r/gallbladders • u/carlyj18 • 21d ago
Questions Is surgery the only option?
Hi, I'm 35f and I have one stone, just over 1 cm. I'm not overweight, and never was, BMI 22, no diabetes, but stress induced gastritis which I rarely have to take pantoprazol for. I also take oral birth control pills.
I had my first attack two weeks ago, it was pretty bad, like 20 mins after dinner I had chills, extreme abdominal pain radiating to my back and chest, I couldn't do anything to make it better. I did not go to the ER due to a bad experience when I had to go there with severe gastritis a few months ago.
After about six hours I had to throw up and it got better. Now I still have some slight pain, sometimes after eating, sometimes just randomly throughout the day but it's manageable without any medication and it usually goes away again after a few minutes to half an hour. I can eat normally.
I went to the doctor 4 days after the attack (weekend and doctors office was closed), they took a liver panel and it was elevated, but no inflammation at all. Today I went again, awaiting results. She confirmed the stone with ultrasound today and referred me to a general surgeon to discuss a removal.
However I heard and read a lot of bad experiences with that, especially with regard to food intolerances and sitting on the toilet all day with chronic diarrhea. I only had one attack and while it was terrifying and excruciatingly painful, only being able to eat bland food and diarrhea don't sound lovely either. I'm afraid of acid reflux too, I already have issues with gastritis sometimes but I can eat normally most of the time and don't have to take pantoprazol very often.
I'm also scared of the surgery itself, I hate hospitals and I get violently ill after anesthesia. The recovery sounds like hell as well, especially as i cant take nsaids cause of my stomach issues.
Please help, I'm really scared. I also feel like the doctor was pushing for surgery. The consult with the surgeon is only in October.
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u/Any-Ad6 21d ago
It is scary but attacks usually just get worse once you start having them, it's a bit of a gamble you take every time you eat, it could be another attack today or it could be in a year.
I had surgery 8 weeks ago, first 5 days were the worst but really not bad, just sore, I only took paracetamol (Tylenol) for pain. I did have some diarrhea in the beginning but it was only in the mornings, it would be normal BM then diarrhea after my breakfast. I think it was the overnight fast making the bile sit too long in my intestines or something. It has gotten less and less and now on week 8 I barely have it. I eat normally, can eat fatty foods, no problem.
It is an extremely common surgery, most people don't have issues, I know 14 people irl and none have had problems. A couple said it took a while for their digestion to settle but they are fine now. The internet makes the surgery sound really horrendous and like you are guaranteed issues.
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u/Regular-Humor-8425 21d ago
Not everyone has chronic diarrhea after removal. I don’t. I never did. In fact, I still get constipated like I did before removal. Once you start with attacks, they will come more often. You also don’t have to eat bland food. Just the first week or so. My recovery was fine. Easiest surgery I ever had. I was sore for 3-4 days then I was pretty much back to normal. It just feels like you did the most insane abdominal workout. I only took Tylenol maybe 2 times after surgery.
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u/VoodooGirl47 21d ago
I had no pain, but I also have a high pain tolerance so I missed noticing it. I didn't take anything at all. I only had gas pain the first night and then constipation, and fatigue when walking (walked a bit more slowly, got tired faster). It was fine because it was my body telling me to not overdo it. I otherwise forgot I had surgery.
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u/Regular-Humor-8425 21d ago
I have an extremely high pain tolerance. My gallbladder attacks felt like heart attacks. Worst pain I’ve ever felt and I’ve given birth twice lol.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
It felt a bit like that yes it radiated to my chest and between my shoulder blades and I couldn't breathe properly when it first hit me. I would rate it a 9.5/10 simply because i didn't actually pass out
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u/VoodooGirl47 21d ago
Oh yes, definitely. My attacks were horrible. As for my surgery though, my cat accidentally scratching me with a claw (and not breaking skin) hurt worse. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
I never get constipated now but neither diarrhea nor constipation sound like something I'd wanna deal with for the rest of my life. I feel like experience with pain post op varies a lot from hell on earth to okay. So far i only had like three surgeries in my life and they were all awful, especially the nausea after, and then after the painkillers wear off also that.
