Gallbladder sludge...again???

04-29-2009, 10:34 AM

About 6 weeks ago (maybe 7 now), I had a kidney stone. Then another stone a week later (both passed). Immediately following the second stone I got a cold that lasted about a week and then got food poisoning (when it rains it pours). I felt fine for a few days, but then I got some tightness and a little pain in areas that would suggest my gallbladder. I went to see my doctor (third time that month since I went in both times I had a kidney stone attack). They thought that it was just "sludge" built up, but recommended that I go have an abdominal ultrasound done.

I had one done about a week later (earliest it could be scheduled). Two days before I was scheduled to go in, I felt really bad, but it ended up being what the doctors thought was my body getting rid of the "sludge" because I felt great after a very loose BM. I went in for the ultrasound and my gallbladder had NO stones and was "unremarkable". My right kidney however has a small 2-3mm stone in it (might be even smaller stones, but the docs aren't concerned with them b/c they said I'd be able to pass them). So I haven't felt all that wonderful and had a little pain in the kidney region (on my back and side) but nothing worth taking a pain killer or anything like that. However, over the weekend, I did some pretty intense yard work and ever since Saturday, I've felt pretty rotten in my gallbladder region. I have a lot of the same symptoms as the first time I had a GB attack and went to the doc, so what are the chances that I have more "sludge" built up or could the intense yard work (moving downed trees and limbs and using a chainsaw) have stirred up trouble and made it get inflamed? Also, I have some pain and discomfort after I eat. It's not super severe, but it makes me worry b/c I really don't want to have my GB removed if it's just stressed out or has some sludge in it. Really, I just want to know if it's common to have a recurrence of "sludge" in a GB?

Edit: I forgot to ask if I am putting myself at serious risk by kind of waiting it out at the moment?

04-30-2009, 07:09 PM

The ultrasound test is not very good at seeing "sludge" in the gallbladder, so I wouldn't rely on this as the definitive answer.

If you have sludge deposits, which are simply small particles that will eventually form stones, you will probably continue to have sludge and gallbladder problems. If most folks live long enough they will have gallbladder problems.

The key indicator for treatment or surgery is whether you are having pain. If you want to avoid gallbladder removal there are drug treatments on the available such as Actigall, which are rather expensive, don't work for everybody and require taking them for long periods of time. I have had good success with Actigall, but it looks like I may be on a low dose for a loong time.

05-01-2009, 08:16 AM

Okay. What about the "Olive Oil" and Lemon Juice/Fruit Juice natural treatment? I was reading where people talk about it clearing out the GB if used correctly, but does such a simple thing work?

Edit: I forgot to ask about physical activity. Should I avoid it completely right now or push on through (I'm talking about helping take care of some downed trees).

05-03-2009, 05:54 PM

The oil and lemon thing has limited value. There is a famous website that debunks medical quackery. According to the rules of this site, I can't link to it, but with a search engine you should be able to find it.

05-04-2009, 09:01 AM

Okay. Thanks. I went to my Primary Care Physician this morning. She said since it was most likely biliary sludge that I should just cut back on red meats and fried foods. She also said to make sure I stay very well hydrated and suspects that I got dehydrated doing yard work, which caused the attack. She prescribed Donnatal to alleviate symptoms and told me that ActiGall wouldn't really be right for me unless things get more severe.

Does all that information sound about right?

05-04-2009, 01:35 PM

That sounds about right. Apples and pears are the Gallbladders best friend. Try adding some apple juice and pear nectar to your diet. Also the herb Chanca Piedra is superb for the gallbladder.

05-05-2009, 11:08 PM

Okay. Thanks!

Gallbladder sludge...again???

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