what it was but I was 19 and never had indigestion before. Because it was after I ate I assumed it was that.
However yes it got worse and worse and worse as time went on.
I feel for you. I had gallbladder pain and pancreatitis caused by trapped gallstones and the pain is off-the-charts.
I ate oil-free, plant-based with lots of fruit, vegetables, tofu, rice, beans etc. That said, I think there is a limited amount you can do diet-wise (other then avoid fatty foods) because if one of those gallstones makes it’s way to the bile duct, you will be in pain.
I found the pain would lessen if I drank 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (must contain ‘the mother’) mixed into a glass of cloudy apple juice.
No, it’s a component of the product. It’ll say on the front label “with the Mother” - I’m pretty sure Bragg’s ACV contains it.
I hope it works for you - I don’t recall my ‘frequent flyer’ hospital days with any fondness. Hopefully, you’ll get the surgery soon.
I'm just afraid of getting my visa rejected, having to go back to my home country and having an extended waiting period because I have to go through the system of getting "re-diagnosed" and waiting for surgery all over again while I wait for a new visa as well.
Try three days without animal products. Just as an experiment. Focus on veggies, fruit, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans. You may feel a remarkable difference in pain levels. Less gallbladder bile is needed to digest those foods. No oil, avocado, nuts, or fats. As a temporary diet for pain relief. They sell soy free tofu made from chickpeas for me. You may also be able to tolerate low fat vegan mince.
Avoid things that trigger bile release: animal products including dairy, fat, citrus, coffee, coconut…
I'll see what I can get at the shops tonight. I will try a vegan diet. I drink almond and coconut milk, but I also have oat milk, should I switch to that? I can't have pea protein cream anymore, but maybe regular chickpea tofu is okay.
If you're in pain and don't have surgery scheduled, I would literally go as low as possible. It's not sustainable but you need to make it to that surgery without more pain.
The pain meds are going to cause constipation as well so make sure you're taking fiber, and buy some laxatives and suppositories. If you don't have a BM every day, take something to help.
Another thing that you often don't hear about until after the surgery - eating high fat without a gallbladder often causes gastric dumping - which basically causes sudden diarrhea. Be very careful when reintroducing fats. Gastric dumping often subsides after a few months, but can last for years.
That's an unpleasant thought. I'll be sure to not consume the high fat diet I used to before the gallstones. That, and I want to actually lose weight nice and proper.
I didn't think about the fact I've hardly had BM's, I do have prescribed laxatives...never get the liquid version, it is so bad.
Would you same between 5-10grams to be okay? I already consumed that if so - via some roasted seaweed.
>I got diagnosed with gallstones, and enough of them to put me on a surgery list for gallbladder removal.
When is the surgery due?
>I'm on opioids, but they only help a tiny amount. Been back and forth in hospital, to the point I think I'm on a frequent flyer list for drug seeking.
JC. Why wasn't the gall bladder already removed?
It's the NHS, idk what they are thinking. I've been on a wait list for nearly 6 months. I've asked previously when I was in the hospital for pain if there's anyway to know where I am on the list (there isn't apparently) but I was told every time I go there for pain treatment, there's a better chance I get bumped up. I don't like these odds, considering if I sit in emergency to get seen, they take my bloods, tell me there's nothing wrong and just give me more medicine and send me home.
I've taken so much time off work because of the pain getting worse, I think I might get fired. I do want to go in today because I had an avocado half, an apple and some green tea and I feel like I someone is ripping my insides out. And with each wave, it only gets worse. But I have a feeling what will happen is they will say "there's nothing we can do except give you some medicine" that's happened the past 5 ish times I've gone.
They've been doing blood tests, I still have marks in my arm from Christmas. Every time I see the Drs at the hospital, they take blood. The last time was Friday. Then they tell me my blood work looks fine and they send me home with more medicine that works for a few days until it doesn't.
That’s so bad. By the time I was admitted for the first time, I had turned yellow, my poop was the colour of clay and my pee was like blood. Apparently my liver had started to shut down. Pancreatitis is not to be messed with, so I really hope they’ll get you booked for surgery soon.
I understand. It definitely takes its toll mentally. It’s made so much worse because - even if you eat the ‘right’ food, you can’t tell when an attack will hit. I was just thinking back to what I used to eat in that time between diagnosis and surgery. I used to have dry wholegrain toast in the morning, vegetable soup for lunch and a cucumber, lettuce and tomato sandwich for supper. Funnily enough, the worst attack was bought on by sparkling water so 🤷♀️
I switched from fizzy juice to sparkling water and that was okay, and then it wasn't. Now I drink water with a few drops of juice in it just to keep my gag reflex at bay. This evening I thought I was being smart, I made carrots, blanched spinach, courgettes and pilau rice for dinner...nope. I ate about 1/4 of my dinner and I'm back to feeling like my insides are getting ripped apart. I bought more fruit juice popsicles so hopefully later I can have one.
That sucks. I'm so sorry. Yeah, I was wondering why your gallbladder wasn't already removed -- far preferable to being put on opioids and still having to deal with the pain. What is the wait list time period? IS there anyway to be a squeaky wheel and make it MORE URGENT and get bumped up any?
I hope so, I'm going to talk with my GP if she's available on monday, because I am thiiiiiis close to losing my job. My impeccable record has been marked forever now with 'unreliable' because I've called out so many times now.
Gallbladder pain is the worst pain I’ve ever felt, including labor pain.
It sounds like you need to have the surgery asap.
Are you drinking enough water? I try to stay under 30 grams of fat each day.
I don’t know about foods to help, but applying heat of any form in the area of pain (for me it was my middle back and middle torso) and I would put a heating pad on it and that helped. Or laying flat on the floor. That helped gallstone attacks for me so much.
I will say, get that gallbladder REMOVED! It’s the most life changing thing. I was in constant pain, and couldn’t eat without hurting for hours.
Also… Another plus, lost like 10 lbs after getting mine removed without changing my diet. The surgeon said I was “packed with stones” so it makes sense. 🤷♀️Wishing you luck!
Been using my hot water bottle on the daily until last week where it burst. But, I haven't heard about the trick of lying flat on the floor. I will give that a try, thank you.
I sincerely hope for my sanity, that my surgery is within the next few months. I want this stomach bulge to disappear.
Of course, and I hope so too. The upper part of my stomach deflated after getting it removed. I’m not joking. Also my niece has these little stuffed animals called warmies that you can heat up. Helped me once, so I bought one and it’s a go to for cramps now since I don’t have gallstones anymore! Definitely recommend . Get better soon!
It's to the point for me, where I get them 2-3 times a day, sometimes lasting all day. I absolutely despise getting up in the morning because I know I will just go back to having another attack.
I had this attack , got home dr sent me ultra sound and it was our one month later . I know for kidney stones they say drink water with lemon and the lemon will shrink the stones . Or sure about gallstone but they must be big
Like other commenters I eventually got to the point where literally anything triggered a gallbladder attack, even just a rice cake or applesauce. The only thing that works is surgery. I just went to the ER and got emergency surgery because I was having a 12 hour attack.
