Comments on: The Gallstones Diet

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:41:35 +0000

Thank you for the information.
I was diagnosed today – and as a dirt poor college kid eating healthy is hard to do in the first place. Much less when you can’t eat certain things. I was absolutely oblivious to the fact that Gallstones aren’t an “old people” thing.

By: Jamie Lawrence

Jamie Lawrence — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:03:24 +0000

Debbie,
The only side effects I can think of were after particularly “bold” evenings with friends when we had 2(!) very rich desserts and I felt sick afterwards. I can’t even say this was down to my lack of gallbladder as any normal person wouldn’t have tolerated it either. Everyday eating? Not a problem for me — but everyone’s different.

By: Debbie

Debbie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:56:37 +0000

@Karen. I’ve known I had gallstones for years but my GP said that lots of people live quite happily with them (many never know they have them). They only remove the gallbladder when the pain starts interfering with your life. After being hospitalised last month, my op is scheduled for April/May this year as I don’t want to go through that again.

I’d be interested to know about diet *after* removal though. Websites say you can eat as normal but my brother says he can’t eat cheese or bacon and only the occasional curry.

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:35:15 +0000

Had my ultrasound today and confirm I have alot of gallstones but all very small. I presume my gallblader will be removed, but not had anything confirmed. Does anyone know if that will be an automatic result now the gallstones have been confirmed?

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:37:48 +0000

Have had my ultrasound and, guess what, no gallstones! Not one! I was amazed as I fully expected them to be there. The only thing she found was a 2.5 x 2.0cm cyst on my liver – can that cause the same reactions as gallstones.

Anyone else had similar?

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:02:56 +0000

Good grief Grainne, you sure do have a ‘family thing’ going there!!! You have been through a lot. Awful

So glad that you’re feeling so much better now and, you’re right, the only ‘bonus’ is managing to lose some weight. Are you able to eat red meat occasionally now?

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:37:47 +0000

Hi Karen 39 uk

I have had 4 attacked last week 2 ended up with ambulance to hospital. I have an ultrasound booked for Tuesday. After the 1st ambulance trip i found this website and took the less than 5g of fat on board immediatley. After lots of tablets antibiotics and anti acid I am starting to feel better today. Not sure if it’s gall stones or pancretitus but as long as the pain keeps away that’s all I hope for.

I have a holiday to the carribean booked to go in just under 3 weeks and very worried about if I can go or if I get an attack while I am there.

Thanks for all your comments, never wrote on a website like this before but it is has been so helpful and supportive in what has been a very very scary couple of weeks.

By: Grainne C

Grainne C — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:15:35 +0000

Julie its all well and good having a healthy diet to try and stop attacks

but when you have 50+ stones like i had and reoccuring bouts of pancretitus surgery is the only option!!

You suggest that the sole factor in developing gallstones is peoples diets, obviously not the case when I am only 23 years old and have already had my gallbladder removed as have 2 of my cousins (who were younger than me when they had the surgery), 3 of my aunts, 2 great aunts, my dad, my gran have also been ‘blessed’ with the ‘family jewels’ so putting it down to diet alone is merely a myth.

Besides when i had my stones I ate zero fat and very little much else as my attacks were easily triggered (prob didnt help my 50+ gallstones made my gallbladder 3 times the normal size) and still ended up with pancretitus so diet isnt everything!!

And for the person whos asked I’ve tried little bits of the food I used to love (not much cuz dont wanna put on the weight ive lost from my experience might aswel leave with one positive keepsake lol) and i’ve been fine, I was admitted into hospital 5 days after surgery but that was only because a stone got dropped into bile duct after surgery which made me develop pancretitus AGAIN but since ive recovered from that ive felt a million quid I definetely can feel somethin not quite right tho when i eat too much fat an upset stomach at most nothing like before so i can live with this mini side effect

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:52:52 +0000

I agree it is extreme to remove the organ and that it does perform a function, but for people with extreme attacks maybe it is necessary.

I am having an ultrasound scan tomorrow morning to see if stones are present – I’ll be surprised if they’re not and will then worry about what else could be causing this. The doc tested me for giardia etc to see if that could be contributing to this, but got the results this morning and all clear. Also checked again for coeliacs, for which I carry the gene, but once again clear.

I’ve had a week of really strict food consumption: no red meat, no yoghurt on my morning fruit and cereal (just trim milk), no icecream, the only fats on the 2 of the 4 pieces of bread I had over the weekend was avocado, didn’t have my regular bacon on Sunday but did have half a low-fat venison sausage. Have felt much better during the week and the pain in my right shoulder-blade that I get worse during the night had diminished until this morning (but not quite as bad). I also had a little bit of cake and a small mince pie, and that along with the bread I think brought back the back pain and more niggles in the gallbladder that I have today.

This is a fear enforced diet, because I truly do not want to wake up in the night, go to the bathroom and end up passing out 2 or 3 times again, or have to pull over off the road while driving home from work because I feel as if I am having a heart attack and someone has their hand around my throat. It’s scary!

I am 57 and have been on the oestrogen patch for 6 years and think that has a lot to do with this (if it is confirmed).

This site is great!

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:52:36 +0000

Hello Jamie and fellow sufferers. I have had gallstones for over 2 years and only just been diagnosed! Had the pains come and go of varying degree and frequency and now they’re at the nasty stage. Had 3 A&E trips last week and one involving an ambulance. I had a scan and it showed I had about a dozen 1cm stones.
I am 29 years old and both my mum and nan had them so I guess I was bound to have them.

My main question is about the life after gallbladder removal really. Can you go back to the diet you enjoyed once before? I am a foody though in moderation and not overly unhealthy, but I do like a pizza here and a chinese there and a glass of wine too… I guess everyone’s different but I would love to know you have a better life after the hell of Gallstones! As many replies as possible would be very much appreciated. Thanks.