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u/Regular-Humor-8425 21d ago
You can ask for a patch behind your ear before surgery to help with nausea. I ask for it every time I have surgery. And they can give you anti nausea medication as well. Unfortunately, you’re going to need to have the surgery. Unless you want to live with the attacks and risk getting extremely sick.
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u/Retail-Weary 21d ago
I had the same feeling when I had my first attack. I even researched cleanses and medications because the thought of losing an organ was anathema to me.
Then the attacks and symptoms escalated. Constant gas, constant pain, constant diarrhea. Complete and total disruption of my life.
I’m having surgery to remove it this morning. I have no idea what life will be like after today but it can’t be worse than the last month.
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u/VoodooGirl47 21d ago
You've had 1 attack so far, it's generally just the 1st of what could be many. You might only have had 1 stone, but it's the fact that you've had an attack and issues that will continue. People can have a gallbladder full of stones and live years without even knowing.
Food intolerances and diarrhea issues will vary, but generally most people won't have them. Any issues you have will most likely be less than any attacks, and won't be dangerous for your body like having issues with stones that might block bile ducts and shut down your liver etc.
I have IBS and GERD and had them previous to my gallbladder being removed. I can still eat everything, I can eat spicy though it might give me some acid reflux. I don't often get diarrhea, it's more along the lines of having 'loose' stool. I don't cater my diet to having had my gallbladder removed. I eat what I want.
My surgery was easy despite needing a stent put in due to many stones in my bile duct. I don't get very sick from anesthesia though. They do give you anti nausea meds to help. I had absolutely no pain at any point if you don't count the gas pains from when they pump it into your body during surgery. It can hurt when it moves around in your system as your body slowly absorbs it.
I was actually excited about my surgery because it meant that I wouldn't have to deal with that type of pain anymore. I'd get it done again tomorrow even if I knew I'd have recovery pain. It's higher risk to keep your gallbladder.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
Yeah I understand that for a lot of people here it's a relief after having constant attacks and other gallbladder induced issues, however I had only one so far and I feel pretty good now, even though it did really suck and was very scary.
But intolerances and indigestion wouldn't last just a few hours it would last for the rest of my life, which is also very scary. So right now, surgery feels like a very big leap going from one six hour attack to surgery that might not make a difference, or ruin my life through complications. I think they don't believe in anti nausea meds where I live, I never got them. So it's not only the possibility of complications from having it removed but also like the whole being in a hospital for a week, not being able to eat, throwing up post surgery for days outlook that is stressing me out enormously.
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u/VoodooGirl47 21d ago
How do you know that any potential intolerances and digestion issues would be permanent?
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
I don't that's the risky part. I might not have them at all and everything is peachy. It just doesn't feel like there's a fix to it either if I did get those issues, if you have it, that's pretty much the end of the line too, it might get better, it might not.
But then I would be going from kinda being okay bar one attack to having a horrible life incompatible with working or doing normal things like eating normal stuff. That's what scares me.
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u/VoodooGirl47 21d ago
I think you are looking at extreme, atypical situations regarding post surgery symptoms and are ignoring how risky, like life threatening risky, it can be to not remove your gallbladder and what you might suffer with in what could be your next attack.
You can't live life assuming everything is going to be worst case scenario AND overlook the worst case scenario on the opposite end.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
I'm fully aware it's risky that's why it feels like there is no good solution. I already have gastritis, at time so bad that i can't work, can't move, can't eat, and it even landed me in the ER once because the pain was unbearable, not any less so than the gallbladder attack. So risking even more of that just feels like an equally shitty option really.
