Gallstones, What To Do

[jyl]

Well, I had a fun night. I had felt poorly most of the day (flu like). About 10PM got pain and pressure at bottom of sternum, moderately severe. Pain wouldn't go away with antacids. Became nauseous, repeated vomiting. Midsection distended. After five hours of this, drove self to ER about 3:30AM. We live about 10 blocks from hospital. Told them thought just bad heartburn but unsure if could be heart. ER was almost empty of patients, was seen immediately. EKG blood chest x-Ray and ultrasound. Diagnosis gallstone attack. Advised to see general surgeon. Given a pain medication that I could drive with. Discharged 5:30AM, went home and got a couple hours sleep.

Saw PCP at my hospital this afternoon. They had partial records from ER. He recommended no surgery, either to remove gallbladder or gallstones. Said non-surgical treatments to dissolve gallstones are available but don't work that well. Eat more frequently, less fat, and if get another attack then consult with surgeon. He said if develop bile duct blockage, infection of gallbladder, pancreatitis, I'll know it - pain will be worse and won't go away even after a day - and will treat with surgery. (Edit: PCP called me after receiving ultrasound imaging report from ER, states "gallstones possibly impacting neck", he says same advice but my odds of needing surgeon consult are higher.

So, that was fun!

For some unknown reason I would like to avoid surgery if at all possible. And I'm dubious about having a whole organ removed. Can the gallbladder really serve so little purpose. I gather it collects and concentrates the liver's bile and meters bile into the intestine when fatty food is coming down. Without a gallbladder, the bile is released into the intestine as it is produced. And supposedly this works just fine. So why did we evolve to have a gallbladder at all? Do God or Darwin not believe in the teachings of Colin Chapman?

[joeyb]

alternative medicine cure for gallstones: liver cleanse:

http://www.4optimallife.com/Liver-Cleanse-And-Detoxification-Procedures.html

[Chocaholic]

Fight it all you want. Reality will win out. Laparoscopic outpatient procedure. In at 7 home by noon. Done.

Had mine out 10 years ago. No problems since.

[pete3799]

Yanked mine out a year ago ....don't miss it a bit.

[jyl]

A colleague had his gallbladder removed a few years ago. His doctor told him that primitive man subsisted on vegetation and fruits (low-fat), and every now and then gorged himself on an animal (high-fat). So his fat intake was inconsistent, making the bile-metering function of the gallbladder more important. Today our fat intake is more steady and consistent, so our need for bile is more consistent, so continual bile delivery from the liver works okay. I'm probably missing something in the translation.

[ramonesfreak]

i tried to fight it. the pain got so severe i considered shooting myself in head. no amount of meds relieved the pain. gallbladder had to come out. i have had kidney stones too. i personally found gall stones to be far more painful..but everyone is different

[joeyb]

You don't have to cut out your gallbladder. The stones can be flushed out. Many people around the world have done it. I've done it.

Do a search on liver cleanse/liver flush.

[dhoward]

Yeah, cleanse yer colon too 'cause you've got 3 years of poop stuck in there...
It's unbalancing yer chi, dude.

[jyl]

The link on cleansing was very interesting. I plan to try it, after we get back from vacation. Thanks.

So, after a cleanse, do you find gallstones in your poop?

[joeyb]

most certainly

[vash]

i didnt need to see the photos at the end of that link...gross.

my mind's eye is reeling!

[Amail]

Originally Posted by joeyb

alternative medicine cure for gallstones: liver cleanse:

http://www.4optimallife.com/Liver-Cleanse-And-Detoxification-Procedures.html

Why do I think this has goofy written all over it? Surely there must be a link to the wonders of ear candling too?

[jyl]

Cliff, if I get any stones after a cleanse, I can send you one, just to make your day.

I am getting conflicting advice. My friend who is an ER doc thinks I need to see a surgeon promptly, I have a call into another friend who is a PCP, people seem to be concerned that the PCP I saw yesterday was not my regular doctor but a physician's assistant in his office. Meanwhile I'm trying to get a bunch of work done in preparation for my vacation which supposedly starts Monday. Crap.

[vash]

my good friend's wife is currently under the knife to have her Gall bladder removed...well, i bet she just got out.

she is expected to be home by tonight.

good luck john..

[dhoward]

Dude, you need to do a Kidney / Pancreas cleanse too. You know. Just to be sure.
http://www.wonwithnature.com/won-kidneycleanse.html

Go see a real Doc.

[Schrup]

I had mine removed a few years ago. The surgeon missed one of the stones, because less than a year later, I was back in the ER with massive pain & jaundice. It took them hours to figure out what was wrong with me. The ER doc told me I had Hep 3 & was going to send me home. A internal specialist told me I had an enlarged liver & lectured me on my poor life decisions. but my regular doc told them they were wrong & ordered more tests. It turned out to be a large stone that was missed during my gall bladder surgery. It had backed up into my liver. They went in with a scope & pulled it out. I've been fine every since.

[pavulon]

golf balls won't fit through a garden hose....big stones don't pass through the cystic duct....I'd recommend having it taken out electively and laparoscopically. The alternative is to wait and possibly have it done semi-emergently and quite possibly through a 6 inch (and pretty painful) incision. Repeat attacks cause inflamation which can lead to scarring of structures together making it very difficult to remove laparoscopically.

I can completely empathize w/ not wanting to have surgery but which one sounds like a better plan? Good Luck!!!

[Amail]

Originally Posted by pavulon

golf balls won't fit through a garden hose....

Depends on how much practice she has

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by jyl

Cliff, if I get any stones after a cleanse, I can send you one, just to make your day.

I am getting conflicting advice. My friend who is an ER doc thinks I need to see a surgeon promptly, I have a call into another friend who is a PCP, people seem to be concerned that the PCP I saw yesterday was not my regular doctor but a physician's assistant in his office. Meanwhile I'm trying to get a bunch of work done in preparation for my vacation which supposedly starts Monday. Crap.

My stones attacked me while I was on vacation. ruined my vacation. 1 teaspoon of vanilla ice cream sent me into a 7 day hell of agony. pain so bad you just sweat, cry and gasp for breath....not a good situation to be in when you are far from home.

before traveling from home, i would consult the surgeon...depending on size and location of stone...it may or may not be ok to travel.

At the very least, you do not want to travel without a prescription of percocet. if you have an attack, it will probably dull the pain so you can still drive etc...

[Thunderbolt]

Do not, repeat, do not let it ignore. I did, had bile duct blokage which caused pancreatitis. Pain so bad morphine would not touch it. I ended up in the hospital for six days. Had the gall bladder removed and all is good since, most of my heartburn has gone away also.