Quizzes & Puzzles28 mins ago
Gallbladder Problems
11 Answers
Have been having a google (I know!) as have had a couple of recent incidents of really bad pain, mainly under my ribs on the right and a bit further down accompanied by a lot of bloating, gas and burping (thank goodness I'm single!). During the worst incident last week I had to leave work early and was in agony, couldn't get comfortable was was literally rolling around in pain for a few hours. I ended up being quite violently sick a number of times before it finally settled.
I have bile acid malabsorption and am on a binding medication (Questran sachets). I googled with pain being in the gallbladder area in case there was a connection and noticed they can put you at greater risk of gallstones (apparently they do something with cholesterol too) so wondering if this could be a possible cause of the pain.
Not due back to my gastro consultant for a while and awaiting an MRI (still checking in case something like Crohns causing things as have inflammatory arthritis, recurrent abcesses etc... as well) but will make a non-urgent GP appointment in the meantime to see if they have any ideas. I just can't afford time off work at the moment.
So I guess the question is if anyone has had a similar problem with gallbladder stuff, Questran etc... and, ok, I admit, feeling a bit sorry for myself so good to have a vent...rahhh! Just want to feel well!
I have bile acid malabsorption and am on a binding medication (Questran sachets). I googled with pain being in the gallbladder area in case there was a connection and noticed they can put you at greater risk of gallstones (apparently they do something with cholesterol too) so wondering if this could be a possible cause of the pain.
Not due back to my gastro consultant for a while and awaiting an MRI (still checking in case something like Crohns causing things as have inflammatory arthritis, recurrent abcesses etc... as well) but will make a non-urgent GP appointment in the meantime to see if they have any ideas. I just can't afford time off work at the moment.
So I guess the question is if anyone has had a similar problem with gallbladder stuff, Questran etc... and, ok, I admit, feeling a bit sorry for myself so good to have a vent...rahhh! Just want to feel well!
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I don't have experience of Questran but did have gallstones and the description you gave of rolling around in agony for a few hours and being violently sick certainly brings back some unhappy memories. A scan usually detects the presence of gallstones - speak to your GP, they should do a blood test to check liver function. I had my gallbladder removed eventually
I had the same experience as bensmum. The pain was dreadful.
What I did find, though, was that if I got to my GP whilst I had the pain, they gave me an injection of diclofenac which worked in about 45 minutes....blessed relief.
I too eventually had my gall bladder removed. Keyhole surgery, worked like a charm and, as sqad would say, 'no big deal'.
What I did find, though, was that if I got to my GP whilst I had the pain, they gave me an injection of diclofenac which worked in about 45 minutes....blessed relief.
I too eventually had my gall bladder removed. Keyhole surgery, worked like a charm and, as sqad would say, 'no big deal'.
Yes it sounds like Gallstones.
No disrespect, if you are over Female Forty, Freckled, Fair and Fat then you are more prone. And add in Stress. Also, if you have experienced too rapid a weight loss, for whatever reason, you are prone.
That was my case. 51, (male - I think). stress. I had a divorce, lost 14kg in 2 months and wham bang....exactly your symptoms. I had it out about 2 years ago - minor op by laproscopy but you have to take some care - I got a bacterial infection post op.
The pain is excruciating and spreads over the upper right liver to the point you can not sit or lie down......some say it is worth than child birth. Can't speak for that (I think) but could understand as there is nothing "productive" at the end of it.
The MRI will show up how bad your gall bladder is - Be careful of the NHS and dont let it go too far. The guy in front of me (who I knew) had one go bang with all the risks of blood poisoning and the rest and resulted in me being delayed 4 hours from going in (and hence an overnight as I also needed some extra morph - now that was nice!!!!)
No disrespect, if you are over Female Forty, Freckled, Fair and Fat then you are more prone. And add in Stress. Also, if you have experienced too rapid a weight loss, for whatever reason, you are prone.
That was my case. 51, (male - I think). stress. I had a divorce, lost 14kg in 2 months and wham bang....exactly your symptoms. I had it out about 2 years ago - minor op by laproscopy but you have to take some care - I got a bacterial infection post op.
The pain is excruciating and spreads over the upper right liver to the point you can not sit or lie down......some say it is worth than child birth. Can't speak for that (I think) but could understand as there is nothing "productive" at the end of it.
The MRI will show up how bad your gall bladder is - Be careful of the NHS and dont let it go too far. The guy in front of me (who I knew) had one go bang with all the risks of blood poisoning and the rest and resulted in me being delayed 4 hours from going in (and hence an overnight as I also needed some extra morph - now that was nice!!!!)