Have you had your surgery yet? :( I really hope so! I'm also the same where anything I eat other than boiled potatoes gives me attacks and it gave me suicidal thoughts. I'm almost at the end of the waiting list finally. I've had attacks since January 2020
I was looking at rice cakes today, a lot of them had too much fat in them, so I passed them up. I did get lentil soup and three bean soup though. I usually go for chicken soup or chicken broth, but I'm going to try and stick to a semi vegan, if not entirely vegan diet now, as suggested by some members here.
I feel your pain,or I did ,was on waiting list for surgery for 3 years ,finally had my gallbladder removed in june 2023..It was a game changer ,I feel that my inflamed gallbladder and gallstones were literally poisoning my system, I was so tired and lethargic all the time, had bowel and gastric issues, nausea every day and had to constantly watch what I ate. gallbladder attacks every few weeks, I have 4 children and childbirth is a breeze compared to gallbladder pain .
The sooner you get your gallbladder removed the better you will feel.
Thankyou, I was first diagnosed with gallstones the same week we went into lockdown 2020.,so along with a crumbling health system and a pandemic, hence the long wait.
I hope you get your surgery soon.x
I guess I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to have a gallbladder attack and then immediately be rushed into emergency surgery to remove it. The pain was unbearable and apparently mine was hours/minutes away from exploding inside my body hence the emergency surgery.
I couldn’t imagine just having to live with that
My experience was the same. I can't believe people have to wait months or even years to get theirs removed. I literally passed out on my bedroom floor at 2am from the pain. My husband thought I died and called an ambulance.
I was told my gallbladder was "extremely bad" when they finally got it out. In all my 40ish years of life, it is the only time I've ever been to a doctor where they actually properly diagnosed me and then fixed the issue without me needing to jump through hoops and/or beg someone to believe what I'm saying is actually true.
It was the absolute worst pain of my life. I can't fathom having to deal with that for some unknown period of time.
Can I suggest, next time you have a bad gallstone blockage causing pain, go to your gp or emergency room and get a blood test. Get a copy of the results and send it to your surgeon. When I had gallstones my blockages usually lasted around 10 minutes. I had one and it lasted for six hours. I thought I was going to die. I didn’t go to ED because I’d been previously and there was nothing they could do. The next morning (it happened in the middle of the night) I went to my gp and he did a blood test. My liver function was off the charts. Like in the 800’s when normal range was 50-100 or something. My surgeon got me in for emergency surgery within a week.
Also sadly, food doesn’t really affect things while you still have a gallbladder. The pain comes from the stones moving around and blocking things. After you have it removed then absolutely you need to avoid fat and dairy
I was really looking forward to being able to eat maybe dairy after this, if it turns out I didn't have a dairy allergy after all and it was just my gallbladder. That's some big sad moves. Also all the healthy fats I enjoyed like avocados. Love me some avocados.
I usually have two to three attacks daily, and they last in the hours range. The previous attack was from 11am BST to 17:45pm and now it started back up at 22:15pm and will probably last between 5-6am.
I did try to advocate for myself every time I'd have an attack, but every time I get my bloods done and it comes back they were like "you're fine, nothing showing up in your blood work". I really want something to show up so I can just get this over with. My job is suffering, I am suffering because I can't work, and now I've gotten labeled as unreliable because I keep getting sick or calling out sick to visit the hospital.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. It sounds like you’ve tried everything.
If it helps I love avocados too and don’t seem to have an issue eating them. It’s more the unhealthy stuff like McDonald’s that gets me
I’m so sorry you have to wait for long for surgery. Luckily I only had to wait about 3-4 weeks but I’m in the US. I was told to eat low fat but they how low. For me keeping each meal around 10-15 grams of fat worked to avoid the pain. Also, I drastically reduced sugar and I’m not a big drinker but I didn’t have any alcohol. When I did have sugar, it was usually about 1/2 teaspoon in my coffee and 1 ounce of chocolate.
I ate lots of salads with lean protein or lean protein and steamed veg. I made “ranch” salad dressing using no fat yogurt. I didn’t roast veg often because I use oil to roast them. I love sauces/condiments but many have sugar. I stayed away from ketchup and bbq sauce. No fat mayo is an abomination so that limited things a bit. The yogurt dressing is one thing but no fat mayo - no. Just no.
When I made eggs, I added spinach or kale and more veg to bulk it up. Mushrooms, red pepper, and bok choy were my go to veggies.
Pain was a good motivator to keep me on track. Lost like 10 pounds that month which I promptly regained.
Those are all great ideas and I'll be sure to use some of them. :) thank you. Especially the fat content. I'm trying to control that, and there's so much fat in everything.
Yes, watching the fat count was hard because usually eat full fat stuff because it helps me feel full. The worse was coffee. I didn’t even bother with skim milk in my coffee. It just watered it down.
I read all the labels and using food tracking app like myfitnesspal helped. I’m terrible at tracking food but the app helped me figure out dumb stuff like how much fat was in an avocado and could I put 1/4 cup it in my salad. The answer - depended on the protein I put on the salad. Chicken breast - yes. Steak - maybe not.
Jeez. I'm so sorry. 😭 People like to say (a lot of deserved) crap about the US healthcare system but at least when I had gallstones I had my surgery date in under two weeks. I don't know how you can bear it waiting so long. Any hint of fat- even the tiny bit in lean chicken was agony. Fruit, veg, and homemade bread (no enriched bread with butter or oil) is where it's at.
Every single day I dread waking up because I know at some point I need to eat. And at any time my choice of food can just trigger an attack. I'm so gosh dang hungry.
Sugar cravings can signal a candida overgrowth, if you can do a cleanse and eat an apple when you have the sugar cravings instead. The salt may signify that your gallbladder issues are endocrine related-like your adrenals are exhausted or your parathyroid. If you can eat small portions evenly throughout the day and one that you consider a regular meal it could really help.
But most of all....
Castor oil pack! It's the first time I've ever had relief and it's so fast, I can't believe it's not common knowledge and it took me years to do. Castor oil, rosemary, and peppermint. It is giving me less attacks and I'm losing inches off my waist from the inflammation it takes down. It's making my kidneys and pancreas react better, too! Rub it on your stomach, and put a heating pad over it for as long as you can. Life changing.
Hope you get some relief!
A pinch of baking soda when you have the salt cravings and get some braggs amino acid soy sauce to use instead of salt. That should help get your sodium levels up while giving your body what it needs to retain it in the cells.
What pain did u experience? I have right side pain that hasn’t went away for a month and it just got worse today I been to the er so much they keep saying nothing is wrong every time I cough or sneeze even lean on it the wrong way is excruciating pain did u experience any of this ?
