Do you still have your gallbladder?
 

Earlier this month, on my birthday, I went to MedExpress because I was having chest pain and pain under my rib cage. She sent me straight to the ER to have my gallbladder removed, but the ER doctor did an ultrasound and bloodwork and an EKG and said everything looked fine. We were leaving for vacation the next day, so I counted my blessings that I didn't need immediate surgery...only have another attack a week later and another one night before last in our quarantine hotel in Manila.

I really felt like I was going to die. I even asked permission to leave quarantine and go to the ER, but by the time it got authorized, the pain had subsided and my pain meds had kicked in, so I stayed. We get out on Thursday, so I have to decide if I'm going to stay in Manila to have my gallbladder removed or if I'm going to go to our city and get medical help there.

So, anyway, I'd love to hear some encouraging stories about how you didn't die from your gallbladder. Or even better if you were able to make lifestyle changes and keep your gallbladder.

I had mine removed several years ago. I had gall stones...I was having terrible cramping and bloating pain. The only diet change is less greasy, fatty foods but that was for the good really. :) They did my surgery laparoscopic so recovery wasn't too bad either.
The only problems I have now are if I eat too much grease/junk then I will feel sick or get sick esp things like bacon, sausage, hotdogs...I avoid those...also avoid gassy foods like broccoli. It really is easy to change the diet and eat what makes you feel better.

I had mine removed years ago and it was also done laparoscopically. Recovery wasn’t bad, think I was off work for a week.

My husband gets gallbladder pain and we ended up at the ER once. The only time I was able to convince him to let me get him there. For him is all about acidic food, spicy food and specially fatty foods. He has cut down most acidic foods and fatty foods. He is very aware now of saturated fat which really gets him in a horrible state. He is a coffee drinker so it's been hard, we have been able to find a few low acid coffee beans and we do cold brew at home which is lower in acid than regular hot brew. Every once in a while he gets it when there is to much ancho chile spice on something even though it's not necessarily spicy.
At the ER he was given some meds and he was told to take them with Benadryl (or any other allergy med) + NAPROXEN. The combination is known to help alleviate the pressure and inflammation.

It's been over 20 years since I had mine taken out. I had several attacks but didn't know it over a period of 4 or 5 months. They just felt like heartburn so I wasn't concerned since they always happened in the evening after eating. The last one had me up all night so I went straight to the doctor's office without an appointment the next morning. She gave me a concoction to drink which eased the pain and ordered some tests. Those were done over a period of 4 days. When the results came in, I was referred to the surgeon. I didn't get in to see him for 3 weeks and it was a month later before I had the laparoscopic surgery. The surgeon nicked an artery so I was kept overnight to make sure there was no internal bleeding (there wasn't).

I did not have any attacks after the last one that sent me to the doctor. I also have no problems with eating but then I don't eat really spicy foods to begin with. I didn't have stones, just sludge in the bottom of the gallbladder.

If you can remember what you ate before you had the attacks, try to avoid those foods and see if that helps put off the surgery for awhile.

I had really bad gallbladder issues when I was a teen - they think it was because of being on Jenny Craig. I have learned which foods bother me and I avoid them... lower fat (I can't do "real" keto, that kills me haha)... no gluten, etc.

Had mine removed a couple of years back... The pain was second only to natural birth...it was awful!

Three years ago, I went from feeling just fine at work to the worst pain of my life. I was so hot I peeled off everything except my t-shirt and pants and I was in such pain I was laying on the ground, crying, totally out of it. My co-workers called in an ambulance and they gave me fentanyl. I was miserable. At the ER, the doctor decided it had to be my gallbladder and checked that. It came back totally fine. So he decided there was nothing wrong with me and sent me home. Luckily, the urine test came back and told him what it was, a severe kidney infection. I ended up taking two rounds of strong antibiotics. I have had kidney infections before, but this one gave me no symptoms beforehand. So what I am saying is, get a second opinion, it might not be your gall bladder.

My mother and my sister both had their gallbladders out years ago..... they both had lots of issues and diet did not help my sister much. Luckily, I have not had the issues they did. I hope you are able to feel better and if you need the surgery, I wish you a quick recovery!

Why in the world would a doctor send you home and tell you nothing is wrong with you when you are in the worst pain of your life??? That's so crazy. I was in the hospital last week, and even after they identified it as pelvic inflammatory disease (I thought I was going to die from it.), I still had symptoms that weren't explained by PID. In the end, I think it was anxiety; I just didn't know anxiety could manifest as muscle weakness, chills and general unwellness.

I'm still not sure my gallbladder is working well, but for now I have to finish the antibiotics I'm on before we look into my gallbladder. The antibiotics have me with constant heartburn, but hopefully I can endure another week with it.

Right? And like I left work in an ambulance for it. I was still in my military uniform! It was bad enough that all of my chain of command rushed to the hospital from home after my co-workers called them. The doctor totally planned to write it off as some sort of ridiculous woman can't handle pain thing. I was so embarrassed that I was going to have to call and tell my work it was nothing after all. I should have written a complaint about him after it was all over.

I haven't had mine out, but I just wanted to pop in to say I'll be praying for you!

My mother has had gallbladder issues for years - like 10+ years. She cut back on the amount of greasy and spicy foods and it really helped her not having to have it removed.

Me, after I had my middle (she's 17), I drove myself to the hospital and had emergency surgery that evening because mine was rupturing. The pain, I will never forget and my heart feels for you when you have those attacks. I hope you are able to diet change to reduce your attacks and not having to have it removed. But if you aren't able to and it has to be removed, that you heal quickly from the procedure :wub:

oh my gosh that sounds scary!!!

I liked it better when I believed that doctors always knew what they were doing and people always came home better from the doctor.

My doctor wants to wait two weeks on acid blockers to eliminate gastritis or anything non-gallbladder related before we schedule tests to see if it's my gallbladder. This seems unnecessary to me since wouldn't a test show immediately if that's the problem? My resting heart rate gets up to 125 during the day, and I still don't feel better. And that is all I want, to feel better.

Huge hugs, I know the feeling is horrible.

I was having mild pain, then sharp pain to the point where I couldn't lay down, sit up it was worse than childbirth. I went to the ER after almost passing out from pain and once I was seen they told me it's your gb, I couldn't have surgery till the next morning but I couldn't be sent home either. I was admitted that night and given pain meds and IV until surgery next day. Def greasy foods are bad, spicy not to bad for me but everyone is different.

Hope you get some relief soon.

So, an edoscopy yesterday showed that I have gastritis caused by an H. Pylori infection. I'll be keeping my gallbladder for now.

I'm following a strict policy of not googling for now. If it doesn't match my symptoms, I don't want to know. I'm just super hopeful that I will start feeling better soon.

Thanks for everyone's encouragement!

I'm glad you can keep your gall bladder. When mine went out I had just had my first son. I thought my milk had came back in my chest was hurting so bad. I was up all night throwing up from the pain. I was like I know I'm not pregnant again. I haven't even passed the six weeks to be cleared. I toughed threw it for three months and called my husband one day asking him to come home because I was in so much pain. It started under my boobs and moved to down my right side. That pain was right up there with child birth. I am not even joking. My husband didn't come home but when I made a appointment with the doctor and was told it was multiple gall stones. They were not kidding. I had over 50 stones! I was sent straight to the surgeon and in surgery within two days! My son was four months old and I had surgery that Friday and my husband went back to work that Monday. I will say that after gall bladder removal anytime I ate greasy foods. I instantly had to go to the bathroom. TMI but I always warn everyone because it's not fun. I honestly do not miss the pain of the gall bladder attacks and having the surgery was worth it!