Women tell me “… its more painful than child birth”

10 Things You Need to Know About Gallstones

1.    That’s right!  Women everywhere are telling me that when gallstones are in spasm the pain is worse than that of childbirth.  Well ok at least two women have told me this.  But there is no denying it the pain is probably the worse anyone can experience and is known as biliary colic.

Before actually being diagnosed I had no idea what gallstones were and wouldn’t have shown much sympathy for anyone who had them.  Now it’s different.  The pain is typically a steady gripping or gnawing pain in the upper right abdomen near the rib cage, which can be severe and can radiate to the upper back.  No matter what painkillers you take or position you lay in there is no relief.  Gas and air wont even touch it.  It’s the worse! 

2.   So what are gallstones?   Gallstones are lumps of solid material that form in the gallbladder - the reservoir for bile. Most are the size of peas, but they can be as large as pebbles. In my case I think it was from taking Caroline out for “afternoon tea” and too many “Frappuccino’s” at Starbucks whist on compassionate leave.  If that’s the reason then the pain is worth it.  Just!

3.    Gallstones are common among:

•  Overweight / obese people and is a major risk factor especially in women.

• Oestrogen 
excess from pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, or birth control pills

•   Women are twice as likely to develop gallstones than men.

•   People over 60 are more likely to develop gallstones than younger people.

•   Takers of cholesterol-lowering drugs can actually increase the amount of cholesterol secreted in bile.

•   People with diabetes generally have high levels of fatty acids,

•   Rapid weight loss.  Fasting
 decreases gallbladder movement, which causes the bile to become over-concentrated with cholesterol.

•  Ethnicity 
Native Americans have the highest rates of gallstones in the US.

So there you have it.  Not sure where I fit in to this cross section.  Perhaps I will ask my father, Fred “Two Dogs” Watson if we have any Native American descendency.

4.     So is it serious or is it a case of just enduring it?  Well if you’re on NHS then in my experience you have to see your Doctor, ask for a diagnosis and then you have to wait your turn. So you need to be careful about what you eat and drink.  However, there are some serious conditions that you should get medical advice immediately.  If the conditions persist you should keep returning to your doctor for further diagnosis until he takes notice.

Gallstones that obstruct bile ducts can lead to a severe or life-threatening infection of the bile ducts, pancreas, or liver.  In my case I developed pancreatitis ending up in hospital for three nights.  Have to say a very scary experience in which I was awoken in the early hours with tubes coming out of a part of my body that will bring tears to every mans’ eyes.   What was worse the nursing staff couldn’t remove the tube eventually resorting to a 12 inch long piece of wire and a lot of nerve on my part. 

5.    So if you’re diagnosed with gallstones how do you control it?  The recommendation made to me once diagnosed was to have the gallbladder removed.  Apparently, you can function perfectly without it.  Begs the question “why have you got one?”. But hey ho!  Until you have that operation though you must avoid large or fatty meals which can trigger the pain, but it usually occurs several hours after eating and will often awake you during the night.  Eating a low-fat diet and maintaining an ideal weight may help to prevent the gallstones going into spasm.  Avoid sugary foods such as cakes, biscuits, and chocolates.  As my consultant told me “if your food looks fun you cant have it”      

On a positive note eating low fat meals you start to learn good eating habits and can lose excess weight relatively easily.  I now eat much more fish, chicken and vegetables than I ever have whilst cutting right down on red meat, cheese, full fat milk and cake.  Please do not repeat the mistake I made. By eating a piece of carrot cake believing it to be “healthy” Doh!  I certainly paid for that mistake.

6.     Can you drink alcohol?  The medical advice given to me was that it was ok to drink alcohol.  However, in hindsight I think this was a mistake and wish I now that I hadn’t.  I did seem to have attacks following drinking and later discovered that I had developed pancreatitis.  Studies have shown that acute pancreatitis occurs because alcohol acts as a stimulant for the pancreas to produce fatty acids and other fatty substances. These substances can destroy cells and stop energy production in the pancreas.  Very serious which needs urgent medical attention

7.    What is the treatment for gallstones.  I opted for the removal of the gallbladder using keyhole surgery.  After the operation there is some pain in the stomach muscles but controllable with prescribed painkillers.  Don’t under-estimate how much the operation will take out of you.  Due to the anesthetics you will not be able to drive for a few days, recovery time is about two weeks and no heavy lifting for 6 weeks. 

There are other ways to tackle the issue and some people even choose not to have the gallbladder out. 

8. Can you prevent gallstones?  Low vegetarian diets will minimize the chances of getting gallstones as will controlling your weight.  But you have to live a bit too!

9.    For more information use these web pages.

What are gallstones

Pancreatitis

What can I eat?

10. Take medical advice.  These notes are just my own ramblings.  Always take professional medical advice.  Mostly, do not under estimate the seriousness of gallstones!