Female, 32, fair, few freckles, could do with losing some weight :) I have lost a bit of weight recently, stress diet I think! I hadn't realised until I hopped on a friend's scales out of curiousity and had lost about 9lbs and have had comments about having lost weight.
The pain last week really frightened me, just incessant and nothing I could do would help it. I have also had some pain under my shoulderblade on the right, posted about it not long back, have seen that can be linked too.
Just hoping it's nothing I need any time off for, lost my job in June (7 of us gone in 7 months) and due to the recession am temping for peanuts, need to be in as much as I can - hence the stress.
Will get a GP appointment and chase up MRI scan, was meant to be in November but had to cancel it as I lost my nan and it was her funeral back home. I still haven't had a new appointment date yet.
The pain last week really frightened me, just incessant and nothing I could do would help it. I have also had some pain under my shoulderblade on the right, posted about it not long back, have seen that can be linked too.
Just hoping it's nothing I need any time off for, lost my job in June (7 of us gone in 7 months) and due to the recession am temping for peanuts, need to be in as much as I can - hence the stress.
Will get a GP appointment and chase up MRI scan, was meant to be in November but had to cancel it as I lost my nan and it was her funeral back home. I still haven't had a new appointment date yet.
So symptomatic of Gallstones.
You should count on a week off and light duties for two week re stitches. Essentially key hole involved 5 to 6 stitches and a scar top side of your stomach, over your diaphragm and about 3 inches down from the base of your sternum. Then the camera equipment goes in one on your right midriff and left side (1 stitch each) and say two to three, lower down left.
Each of us reacts differently - I needed morphine as I surfaced but i settled back quickly bit my vitals took a little time to settle (next am though I was back to 116 over 72 and the O2 content was fine). Normally they count on you being out and home the same day, but do not count on cooking a gourmet meal or even baked beans and/or scramblies on crumpets. You will need someone to take car of you for the first 36 hours.
Sorry to be graphic but you may as well know what to expect.
You should count on a week off and light duties for two week re stitches. Essentially key hole involved 5 to 6 stitches and a scar top side of your stomach, over your diaphragm and about 3 inches down from the base of your sternum. Then the camera equipment goes in one on your right midriff and left side (1 stitch each) and say two to three, lower down left.
Each of us reacts differently - I needed morphine as I surfaced but i settled back quickly bit my vitals took a little time to settle (next am though I was back to 116 over 72 and the O2 content was fine). Normally they count on you being out and home the same day, but do not count on cooking a gourmet meal or even baked beans and/or scramblies on crumpets. You will need someone to take car of you for the first 36 hours.
Sorry to be graphic but you may as well know what to expect.
My experience of the op was much the same as Dt's.
Out the same next day, not feeling great for 2-3 days, then fairly quick improvement.
Should be OK to go back to work in 2-3 weeks, assuming no heavy lifting and that all goes well with the op. (usually does).
My insides were a bit unpredictable (runs) for a week or two but soon settled.
Out the same next day, not feeling great for 2-3 days, then fairly quick improvement.
Should be OK to go back to work in 2-3 weeks, assuming no heavy lifting and that all goes well with the op. (usually does).
My insides were a bit unpredictable (runs) for a week or two but soon settled.
i agree with above - does sound like gallstones - next time you have an attack, try a really really hot bath to ease the pain, but be careful as if you're feeling faint from the pain the last thing you need is the heat of the bath, so make sure you take an ice cold drink with you too (i found fizzy drinks helped ease the bloating - particulary an ice cold lager surprisingly enough - think because the bubbles are different to that in fizzy pop). Anyway, i'm rambling now sorry. Another thing (if bath not available) is a hot water bottle and rub tiger balm quite thickly all over your stomach. obviously watch your fat intake as this can trigger an attack (as could fruit and veg etc with me). get your gp to send you for ultrasound and that'll tell you. hope you feel better soon - i know just how painful it is - and i can confirm, i thought it was worse than childbirth ! x
The thing with gall-bladder/stones problems is that they rarely 'stop' on their own.
About 15 years ago I had an ultra-sound which showed no gall-stones. However, I continued to have infrequent 'attacks'....
Then 9 years ago I had a sustained period of 'attacks', so much so that I was hospitalised and stabilised on 4 separate occasions.
The second time was over the August Bank Holiday where I was eventually given another ultra-sound scan. Fortunately, the sonographer (?) was instructing a student and was being 'very' thorough with my scan......I didn't have gall-stones, I had gall-sludge which resembles nothing so closely as the sort of detritus which collects at the bottom of your chip-pan........It has the same effect on your system, though.
A further two admissions by ambulance to A&E saw me rocket to the top of the surgeons list and I had my gall-bladder removed via key-hole surgery........I started to feel better immediately.
