Gallstones

SuffolkGuy

Full Member
Reading RuthG's post about getting gallstones (hope you're soon better Ruth) made me have a little search on the web about it's causes.

The article I found says that although being overweight is a factor - so is losing weight too fast!!! Gulp!

Is this a known problem with VLCDs - anyone else had gallstone problems?
 
Yep! I had my gallbladder out 2 weeks ago. There were 2 stones THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. As I only started CD on 07/01/08 I fail to see how this can be the cause though of course it can have exacerbated it.
I have never eaten fatty foods and the consultant said he had removed hundreds over the years and hadn't noted a significant correlation between diet and gallstones.
 
and the consultant said he had removed hundreds over the years and hadn't noted a significant correlation between diet and gallstones.

That's what my consultant said too. I had my gallbladder out at the beginning of the year, with a ward full of other ladies who hadn't done a VLCD.
 
Mine made an appearance when I was pregnant with my daughter and had a craving for cheese lol! I had cheese sarnies and cheese and onion crisps every day for lunch! :eek::D She LOVES cheese too! :D

They removed my gallbladder a few months after she was born, I had loads of tiny stones! I've now also got a huge scar from underneath my breast bone right down past my waist (looks like a shark bite!)
 
Like mrs d, I first new i had gallstones when pregnant with my daughter. Oh the pain was unreal worse than childbirth! So got mine out and my gallbladder a couple of months after and i still have the jar with a few stones in it :D :D i had key hole surgery so no big scars but little ones :(
 
I had my gallbladder out about 7 years ago. I had never done a VLCD though. I never had gallstones either, just a malfunctioning gallbladder.:eek: Pain is worse than you can imagine, I agree. I don't think there is any link with diet, if anything it seems to affect the over-40s. I know quite a few people who have had gallbladder problems, some have been slim all their lives. (Not me though:D)
 
i was rushed into theatre with a burst appendix in 2001.
went home the following week and then started with pain which turned out to be gallstones. apparantly surgery/pregnancy shift the body somewhat which can cause already existing gallstones to become obstructed in the bile ducts. i had about 30-40 small stones (surgeon said it was the most he had removed).
unfortunately i also developped pneumonia after surgery which was keyhole although the large appendix scar sure wasnt .
so with that and 2 c-section scars i seem to be developping my own tummy smiley face.(more of a chinese looking wink right now but if i end up needing a tummy tuck i can work on the other eye) lol
cherylxx
 
Haha Cheryl! I'm like you - I've had 2 c-sections and also have the keyhole scars around my belly button where they couldn't remove my gallbladder plus the huge one lol! I'm hoping that if I ever get a TT they'll all disappear! :D
 
lol mrs depp,
apparantly they ask if u want to keep ur skin from a tummy tuck. how cool. i could have my jar of gall stones and then a jar with my smiley face skin in it. it could look like a regular mad scientists laboratory (evil laugh)
cherylxx
 
lol mrs depp,
apparantly they ask if u want to keep ur skin from a tummy tuck. how cool. i could have my jar of gall stones and then a jar with my smiley face skin in it. it could look like a regular mad scientists laboratory (evil laugh)
cherylxx

Mwhahahahaha!!!!! I've got a couple of my stones but the thought of keeping my skin? Eeeewwwww!!!!! Think I'll take a photo instead lol! :D
 
i had my gallbladder out a few years back.went to the doctors complaining of really bad pains,so he put it down to wind...i suffered with this for months still thinking i had wind!!! then it got that bad i had to go to hospital who also mis-diagnosed it and put it down to wind!!eventually my next visit to the hospital got taken more seroiusly and thats how i discovered mine!! i still have the little jar with them in...i had roughly around 80 tiny little stones the same size as peppercorns! i am now the owner of 3 little scars that are hardly even notiable!!
 
Heres some info:

What causes gallstones?

Scientists believe cholesterol stones form when bile contains too much cholesterol, too much bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, or when the gallbladder does not empty completely or often enough. The reason these imbalances occur is not known.
The cause of pigment stones is not fully understood. The stones tend to develop in people who have liver cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, or hereditary blood disorders—such as sickle cell anemia—in which the liver makes too much bilirubin.
The mere presence of gallstones may cause more gallstones to develop. Other factors that contribute to the formation of gallstones, particularly cholesterol stones, include
  • Sex. Women are twice as likely as men to develop gallstones. Excess estrogen from pregnancy, hormone replacement therapy, and birth control pills appears to increase cholesterol levels in bile and decrease gallbladder movement, which can lead to gallstones.
  • Family history. Gallstones often run in families, pointing to a possible genetic link.
  • Weight. A large clinical study showed that being even moderately overweight increases the risk for developing gallstones. The most likely reason is that the amount of bile salts in bile is reduced, resulting in more cholesterol. Increased cholesterol reduces gallbladder emptying. Obesity is a major risk factor for gallstones, especially in women.
  • Diet. Diets high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber increase the risk of gallstones due to increased cholesterol in the bile and reduced gallbladder emptying.
  • Rapid weight loss. As the body metabolizes fat during prolonged fasting and rapid weight loss—such as “crash diets”—the liver secretes extra cholesterol into bile, which can cause gallstones. In addition, the gallbladder does not empty properly.
  • Age. People older than age 60 are more likely to develop gallstones than younger people. As people age, the body tends to secrete more cholesterol into bile.
  • Ethnicity. American Indians have a genetic predisposition to secrete high levels of cholesterol in bile. In fact, they have the highest rate of gallstones in the United States. The majority of American Indian men have gallstones by age 60. Among the Pima Indians of Arizona, 70 percent of women have gallstones by age 30. Mexican American men and women of all ages also have high rates of gallstones.
  • Cholesterol-lowering drugs. Drugs that lower cholesterol levels in the blood actually increase the amount of cholesterol secreted into bile. In turn, the risk of gallstones increases.
  • Diabetes. People with diabetes generally have high levels of fatty acids called triglycerides. These fatty acids may increase the risk of gallstones.
 
GaynorEm - I think I saw that bit about rapid weight loss and that was what prompted the query - seems quite a few of you have had the misfortune - many thanks for all your replies. It seems lots of things can cause them so no point in worrying!
 
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