Discussion
My good deed for the day was offering my advice in the kidney stone thread about what I do/did to manage the pain that goes along with it.
Now, Pistonheads, would one of you chaps be kind enough to impart some advice on how to cope with the pain that comes with a gall stone attack? So far my conclusions are
1. Sitting hunched over offers the most relief. (But by no stretch of the imagination does that mean I feel "OK"!)
2. Buscopan reduces the spasming but does not eliminate it totally.
3. Don't bother eating the day following an attack; it simply won't stay down.
At the moment I have no pills to take; I have had some "concerning" results from a recent liver function test that they want to look at in detail before letting me continue to take anything. (This is very likely due to the fact I happened to have an attack the morning of the blood test)
As such, I had an attack several hours ago that I had to gut out without taking anything whatsoever to help relieve it. Absolutely brutal. Truth be told I had dressed myself ready to go down A&E but decided to give it the full two hours. Beyond this, the pain did begin to die down, albeit very slowly. With nothing to take though, this was the worst attack I've had. Strangely, I can't think of anything I've eaten to set me off this time - I've adhered to a very strict ultra low fat diet the last few weeks. In fact the last meal I ate was about 9 hours before.
Also, can anyone who's been through it advise what the gallbladder removal procedure is like? Questions that come to mind are
1. How long were you in?
2. Were you cured?
3. Are there any long term side effects?
4. Can you return to a regular diet again?
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I'm not shaped like a pre-bypass Buster Bloodvessel, but like anybody else, I would like the occasional fry up without the consequences that currently come with it.
Now, Pistonheads, would one of you chaps be kind enough to impart some advice on how to cope with the pain that comes with a gall stone attack? So far my conclusions are
1. Sitting hunched over offers the most relief. (But by no stretch of the imagination does that mean I feel "OK"!)
2. Buscopan reduces the spasming but does not eliminate it totally.
3. Don't bother eating the day following an attack; it simply won't stay down.
At the moment I have no pills to take; I have had some "concerning" results from a recent liver function test that they want to look at in detail before letting me continue to take anything. (This is very likely due to the fact I happened to have an attack the morning of the blood test)
As such, I had an attack several hours ago that I had to gut out without taking anything whatsoever to help relieve it. Absolutely brutal. Truth be told I had dressed myself ready to go down A&E but decided to give it the full two hours. Beyond this, the pain did begin to die down, albeit very slowly. With nothing to take though, this was the worst attack I've had. Strangely, I can't think of anything I've eaten to set me off this time - I've adhered to a very strict ultra low fat diet the last few weeks. In fact the last meal I ate was about 9 hours before.
Also, can anyone who's been through it advise what the gallbladder removal procedure is like? Questions that come to mind are
1. How long were you in?
2. Were you cured?
3. Are there any long term side effects?
4. Can you return to a regular diet again?
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I'm not shaped like a pre-bypass Buster Bloodvessel, but like anybody else, I would like the occasional fry up without the consequences that currently come with it.
Edited by mathewb on Saturday 16th July 09:03
mathewb said:
Also, can anyone who's been through it advise what the gallbladder removal procedure is like? Questions that come to mind are
1. How long were you in?
2. Were you cured?
3. Are there any long term side effects?
4. Can you return to a regular diet again?
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I'm not shaped like a pre-bypass Buster Bloodvessel, but like anybody else, I would like the occasional fry up without the consequences that currently come with it.
1. 2 nights for a keyhole version of the operation. In on Saturday, out on Monday, back to work on Tuesday1. How long were you in?
2. Were you cured?
3. Are there any long term side effects?
4. Can you return to a regular diet again?
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I'm not shaped like a pre-bypass Buster Bloodvessel, but like anybody else, I would like the occasional fry up without the consequences that currently come with it.
2. Yes
3. Not for me, apart from no further pain
4. Yes, although I cut down on fat a bit
5. Yes, absolutely
Hope this helps
Mr Pointy said:
1. 2 nights for a keyhole version of the operation. In on Saturday, out on Monday, back to work on Tuesday
2. Yes
3. Not for me, apart from no further pain
4. Yes, although I cut down on fat a bit
5. Yes, absolutely
Hope this helps
If one could script a "what I want to hear" answer, that would be it.2. Yes
3. Not for me, apart from no further pain
4. Yes, although I cut down on fat a bit
5. Yes, absolutely
Hope this helps
Cheers pal!
Happy to help. By far the worst part was the severe throat infection caused by the muppet of an anaesthetist ramming the tube down my throat. I had to return to A&E to get that looked at.
Ask them for the gallstones as well; my doctor was very impressed at the size as they had to break some of then in half to get them out.