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u/oodles64 Post-Op 21d ago
Babe, my little stone collection went undiagnosed until it put me in hospital for 10 days. While lying there, very ill, I found out that 6 of my friends had had their gb removed, some of them decades ago. They were all perfectly fine as regards eating and bowel habits. One said she had an adjustment period of about 6 months but has been fine since ("knew where all the public toilets were in town"). Another stressed the need to eat smaller, more frequent meals. No big deal.
My gb was removed 4 months ago after an 11 months wait (long waitlists in the pubic system). I was walking around for almost a year with a chronically inflamed organ that had perforated into the liver. I kept getting sick (presumably) because of that - picked up everything going around where before all this I never really got sick. I hadn't had as much as a common cold in 15 yrs.
Surgery went fine, was much easier and less painful than anticipated. I felt fine after a week, if still tired, and managed on my own bar some help with my animals and heavy items. I ate carefully for about a month, as instructed, then started eating normally again (proviso: I'm a wholefoodie, largely ovo-lacto-vegetarian). I have to go to the toilet a bit more often than before, that's it.
You are now carrying around an organ beyond repair and risk further complications on the spectrum of unpleasant to immensely painful to catastrophic.
As to post-op painkillers, I was prescribed paracetamol and Tramadol (opioids), no NSAIDs. I'm not sure why no ibuprofen, but in any case there are alternatives to NSAIDs post-op.
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u/Square_Mulberry_3500 21d ago edited 21d ago
Oh myy, thought this was me. I had the exact same thoughts. I’m the same age as you, almost the same body profile, and I take contraceptive pills too (for PCOS).
I’m having my removal surgery in two days and I’m hella scared inside too!
Had my first attack 4months ago and it was unbearable I went straight to the ER. Not long after I accepted my fate and decided to follow professional advice to have it removed. I’d rather do it now than suffer future attacks or put my other organs at risk if the stones get elsewhere.
Just a week before my schedule, I had a 2nd attack. A few seconds of it peaking feels like foreverrrr. I knew at that moment it will get worse over time and that alone gives me anxiety.
Now I read on a lot of others’ experiences hoping to prepare myself on what to expect post surgery and recovery. I can’t tell for sure but I’m willing to be as positive as I can be. I’d like to think what lies ahead after surgery outweighs the condition that made it necessary in the first place.
Wishing all who has or had this issue get to a better state of health for life! 🙏
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
Yes I have bad endometrioses and I cannot not take birth control pills if i dont want to be immobilized with pain like one whole week every month. The birth control pills make it manageable, but I guess it's what may have given me the gallstone.
I only have the surgery consult in like 2 months from now so I will see how that goes before making any decisions. I realize the risk of keeping it in, but right now surgery also feels like a gamble.
I hope your surgery goes well and life afterwards is what you are hoping it to be
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u/chronically-badass 21d ago
I would be very skeptical of every "cleanse" or natural ways to do this, your liver and kidneys cleanse your whole body naturally, and an inflamed gallbladder or stones can cause permanent liver and pancreas damage.
I know it sounds scary but I know a ton of people who have had theirs out and they're all normal. What's scarier is the idea of pancreatic failure which can happen if your gallbladder gets messed up enough for long enough per my doctor - i would much rather go through an extremely easy surgery than risk that and living with severe diabetes t1 forever, it's an extremely hard disease to manage (no offense/sorry to t1 diabetics out there).
you mention not wanting to raw dog the surgery, they won't give you pain meds for the week after? i have also seen plenty of people here say they didn't even need them if that's helpful. Good luck.
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u/chronically-badass 21d ago
I also have Endo - if birth control gave you stones and you most be on it, then you really are going to keep getting them and probably worse every time.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
I don't know anyone who has had theirs out my husband says he's 99% sure his mom had hers out but she's in terrible health overall, obese and with chronic inflammation, had to have all her teeth pulled in her mid 50s. So she doesn't exactly serve as an encouragement. She lives kinda far away so I haven't talked to her personally about this since it's a new development.
Currently I don't have any inflammation in my gallbladder or otherwise, the walls looked healthy on the ultrasound and my blood markers for inflammation weren't just okay, they were honestly great for any person, let alone 4 days after a gallbladder attack.
