Gallbladder!!!!!!

[Zammo]

I have Gallstones...joy!!! From about April last year I was averaging a Gallstones attack every week. I've now not had one for the last four months, i'm not complaining, but i'm wondering is it possible for gallstones to just disappear on their own because i'm now worried i go through with the op to get rid of my gallbladder and maybe there's no need.

[123everton]

I'm not a doctor but I think you can pass a gall stone in you urine (although I'd imagine you'd notice) I think also depending on the size they can use ultra sound to break them up so you can pass them out in the old fashioned way.
It's quite a nasty op I understand so I hope you are ok.
Good luck.

[cazzz1975]

snap zammo! Im enjoying the break! :D


however this makes sober reading

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=gallsto nes+disappear+by+themselves&meta=

[Quoi]

Hi Zammo - do you know how big your gallstone(s) are? Just thinking about the 'passing them out the natural way' that's all

[Zammo]

Thanks guys for both comments. xx

[spanner7853]

They do move and that may be why you haven't had pain for a while. It can come back when it moves again though.
I found out an interesting fact the other day. My friends 16 year old daughter had her removed last year, has had the pain back just before Christmas and has been told you can still have gall stones even if it doesn't have a bladder to sit in. NICE!

[cazzz1975]

thanks for that spanner, I will look forward to my next attack :S

[Quoi]

Just noticed the adverts to the right

[cazzz1975]

hmmm Gallstones=Pilkington glass, "more th>n" car insurance?!

[Zammo]

Oh no that's not good news spanner. I have or had quite a lot of stones in my gallbladder when i went for my ultrasound. There were lots of small ones.

[spanner7853]

i'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. weird though eh. I thought once it was removed that was it.

[Goodsoulette]

They can pass onto your bile ducts. Zammo sounds like you have biliary colic and those attacks can disappear for years and years but come back. They can also disappear into your poo never to be seen again.
I have gallstones(one of them is over 3cm and I want it afterwards) and biliary colic and am currently getting more and more jaundiced and really looking forward to my operation. They will scan you just before you have your op again so maybe they would give you the option not to. But, if you have little stones then you are more at risk of getting pancreatitis.

[YvonneM]

I had my gallstones removed 28 yrs ago all 14 of them one was stuck in the bile duct and even though I was not having the bad pain anymore I was gradually becoming jaundice as the bile was being absorbed into my body and other symptoms such as fatigue and flu like aching was bad. The only thing about having it removed is that you have a tendency to put on weight afterwards

[bensmum]

I had my gallbladder removed about 5 years ago and the operation was fine. I had mine removed by laparoscopy and although i wa sore for a while the recovery time was pretty quick. It beat wondering when the next attack was coming!

[oldmegan]

The thing about gallstones is that if your body is inclined to make them, then it will always do so. I had my gall bladder removed in my 40s, as my surgeon said he would rather operate on a younger woman who was otherwise fit, than wait until a person was 80 and still suffering and try to do the operation successfully with all the additional risks that old age can bring. Meanwhile, I found that a low fat diet really reduced the attacks, but then I am sure you already know that. You have my sympathy in any case - I would rather have a baby!!!!!

[jno]

Samuel Pepys had an op without anaesthetic and survived (possibly because he was the first one that day and the scalpels hadn't got dirty... doctors never thought to wash them between operations). He had a little case made to keep the stone in and had a party the same day every year.

(Might have been a kidney stone, nobody's quite sure.)

[FUZZYBEE]

gallstones don't come out in your urine, that's kidney stones. Kidney stones are usually lodge in the urinary tract while gallstones are situated in the biliary tree.
I had op to remove 3 large stones all of which I have on my pebble fountain in the garden. Had keyhole surgery and was absolutely fine. However as mentioned before struggling with weight a bit.
Sometimes they get lodged in the common bile duct and that requires a procedure called an ERCP.
I would say your attacks have probably settled because you are now more conscious of what you are eating and what tends to start them off? Good luck anyway