Ask them for the gallstones as well; my doctor was very impressed at the size as they had to break some of then in half to get them out.
BlackVanDyke said:
I'm having gallbladder woe as well. Certainly not as bad pain as anything you've described but enough that it's affecting my quality of life and ruining the occasional whole day or two.
Happy to hear that surgery can be so successful!
I hear you. I only slept a couple of hours last night before having the attack first thing this morning. I have tried unsuccessfully to keep down food and drink, all the while failing to get any naps thanks to the constant but dull pain you get the day after.Happy to hear that surgery can be so successful!
Absolutely buggered right now.
My experience was probably at the other end of the scale, but thought you'd like to hear cos a few tips if things don't go so well.
I developed septicemia while having chemo. this supposedly over, sometime during my fifth cycle, I woke with excruciating pain round about my diaphragm. Rang NHS24 to find out what painkillers I could best take - I have a variety! - and because of the chemo / recent septicemia they called a doctor out, who thought it was a pulmonary embolism so admitted me.
I'm a bit hazy over the first 3 days - I know morphine wss my bestest friend! - and I remember having an ultrasound when tehysaid my gall bladder was a bit messy, which pleased me cos it meant they'd found what was wrong. Next memory is an ERCP (endoscopy but a bit further down) when they found I'd an abcess on the gall bladder which had burst so next thing I knew I was going into theatre proper for removal.
REmoval wasn't straight forward - they nearly reverted from keyhole to butchery but didn't quite fortunately. There were traces of sepsis in my abdomen apparently, which explains why I was stuck in for a further 10 days on intra venous antibiotics.
My 'tips' are potentially expect massive bloating - I wore a pair of trousers going in which wouldn't do up when I tried to escape on discahrge, and I had to get a bigger pair brought in. Appalling wind all exit points, but best secret - ask for peppermint water - really expensive at £140 a bottle but so effective with the wind and bloating! Take about a tsp with half cup warm water - magic!! They wouldn't give me any to go ouit with and my GP wouldn't prescribe it due to cost - gacve me some peppermint pills instead which were no where as good.
5 half inch scars round abdomen, occasional problems with a fatty fish suppe rbut really just discomfort - other than that no long term effects - good luck!!
I developed septicemia while having chemo. this supposedly over, sometime during my fifth cycle, I woke with excruciating pain round about my diaphragm. Rang NHS24 to find out what painkillers I could best take - I have a variety! - and because of the chemo / recent septicemia they called a doctor out, who thought it was a pulmonary embolism so admitted me.
I'm a bit hazy over the first 3 days - I know morphine wss my bestest friend! - and I remember having an ultrasound when tehysaid my gall bladder was a bit messy, which pleased me cos it meant they'd found what was wrong. Next memory is an ERCP (endoscopy but a bit further down) when they found I'd an abcess on the gall bladder which had burst so next thing I knew I was going into theatre proper for removal.
REmoval wasn't straight forward - they nearly reverted from keyhole to butchery but didn't quite fortunately. There were traces of sepsis in my abdomen apparently, which explains why I was stuck in for a further 10 days on intra venous antibiotics.
My 'tips' are potentially expect massive bloating - I wore a pair of trousers going in which wouldn't do up when I tried to escape on discahrge, and I had to get a bigger pair brought in. Appalling wind all exit points, but best secret - ask for peppermint water - really expensive at £140 a bottle but so effective with the wind and bloating! Take about a tsp with half cup warm water - magic!! They wouldn't give me any to go ouit with and my GP wouldn't prescribe it due to cost - gacve me some peppermint pills instead which were no where as good.
5 half inch scars round abdomen, occasional problems with a fatty fish suppe rbut really just discomfort - other than that no long term effects - good luck!!
1. How long were you in?
I was supposed to be in for 24 hours and keyhole. 5.5 days later, and an impressive display of staples indicates otherwise. As well as the marks left by the failed keyhole…. Gallbladder was too big to come out via keyhole. Apparently, 1% of ops are like this.
2. Were you cured?
Yes
3. Are there any long-term side effects?
Low fat diet, all that good stuff that isn’t actaully that good for you but tastes great - for me it has had to go. I don’t drink any more either, but I decided to do that before the trouble started. Total beers since the op is in the single fingers , but it just doesn't taste right. Cider does something very wierd.
4. Can you return to a regular diet?
I hear some can, but it usually bites back at some time. For me – no.
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony?
No.
If you have acute colic cystitis, my ex nurse sister says it is almost at the top of the pain scale, you will DEFINITELY know about it.