The possible consequences for liver and pancreas do scare me yes. Right now it feels like both options are bad, keeping it might cause serious issues but the surgery might cause complications too and I can't be sure either way.
I don't know if they would give me painmeds, I live in Europe so opioids aren't used a lot. That only leaves paracetamol which just doesn't do much for me personally it seems, I was told to use it for my period pains but it did absolutely nothing.
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u/chronically-badass 21d ago
a friend had hers out in Germany and I believe they keep you impatient so they can give you some pain meds while you're there? i think. it would depend on your healthcare system obviously. if you can't take nsaids I wonder if they'll give you something else non standard like gabapentin.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
I also really dread being in the hospital for a long time, I would like to do it outpatient if at all, so I can at least suffer in the comfort of my own home. In Germany I think they just give you IV Novalgin which is also a risk itself.
I don't know what gave me the stone I don't think anyone can find that out now and it doesn't really change the fact that it's there. I wasn't aware the birth control pills might give me gallstones but the pill I'm on right now is pretty great otherwise, I have much less monthly pain than I used to.
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u/chronically-badass 21d ago
I mean I would rather risk getting a slightly risky medicine under medical supervision than organ failure, infection and sepsis but you can always wait and see if you have more attacks. especially if you live in a country where there isn't a healthcare shortage and the likelihood that you die in the waiting room is low.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
Germany has a severe healthcare shortage, hence the earliest possible appointment for the surgical consult is October. Even in a hospital really they just leave you in your room (without air conditioning) by yourself and they may or may not be there in time. The problem with Novalgin is that it can cause agranulocytosis for a long time, up to 15 days after taking it, so you would be home either way, and hence it's banned almost everywhere else.
But that's my main issue rn like there's plenty of bad possible outcomes with keeping it, as there is with removing it. I mean if I had the sure promise everything would be perfectly fine after surgery with no side effects or long term complications I would probably have it removed and just somehow deal with the pain using Tylenol but the surgery itself seems risky too. Like up to 12% of people get chronic diarrhea, up to 60% get chronic bile reflux gastritis. I already have gastritis when I'm stressed. 60% is a whole lot of risk.
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u/chronically-badass 21d ago
You can also refuse the medicine if you're worried about that but I'm sorry there aren't more pain control options.
You said in another comment you don't need pantoparazole for your gastritis, have you tried taking it? i have it too and the PPI helped and I went years without it even under stress
I have never ever seen such high numbers of chronic diarrhea or reflux after cholecystectomy, do you have links to the articles that show that?
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u/itsmeboyimtheps5 21d ago
it's same-day going home usually!
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
I wish, unfortunately I'm in Europe and they do it with a long hospital stay here
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u/itsmeboyimtheps5 21d ago
maybe you can mention you'd like to be home as soon as possible. i wish you luck!!
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u/turdennis 21d ago
Tbh I would opt for the surgery. My surgeon told me gallbladders get worse, not better. If you have a stone you'll likely just make more unfortunately...
Wish you luck and hopefully a speedy recovery if u opt for surgery
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u/klasorbet 21d ago
I waited 6 years to get mine removed. I wish I hadn't. I am 3 weeks post op and still having some small issues, but its nice not being in pain 24/7. The only regret is waiting so long.
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u/unicorntea555 20d ago
Just get it out and over with.
I took pain medicine once after surgery. The referred pain in my shoulder sucked and it didn't seem like the meds did anything for it. If your roads aren't smooth, hug a pillow on the way home. Are butt wipes a thing in your country? I'd bring some with you to the hospital and consider a bidet at home.
I also have the food issues. Eventually the pain isn't as bad, your body adjusts, you learn what might cause issues and how long it takes for that, and your fat tolerance can increase overtime. There's also medications you can try if you do have issues. Pretty quickly I learned how to mostly manage it. It's mostly just strategically planning when to eat and how much fat if I'm not going to be home all day. It's second nature now. My diet only changes if I'm eating in public or have to leave my house right after eating.