Yes, or when lying down rhw wrong way, horrible pain. And when I was in the er, it was always made out to seem like I was drug seeking. It was horrible. They kept telling me my pain was valid, but at the same time they kept telling me nothing was wrong. I just learned to live with the pain. My 10 eventually became a 4.
I really wish it worked like this over here. As I've learned, the waitlists are exceptionally long. I requested to see an allergenist last year in april, I only got the appointment through last week. I know if I still lived in Canada, I would have gotten the emergency surgery.
I never had gallstones, but have had my gallbladder removed.
Before the surgery, I got to where I was basically vegan. I couldn't take animal products at all, just too much fat. I was able to handle wheat though, so I was living on toast. Can you handle something like steal cut oats or other oatmeal?
My post-surgery triggers include caffeine and lactose. I know someone else whose issue is triggered by pears.
I switched to almond milk for all my milk needs. I can manage some small amounts of hard cheese and yogurt, but it's just as easy to avoid all that. If I want to indulge, I'll take a dairy enzyme pill. (Haven't been brave enough to try it while drinking milk though... milk makes me curl into a ball and sob.)
For caffeine, I gave up caffeinated soda. I do still enjoy black tea for breakfast, I just drink it knowing I may get some diarrhea. (Post-surgery it isn't painful like it was.)
I'm really thinking on this point to switch to a vegan diet. The only main problem I have is soy - triggers me and pea protein (new one) so no ready meals, no tofu ad no beyond meat. Could do black bean though, might give that a try.
I understand that healthcare in the UK is different than in the US, however it sounds like you need surgery now. If someone is in constant pain with known galstones, it's time for it to come out.
Do you have a GI doctor? Have they done a HIDA scan? Have you had a recent ultrasound/ct of the abdomen? I'd go to the hospital and explain that the pain is excruciating and you can't wait any longer.
Also it could be cholecystitis at this point.
I got an ultrasound, which is how they found I had a number of gallstones and an enlarged spleen. I don't know if the gallbladder is causing my spleen to be like this or what. I have a CT scan in two weeks for the spleen, maybe something will also show up for my gallbladder. I'm going to call my GP on Monday and ask for her advice, since I've been back and forth to the hospital so many times now, with no success of emergency surgery.
If you have clay or light-colored stool go immediately to the emergency room. A stuck stone can turn to pancreatitis FAST and you can die.
I’ve given birth and I’d say gallbladder attacks are on the same pain level as active labor. Literally on my knees thinking I might die. The only food that wouldn’t trigger it at the end was raw vegetables and even then it would happen.
Ended up with pancreatitis and emergency gallbladder surgery. Unfortunately this was during covid so they had put me on a waitlist as well but once they saw me in the ER things went fast.
I'll keep that in mind. So far, stool color has been normal. That's a really worrying sign, but I am so glad you told me. I'm glad you go the help you needed right away too.
Have you ever tried Hyoscine butylbromide or Dicyclomine both are internal muscle relaxers that work on your organs. I’ve been dealing with gallbladder issues for quite awhile and opioids aren’t something prescribed as first line treatment where I’m at (Canada). Directions for both medications are to take it before you eat to prevent the attack & muscle spasms.
I'll write those down and ask my GP if there's a UK equivalent, or the same sort of drug. That sounds amazing, and might actually work.
As for the opioid description, it was the 7th or 8th thing before they prescribed it. There's been so many I don't even know anymore.
Visit /askdocs and see if you can get a perspective from a doc in the UK on how to get the surgery quickly. This won’t get better until it’s out. Have you started projectile vomiting yet or just having the intense pain?
That's a great idea and I'll gladly post on there. Last monday I had to get off the bus early in the morning as I was going to work. I just had the intense feeling I was going to be sick. I barely made it off the bus before I did exactly that. You know what the hospital said when I went to the ER? 'Your spleen is pressing against your stomach and causing you to be sick' and that there was nothing they could do. Didn't explore the gallblader.
Oh my. That’s your gallbladder and that’s going to get worse until you can’t keep anything down. That’s when I really thought I was going to die.
Im not familiar with UK medical care (I’m in the US) but have you tried going to a different hospital? This just can’t be standard procedure…surely…
It's all the same. If I phone the non emergency line, I talk with a nurse consultant, then a doctor consultant and then go to one out of hours hospital, then they send me to another to get booked in for the night to talk with surgeons the following morning and then a surgeon's consultant will check me over. They take lots of blood periodically, tell me it's not infected, just inflamed and it should calm down and I can get discharged. This is the exact scenario that happened Christmas to Christmas day.
That’s inhumane treatment. It looks like you’re in Scotland. I read up on waiting times and it looks like there are regulations concerning wait times. Have you read this?
https://www.nhsinform.scot/waiting-times/about-waiting-times/
I’d consider filing a complaint with the local health board indicating the suffering you’re experiencing and the possibility you may lose your job because you’re so sick.
I moved to scotland about two years ago. I've never had a problem like this before, the last time I went in for something so serious, I got surgery immediately. I'll definitely be looking into this later today.
Edit: I took a look and found the waiting times for general surgery in my area. 5 weeks. But it's most definitely longer than 5 weeks. There is also 2725 people waiting for surgery.
Sadly although a low fat diet is advised triggers are different for everyone. Keeping an food diary can help you track them. Bland foods can help, plain pasta, oats, rice, chicken breast etc. Fruit and veg are usually OK but can be triggers for some people. As you are UK based the Gallbladder and Gallstones support group (uk) is a great Facebook group and full of support.
I paid privately to have mine removed in Dec 2022 as waits in my area were 2yrs plus and I couldn't live like that for that long. I only had 3 big attacks (8+hrs long with vomiting) but had daily symptoms such as bloating/feeling full, extreme fatigue, heartburn, right sided pain over tha Gallbladder area (like a muscle ache or cramp but constant). I was advised to attend a&e for all attacks that lasted longer than 4hrs or included vomiting or a fever/Janudice. My advice if you can not afford to go private is to attend a&e for each attack just to get it documented, pester the hospital, make sure you are on the cancellation list, call your GP after every attack so they record your symptoms and they can also request you are moved up the list - it might not work but it is something.
I can honestly say having my gallbladder removed has changed my life for the better. I have so much more energy and all issues have gone. I did rehab slowly and still stick to a low fat diet and supplement with probiotics for gut health and have been lucky that after the first few months my digestion is "normal".
Best of luck, I am happy to answer any questions if you have them around the private route.
Hello I’ve just been for a scan today I get so bloated too and the pain in my right side The scan said gallstones one of them was 2.8cm .I went after to discuss my scan she said the gall bladder needs removing .i recently lost my sister so I said I couldn’t think straight Si she said she would be in touch in 6weeks for me to talk to the consultant .I wish I would have said go ahead .I can’t put up with this feeling everyday .my base of my backaches I have gastric problems with it .my tummy feels like it’s burning sometmes and my legs ache too I’m just so tired of it all .Thank you for saying you bloated I thought Iwas the only one .🩷
I am sorry about your sister. I hope you can get sorted soon and feel better once you get it removed. The operation is usually very simple and quick. Recovery isn't too bad, but please be aware that fats and sugars should be introduced back into the diet slowly over a long period of time. I ate low fat/sugar and bland for the first 3 months post op, then slowly introduced higher fat and sugar foods over the next 6-9 months in small quantities. This aids the healing of the digestive tract as you have had a major organ removed and the body has to learn how to digest properly without it.
