Gallstones Attack -- What is it like?

[Boston Tea Party]

If it's gallstones, don't put off the surgery which is fairly simple. I had it done in day surgery. If you put off the surgery, you may end up with an operation that will gut you like a fish and you'll be lucky to get out of the hospital in 7-10 days.

LOL, I got "gutted" way back in 1988. I was out of comission for six weeks. Ugh. It's much better now.

 

[Mono~rail]

It feels like you are going to kick over dead any second! It is the most horrible, excruciating, blinding pain I have ever felt in my life!

The attacks started out waking me up during the middle of the night. I would experience an intense burning and cramping in my mid-epigastric region (center right under my ribs). I would be nauseated, and vomit this horrible fatty stuff that smelled worse than normal vomit! The attacks grew progressively in their intensity until the pain radiated through my back and up into my shoulder blades. Every breath felt like it was going to be my last. I would seriously think I was going to die!

 

[goofy's friends]

It felt like a heart attack! I thought I was dying. My DH was so scared and rushed me to ER where they did EKG, etc. and finally an ultrasound. There was "sludge" rather than stones, but they took it out. It was an easy surgery as surgeries go -- in and out-- laproscopy, one day of recouperation.

I would check into it, I was told that they can feel different for different people. Some just have a little consistent pain and others have excruciating pain taht subsides after about 1-2 hours (that was mine). It can feel like a heart attack or cramps or stabs in the back/front.

Good luck.

 

[DVC-Don]

I had 3 severe gall bladder attacks about a year ago, all within an 18 hour period. The pain was the most intense I've ever experienced in my life. Was was also vomiting, sweating and curled up on the floor and screaming in pain. Twice my wife called 911 and I was taken to Saratoga Hospital, given morphine there, x-rayed and sent home saying there was nothing they could find. The last trip there my wife demanded I be admitted and the ER doc said "No, he just has some gas". She called a surgeon she knows who came in and examined me and then admitted me. He ordered some kind of nuclear test for me the next morning and that triggered another attack that they caught on film. I had my gall bladder taken out on December 20th last year.

Next time anything happens we'll demand to be taken to Albany Medical Center.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

He ordered some kind of nuclear test for me the next morning and that triggered another attack that they caught on film.

That's the HIDA scan. Glad it worked out for you.

 

[MushyMushy]

Thanks for all your responses. I've been afraid to eat all day, and now I'm afraid to go to sleep! If it happens tonight, I just might go to the emergency room. I don't think I could handle another night of that.

 

[ohiomom28]

I started having attacks about 2 months after my son was born. It felt like I was having a heart attack and had a very bad backache. I couldn't breathe it hurt so bad. My grandma told me it sounded like my gall bladder and I went to the doctor and then to an ultrasound and I was filled with gallstones. I had it taken out within a week. I had yet another attack a few weeks later while I was at my son's doctors appt. and my doctor (we share a doctor) told me that sometimes that can happen.

Just be aware that even after the gall bladder is removed, you cannot go back to eating whatever you want. It has been 6.5 years and I still have trouble eating certain foods.

 

[goofy's friends]

I started having attacks about 2 months after my son was born. It felt like I was having a heart attack and had a very bad backache. I couldn't breathe it hurt so bad. My grandma told me it sounded like my gall bladder and I went to the doctor and then to an ultrasound and I was filled with gallstones. I had it taken out within a week. I had yet another attack a few weeks later while I was at my son's doctors appt. and my doctor (we share a doctor) told me that sometimes that can happen.

Just be aware that even after the gall bladder is removed, you cannot go back to eating whatever you want. It has been 6.5 years and I still have trouble eating certain foods.

Mine was right after have my son, too. The Dr. said it is often caused by sudden weight loss. It is very common in women who have just had babies.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I suffered with attacks for over 10 years because of a misdiagnosis. Finally an ultrasound showed what was really wrong. I had some attacks just last 15 miunutes, I had other attacks last nearly 12 hours. I would curl up in a ball and just cry. I would also throw up. It was horrible, there were times I thought I was going to die. I would have a pain that wrapped around my midsection and felt like a boa constrictor was squeezing me to death. Twice I went to the ER and they did NOTHING, so I just suffered through.

I had mine removed last May and it was been great ever since. I can eat anything and everything I want with no ill effects, so everyone reacts to the removal differently. I didn't fit the gallstone sufferer mode besides being female and fertile. The big thing for me is that it runs in my family.

Another DISer (I wish I could remember her name) lost her mother to gallbladder cancer, so please go and get things checked out.

 

[LuvDuke]

Thanks for all your responses. I've been afraid to eat all day, and now I'm afraid to go to sleep! If it happens tonight, I just might go to the emergency room. I don't think I could handle another night of that.

Seriously, don't wait. It isn't going to get better and the longer it goes on, the better the chances for complications. It'll be the difference between day surgery and MAJOR surgery. And, plus, why suffer needlessly.

Good luck to you.

 

[hornedfrog]

I definitely feel for you! I had my gallbladder out 3 years ago and I still am so relieved that the attacks are gone and I don't have to worry about that anymore. I had the attacks for over a year (about 1 a week) and they were always misdiagnosed as ulcer pains or muscle pains or something else completely unrelated. I went to the ER probably 6-8 times during that period and most times just got pain meds and then sent on my way once the pains had stopped.

My pains were right in the center of my chest and felt like I was being stabbed. It hurt to take deep breaths and it hurt to stay upright, so I'd end up taking short litting panting breaths while kneeling next to the bed with my head laying on the bed (kind of like I was praying I guess?) and I'd sweat and sweat because of the pain. I'd throw up half the time maybe. If the attacks came while I was at work, I'd have to go home. They'd last anywhere from an hour to several hours and I built up quite a supply of vicodin and various other pain meds from my doctor and ER visits to help with that.

It was truly miserable and my suffering finally ended when I was correctly diagnosed after an ultrasound that was done while I was in 'mid-attack'. I was in the ER and was immediately put into surgery and stayed one night at the hospital, but only because I had a stone that was blocking a duct and they thought they may need to go back in (but it passed on its own).

Ever since then I've been totally fine. I can eat anything without any problems (although my mom had hers out and has an awful time with popcorn and some other things now, so I think that varies a lot from person to person). I will say that my last and final attack was brought on by a big plate of cheese enchiladas at a popular tex-mex restaurant and to this day I won't even set foot in that place because of the memories of what it brought on. I have since given birth to two children and the gall bladder pain was, by far, so much worse than anything related to those experiences!

 

[goofyforlife]

Thanks, guys. All three times I've had these attacks, I was eating too much. Once on Thanksgiving day, then the day after with leftovers. Then last night after we went out to eat at a restaurant later in the evening.

The pain also goes into my back. DANG. I still have mild remnants of the pain today and I'm afraid to eat!

I only have two weeks left of my student teaching, so I have to get through that.

Don't wait that two weeks to seek help.

In the two weeks it took my drs to diagnose and get ultrasounds schedule and results read...my liver enzymes dropped and i literally had jaundice. (yellow eyes) i had mine out the day after i finally got a surgeons appt.

I will say this...if you follow a very low fat (no rich foods either like pasta) diet, you may see some relief temporarily... but do not put off seeking care.

 

[MushyMushy]

Just a little update.

I called my doctor this morning and they made me an appointment for the 21st. If I have another "attack" or whatever, I'm supposed to go to the ER.

Keeping my fingers crossed.