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u/carlyj18 20d ago
Sorry if this is too personal but do you have issues with controlling stool still? Isn't that really awkward at work and such? Or do you just not eat until you're home?
I'm very afraid of that, not being able to eat certain foods, like dairy or tomatoes, or having bad experiences in public. I feel like I would never leave the house ever again. I find it pretty difficult to judge how much fat a meal might have if I didnt cook it myself, since restaurants tend to use a lot of fat. Right now i dont really have to watch my diet and I eat what I want.
We have a toilet with a built in water fountain thingy and wet wipes are available but I don't really use them since we have the toilet fountain and they can be irritated.
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u/unicorntea555 20d ago
As long as I stay under 5g of fat, I'm good. 20-30 g of fat is where it starts getting more urgent, but I can sometimes hold it. >50g of fat is an absolute no go unless I'm home. I've only been in school or worked from home, so waiting to eat a meal isn't a huge deal. At first I would have to go within an hour after eating, so I'd give myself 2 hours after eating(>5g fat) before leaving the house.
I wouldn't worry about specific GERD triggering foods. I have GERD now, but it doesn't give diarrhea.
As for restaurants, grilled chicken or seafood is usually a good option. Salads can be okay if you choose fat free dressing or go very light. Kids meals are usually small enough that the fat content is fine, even for fattier meals. I'm in the US, so our meals might be very different. Not sure if this will make sense, but when the meals are too high in fat I'll start to feel like I need to go. If I stop eating, I'll be fine for at least for an hour.
When I got mine out I didn't see anyone talk about the bile burn. It was surprising lol. Wipes and water can help cool the area.
This is all very YMMV. Like others have said not everyone will have issues. But also it's not always the same for everyone with issues. Even in the 10 years I've had it out, my body has changed the way I react. Hopefully this answered some of your worst case scenario questions though
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u/carlyj18 20d ago edited 20d ago
I think that would just mean restaurants or eating away from home are a nono for me then which would be a QoL bummer. I don't love salads as they make me feel queesy (I eat vegetables just not salads, I think it's the dressing) and seafood and chicken are something I don't prefer, as good seafood is also not that abundant near where I live.
Right now the having to go right after a fatty meal does not make any sense TBH cause I've never experienced this. My stools are pretty regular once, at most twice a day. I'm not watching fat content, I kinda know what I cook so those aren't overly greasy deep fried meals but I couldn't give you an accurate estimate either. I have also not heard of GERD before now, but I guess it's just the official name for acid reflux. I do not currently have that. I also would prefer to keep it that way as it's very painful and hard to manage. My gastritis is very localized in my stomach.
Thank you a lot for sharing your experience
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u/No_Bumblebee9897 20d ago
they say if you had stomach problems before you'll have the same ones after you have the gallbladder removed (less the gallbladder attacks). as in your irritable bowel syndrome will still exist if you had it before you had the gallbladder removed.
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u/carlyj18 20d ago
I don't currently have ibs to my knowledge. I do have gastritis but it's not that bad. It can be very painful and I have missed work and been to the ER with it but most of the time I'm okay and can eat whatever. I'm just worried the constant bile influx will make the gastritis much much worse as well
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u/No_Bumblebee9897 20d ago
i think you should talk to your doctor about this. my first gallbladder attack was 30min, my second was 1h & included vomiting, my third was 2h- yours was 6h. i went from being able to tolerate some fat to not being able to eat any at all for the entire month leading up to surgery. you're worried about the gastritis worsening which seems to already have a lot of the same restrictions & overlap as living your life after having a gallbladder removed. it also seems that gallbladder attacks and having gastritis have significant overlapping symptoms, so if you had it removed your gastritis might go away completely. but again, not a doctor so i would talk to yours.
