Gall bladder tips

poet123

My GP has diagnosed gallbladder issues and advised me to stick to a low fat diet. I will follow his advice but if anyone has any tips for relieving attacks or particular foods to avoid I would be interested. I am not asking for medical advice just tips on how to manage the condition.

bex2012

I had my gallbladder out in November last year, and I didn't have any trigger foods or intense attacks. My pains were low, grumbling aches that lasted 2-3 weeks at a time. Nothing I ate or didn't eat caused or relieved the attacks.

When I saw my consultant, he explained that the idea of not eating fat is wrong.
Basically bile is produced in the liver & stored in the gallbladder. When you eat fat, the gallbladder contracts and squeezes the bile out. If you don't eat enough fat, the gallbladder doesn't contract & the bile gets concentrated, causing gallstones. The intense pain some people get is the GB trying to squeeze the stones out. If you have gallstones, you should eat MORE fat to keep the bile less concentrated. How he explained it was if you have a kidney/water infection you keep drinking to flush it out, the GB is exactly the same.

Unfortunately what works for some people, doesn't work for others. I was on pretty much a liquid diet for three weeks, didn't lose a pound, and STILL had pains....

poet123

Right, I am confused now....

I had two attacks after eating a takeaway curry and steak and chips, and another after eating ice cream.

wildwestfan

poet123 wrote: »

My GP has diagnosed gallbladder issues and advised me to stick to a low fat diet. I will follow his advice but if anyone has any tips for relieving attacks or particular foods to avoid I would be interested. I am not asking for medical advice just tips on how to manage the condition.

Sometimes difficult to manage although low fat is the way to go. Have to say that pethidine was the only thing that relieved my attacks. Seek advice straightaway if you get any signs of jaundice....itchy skin, yellow whites of eyes etc.

Cloudydaze

I suffered for about 18mths before having my GB removed. The pain was incredibly intense so I do feel for you!

During attacks I found putting a hot water bottle on the gallbladder area offered some relief. It had to be really hot though - enough to make my skin go red.

I'd also try contorting my body into some very wierd positions as stretching the area seemed to help.

The only painkillers that helped were paracetamol & codeine.

Foods were quite hit and miss. Sometimes I'd get away with eating something. Another time I'd eat the same thing but be writhing in agony 30 mins later.

I'm surprised at the eating more fat advice though. My attacks lasted about 30 mins but were extremely intense.

However, on a positive note, having my gallbladder removed was straightforward and uneventful. I was pretty much back to normal straight away.

Callie22

I had awful gallbladder issues and I found what tended to trigger mine was big meals and 'stodge' - anything heavy, even if it was low fat, was enough to start an attack. I avoided very high fat foods, like ice cream, cheese, even stuff like oily fish, and in the end I found a few foods that suited me and ate just those for the time before I had my gallbladder out. Not great, but anything was better than the pain of an attack.

Like the previous poster I found codeine did help during the bad attacks, but with that I would add the caveat that you need to be careful a) not to get addicted and b) not to get so 'bunged up' (sorry ...) that it makes things worse. I also found that for me the attacks seemed to be triggered by hormones. Despite eating pretty much the same stuff all the time I always seemed to get a really, really bad attack at that time of the month.

During one hospital admission a nurse suggested I put a pillow on the table and lean onto that to help with the pain. I was dubious but it really helped so I'd definitely recommend trying that.

I personally wouldn't have eaten more fat when I was having problems, but I have heard that one of the triggers for gallbladder problems starting can be going on a very low fat diet, apparently it's quite common for people on the very low calorie meal replacement diets to develop gallstones. Oddly enough mine started after a period of very 'healthy eating' (not meal replacements, but quite a strict diet) so I think there is some truth in that.

poet123

I have been on a diet and also under quite a bit of stress since January so I think they may have been contributory factors.

I have now cut portion sizes down and cut out a lot of fat, but the attacks are increasing. I have taken co codamol which does take the pain away but they make me spaced out so I can only take them if I am off work the day after. I also seem to have nightmares when taking them which makes me wary.

When the attack is over I am left feeling like I have been kicked by a horse.

sparkle1961

I would have thought your GP should be sending you for a scan to see exactly what the problem is. I didn't have any gallstones but had problems with my gallbladder for years. Various scans showed it as being inflamed and then follow up scans showed it was OK again so obviously an intermittent problem. However like you after a period of intense stress and 'age related' hormone issues(!) I was in a lot of discomfort (rather than acute pain) for a lot of the time, no matter what I ate!


I was finally diagnosed with a chronically inflamed gallbladder and that was it - out it came. Looking back I now think it hadn't been working properly for years and if it hadn't had to come out the consultant was going to investigate its functionality as a poorly functioning gallbladder can give rise to discomfort and digestive problems. I do have a hiatus hernia and gastritis so I still have digestive problems and pain but not nearly as bad as before my g/b was removed.


I would ask your GP to refer you to a specialist to get a proper diagnosis. G/b pain is really not nice and you shouldn't have to live with it.

poet123

Thanks, yes, that is probably the next step. Strangely, my oldest brother is having the same issues!

sparkle1961

I would just push the point about inflammation in case they try to tell you everything is fine as they can't see any stones! Both times the inflammation issue showed up on CT scans and then looked OK on ultrasound. Now, I'm not sure if that's because both times it had got better again which is possible but sometimes these intermittent problems are harder to pinpoint whereas stones are usually more obvious. Bear it in mind if they tell you everything's OK but you still keep getting the problem. I'm so annoyed that it went on for so long before it was finally sorted out.

DUKE

I had issues for years until I changed my Dr & had my gall bladder out in 2011. Sometimes certain foods would effect me, other times they wouldn't. Although I avoided chips, chocolate, cakes, pastries, pies, spices, fizzy pop, cabbage, cheese ... I stayed thin for years. But in saying that I could be effected by a sip of water. Once something had set my gall stone off though I would suffer for up to 12 hours. That would mean no sleep for me as it was an ache (rather than pain) that drained & exhausted me. I found (I got desperate) standing on my head Or just stretching could ease it, or a gel bottle that you put in the microwave, sometimes my husband would put his hands across my stomach & press down. Hope you get it sorted!