gall bladder -- remove now or wait?????

07-02-2003, 11:18 AM

Recently I wrote that I had a bizarre two hour stabbing pain incident that involved my entire abdomen, and began near navel.

So... went to my gastro guy, who didn't know what to make of it (got same response from my primary doc) BUT while there I told gastro guy about some tiny twinges I get from time to time that seem unrelated to anything -- in upper right abdomen. In truth, I get twinges EVERYWHERE but these are somewhat more common.

I have never had a stomach upset, fever, etc., with this and it seems unaffected by food. These twinges have been in no way debilitating.

Gastro guy said "have an abdominal ultrasound" so I just did. He is nearly jumping for joy now, telling me I have "multiple gall stones." Hmmm. He said the report indicating nothing else with any other organs scanned.

This doc wants me to immediately have the HIDA (sp?) scan and says I should probably have the gall bladder removed.

I said hold on a minute....had I not had the bizarre incident that virtually no one relates to the gall bladder, I'd never have even bothered reporting the tiny right-sided twinges, at least not unless they got 10 times worse or more frequent.

What do YOU people think??? I know that many people are unhappy about various digestive problems they must live with the rest of their lives after gall bladder removal. If one is not in chronic, awful pain with other symptoms, does it seem necessary to take the thing out just in case?????

The doc was trying not to become annoyed with me on the phone, but it was CLEAR he saw a surgery in his future.

I'd love to hear from anyone with current or past gall bladder stories and most of all, ADVICE.

Thanks!

07-02-2003, 12:34 PM

Hey Carol - welcome to the boards. As far as having your gall bladder removed - if it was really bothering you - and believe me, if it REALLY bothered you, you'd be begging to have it removed, why not wait and see? You shouldn't have to feel rushed or pushed into surgery. A second opinion might be in order too.

As far as my GB story - it's long and posted many times here on the Digestive Disorders site. So I won't bore you with it again. To make the story short - I suffered for a year with what was initially a little pain/occasional twinges which eventually worsened into daily SEVERE upper right quadrant pain during/after meals, chronic achiness/pressure between meals, gas, nausea, diarrhea, appetite/weight loss, and just general "yuck" feeling. Initially I wouldn't have rushed to get my GB out if they had found stones, but by the end I was begging to have it removed. I didn't have stones, just a severely inflamed GB.

Keep us posted,
Katie G

07-03-2003, 01:16 PM

Hi there Carol, If it were me I would wait. I would not subject myself to discomfort if not absolutely required. As Katie said, if it were BAD you would know it. I am struggling with what I believe to be gall bladder issues, bloating, tightness, twinges and plain old excruciating pain at times (feels like you would hear a heart attack described). I have an appointment to se my doc on the 11th. He is a busy doc indeed. I hope I wont wind up in the E.R. before then! Best of luck to you!!

07-03-2003, 02:15 PM

Your symptoms sound kind of similar to mine...Hope your appt. on the 11th makes you feel better. They will probably want to do a test or two...

I'm inclined to wait a bit; at least I will wait until the final report is in from the ultrasound; my doc was quoting from the preliminary that very day. Also want my primary doctor to weigh in with an opinion and then "might" go for the HIDA scan to see how the GB is functioning. After that, I would require a second gastroenterologist's opinion before having any surgery.

Of course, if things get rapidly worse, that's another story... We'll all see, won't we??? Have a happy Fourth and try to relax about all this -- there are so many variables it makes no sense to guess about what's what. Take care and thanks for your response.

Quote:

Originally posted by Gottacobra:
Hi there Carol, If it were me I would wait. I would not subject myself to discomfort if not absolutely required. As Katie said, if it were BAD you would know it. I am struggling with what I believe to be gall bladder issues, bloating, tightness, twinges and plain old excruciating pain at times (feels like you would hear a heart attack described). I have an appointment to se my doc on the 11th. He is a busy doc indeed. I hope I wont wind up in the E.R. before then! Best of luck to you!!

07-05-2003, 10:46 AM

Before you opt for any surgery, please review the "gallstone flush". It's a natural way to remove gallstones, without surgery.

I don't have any experience with it, but I'm amazed at how many success stories there are about this procedure - yet somehow our medical system seems to ignore it. Why? It appears that surgery is all some want to do. There's also some indication that a person's diet can make one more susceptible to gallstones than others. I'd read up on all of it first, before making a decision.

If I had painful gallstones, I wouldn't hesistate to try and flush them out first. People write about it all the time. I'm not sure, but maybe a naturopath could help. Are there any regular MD's out there that know about this "flush" method of treatment for gallstones?

07-05-2003, 12:05 PM

sonagrams for a sick gallbladder are completely useless if you do not have stones, ther is a test aclled "HIDA Scar with CCK" that can tell about your gallbladder function. If not, look into appendicitis, even without fever, or read all, scattered throughour a few pages , rsg, Den D. & Shelleyuk's posts about Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, it is so rare that YOU have to bring it up to the doc most of the time. good luck and feel free to post progress in the "new SOD " thread rhonda oh year, ERCP can clso get rid of gallstones that block the common bile duct

[This message has been edited by rsg (edited 07-05-2003).]

07-06-2003, 07:47 PM

I was reading up more about it, and apparently there are some acceptable "orthodox" non-surgical techniques to remove gallstones without (cutting) surgery.

One way is lithotripsy (EWSL), which solitary stones are broken up with ultrasound shock waves. The patient sits in a tub of water. This is the same as I had done when I had a large kidney stone removed. According to what I read from one study, the drawbacks are that it's only good for certain sized stones and that 45% of the patients eventually need additional surgery. But, that means that 55% don't need the (cutting) surgery. Also the fragmented gallstones could cause additional problems.

That and other non-surgical methods may be available. I guess I would talk to a number of doctors that are familar with the latest techniques and non-intrusive methods.

Also what I read, is that the complications of lithotripsy are nearly zero. That's something to consider too. It still seems to me that the "gallstone flush" with changes in a future diet, might be the best to consider, if you could find a medical professional to help you with this. After all, the gallbladder has a function and I believe that we should keep what we have, unless all other options don't seem to work out and there appears to be a clear reason to remove it.

07-09-2003, 06:36 AM

I vote keep it. Read my post on Chineese herbal medicine. I have been on it for two weeks and feeling much better each day. I fully believe it will cure and dissolve my stones in a few months.
___
Try the flush also, I have considered it myself but my stone was 2.8 cm, too big to flush, I need to break it up first.
___

[This message has been edited by moderator4 (edited 07-09-2003).]

07-09-2003, 06:54 AM

Look for a Naturopathic Dr in your area, most are familiar with the gallstone flush. Be sure to ask them, some support it some dont.

gall bladder -- remove now or wait?????

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