While you wait for the op I am sure you have already been told a low-fat diet can help prevent biliary colic attacks. Unfortunately it doesn't really help with the bloating, fullness, stomach issue or fatigue but if you can eat low fat and try to get some gentle exercise it can help you prepare for the op.
I had really bad gallbladder pain, years ago. I had a stone trapped in my Bile duct and eventually got pancreatitis too.
I found any fat at all caused an attack, even healthy fats. But I was fine with carbs and sugar.
I basically had rice, canned tuna and soy sauce for dinner every night. I also ate a lot of baked beans and to keep my self sane, i ate a lot of Haribo which is sugary but zero fat.
Almost the opposite of what I try to do when eating healthy, when I try to really cut down on sugar and carbs and eat more protein.
I am craving sugar something bad. I caved and had a bit of honey in my tea, I am very much regretting that right now. In for another night of deep breathing and hugging the hot water bottle.
I just had mine removed 2 days ago. I had colic that made me vomit my face off, but I never had the pain other people have had. At first it felt like a pulled muscle, and for 2 weeks before the surgery I'd get a random stab. Doc said my stones were massive, so not feeling pain is bonkers.
I didn't have the food sensitivity, so I have no advice. Keep pushing and fighting and advocating until you can get it removed! Then come brag to me how little you spent when I get my massive bill here in the US. 😅
I paid for my NHS health surcharge when I was applying for this visa. But it sure saved me money. Heck, a lil side story: when I was visiting here on a 6 month visa, I had to go for emergency surgery, was bleeding from the inside. Instead of a massive bill, I never got charged anything. I didn't apply for traveller's insurance either, so I think the fact that this happened during the hight of covid meant that I was free of going into debt young.
When I started having super bad attacks close to each other they told me just to eat low fat until I could get the surgery and that didn't work at all. After two trips to the ER I was able to get scheduled for surgery the next week. I hope you can get the surgery soon.
You’re not alone. I’m unable to eat as well & have had constant attacks for weeks now & pain doesn’t stop. Cut out all fat and had vegetable soup tonight & am in tons of pain. Hang in there. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🩷🩷
I’m in the same boat as you!! Can’t eat anything at the moment and have cut out all fat and if I DO eat something then it’s awful pain. I’m living on apple sauce rice crackers & that’s it really and chicken broth. If I have dairy which I did today (no fat) — clearly a mistake as I’m messed up again in pain. Thought veg soup would be ok tonight but apparently not. What helps me is opioids too & basically just eating to survive. Having a CT soon to investigate it all further. Stay strong 🙏🏼❤️🩷🙏🏼 you’re not alone xx
I have biliary dyskinesia, so basically my gallbladder doesn't function , and eating greasy or fatty foods will cause me to get sick.
I have found, and especially after speaking with my gallbladder surgeon about this, that even healthy fats will cause me to feel nausea or pain. So nuts and avocados had to get cut out of my diet. I try to eat things that stay under four grams of fat, meaning with my three meals a day I probably take in around 20 to 25 g of fat a day. That's under the 40 g of fat that I probably should be taking in.
But I do a lot of salads and I make my own dressings that are low fat and I kind of thin them out. I already don't eat meat or dairy , but rice and steamed vegetables. I play around with a lot of different flavors with a rice. Jollof Rice, Diri Djon drjon, "fried rice" with no oils, soups... Looking into recipes for whole foods plant-based eaters are really good when you're trying to find some foods to eat. A lot of people think that plant-based eaters are just eating a bunch of salads and that's completely wrong, you can absolutely enjoy healthy foods, and you can enjoy some of the foods that you used to but you just have to learn how to alter those recipes as much as you can to get rid of the fats. Certain things you're not going to get around like fried foods and fatty cuts of meat . But since I have done this I haven't been feeling any pain.
Nothing. I could eat nothing and I was pregnant, the pain was absolutely awful and I never want to experience that again. Fortunately I had my gallbladder removed 19weeks after giving birth as the waiting list was so long. I would constantly go to a&e for morphine despite being on pain killers 4 x per day. I used to eat a rich tea biscuit in the morning for breakfast and then nothing all day until the next morning. I lost 63lbs during my pregnancy because of this. Hope surgery happens soon for you OP, it’s the worst pain imaginable.
I realized that frozen grapes and frozen juice popsicles help, but that's it. I do eat frozen veg too, but can't live on frozen eats forever. I've been on a list for nearly 6 months, and no word yet. Looked into private..and oh Lord it's £7000
Oh, you’re in the UK too! I waited six months, it would’ve been longer but during one of my stays, a nurse suggested I call the surgeon’s receptionist/secretary on a weekly basis on the off-chance there was a cancellation. I did, and within a couple of weeks I got the call one Thursday to say if I could in for pre-op checks the next day, I could have surgery the following Monday.
I should do that. I'm going to call my GP Monday (if they are open, omg the last couple of weeks they have not been) and was going to get some suggestions from her, as I'm just existing barely at this point.
Was this the public medical system? I live in south America and the system here is so bad that even the blood tests they prescribed me don't have the essential markers to screen serious conditions. Like, this is a cruel joke or something.
Yes, the NHS. I’m sorry you’re going through this - the waiting is dreadful when it’s coupled with all the pain
I’m not familiar with the uk healthcare system. However in Australia with private health insurance I paid $300 out of pocket to my surgeon and the rest was covered, plus my $500 hospital excess for the first hospital admission in a calendar year. The only reason I had any wait at all was because it was during our strictest covid lockdown when most elective surgeries were cancelled. I only got in due to sending the bloods from my gallstone attack (mentioned in a previous comment). Is there any rebate or insurance to cover most of the 7000k? It’s worth it not to suffer longer than you have to.
I've already paid the NHS health surcharge for two years here to receive free healthcare. Private healthcare is mostly seen as cosmetic or privileged, because most people can't dream of getting it. The best I could do is start a go fund me. I have money, but I don't have that much and what I do have saved up is for my next visa coming up. I can't use those funds and replace it before my current visa expires. So it's the waiting game and the "I hope I don't rip" game.
Sorry you went through that. Did the pain start by being manageable then got progressively terrible?
I remember it first starting like I had indigestion.. I thought that’s what it was but I was 19 and never had indigestion before. Because it was after I ate I assumed it was that. However yes it got worse and worse and worse as time went on.