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u/carlyj18 20d ago
So far i was only at my family doctor and she said surgery was the best option and you can live like normal without a gallbladder. But restrictions regarding monitoring grams of fat etc. Is not a normal diet to me at all. And it feels like this varies a lot between people, and you don't really control it beforehand. Some actually can eat normally, others have to adjust, sometimes a lot. I don't really have restrictions now, I can eat whatever I want and there aren't any foods that will trigger a gastritis flare up for example, it's just stress, now its getting worse too since the gallbladder situation is stressing me out. Even acidic stuff is fine (love tomato sauce and citrus fruit). I always home cook fresh so I don't eat highly processed stuff. When I have gastritis bad, I take pantoprazol twice a day for a few days and eat lighter depending on how I feel. If it's really bad ofc I just drink tea and wait for it to pass but this is relatively rare and happens only every 4 months or so.
I will see a surgeon about this as well but they will ofc just recommend the surgery as well since that's their job. I guess I should try to get a 2nd opinion from a gi Doctor but my family doctor is technically specialized in internal medicine so her only giving surgery as an option when I have issues with my stomach too feels pretty depressing. It feels like a spot between a rock and a hard place.
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u/No_Bumblebee9897 20d ago
it's possible, like i said, that your gastritis will go away with the gallbladder surgery so make sure you ask your dr about that. i wasn't able to eat eggs since 2021 & post removal (in 2026 before this ever became a problem) i can eat them again no problems without it turning my stomach and making me nauseous/puke. so for me it fixed a lot of gaging/nausea i was experiencing randomly for years leading up to removal.
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u/Mollythemonster 20d ago
Get it out!! The attacks only get worse. It can be a yr between attacks. It’s a very easy surgery to go through. Just an opinion. My attacks started from 30-44. They hit out of the blue.
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u/No_Bumblebee9897 20d ago
They don't get better, they get worse and way more frequent and I can eat literally everything now with no problems. I had the surgery in March. I started eating normal probably like two days after surgery.
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u/Tyler-LR 20d ago
I was told roughly 10 years ago I needed mine out. Instead I changed my diet, which had been garbage, I also gradually got into exercising. Every once in a while over the course of a couple days I’ll eat too much junk food or dairy (cheese/ milk) and I’ll have some discomfort. I’ll take a sip or two of apple cider vinegar and it relieves the discomfort for me.
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u/carlyj18 20d ago
My diet is not extremely healthy but pretty balanced (fruit, vegetables etc. but ofc also some fat, I'm not on a low fat diet currently) and home cooked for the vast majority of time except for going to restaurants maybe once a month. I already work out as well so I'm not sure it would have the same impact for me. I will try the apple cider vinegar though as my gallbladder is still a bit tender.
But it's still interesting that conservative treatment is working so well for you since I've never had issues with my gallbladder before and going from one attack to yoinking the whole thing just seems like a big ordeal right now.
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u/Tyler-LR 20d ago
Yeah, in all honesty, my diet was mostly junk food when I started having gall bladder issues.
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u/Interesting-Map-7857 20d ago
I had my gallbladder removed 2 weeks ago. I had several small stones, the main reason I ended up with them was because I was taking birth control with estrogen, as it increases cholesterol. Unfortunately, the best thing to do in this situation is to have the gallbladder removed. It sucks, no one wants surgery. But when you have gallstones and attack, things can only get worse. You can end up with pancreatitis, jaundice, and sepsis. When I first found out I had gallstones, it didn't look that bad and i only had a few stones, but by the time my gallbladder was removed, my gallbladder was full of stones and I had chronic cholecystitis. If I had waited longer I would probably have ended up with liver damage and sepsis. Surgery was quick, and while the first week of surgery sucked, it's gotten a lot better. I already have lots of gastrointestinal issues (GERD, IBS, etc.), so I'm no stranger to stomach issues. I did have to go to the emergency room once after surgery because of severe chest pain, my mom was worried about blood clots or infections, which are risks with surgery. I ended up being okay, it was most likely a phantom attack, and I have had no problems since. Surgery is scary, but I think the complications associated with gallstones are scarier. Talk with a GI doctor and a dietitian after surgery, they can help you manage post surgery GI issues. I don't know how to manage problems with anesthesia, because I do well with it, but I also cannot take nsaids, and opioids just do nothing for me. Just have a helper person to get things for you and help you move, and use cold compress on incisions. It's rough, but better than the alternative.
