Gall Bladder Problems

Me! ?

I never had gallstones but I had a malfunctioning gallbladder. It was set off by fatty foods and the pain was horrendous. The first time I had it, it started off like bad indigestion and got steadily more painful through the afternoon to the point where I was lay on the bed, hardly able to breathe and had to call my mum to come and take me to the hospital. Luckily, because my Mum had had gallstones when I was a kid, I could remember how she described it and that a sausage roll had set hers off once so I guessed what was wrong (I'd had a sausage roll that day!).

I'd try and get a second opinion and if other women in your family have had gallbladder problems, it can apparently be something that runs in families (my mum and her sister both had gallstones and my aunty left hers and it developed into an infection in her pancreas, very serious!). So go back and demand to be sent for tests.

I had it removed just over 3 years ago. Keyhole so scars are minimal!

I had a polyp which was causing the pain and so they said it was the best option to remove the whole thing.

The reason Rosemary Connelly is what she is, is because of gallstones. She has lived with them for about 40 years I think and just eats low fat and that's how she started all that Hip & Thigh diet malarky. So you can live with them but you have to be very careful what you eat.

? me had big gallstones - horrendous pain on and off regularly for 3 years they thought i had an influx valve problem and had a colposcopy (camera shoved down throat) whilst I was awake - never again - 2002

Pain was indescribable - would go through childbirth again anytime - mine started middle of chest and then spread right across the body (not into the back as such) felt like i was going to die for hours till the pain went away. I tried to cut down on fatty foods but couldn't work out what triggered it.

2 years later had an ultrascan and found them straight away - had my gallbladder taken out through keyhole about 6 weeks later 2004- min scars! recovery period 1-2weeks nothing since

I would go and get ultra scanned if you can this is the way to show them up

Me! ?

Gallstones detected age 4 whilst having an ultrasound for something unrelated but were never problematic until Oct 2010 when it was so severe that I was admitted to hospital and put under obs until they could confirm that my pancreas hadn't burst ? turned out my gallbladder was so infected it had doubled in size so I was sent home on bed rest, antibiotics and high dosage painkillers until it subsided - I finally had the damn lot removed by keyhole surgery on 4th Dec 2010.

The pain you describe does seem to match, as does the fact that your problems have decreased since you've improved your diet. Are the pains constant or do they come on at specific times? I found I had my most severe episodes at night, after I'd been asleep for a couple of hours, I'd wake up and be in agonising pain for about 5/6 hours. This is due to the body relaxing and the stones then trying to move through the tubes and getting blocked.

Get yourself to the GP, a simple ultrasound can usually confirm if you have stones.

If caught early enough then it can be controlled via diet but sometimes it goes too far for that. I have to be really careful now with greasy foods, and certain foods will set me off with pain even now (such as cream cakes).

Let us know how you get on.

Exactly this! it was horrid can't believe I lived with it so long! didn't know that was the reason though Nutella about relaxed body.

I slept for 2 years sat up in bed basically! but that didn't ease it at all.

Jojo ask to have an ultrasound test as I and Nutella have said as this will show whether you have or not and you can't lose by having one done!

Jojo it might be them! worth getting an opinion or scan to rule it out - not a wimp at all

JoJo your not a wimp, whether it's gallstones or not it needs looking at, it's clearly not an isolated incident as you have suffered on and off for a few years. Get yourself to the doctors and don't leave until they refer you for ultrasound or blood tests. If your doc is a really grumpy guts and won't do it then take yourself to a+e and exagerate your symptoms until they agree to do one (I wouldn't normally suggest a+e but you NEED an ultrasound and if your GP won't agree then you have to bystep him/her)

When I first started getting the pains my GP refused to believe me that I had gallstones since age 4, he pretty much accused me of lying and told me to have a healthier diet!! 10mins after I left he phoned me and said 'oh I've just found a letter on your records that says you've had gallstones since 4...' DOH!

I found I had my most severe episodes at night, after I'd been asleep for a couple of hours, I'd wake up and be in agonising pain for about 5/6 hours.

I had mine removed about 10 years ago, I had hundreds of tiny stone (surgeon gave them to me in a jar?)

I agree with the others that you need to have a scan to confirm or rule out. I never had back pain and I have to say a friend of mine has IBS and she suffers agonising pain in her stomach and in her back.

So you need to get it sorted one way or another.

Ashil my dear I think you may have your 'oscopys' mixed up?

A endoscopy or gastoscopy is the camera down the throat. A colposcopy is a whole different area. Believe me I have had both and when I had the colposcopy they defiantly wasn't looking down my throat?

lol you're completely right deffo endoscopy!!!! Not colposcopy

It really made me laugh, , , ,