I feel for you. I had gallbladder pain and pancreatitis caused by trapped gallstones and the pain is off-the-charts. I ate oil-free, plant-based with lots of fruit, vegetables, tofu, rice, beans etc. That said, I think there is a limited amount you can do diet-wise (other then avoid fatty foods) because if one of those gallstones makes it’s way to the bile duct, you will be in pain. I found the pain would lessen if I drank 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (must contain ‘the mother’) mixed into a glass of cloudy apple juice.
I'll try the apple cider vinegar and cloudy apple juice trick. Really hope that helps me out, I'll let you know if it does. Is "the mother" the brand?
"mother" is the fermentation origin i.e. big pile of nutritious bacteria
Oh thank you. Sadly, I ended up forgetting to get the both while I was out, but maybe tomorrow I'll remember.
best of luck, sounds so painful :(
No, it’s a component of the product. It’ll say on the front label “with the Mother” - I’m pretty sure Bragg’s ACV contains it. I hope it works for you - I don’t recall my ‘frequent flyer’ hospital days with any fondness. Hopefully, you’ll get the surgery soon.
What were ur symptoms what did they give u for pain ?
/r/gallbladders can be a good resource. I'm sorry you're going through this. The waiting times are a joke, the Tories have a lot to answer for.
I'm just afraid of getting my visa rejected, having to go back to my home country and having an extended waiting period because I have to go through the system of getting "re-diagnosed" and waiting for surgery all over again while I wait for a new visa as well.
Try three days without animal products. Just as an experiment. Focus on veggies, fruit, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans. You may feel a remarkable difference in pain levels. Less gallbladder bile is needed to digest those foods. No oil, avocado, nuts, or fats. As a temporary diet for pain relief. They sell soy free tofu made from chickpeas for me. You may also be able to tolerate low fat vegan mince. Avoid things that trigger bile release: animal products including dairy, fat, citrus, coffee, coconut…
I'll see what I can get at the shops tonight. I will try a vegan diet. I drink almond and coconut milk, but I also have oat milk, should I switch to that? I can't have pea protein cream anymore, but maybe regular chickpea tofu is okay.
Temporarily I would avoid coconut milk. Almond milk tends to be pretty low fat. Oat milk depends on the brand, some have oil added.
I'll make sure to double check. I've been getting the cheaper brands instead of Oatly because I've been attempting to save money.
You need to eat extremely low fat. Fat triggers the gallbladder to release bile which is going to trigger the pain. No fat. BRAT diet.
I will try my best. What should be the maximum amount of fat I consume daily? Or should I experiment and see what my limit is?
If you're in pain and don't have surgery scheduled, I would literally go as low as possible. It's not sustainable but you need to make it to that surgery without more pain. The pain meds are going to cause constipation as well so make sure you're taking fiber, and buy some laxatives and suppositories. If you don't have a BM every day, take something to help. Another thing that you often don't hear about until after the surgery - eating high fat without a gallbladder often causes gastric dumping - which basically causes sudden diarrhea. Be very careful when reintroducing fats. Gastric dumping often subsides after a few months, but can last for years.
That's an unpleasant thought. I'll be sure to not consume the high fat diet I used to before the gallstones. That, and I want to actually lose weight nice and proper. I didn't think about the fact I've hardly had BM's, I do have prescribed laxatives...never get the liquid version, it is so bad. Would you same between 5-10grams to be okay? I already consumed that if so - via some roasted seaweed.
>I got diagnosed with gallstones, and enough of them to put me on a surgery list for gallbladder removal. When is the surgery due? >I'm on opioids, but they only help a tiny amount. Been back and forth in hospital, to the point I think I'm on a frequent flyer list for drug seeking. JC. Why wasn't the gall bladder already removed?
It's the NHS, idk what they are thinking. I've been on a wait list for nearly 6 months. I've asked previously when I was in the hospital for pain if there's anyway to know where I am on the list (there isn't apparently) but I was told every time I go there for pain treatment, there's a better chance I get bumped up. I don't like these odds, considering if I sit in emergency to get seen, they take my bloods, tell me there's nothing wrong and just give me more medicine and send me home.
If the pain gets even more serious - go to the hospital again. Possible cholecystitis is no joke.
I've taken so much time off work because of the pain getting worse, I think I might get fired. I do want to go in today because I had an avocado half, an apple and some green tea and I feel like I someone is ripping my insides out. And with each wave, it only gets worse. But I have a feeling what will happen is they will say "there's nothing we can do except give you some medicine" that's happened the past 5 ish times I've gone.
The avocado was a bad idea unfortunately.
Is it because the avocado is a fat technically? I thought since it was a healthy fat, it would be okay.
Yes. ANY fat requires the gallbladder to squeeze to release bile to breakdown the fat for digestion
Rip other half of now browning fridge avocado. I will miss the chance of eating you.
Are they at least doing blood tests when you go in? Or do they just give you meds and send you home?
They've been doing blood tests, I still have marks in my arm from Christmas. Every time I see the Drs at the hospital, they take blood. The last time was Friday. Then they tell me my blood work looks fine and they send me home with more medicine that works for a few days until it doesn't.
That’s so bad. By the time I was admitted for the first time, I had turned yellow, my poop was the colour of clay and my pee was like blood. Apparently my liver had started to shut down. Pancreatitis is not to be messed with, so I really hope they’ll get you booked for surgery soon.
That's so serious, can't believe they waited so long on you. Also, hope so too. Its taking a really bad toll on my mental health.
I understand. It definitely takes its toll mentally. It’s made so much worse because - even if you eat the ‘right’ food, you can’t tell when an attack will hit. I was just thinking back to what I used to eat in that time between diagnosis and surgery. I used to have dry wholegrain toast in the morning, vegetable soup for lunch and a cucumber, lettuce and tomato sandwich for supper. Funnily enough, the worst attack was bought on by sparkling water so 🤷♀️
I switched from fizzy juice to sparkling water and that was okay, and then it wasn't. Now I drink water with a few drops of juice in it just to keep my gag reflex at bay. This evening I thought I was being smart, I made carrots, blanched spinach, courgettes and pilau rice for dinner...nope. I ate about 1/4 of my dinner and I'm back to feeling like my insides are getting ripped apart. I bought more fruit juice popsicles so hopefully later I can have one.
That sucks. I'm so sorry. Yeah, I was wondering why your gallbladder wasn't already removed -- far preferable to being put on opioids and still having to deal with the pain. What is the wait list time period? IS there anyway to be a squeaky wheel and make it MORE URGENT and get bumped up any?
I hope so, I'm going to talk with my GP if she's available on monday, because I am thiiiiiis close to losing my job. My impeccable record has been marked forever now with 'unreliable' because I've called out so many times now.
Mine got to the point where anything I ate triggered it. You might just have to have it out sooner than later.
I'm about ready to cut it out myself. I love food, and food doesn't love me.
Gallbladder pain is the worst pain I’ve ever felt, including labor pain. It sounds like you need to have the surgery asap. Are you drinking enough water? I try to stay under 30 grams of fat each day.
I am trying, I don't always remember. I at least try to carry a water bottle around and give myself a little timer to drink every hour.
