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Anyone Have Gallstones/Gallbladder removed?

olds

olds

Elite Member
Can you drink beer? I want a beer.
Last Friday I think I passed a stone. Went to the Dr Monday and they took blood and did an ultrasound. No results yet but google tells me it's my gallbladder.
I want a beer.
I've been working outside all day so my plan is two big glasses of water to hydrate and then 1 beer and a nap. And I hate naps but I am getting used to them.
 
Yeah you can have beer afterwords. There are actually no dietary restrictions afterwards (though some doctors might make other recommendations). You will have short-term digestive issues, especially after eating fatty foods, so a short-term, low-fat diet is usually recommended. This is just because the gall bladder doses gall to break up fat when the stomach detects high fat intake. Your gut will normalize for this after a week or three and you should be about back to normal.

I'll also add that everyone has gall stones, so it doesn't necessarily mean that your gall bladder is "floppy." If the ultrasound indicates that you have stone accumulation, they will order a HIDA scan to see if it is floppy. If it's floppy, you'll get a low score on the HIDA scan and you'll probably need to have it removed, but it's classified as an elective surgery unless you have an infection.
 
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my wife got rid of her stones by using some funky powder you get from the natural health food store. after a dose you have to be active, like go do some jogging or some such.
It worked for her on two seperate occasions. its suppose to break up the stones naturally if you believe in that kind of stuff.
 
System_Mechanic said:
my wife got rid of her stones by using some funky powder you get from the natural health food store. after a dose you have to be active, like go do some jogging or some such.
It worked for her on two seperate occasions. its suppose to break up the stones naturally if you believe in that kind of stuff.
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Some kind if Chinese grass?
 
oldsmoboat said:
Some kind if Chinese grass?
Click to expand...

its a powder, you mix with with water. when my lazy ass goes to the kitchen later, i'll look at what its called and post back. someone may find it useful.
i'm normally not into the herbal pills stuff, but can't deny it worked well for her at least.
 
moderate alcohol intake shouldn't have an effect on gallstones.

olds, why do you think its gallstones?


CycloWizard said:
I'll also add that everyone has gall stones, so it doesn't necessarily mean that your gall bladder is "floppy." If the ultrasound indicates that you have stone accumulation, they will order a HIDA scan to see if it is floppy. If it's floppy, you'll get a low score on the HIDA scan and you'll probably need to have it removed, but it's classified as an elective surgery unless you have an infection.
Click to expand...

what do you mean by floppy? anyway, if they find stones with the US its pretty specific and sensitive. no need for a HIDA.
 
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Inspector Jihad said:
what do you mean by floppy? anyway, if they find stones with the US its pretty specific and sensitive. no need for a HIDA.
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Stones aren't an indication of malfunction - they occur during normal function of the gall bladder under certain conditions and will show up in most people. "Floppy" is the term used when the bladder can no longer contract properly to expel the gall. When that happens, depending on the degree of "floppiness," it can be a "gall bladder attack" that feels similar to a heart attack or some other hard-to-describe pain. HIDA will be used to gauge "floppiness" after stones are found via ultrasound to see if it's a long-term problem. Not many surgeons will remove the bladder without the HIDA to demonstrate the need for surgery.
 
CycloWizard said:
Stones aren't an indication of malfunction - they occur during normal function of the gall bladder under certain conditions and will show up in most people. "Floppy" is the term used when the bladder can no longer contract properly to expel the gall. When that happens, depending on the degree of "floppiness," it can be a "gall bladder attack" that feels similar to a heart attack or some other hard-to-describe pain. HIDA will be used to gauge "floppiness" after stones are found via ultrasound to see if it's a long-term problem. Not many surgeons will remove the bladder without the HIDA to demonstrate the need for surgery.
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Where are you practicing medicine? I've never heard of requiring a HIDA for surgery in the US for common gallbaldder disease

From my experience indications for choley is usually:
Symptomatic cholelithiasis w/ or w/o complications
Asymptomatic cholelithiasis in patients at increased risk for gallbladder cancer
Acalculous choleycystitis
Gallbladder polyps
Procelain gallbladder

Essentially, if you have gallstones and you have symptoms (biliary colic, actual cholecystitis, pancreatitis, choledocolithiasish, cholangitis), you should have it out.

