Gallbladder

[wondering]

Has anyone ever been diagnosed with a gallbladder problem? I have had severe stomach (and back) pains off and on in the last few months. My doctor took some blood and the results were fine. I went to the emergency room last week and that doctor told me that all my signs point to gallstones. I am having an ultrasound on Wednesday. Any advice?

 

[TeachingSarah]

Me too!

I also have had gall stone attacks. I went for an ultrasound a few weeks ago and you can see the gall stones.

The signs are very specific. Pains in back on the right side, feels like major muscle pains. One of the best things to do is drink tons of apple juice. Works very quickly to get rid of the pain. It supposedly "softens" up the stones. It works for me. You will also find that it can hurt after greasy foods or chocolate.

 

[gabanndor]

Me too

I had attacks that I didn't know about for several years. After my first child, I had my true gallbladder attacks. I had gallstones. I seriously thought that I was going to die. I had a stone break through. I had to have my gallbladder removed. I still have trouble with certain foods. If you have to have surgery, you want the one where they go through your belly. I have four tiny scars. Good luck to you.

 

[Kiki]

gallstones

Don't wait too long to have it removed if you need that. My father's became gaingrene and my husband had a serious infection. BTW, Dad's symptoms were vomiting etc after heavy meals. DH's felt like heart attacks!

 

[Mrs. G]

gallbladder

I had my gallbladder out a little over a year ago. I had attacks since 1997 but was afraid to go to the doctor. Once I finally went and was diagnosed it wasn't so bad. The surgery is outpatient and you heal within a week.

 

[mab]

me, too

I had a constant side ache on my right side for a month and nothing would make it go away. My doctor ordered an ultrasound and they found 3 stones in my gall bladder. I had the laproscopic surgery and was back to school in about 10 days. The side ache never came back!

 

[Mrs. O]

I had mine removed in '92.

I had just moved into my own apartment and thought I was food poisoning myself or something. It was severe pain in the upper stomach and around my back. An ultrasound showed gallstones, and I was scheduled for surgery a week later. I didn't have to take any medication after, but I do have to watch what I eat because too much lettuce or corn products seem harder to digest and start to hurt my stomach.

I think if they are not too bad, they have medicine or a lazer procedure that can break them up (but I am not too sure on this).

Good luck getting this fixed soon.

 

[Ima Teacher]

I was sick--felt back in general & had vomiting--for about six months before I ended up in the hospital with severe dehydration. That's where they diagnosed gall stones. I had my gall bladder out later that week.

I'm probably not a good one to talk to about that because I had major complications afterward which led to four hospital stays in the months following it.

However, my mom had hers out about a year after I did. She can't imagine why she didn't have hers out sooner.

My MIL has hers out due to stones, and she says she can't tell much difference in her symptoms now than before surgery . . . but I'm blaming that on the fact that she's about 150 pounds overweight and doesn't eat well, not a mistake with the surgery.

 

[PEPteach]

Gallbladders

I actually had my gallbladder out when I was sixteen. I had severe attacks of abdominal pain every now and then for a few years, and never knew why. The symptom that helped them discover it was actually shortness of breath!

Things are much better since I had mine out, but I did/do suffer from stomach problems as a result of not having a gallbladder (rare, but about 5% of people do need that gallbladder to process bile). I'm now on medication for it, so it's much more manageable. But, I wouldn't get your gallbladder removed until you really need to.

 

[Jennifer in OK]

I started to experience EXTREME pain about 3 weeks after giving birth to my daughter last year. It was worse than labor!!! I went to the ER after a night of constant burping (3 hours) and discomfort. They ruled out the appendix. Within 2 weeks of my first attack (with 3 other VERY painful attacks) I had laproscopic surgery to remove it. Apparently it is quite common after childbirth to have this problem. They told me the gas (from either end ) and having stomach cramps/upset stomach after eating to where you have to go to the bathroom are common signs of it. When they took out my gallbladder, I had another stone forming. I'm just glad it is out! I have to watch fatty foods that I eat as they can still upset my stomach. It was also nice to know what exactly the gallbladder does since it can be removed!

 

[Az]

Gall

I had mine removed a few years ago. It was laproscopic and the recovery took about a week. I became lactose intolerant, but it is hard to say whether that is because of the removal or not. Dairy is hard to digest, so my gastro told me to nix it out of my diet, and life is much more manageable.

I never had attacks, but the surgeon said I definitely had many stones that could get stuck at any point and cause major problems. I took mine out more on the preventative side. I'm glad I did because I don't have to worry about it bursting while I'm in the air flying to Hawaii! : )

 

[Mrhdaisy0]

One year tomorrow ...

I had my gall bladder out ... it will be one year tomorrow. I was a rare case in that I didn't actually have stones. My gall bladder was chronically inflamed. It hurt just the same ... after rich or greasy foods and chocolate especially. I'd been having the pain for about 10 years (since high school), but since ultrasounds never showed any stones, docs kept giving me meds for acid reflux. I do have acid reflux, but I KNEW that the crazy attacks I was having were NOT acid reflux pains! Finally, I had an ultrasound that showed what looked to be an ulcer on my gall bladder ... that was all the evidence they needed ... they removed that pesky organ two weeks later. I haven't experienced that dreadful pain since. I do know that some folks experience an increase in acid reflux after the surgery ... I do, but it's MUCH more manageable than the crazy attacks I used to get. If you have trouble with your gall bladder, you will feel like a new person after they take it out ... after feeling like a bucket of crap for a week or so after surgery, of course. Good luck!

 

[chris long]

same pains described

i just went to the doctor today explaining the same pains they are gonna scope me to check for ulser and do some scans on my gallbladder but after eading this board im almost certain ill be in for surgery soon thx for the info from all.