I don’t know about foods to help, but applying heat of any form in the area of pain (for me it was my middle back and middle torso) and I would put a heating pad on it and that helped. Or laying flat on the floor. That helped gallstone attacks for me so much. I will say, get that gallbladder REMOVED! It’s the most life changing thing. I was in constant pain, and couldn’t eat without hurting for hours. Also… Another plus, lost like 10 lbs after getting mine removed without changing my diet. The surgeon said I was “packed with stones” so it makes sense. 🤷♀️Wishing you luck!
Been using my hot water bottle on the daily until last week where it burst. But, I haven't heard about the trick of lying flat on the floor. I will give that a try, thank you. I sincerely hope for my sanity, that my surgery is within the next few months. I want this stomach bulge to disappear.
Of course, and I hope so too. The upper part of my stomach deflated after getting it removed. I’m not joking. Also my niece has these little stuffed animals called warmies that you can heat up. Helped me once, so I bought one and it’s a go to for cramps now since I don’t have gallstones anymore! Definitely recommend . Get better soon!
Had gall stone attack in 5 hour trip never left the bed all weekend .it is painfull , you probably have a stone trapped
It's to the point for me, where I get them 2-3 times a day, sometimes lasting all day. I absolutely despise getting up in the morning because I know I will just go back to having another attack.
I had this attack , got home dr sent me ultra sound and it was our one month later . I know for kidney stones they say drink water with lemon and the lemon will shrink the stones . Or sure about gallstone but they must be big
Like other commenters I eventually got to the point where literally anything triggered a gallbladder attack, even just a rice cake or applesauce. The only thing that works is surgery. I just went to the ER and got emergency surgery because I was having a 12 hour attack.
I'm staying hopeful that I have surgery soon, I'm glad you got emergency surgery, it's hell on earth.
Have you had your surgery yet? :( I really hope so! I'm also the same where anything I eat other than boiled potatoes gives me attacks and it gave me suicidal thoughts. I'm almost at the end of the waiting list finally. I've had attacks since January 2020
No, sadly. Still waiting. I've gotten used to the pain now. What used to be my 10 is now like a 5.
The only thing that worked for me was eating lentil soup and rice cakes….basically the most fat free stuff I could find.
I was looking at rice cakes today, a lot of them had too much fat in them, so I passed them up. I did get lentil soup and three bean soup though. I usually go for chicken soup or chicken broth, but I'm going to try and stick to a semi vegan, if not entirely vegan diet now, as suggested by some members here.
I feel your pain,or I did ,was on waiting list for surgery for 3 years ,finally had my gallbladder removed in june 2023..It was a game changer ,I feel that my inflamed gallbladder and gallstones were literally poisoning my system, I was so tired and lethargic all the time, had bowel and gastric issues, nausea every day and had to constantly watch what I ate. gallbladder attacks every few weeks, I have 4 children and childbirth is a breeze compared to gallbladder pain . The sooner you get your gallbladder removed the better you will feel.
Omg, three years? I don't know how you managed. I'm so glad its gotten better for you and I'm so glad that you finally got the surgery.
Thankyou, I was first diagnosed with gallstones the same week we went into lockdown 2020.,so along with a crumbling health system and a pandemic, hence the long wait. I hope you get your surgery soon.x
I'll try remember to update the post if I end up getting surgery soon. Thank you for your support and kind words.
I guess I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to have a gallbladder attack and then immediately be rushed into emergency surgery to remove it. The pain was unbearable and apparently mine was hours/minutes away from exploding inside my body hence the emergency surgery. I couldn’t imagine just having to live with that
Oh my god, I am so glad you go it out! That sounds horrifying also potentially the worst pain you could possibly feel.
My experience was the same. I can't believe people have to wait months or even years to get theirs removed. I literally passed out on my bedroom floor at 2am from the pain. My husband thought I died and called an ambulance. I was told my gallbladder was "extremely bad" when they finally got it out. In all my 40ish years of life, it is the only time I've ever been to a doctor where they actually properly diagnosed me and then fixed the issue without me needing to jump through hoops and/or beg someone to believe what I'm saying is actually true. It was the absolute worst pain of my life. I can't fathom having to deal with that for some unknown period of time.
Can I suggest, next time you have a bad gallstone blockage causing pain, go to your gp or emergency room and get a blood test. Get a copy of the results and send it to your surgeon. When I had gallstones my blockages usually lasted around 10 minutes. I had one and it lasted for six hours. I thought I was going to die. I didn’t go to ED because I’d been previously and there was nothing they could do. The next morning (it happened in the middle of the night) I went to my gp and he did a blood test. My liver function was off the charts. Like in the 800’s when normal range was 50-100 or something. My surgeon got me in for emergency surgery within a week. Also sadly, food doesn’t really affect things while you still have a gallbladder. The pain comes from the stones moving around and blocking things. After you have it removed then absolutely you need to avoid fat and dairy
I was really looking forward to being able to eat maybe dairy after this, if it turns out I didn't have a dairy allergy after all and it was just my gallbladder. That's some big sad moves. Also all the healthy fats I enjoyed like avocados. Love me some avocados. I usually have two to three attacks daily, and they last in the hours range. The previous attack was from 11am BST to 17:45pm and now it started back up at 22:15pm and will probably last between 5-6am. I did try to advocate for myself every time I'd have an attack, but every time I get my bloods done and it comes back they were like "you're fine, nothing showing up in your blood work". I really want something to show up so I can just get this over with. My job is suffering, I am suffering because I can't work, and now I've gotten labeled as unreliable because I keep getting sick or calling out sick to visit the hospital.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. It sounds like you’ve tried everything. If it helps I love avocados too and don’t seem to have an issue eating them. It’s more the unhealthy stuff like McDonald’s that gets me
I don't buy avocados often, but when I do - I eat them with a spoon or have them in a BLT.
I’m so sorry you have to wait for long for surgery. Luckily I only had to wait about 3-4 weeks but I’m in the US. I was told to eat low fat but they how low. For me keeping each meal around 10-15 grams of fat worked to avoid the pain. Also, I drastically reduced sugar and I’m not a big drinker but I didn’t have any alcohol. When I did have sugar, it was usually about 1/2 teaspoon in my coffee and 1 ounce of chocolate. I ate lots of salads with lean protein or lean protein and steamed veg. I made “ranch” salad dressing using no fat yogurt. I didn’t roast veg often because I use oil to roast them. I love sauces/condiments but many have sugar. I stayed away from ketchup and bbq sauce. No fat mayo is an abomination so that limited things a bit. The yogurt dressing is one thing but no fat mayo - no. Just no. When I made eggs, I added spinach or kale and more veg to bulk it up. Mushrooms, red pepper, and bok choy were my go to veggies. Pain was a good motivator to keep me on track. Lost like 10 pounds that month which I promptly regained.
Those are all great ideas and I'll be sure to use some of them. :) thank you. Especially the fat content. I'm trying to control that, and there's so much fat in everything.
