cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
Last week, I had an abdominal ultrasound to check up on some liver lesions (hopefully benign)- and they found gall stones, as well. I haven't discussed this with my LLMD yet, but am concerned.
I've been having a lot of abdominal pain, could the gall stones be the cause?
The pain is on the right side, about the level of my belly button, sometimes higher, nearer my rib cage. Sometimes it seems to wrap around my side, front to back. It seems to be gaining in severity - woke me last night, etc.
Until now, I've attributed the pain to either lingering endometriosis or neuropathic pain (LLMD thought it likely neuropathic pain, given my neuro history with Lyme).
I've been on abx for a year, and was on IV Roceph from Feb - April this year. Still on abx and babs treatment now. Is that enough time for the meds to cause gall stones?
What would be the treatment for gall stones? Is this something that will worsen without treatment?
Thanks.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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It sure sounds like the gallstones are the likely cause of your pain to me. I had gallstones last year and had surgery to remove my gallblader. I had severe pain right where my ribs meet in the front and in my back. I feel much better in regards to my stomach problems now. I had IBS so bad I could hardly leave my house. I am glad to be rid of that pesky old gallblader, haha! The treatment for gallstones is usually surgery, or in some cases they can break up the stones by using a lazer. The surgery is not too bad if you can have it done by laproscopy. Good luck to you, and I hope you are on the road to recovery very soon! Kellyann
Posts: 8 | From usa | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
You might check out the herb chaca piedra --it is used to break up kidney stones and gallbladder stones.
Of course if your gallbladder is infected and inflamed, causing pain, it is time to surrender it up. You don't want to mess with an infected gallbladder, your immune system has enough to deal with!
Posts: 211 | From NC | Registered: Dec 2005
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cactus
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Member # 7347
posted
Thanks, everyone!
I'll ask my LLMD about actigall, and the herbal treatment. Anything but surgery - I'd like to keep as many of my organs as possible, thank you! I like 'em where they are...
Lymetoo, I didn't know about lettuce, and I've been eating lots o' salads (staying away from fats), so I'll back off of those. Thanks for the heads up.
Trails, lymie-wise I felt better at about week 6 or 7 of Rocephin, then crashed hard core, but part of it was (is) that pesky babs. Babsy speaking, though, I just had a good couple days, after about a month (ish) on malarone & co.
Healthy thoughts to all...
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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Sorry, I'm anti-gallbladder... Had to give mine up due to Rocephin and other pro-gallstone antibiotics just over a week ago. A day after the surgery, you could barely tell.
Could've gone bowling with my single gallstone. It was actually bigger than my gallbladder. Before it was taken out, I was diagnosed with GERD because of difficulty swallowing and breathing (there were a couple instances where I stopped breathing all together), and now I am GERD free.
I don't miss it, don't even understand why I was born with one... Just glad to see it go.
My LLMD has a theory that Lyme likes that particular organ... Better left in someone else than in me.
-------------------- Sometimes when I say �Oh, I�m fine� I want someone to look me in the eyes & say �tell the truth�
david1097
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3662
posted
A couple of tip off on gall stones.
If the pain builds up and then goes in waves, this is gall stones.
If it occurs more often after eating "heavy" starch rich or greasy foods then its gall stones.
The pain comes from when the stone get stuck in the billary duct. A dangeround sitation can arise where they also get stuck in the ducts from the pancreas. If this happens this is an emergency sitation as if the pancreas starts to digest itself because of the blocked duct(which is what happens in pancreatitis) it is quite often a fatal problem if not caught in time.
If the stones are small or few they may leave it and just watch. There are drugs that can be infused directly into the gall bladder to disolve the stones but this is not usually a lasting remidy.
tThe stones are really like stones, they are as hard as marbles and as smooth as polished rocks. I personally do not believe that any herb taken orally will disolve these things.
On the up side, the gall blader is thought to harbour a number of pathogens, this despite its high acidity. A lot of people claim that long term ailments that they may have had acutally clear up when the gall bladder is removed. I dont know of any formal studies on this though so it is all hear-say. (or heresy depending on which Dr you talk to)
The biggest down side to a cholecystomy (gall bladder removal) is that you will have the severe runs if you do not eat on a regular schedule. This is because the gall bladder acted like a storage tank that would release the bile that would digest the food. With the storage tank gone the bile comes all the time, It is yellow and has a bad smell. the tank would be commanded to release bile in cases of heavy digestion, thus the tip off if pain occurs after such a meal. the tank also squezes in waves and if a stone gets stuck int eh outlet pipe, the pressure of the fluid trying to be squeezed out causes the pain.
The constant flow of bile too may work in your bennifit as I have noticed that in the later stages of a lyme flare up, there are neurological symptoms related to nerve paralysis or at least nerve impairment that clear up faster when diharia is induced throuhg not eating on time. This might have some basis as the neurotoxins produced by lyme are by some accounts reabsorbed in the gut, The diharia would in theory flush every thing out before this can happen. This is only a thoght but the effect is reproducable with me at least.
Sorry about the spelling but I hope the what I have written is coherent
Posts: 1184 | From north america | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
check out liver/gallbladder flush at the Curezone
Just because you have it out doesn't mean you will stop producing stones.
lyme x 9
Posts: 399 | From Texas | Registered: Apr 2005
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
David, thanks for the great info - it's a lot to digest. (didn't mean the pun!) ...Your description of the pain building & coming in waves is extremely helpful - sounds very familiar. That helps me distinguish between the different types/causes of pain. I don't have pain every day, necessarily, although it does seem to be increasing, so it's a problem.
AP, my LLMD said something similar at one point - wonder if we go to the same one? I'm in VA, too.
Lymex5, thanks - I will do some more reading!
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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if you drink the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon when the pain flares, and the pain is relieved, it is likely gallbladder. Blessings. Jen902
Posts: 23 | From USA | Registered: Feb 2006
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