Gallstone Relief

[Eve]

Just seeing what people who have had them found helped them.

I'm still waiting for an op date though had my pre-op last week so hopefully not too much longer.

It hasn't got much better since I got acute cholecystitis in mid November and it's been driving me mad. I've got codeine phosphate and paracetamol to help with the main pain and some buscopan for cramps and been on as low fat a diet as possible (lost just under a stone!).

The air and burping is horrible though and it just seems to go round and round and unless I can get a really deep burp out (sorry, gross I know!) I can end up throwing up.

Really suffering with pain round my right shoulderblade which goes across the back and round the other one - been told it's nerve pain. Get a horrible stabbing pain in my chest though thankfully not as often. The painkillers don't seem to help the back and chest pain much and even my brastrap and having my back against something irritates it more.

The last week at work I've had a hot water bottle between my shoulderblades and the back of the chair - the heat distracts from the pain a bit and it's more comfortable than a hard back.

Any other tips to help that in the meantime welcome, don't want to bother my GP if there isn't anything that can help and it's just waiting for the op - really really hope it's soon!

[bednobs]

sorry you are still feeling rubbish. I don't know much about gallstones, but i thought you might like to know that the patients association has a campaign going at the moment about long waits for gallbladder removals

[annadomino]

Please cut out as much fat as you can, read labels. Even some bread has loads. Its not for long.

[DTCwordfan]

see the GP, that's what they are there for, Jenna.

I had it and the medication got me through without an attack for the 3 months before my op combined with avoiding excessively fatty food. The air and burping is also a side effect of losing weight - think on the positives of how good you will look when you are through all of this.

[daisya]

I wish you well and hope your op comes round soon. Mine was an emergency long before keyhole surgery and it wasn't good at all....hope your pain and discomfort will soon be gone. As they say, avoid the fat but you're doing that already which is good, some acidy type drinks can cause probs too :-(

[cazzz1975]

dont eat anything that bloats you like bananas, beans, cabbage. they can irritate the gallbladder (well they did mine!) and avoid hard to digest foods like red meat.

I know it seems miserable but its not for long x

[cazzz1975]

I mean "gassy foods" rather than foods that make you bloat

[Eve]

Thanks bednobs, that's interesting. I honestly never realised how horrible it is until this started up, had no idea they could be so painful. As an aside I'm off the horrible sulfasalazine again for the third time since going back on in October - got to give it one more go before they reassess though now said to stay off it until after my op so hoping my arthritis won't go haywire. Maybe not a bad thing as due to see my baby nephew on Christmas day and he's currently got chickenpox!

Thanks everyone else too. What meds were you on that helped DT?

The low fat diet has been a bit of a revelation as to how much fat is in everything! I'm quite horrified by some, especially ready meals. I've been on sandwiches mostly with lower fat ham and salad or tomato. I don't usually have breakfast anyway so one for lunch (they make it fresh for me) and make my own for tea. Got to feeling quite faint though so have some chocolate on standby for a sugar boost.

Been able to have a couple of treats now and again though kept as low fat as poss still as don't want to push my luck - just ate little bits at a time and ate slowly. Nice to have the weightloss though :)

I tend to just drink diluted orange cordial and tea/coffee and got some apple juice in as some people said it could help with attacks.

[DTCwordfan]

Just that Ozaprone or whatever they call it, Jenna.

[DTCwordfan]

Omeprazole was its name.

[HowardKennitby]

Can't offer anything about pain relief. When you say 'op' do you mean surgery? I thought nowadays hospitals had ways of using ultrasonic pulses to shatter the stones internally so they could be passed out. Have you been offered that?

[DTCwordfan]

Thats kidney stones, rarely gallstones, HK, and it usually necessitates a keyhole to lift the little blessed sac out.

[Eve]

I thought I sprained or hurt something in my shoulder for a long time, maybe posture and typing all day at work and was going for cheap really deep massages really often as the pain is horrible. Apparently it's something to do with nerves being pressed on or irritated or something (maybe as gallbladder is swollen?) and the nerve ends are round your left shoulderblade.

I was wondering how it could be so frequent, they said my gallbladder is distended so maybe it just keeps pressing on something.

[bednobs]

the same nerves that ennervate the liver/gallbladder area as the shoulder (although i thought it was more likely to be left shoulder)

[Eve]

Ah ok, I was on omeprazole but then when what I thought were ulcer type symptoms came on again my GP prescribed lanzoprazole which didn't really help much at all. My GP asked if it was helping when I came out of hospital as to whether to give me any more but I said it wasn't reallt helping so didn't get any more.

Might ask to try omeprazole again, see if it helps the air and burping.

No they haven't HK, just said they will take the whole thing out. There are lots of little stones apparently. I'll be glad to get the thing out of me.

[DTCwordfan]

mine was right shoulder.....

[beckersjay]

Can't offer any good suggestions on pain relief, Jenna but you have my heartfelt sympathy. It's an awful pain but the operation is such a blessed relief - I hope you don't have to wait much longer.

[Eve]

Thanks Beckersjay, I hope it's soon. I was hoping for early in the new year but have a feeling the lists are longer than that - someone told me the waiting list is generally 2 months but doubtful now as I haven't got a date yet. My GP had referred me for surgery when my ultrasound came back early November, the week before I ended up in hospital with the acute cholecystitis.

The doctors then said they were hoping it could be done in a few weeks but that didn't happen - wish they hadn't said it as got my hopes up it would have been sorted by now.

Hopefully now I've had my pre-op things are moving.

[Sqad]

Well.........I would ring the GP and ask if he would contact the surgeon with a view to expediting your admission.

[ladyalex]

Diclofenac helped me before I had my gall bladder out.
When I had an attack I was seen as an emergency by my GP and given an injection which worked in about 45 minutes.
When I could not get to my GP I took oral diclofenac which took 2-3hours to work.
Other than trying to cut down on fat, I don't think there is anything you can do in the meantime.
Op was fine,by the way. Keyhole surgery , back to normal after a fortnight or so and no more attacks.
Good luck.