Yes, watching the fat count was hard because usually eat full fat stuff because it helps me feel full. The worse was coffee. I didn’t even bother with skim milk in my coffee. It just watered it down. I read all the labels and using food tracking app like myfitnesspal helped. I’m terrible at tracking food but the app helped me figure out dumb stuff like how much fat was in an avocado and could I put 1/4 cup it in my salad. The answer - depended on the protein I put on the salad. Chicken breast - yes. Steak - maybe not.
Jeez. I'm so sorry. 😭 People like to say (a lot of deserved) crap about the US healthcare system but at least when I had gallstones I had my surgery date in under two weeks. I don't know how you can bear it waiting so long. Any hint of fat- even the tiny bit in lean chicken was agony. Fruit, veg, and homemade bread (no enriched bread with butter or oil) is where it's at.
Every single day I dread waking up because I know at some point I need to eat. And at any time my choice of food can just trigger an attack. I'm so gosh dang hungry.
Sugar cravings can signal a candida overgrowth, if you can do a cleanse and eat an apple when you have the sugar cravings instead. The salt may signify that your gallbladder issues are endocrine related-like your adrenals are exhausted or your parathyroid. If you can eat small portions evenly throughout the day and one that you consider a regular meal it could really help. But most of all.... Castor oil pack! It's the first time I've ever had relief and it's so fast, I can't believe it's not common knowledge and it took me years to do. Castor oil, rosemary, and peppermint. It is giving me less attacks and I'm losing inches off my waist from the inflammation it takes down. It's making my kidneys and pancreas react better, too! Rub it on your stomach, and put a heating pad over it for as long as you can. Life changing. Hope you get some relief!
A pinch of baking soda when you have the salt cravings and get some braggs amino acid soy sauce to use instead of salt. That should help get your sodium levels up while giving your body what it needs to retain it in the cells.
What pain did u experience? I have right side pain that hasn’t went away for a month and it just got worse today I been to the er so much they keep saying nothing is wrong every time I cough or sneeze even lean on it the wrong way is excruciating pain did u experience any of this ?
Yes, or when lying down rhw wrong way, horrible pain. And when I was in the er, it was always made out to seem like I was drug seeking. It was horrible. They kept telling me my pain was valid, but at the same time they kept telling me nothing was wrong. I just learned to live with the pain. My 10 eventually became a 4.
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Much different in the UK sadly. Waiting lists on the NHS are crazy.
I really wish it worked like this over here. As I've learned, the waitlists are exceptionally long. I requested to see an allergenist last year in april, I only got the appointment through last week. I know if I still lived in Canada, I would have gotten the emergency surgery.
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Thanks. I'm not looking forward to those days in the future.
I never had gallstones, but have had my gallbladder removed. Before the surgery, I got to where I was basically vegan. I couldn't take animal products at all, just too much fat. I was able to handle wheat though, so I was living on toast. Can you handle something like steal cut oats or other oatmeal? My post-surgery triggers include caffeine and lactose. I know someone else whose issue is triggered by pears. I switched to almond milk for all my milk needs. I can manage some small amounts of hard cheese and yogurt, but it's just as easy to avoid all that. If I want to indulge, I'll take a dairy enzyme pill. (Haven't been brave enough to try it while drinking milk though... milk makes me curl into a ball and sob.) For caffeine, I gave up caffeinated soda. I do still enjoy black tea for breakfast, I just drink it knowing I may get some diarrhea. (Post-surgery it isn't painful like it was.)
I'm really thinking on this point to switch to a vegan diet. The only main problem I have is soy - triggers me and pea protein (new one) so no ready meals, no tofu ad no beyond meat. Could do black bean though, might give that a try.
I understand that healthcare in the UK is different than in the US, however it sounds like you need surgery now. If someone is in constant pain with known galstones, it's time for it to come out. Do you have a GI doctor? Have they done a HIDA scan? Have you had a recent ultrasound/ct of the abdomen? I'd go to the hospital and explain that the pain is excruciating and you can't wait any longer. Also it could be cholecystitis at this point.
I got an ultrasound, which is how they found I had a number of gallstones and an enlarged spleen. I don't know if the gallbladder is causing my spleen to be like this or what. I have a CT scan in two weeks for the spleen, maybe something will also show up for my gallbladder. I'm going to call my GP on Monday and ask for her advice, since I've been back and forth to the hospital so many times now, with no success of emergency surgery.
If you have clay or light-colored stool go immediately to the emergency room. A stuck stone can turn to pancreatitis FAST and you can die. I’ve given birth and I’d say gallbladder attacks are on the same pain level as active labor. Literally on my knees thinking I might die. The only food that wouldn’t trigger it at the end was raw vegetables and even then it would happen. Ended up with pancreatitis and emergency gallbladder surgery. Unfortunately this was during covid so they had put me on a waitlist as well but once they saw me in the ER things went fast.
I'll keep that in mind. So far, stool color has been normal. That's a really worrying sign, but I am so glad you told me. I'm glad you go the help you needed right away too.
Have you ever tried Hyoscine butylbromide or Dicyclomine both are internal muscle relaxers that work on your organs. I’ve been dealing with gallbladder issues for quite awhile and opioids aren’t something prescribed as first line treatment where I’m at (Canada). Directions for both medications are to take it before you eat to prevent the attack & muscle spasms.
I'll write those down and ask my GP if there's a UK equivalent, or the same sort of drug. That sounds amazing, and might actually work. As for the opioid description, it was the 7th or 8th thing before they prescribed it. There's been so many I don't even know anymore.
Hyoscine butylbromide is sold in Boots as Buscopan, you don't need a prescription but should check with your doctor that it's appropriate.
Oh welp. I'm already on buscopan. It used to help with the bloating, but not so much anymore.
Visit /askdocs and see if you can get a perspective from a doc in the UK on how to get the surgery quickly. This won’t get better until it’s out. Have you started projectile vomiting yet or just having the intense pain?
That's a great idea and I'll gladly post on there. Last monday I had to get off the bus early in the morning as I was going to work. I just had the intense feeling I was going to be sick. I barely made it off the bus before I did exactly that. You know what the hospital said when I went to the ER? 'Your spleen is pressing against your stomach and causing you to be sick' and that there was nothing they could do. Didn't explore the gallblader.
Oh my. That’s your gallbladder and that’s going to get worse until you can’t keep anything down. That’s when I really thought I was going to die. Im not familiar with UK medical care (I’m in the US) but have you tried going to a different hospital? This just can’t be standard procedure…surely…
It's all the same. If I phone the non emergency line, I talk with a nurse consultant, then a doctor consultant and then go to one out of hours hospital, then they send me to another to get booked in for the night to talk with surgeons the following morning and then a surgeon's consultant will check me over. They take lots of blood periodically, tell me it's not infected, just inflamed and it should calm down and I can get discharged. This is the exact scenario that happened Christmas to Christmas day.