I was supposed to be in for 24 hours and keyhole. 5.5 days later, and an impressive display of staples indicates otherwise. As well as the marks left by the failed keyhole…. Gallbladder was too big to come out via keyhole. Apparently, 1% of ops are like this.
2. Were you cured?
Yes
3. Are there any long-term side effects?
Low fat diet, all that good stuff that isn’t actaully that good for you but tastes great - for me it has had to go. I don’t drink any more either, but I decided to do that before the trouble started. Total beers since the op is in the single fingers , but it just doesn't taste right. Cider does something very wierd.
4. Can you return to a regular diet?
I hear some can, but it usually bites back at some time. For me – no.
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony?
No.
If you have acute colic cystitis, my ex nurse sister says it is almost at the top of the pain scale, you will DEFINITELY know about it.
I had mine removed via Keyhole 1997.
Was done Privately and apart from the shoulder pain from touching a nerve that manifests itself in the shoulder for some absurd reason, I hardly needed any pain relief.
I did however hemorrhage a bit after the Op but nothing that applied pressure didn't sort out.
I was home in 3 days and back to work driving in two weeks. The being off work and stuck in the house was the worst part of it all for me, those walls closing in were horrendous.
No effects from it all since bar a bit of scar tissue which pulls internally occasionally when I sneeze or coughing and that f
king hurts badly!!!
Was done Privately and apart from the shoulder pain from touching a nerve that manifests itself in the shoulder for some absurd reason, I hardly needed any pain relief.
I did however hemorrhage a bit after the Op but nothing that applied pressure didn't sort out.
I was home in 3 days and back to work driving in two weeks. The being off work and stuck in the house was the worst part of it all for me, those walls closing in were horrendous.
No effects from it all since bar a bit of scar tissue which pulls internally occasionally when I sneeze or coughing and that f
king hurts badly!!!Ok, answers are based on the wife's experience this January but not my own.
1. How long were you in?
In at 07:30, out by 19:30 the same day (NHS)
2. Were you cured?
99% - keyhole procedure, 4 very small scars. Op was fine, although as she had a very severe case, there are a couple of stones left in a duct that now require dyno-rodding (she's pregnant now though - consultant said if there's no major pain this can wait until after the birth).
3. Are there any long term side effects?
Of the operation? As far as we're concerned no, however when I asked similar questions on PH in December, for many the op appeared not to go so well...
4. Can you return to a regular diet again?
Yes.
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I'm not shaped like a pre-bypass Buster Bloodvessel, but like anybody else, I would like the occasional fry up without the consequences that currently come with it.
Yes
1. How long were you in?
In at 07:30, out by 19:30 the same day (NHS)
2. Were you cured?
99% - keyhole procedure, 4 very small scars. Op was fine, although as she had a very severe case, there are a couple of stones left in a duct that now require dyno-rodding (she's pregnant now though - consultant said if there's no major pain this can wait until after the birth).
3. Are there any long term side effects?
Of the operation? As far as we're concerned no, however when I asked similar questions on PH in December, for many the op appeared not to go so well...
4. Can you return to a regular diet again?
Yes.
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I'm not shaped like a pre-bypass Buster Bloodvessel, but like anybody else, I would like the occasional fry up without the consequences that currently come with it.
Yes
mathewb said:
BlackVanDyke said:
I'm having gallbladder woe as well. Certainly not as bad pain as anything you've described but enough that it's affecting my quality of life and ruining the occasional whole day or two.
Happy to hear that surgery can be so successful!
I hear you. I only slept a couple of hours last night before having the attack first thing this morning. I have tried unsuccessfully to keep down food and drink, all the while failing to get any naps thanks to the constant but dull pain you get the day after.Happy to hear that surgery can be so successful!
Absolutely buggered right now.
That sounds grim, mine hasn't been that bad (touch wood!) for a while.
BlackVanDyke said:
Can you talk to your GP for symptom management while you wait to go and see a surgeon?
That sounds grim, mine hasn't been that bad (touch wood!) for a while.
He has been very non-committal, given that my ALT (a liver function, or something...) readings have been through the roof in recent weeks. He reckons my liver needs checking out thoroughly first.That sounds grim, mine hasn't been that bad (touch wood!) for a while.
I type this emerging from my latest attack. I have 30mg cocodamols left over from when I had kidney stones. 2 of those, 2 buscopan and 2 hours of patience and I'm... adequate. Well enough to sit here and type or to have a conversation without reverting to the foetal position in searing pain; not well enough to sleep or not feel nausea. Indeed the pain is still there, just dulled enough to function.
