I can empathize with you, as I suffered from severe gallbladder problems. I would have attacks towards the end, 1-2 times per week, and was critically close to becoming disabled because of it.

I would rather give birth to a baby than to *ever* experience biliary colic again. No joke. You will think you are dying, and for the period of time, usually 30-45 minutes it lasts, will wish you could. Any doctor or nurse will tell you, biliary/pancreatic pain, is the *worst pain* you will ever experience.

Some of the symtoms you may experience is a sudden onset of nausea, followed by a drenching sweat, maybe a sense of impending doom. Within mere minutes, you may vomit, feel weak, and experience a horrible searing pain under the breast bone above the naval, or under the ribs on the right. The pain can radiate to the right shoulder, and the center of the back. You may then have diarrhea, and the pain will be very severe with almost shockingly painful waves of pain every few seconds. You may pant, and wish to sit up, leaning forward to guard the pain.

The pain can be so severe it is disorienting, and towards the end of the attack, you will most likely not be able to stand. You will have the urge to call 911.

Most attacks have a precurser period where you will have a day or two of constipation, as if your intestines come to a standstill, with bloating, gas, and discomfort, as well as a loss of appetite. I was misdiagnosed many, many times as having food poisoning or "intestinal flu".

If you notice anything resembling bruising near your naval or around the left ribs, call 911 immediately, or get someone to take you to the emergency room. Attacks can come on any time from 12-24 hours after you eat.

If you experience an attack, full blown, and it does not dissipate within an hour or so, go to the emergency room, you may have a stone blocking the bile duct or stuck in the biliary tract. I never had stones, sludge, or any of the other problems, it was plain inflamation, cause unknown. My GB had an ejection fraction of only 14%, normal is 35% or more. (It was carbs/sugar/protein - believe it or not!) My GB was destroying itself.

Ask your doctor for a small prescrition of hydrocodone (if you can take it-codeine), perhaps 6 pills or so, to keep on hand in case such an attack happens. I found if you are alert to the symtoms of an impending attack, you can predose yourself and head off the most severe part. Then, call your doctor. Don't play with this, don't wait.

After my attacks, I would have abdominal tenderness which felt much like being bruised, for up to two weeks post attack. This was from my ribs to my pubic bone, side to side, with a more tender area right in the center of my abdomen between the breastbone and naval. I didn't even feel the pain under my ribs until I went to the hospital by ambulance Christmas Eve, 1997, and the doctor pushed on it. After many more attacks, it was removed in 1998.

I also had my GB problems after living a low fat diet for many years. After my surgery to have it removed, it was not until Atkins that my bowel situation corrected itself. I experienced multiple problems, including chronic pancreatitis because the inflamation spread from the GB to the rest of my biliary tract. The constant irritant of the bile along my duodenum caused severe ulceration and a problem with pancreatic sphincters. The course of the disease was over many years. Imagine my surprise when, after having my GB removed, 2 weeks post op, I had another attack. The symptoms were identical to GB attacks, but this time, it was pancreatitis, which was exhausted from carbs and sugar, overworked and wearing itself out. Of course, it took me till this year to discover this! Starting Atkins was a huge leap of faith for me.

For many people, low fat is a definite problem causing WOE in the long run. Look for trigger foods. For some it is cream, chocolate, fried foods. Your trigger foods will have been eaten 12-24 hours before the pain. Experiment with eliminating them, to see how you tolerate it. You may even discover you crave your trigger foods. I found mine were protein (chicken, steak) and chocolate. When I removed the carbs, it all vanished, and I can eat protein and chocolate fear free. Add the carbs and bingo, back to the ER.

If you have an attack, go on liquids for a day, then slowly add in softer foods until you can see the doctor.

Good luck.


Attack free since January 4th, 2003