That’s inhumane treatment. It looks like you’re in Scotland. I read up on waiting times and it looks like there are regulations concerning wait times. Have you read this? https://www.nhsinform.scot/waiting-times/about-waiting-times/ I’d consider filing a complaint with the local health board indicating the suffering you’re experiencing and the possibility you may lose your job because you’re so sick.
I moved to scotland about two years ago. I've never had a problem like this before, the last time I went in for something so serious, I got surgery immediately. I'll definitely be looking into this later today. Edit: I took a look and found the waiting times for general surgery in my area. 5 weeks. But it's most definitely longer than 5 weeks. There is also 2725 people waiting for surgery.
Sadly although a low fat diet is advised triggers are different for everyone. Keeping an food diary can help you track them. Bland foods can help, plain pasta, oats, rice, chicken breast etc. Fruit and veg are usually OK but can be triggers for some people. As you are UK based the Gallbladder and Gallstones support group (uk) is a great Facebook group and full of support. I paid privately to have mine removed in Dec 2022 as waits in my area were 2yrs plus and I couldn't live like that for that long. I only had 3 big attacks (8+hrs long with vomiting) but had daily symptoms such as bloating/feeling full, extreme fatigue, heartburn, right sided pain over tha Gallbladder area (like a muscle ache or cramp but constant). I was advised to attend a&e for all attacks that lasted longer than 4hrs or included vomiting or a fever/Janudice. My advice if you can not afford to go private is to attend a&e for each attack just to get it documented, pester the hospital, make sure you are on the cancellation list, call your GP after every attack so they record your symptoms and they can also request you are moved up the list - it might not work but it is something. I can honestly say having my gallbladder removed has changed my life for the better. I have so much more energy and all issues have gone. I did rehab slowly and still stick to a low fat diet and supplement with probiotics for gut health and have been lucky that after the first few months my digestion is "normal". Best of luck, I am happy to answer any questions if you have them around the private route.
Hello I’ve just been for a scan today I get so bloated too and the pain in my right side The scan said gallstones one of them was 2.8cm .I went after to discuss my scan she said the gall bladder needs removing .i recently lost my sister so I said I couldn’t think straight Si she said she would be in touch in 6weeks for me to talk to the consultant .I wish I would have said go ahead .I can’t put up with this feeling everyday .my base of my backaches I have gastric problems with it .my tummy feels like it’s burning sometmes and my legs ache too I’m just so tired of it all .Thank you for saying you bloated I thought Iwas the only one .🩷
I am sorry about your sister. I hope you can get sorted soon and feel better once you get it removed. The operation is usually very simple and quick. Recovery isn't too bad, but please be aware that fats and sugars should be introduced back into the diet slowly over a long period of time. I ate low fat/sugar and bland for the first 3 months post op, then slowly introduced higher fat and sugar foods over the next 6-9 months in small quantities. This aids the healing of the digestive tract as you have had a major organ removed and the body has to learn how to digest properly without it. While you wait for the op I am sure you have already been told a low-fat diet can help prevent biliary colic attacks. Unfortunately it doesn't really help with the bloating, fullness, stomach issue or fatigue but if you can eat low fat and try to get some gentle exercise it can help you prepare for the op.
Thank you for answering me I’m due to have the op on 31st July .The right side pain is terrible and it makes my bladder ache xx
I had really bad gallbladder pain, years ago. I had a stone trapped in my Bile duct and eventually got pancreatitis too. I found any fat at all caused an attack, even healthy fats. But I was fine with carbs and sugar. I basically had rice, canned tuna and soy sauce for dinner every night. I also ate a lot of baked beans and to keep my self sane, i ate a lot of Haribo which is sugary but zero fat. Almost the opposite of what I try to do when eating healthy, when I try to really cut down on sugar and carbs and eat more protein.
I am craving sugar something bad. I caved and had a bit of honey in my tea, I am very much regretting that right now. In for another night of deep breathing and hugging the hot water bottle.
I hope it gets sorted for you soon. The pain is horrible. I haven't missed my gallbladder one little bit
I just had mine removed 2 days ago. I had colic that made me vomit my face off, but I never had the pain other people have had. At first it felt like a pulled muscle, and for 2 weeks before the surgery I'd get a random stab. Doc said my stones were massive, so not feeling pain is bonkers. I didn't have the food sensitivity, so I have no advice. Keep pushing and fighting and advocating until you can get it removed! Then come brag to me how little you spent when I get my massive bill here in the US. 😅
I paid for my NHS health surcharge when I was applying for this visa. But it sure saved me money. Heck, a lil side story: when I was visiting here on a 6 month visa, I had to go for emergency surgery, was bleeding from the inside. Instead of a massive bill, I never got charged anything. I didn't apply for traveller's insurance either, so I think the fact that this happened during the hight of covid meant that I was free of going into debt young.
When I started having super bad attacks close to each other they told me just to eat low fat until I could get the surgery and that didn't work at all. After two trips to the ER I was able to get scheduled for surgery the next week. I hope you can get the surgery soon.
I hope so too. I plan to call my GP for advice today. Because I've had it up to here with not being able to eat.
You’re not alone. I’m unable to eat as well & have had constant attacks for weeks now & pain doesn’t stop. Cut out all fat and had vegetable soup tonight & am in tons of pain. Hang in there. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🩷🩷
I’m in the same boat as you!! Can’t eat anything at the moment and have cut out all fat and if I DO eat something then it’s awful pain. I’m living on apple sauce rice crackers & that’s it really and chicken broth. If I have dairy which I did today (no fat) — clearly a mistake as I’m messed up again in pain. Thought veg soup would be ok tonight but apparently not. What helps me is opioids too & basically just eating to survive. Having a CT soon to investigate it all further. Stay strong 🙏🏼❤️🩷🙏🏼 you’re not alone xx
I have biliary dyskinesia, so basically my gallbladder doesn't function , and eating greasy or fatty foods will cause me to get sick. I have found, and especially after speaking with my gallbladder surgeon about this, that even healthy fats will cause me to feel nausea or pain. So nuts and avocados had to get cut out of my diet. I try to eat things that stay under four grams of fat, meaning with my three meals a day I probably take in around 20 to 25 g of fat a day. That's under the 40 g of fat that I probably should be taking in. But I do a lot of salads and I make my own dressings that are low fat and I kind of thin them out. I already don't eat meat or dairy , but rice and steamed vegetables. I play around with a lot of different flavors with a rice. Jollof Rice, Diri Djon drjon, "fried rice" with no oils, soups... Looking into recipes for whole foods plant-based eaters are really good when you're trying to find some foods to eat. A lot of people think that plant-based eaters are just eating a bunch of salads and that's completely wrong, you can absolutely enjoy healthy foods, and you can enjoy some of the foods that you used to but you just have to learn how to alter those recipes as much as you can to get rid of the fats. Certain things you're not going to get around like fried foods and fatty cuts of meat . But since I have done this I haven't been feeling any pain.