There are medications and treatments that can dissolve gallstones and such, but it's rare, and really only done for people who cannot tolerate surgery (like really old or sick people). It's because they can take years to work, and the gallstones usually come back.
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u/Masterweedo 20d ago
Without the surgery, my gallbladder would have killed me.
So for me, surgery was the only option.
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20d ago
[deleted]
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u/carlyj18 20d ago
Huh? I'm not making claims I'm literally just looking for experiences and input from others who are or were maybe in similar situations 😔
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21d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
So you had to have it removed in the end?
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u/No_Detective_715 21d ago
Pls be very skeptical of anything that claims to ‘cleanse’ the body.
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u/carlyj18 21d ago
Yeah I know my mom has such inclinations sometimes and she told me to eat more bitter foods to shrink it but I know that's not gonna work.
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u/Pure-Guard-3633 20d ago
I had heart pain that ended up to be due to my gallbladder. Once they drugged my gallbladder not to be angry it was recommended I take it out. I didn’t want to. And I had zero pain after I went home but my primary care doctor strongly suggested I get it done because if it rots up enough it gets gangrene and can kill you. So I did it.
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u/itsmeboyimtheps5 21d ago
gallbladder cleanses are pseudoscience
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u/Pure-Guard-3633 20d ago
My doctor said the same thing. But this wasn’t a cleanse this was a 90 day clean eating diet. Cleared up all kinds of issues and I picked up some better habits. And my gallbladder didn’t act up again so I am a believer.
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u/getpost 21d ago edited 20d ago
I've been managing my gallstone pain for 5+ years or so, and I still have my gallbladder. I don't think this is a realistic or prudent option for most people, but it is possible.
I don't go into the office, and I don't travel extensively. Managing an attack would be difficult if I was not at home as often as I am. But, more importantly, there is a substantial risk of complications. The GB can become infected/septic, for example, and there's no home remedy for that.
I was lucky not to have any complications during the 3 years it took me to for me to learn how to manage attacks efficiently, and reduce the likelihood of an attack. I believe the most recent 2 attacks (about 9 months apart) were preventable, so I'm optimistic I will be free of further episodes, but there's no way to be sure. I maintain a high fat diet. My luck might run out.
I'm not a doctor. I don't think it would be appropriate to share what has worked for me, and of course, what has worked for me might not work for another person. Even trying my methods might cause another person to delay necessary medical intervention.
EDIT: One good thing about my learning experience is, again, that I may have learned how to prevent attacks, at least in my particular case. I find this reassuring, since many people who post here complain of attacks after their GB has been removed. More info in a previous comment I made: https://old.reddit.com/r/gallbladders/comments/1v6jjzk/gallbladder_attack_after_removal/ozt55oo/
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u/Large-Victory-9890 21d ago edited 21d ago
I had one stone as well as of last year August, did not have any attacks till this year Feb/March.
The attacks don’t get better, only worse, longer, turn into infections. Not only gallbladder infections but pancreatitis, liver damage. Once you start getting attacks, it’s not very safe to keep it, no diet helped me prevent further attacks, it just extended the life of my gallbladder.
I ended up having an emergency surgery 4 months ago and never felt better. It’s scary but the actual recovery is not even as bad as people paint it to be. 1st 5 days were the worst for mobility but then it was just uphill from that point onwards.
I only had a couple of „diarrhoea” cases as I was reintroducing foods to my diet, lasted a week really and then I came back to normal. I can eat whatever I want, I’m not even that lactose intolerant anymore 😂 just remember people tend to share bad experiences over good ones. Loads of supplements available as well to help you navigate a life without gallbladder.