If you don't get something done in your own time-frame, you may well find that your body takes things into its' own hands and causes you maximum inconvenience.
About 15 years ago I had an ultra-sound which showed no gall-stones. However, I continued to have infrequent 'attacks'....
Then 9 years ago I had a sustained period of 'attacks', so much so that I was hospitalised and stabilised on 4 separate occasions.
The second time was over the August Bank Holiday where I was eventually given another ultra-sound scan. Fortunately, the sonographer (?) was instructing a student and was being 'very' thorough with my scan......I didn't have gall-stones, I had gall-sludge which resembles nothing so closely as the sort of detritus which collects at the bottom of your chip-pan........It has the same effect on your system, though.
A further two admissions by ambulance to A&E saw me rocket to the top of the surgeons list and I had my gall-bladder removed via key-hole surgery........I started to feel better immediately.
If you don't get something done in your own time-frame, you may well find that your body takes things into its' own hands and causes you maximum inconvenience.
Thank you all for your stories and advice. Am hoping it's something more mundane like some really painful trapped wind or similar (with the gas and burping) so have formulated a plan for a couple of days in anti-wind stuff (my life is so glamarous haha!) to see if that helps over the bank holiday then can assess and see if I need to get a Drs appointment.
The gas doesn't seem very trapped (due to burping and wind) but am hoping it might at least rule out something simple without having to bother a Dr unecessarily.
It flared up again last night, woke me up but managed to get it settled quite quickly. Have managed to root out some prescription strength codeine from my arthritis stash to have on hand it if hits again and will go hunt out my hot water bottle.
Praying it behaves this evening as helping out at a charity do.
Strangely I'm sure my gastro said my malabsorption thingy can be caused by having your gallbladder removed so maybe it's knackered anyway!
The gas doesn't seem very trapped (due to burping and wind) but am hoping it might at least rule out something simple without having to bother a Dr unecessarily.
It flared up again last night, woke me up but managed to get it settled quite quickly. Have managed to root out some prescription strength codeine from my arthritis stash to have on hand it if hits again and will go hunt out my hot water bottle.
Praying it behaves this evening as helping out at a charity do.
Strangely I'm sure my gastro said my malabsorption thingy can be caused by having your gallbladder removed so maybe it's knackered anyway!
Right until ten years ago, prevailing operation for gall stones was in fact open procedure via tummy incision that will eradicate gall bladder.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is really a low invasive medical procedure that's done employing laparoscopic visualization of your gall bladder and also encircling tissues. That strategy needs just a few small incisions done in your abdominal walls. The gallbladder will be eliminated as a result of 1 of the small incisions, and so the incisions are usually shut down with stitches and also protected with smaller bandages. That process normally needs general anesthesia and it's susceptible to same threats along with difficulties like open surgery. However, individuals currently have minor painfulness soon after the operation, and clinic stays and recovery are often shorter as compared to open surgery.
It is actually believed that a great number of operating doctors received a lot of instruction for method of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, not to mention demand for this type of surgical treatment increased to the point in which probably eighty % of cholecystectomies seem to be carried out using this specific way.
The moment gallstone problems arise, they'll recur in great deal of people. Furthermore, patients with signs are generally even more likely to create problems. So, the majority of sufferers really should be taken care of. Serious pain as a result of gall stones can often be extreme, lasting one to 5 hours, usually waking the sufferer at overnight time, and to be found across the central abdomen or in the uppr area of the abdominal area. Biliary ache normally commences soon after eating food.
Source: http://www.thegallbladdersymptoms.com/
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is really a low invasive medical procedure that's done employing laparoscopic visualization of your gall bladder and also encircling tissues. That strategy needs just a few small incisions done in your abdominal walls. The gallbladder will be eliminated as a result of 1 of the small incisions, and so the incisions are usually shut down with stitches and also protected with smaller bandages. That process normally needs general anesthesia and it's susceptible to same threats along with difficulties like open surgery. However, individuals currently have minor painfulness soon after the operation, and clinic stays and recovery are often shorter as compared to open surgery.
It is actually believed that a great number of operating doctors received a lot of instruction for method of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, not to mention demand for this type of surgical treatment increased to the point in which probably eighty % of cholecystectomies seem to be carried out using this specific way.
The moment gallstone problems arise, they'll recur in great deal of people. Furthermore, patients with signs are generally even more likely to create problems. So, the majority of sufferers really should be taken care of. Serious pain as a result of gall stones can often be extreme, lasting one to 5 hours, usually waking the sufferer at overnight time, and to be found across the central abdomen or in the uppr area of the abdominal area. Biliary ache normally commences soon after eating food.
Source: http://www.thegallbladdersymptoms.com/