HIDA scans are usually reserved for unclear cases where you might not see stones on ultrasound but you're concerned for acute blockage on the cystic duct or patency of CBD. In which case youre really looking for lack of Tec99 uptake into the gallbladder rather than this "floppiness" that you keep mentioning which isnt mentined in most of the guidelines as a legitimate surgical criteria.
 
I feel you pain...and good luck.

<---- Had gallbladder removed 12 years ago. Was a very sickening and painful time.
 
I too had my gallbladder removed too, in 07

I had severe heartburn like feeling then back pain. I remember after eating it hurt so bad i went outside of a restaurant and stuck my fingers down my throat to throw up to see if it would stop the pain..

I can drink beer now..eat whatever. on occation i have to run to the bathroom
 
oldsmoboat said:
Google
Massive pain under right rib cage
Back pain
Nausea
Vomiting Fever
Bile in my urine (orange color)
Made worse with fatty foods
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Sounds pretty much like what I experienced a couple weeks ago. Especially the nausea and massive pain under the right rib cage. For me, it was so bad that I couldn't get off the floor. Wife took me to the ER and I was diagnosed with biliary colic - suspected gallstones. An ultrasound two days later revealed that I have "at least" 8 stones, four of which are ~.3 inches in diameter). Docs recommended that I have my gall bladder out. But I have not taken any steps to move forward with that option. Thankfully, I've had no more attacks.

Hope you feel better soon.
 
I would try all other options before looking at gall bladder removal. Had a scare 2 years back when my effing (parents recommended) doctor said my bloodwork showed high billiruben. Asshole told me with a deadpan face, I didn't care, then mom freaked out, so I freaked out.

Long story short, gall bladder removal seems easy, but it's there for a reason and your body will probably miss it.
 
CycloWizard said:
Yeah you can have beer afterwords. There are actually no dietary restrictions afterwards (though some doctors might make other recommendations). You will have short-term digestive issues, especially after eating fatty foods, so a short-term, low-fat diet is usually recommended. This is just because the gall bladder doses gall to break up fat when the stomach detects high fat intake. Your gut will normalize for this after a week or three and you should be about back to normal.
Click to expand...

Bullshit, absolutely. While a majority of patients (somewhere in 60% range) can eat "normal," it still would be a restricted diet because your bile is not being managed. I'm in an unfortunate minority where I can't eat fat, or I get seriously uncomfortable and sick. I lived like this for 6 years until I got to the point where I finally saw a different doctor who actually prescribed me something that helps greatly and allows me to live a normal life.
 
Mo0o said:
Where are you practicing medicine? I've never heard of requiring a HIDA for surgery in the US for common gallbaldder disease

From my experience indications for choley is usually:
Symptomatic cholelithiasis w/ or w/o complications
Asymptomatic cholelithiasis in patients at increased risk for gallbladder cancer
Acalculous choleycystitis
Gallbladder polyps
Procelain gallbladder

Essentially, if you have gallstones and you have symptoms (biliary colic, actual cholecystitis, pancreatitis, choledocolithiasish, cholangitis), you should have it out.

HIDA scans are usually reserved for unclear cases where you might not see stones on ultrasound but you're concerned for acute blockage on the cystic duct or patency of CBD. In which case youre really looking for lack of Tec99 uptake into the gallbladder rather than this "floppiness" that you keep mentioning which isnt mentined in most of the guidelines as a legitimate surgical criteria.
Click to expand...

Yeah no kidding. HIDA scan? WTF, I think Ive seen one or two of those in my ten years of medicine. For gallstones, its usually US or CT then off to surgery.
 
Hmm, hope you feel better soon. Sounds like fun, or not.

I feel your pain - old (semi-old) dudes unite!
 
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