My own recent experience is as follows:
1, It should have been 2 days (Keyhole, private hospital) but ended up being a week. This was due to my developing obstructive jaundice in the weeks before the op. I was Bart Simpson yellow. This knackered my blood so it wouldn't clot or carry oxygen properly for me, so there was some extra care (and an extra op to clear some stones from my bile duct, which the NHS had said were not there......)
I did have a post op problem too which turned out to be a very rare form of e coli contained in an abscess on top of my liver. Once this was lanced and the appropriate IV drugs administered the problems have gone away.
2. Were you cured? - Yes, 100% now. I suffered dreadful attacks and now I know I can never have another!
3. Are there any long term side effects? - Nope.
4. Can you return to a regular diet again? Yes, I have with no problems whatsoever. (although some stuff did taste a bit weird at first, but I think this was down to the antibiotics)
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up ? Yes. The hospital even let me have one as my breakfast on the day I went home.
Get that gall bladder out. Do it now, whilst it can still be via keyhole (apparently every attack makes it more difficult)
Hope that helps
1, It should have been 2 days (Keyhole, private hospital) but ended up being a week. This was due to my developing obstructive jaundice in the weeks before the op. I was Bart Simpson yellow. This knackered my blood so it wouldn't clot or carry oxygen properly for me, so there was some extra care (and an extra op to clear some stones from my bile duct, which the NHS had said were not there......)
I did have a post op problem too which turned out to be a very rare form of e coli contained in an abscess on top of my liver. Once this was lanced and the appropriate IV drugs administered the problems have gone away.
2. Were you cured? - Yes, 100% now. I suffered dreadful attacks and now I know I can never have another!
3. Are there any long term side effects? - Nope.
4. Can you return to a regular diet again? Yes, I have with no problems whatsoever. (although some stuff did taste a bit weird at first, but I think this was down to the antibiotics)
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up ? Yes. The hospital even let me have one as my breakfast on the day I went home.
Get that gall bladder out. Do it now, whilst it can still be via keyhole (apparently every attack makes it more difficult)
Hope that helps
Got a call on Friday afternoon (approx 5:55pm) from the GP's receptionist saying the doctor wants to discuss something with me. Great timing love, just in time for the weekend so I can worry about it at length.
For everyone who's commented: did you find you had consistent dull pain across your upper belly, sometimes upper back and usually towards the right hand side? A couple of people I've spoken to about gall stones say their attacks would last a while, but there wouldn't be ongoing pain inbetween. Is this true for you?
For everyone who's commented: did you find you had consistent dull pain across your upper belly, sometimes upper back and usually towards the right hand side? A couple of people I've spoken to about gall stones say their attacks would last a while, but there wouldn't be ongoing pain inbetween. Is this true for you?
mathewb said:
A couple of people I've spoken to about gall stones say their attacks would last a while, but there wouldn't be ongoing pain inbetween. Is this true for you?
That was the case for me. Although, in the later stages before GB removal I would somethimes get a dull, upper stomach ache for a few hours before the full attack started. The pain would be felt from under my bust to about my waist, as if I had been put in a vice and just crushed. Probably more felt in my back than my front but the pain would suddenly come on, no slow building up, just bang and it fkign hurt. Until the stone dislodged itself again I would be in agony. The shortest was about 30 minutes, the longest I think was about 8 hours. Inbetween I was fine as if nothing was wrong.
kign hurt. Until the stone dislodged itself again I would be in agony. The shortest was about 30 minutes, the longest I think was about 8 hours. Inbetween I was fine as if nothing was wrong.1. How long were you in? 1 day... morning operation, was out by night time
2. Were you cured? yes
3. Are there any long term side effects? mine lasted a couple of weeks, couldn't hold my son or do anything strenuous (sp?)
4. Can you return to a regular diet again? yes
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I don't eat fry's up so wouldn't know
2. Were you cured? yes
3. Are there any long term side effects? mine lasted a couple of weeks, couldn't hold my son or do anything strenuous (sp?)
4. Can you return to a regular diet again? yes
5. Most importantly: Could you eat a fry-up without spending the rest of your weekend in agony? I don't eat fry's up so wouldn't know
mathewb said:
GP appointment coincided with another attack. He was going to refer me anyway but ended up sending me as an emergency. I am typing this from the hospital bed. I'm to the gills with tramadol but the pain is still too bad to sleep. Decision on surgery in the morning.
Bit scared now.
Jeez, tramadol not working then?Bit scared now.
Well, keep focused, at least you are in hospital and under watchful eyes, rather than at home wondering what you should do.
Keep positive, I'm sure things will work out for you.
Just a bit scary for you I guess.
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