Gallbladder? Advice?

[Reidfidleir]

Hi
I believe I had my first gallbladder attack tonight. I'm 28 years old. It felt like a very bad stomach ache but on right side directly under ribs. I tried liquid calcium an water and a ginger candy but that didnt help. After drinking a glass of water and apple cider vinegar I started to feel better. Then I had 3 ritz style crackers and immediately felt awful again. My mother a nurse said its nothing. My grandmother who had gallbladder issues and ultimately removal of it sai it sounded like what she ha and apples and apple juice helped. I ate an apple and now I feel much better.

Sooooo what now? How long should I wait to see if this happens again? Should I go to a doctor immediately? Should I try a "flush" like is suggested online? I know most doctors will recommend havin it out no matter what but I really would like to avoid surgery if I can. Would this affect fertility?

Not a happy camper right now.

Ps
I am of a normal bmi. I have not lost a large amount of weight recently. My diet I thought was pretty good but I did have two slices of bacon this morning. I usually eat chicken or fish and sometimes ground beef. I'm not great about eating fruit but I do try to get vegetables each dinner time. I do not consider myself to have a high fat diet at all. And I don't eat processed foods.

 

[NerdyMama]

If it was only once I would wait. Getting your gallbladder out does have some unwanted side effects (I had mine out almost 2 years ago now). However if it starts happening more then go. The attacks are awful and I'm glad I have mine removed I just don't like the "dumping" effects if you eat a fatty food. But it's better than getting bowled over in pain. As for fertility I got pregnant with my son a month after the surgery and was fine! The surgery is laproscopic so your pretty much in and out. Very little healing time for me.

 

[dgirllamius]

Pregnancy can cause gallstones, it's not just having a high fat diet and being overweight that can cause them (pregnancy caused mine). I had about 5 attacks until I had medical attention - the attack I had was so bad my OH had to call an ambulance and I had to be rushed to hospital. They weren't sure while I was in the ambulance if it was gallstones or pancreatic. I had an ultrasound when I arrived in hospital and the doctor confirmed gallstones and sludge.

A gallstone attack will get worse and worse the more times you have them. I found that when I had an attack I felt the need to burp a lot too - did you get that feeling?

I had mine out last March and the recovery was very quick. I was up and walking the moment I got back to my room. I did have a mini attack soon after having it out but apparently that was because there may have been some stones left in the bile duct. I've felt great since having it out. I do tend to find that if I am eating something fatty I need quick access to a toilet

 

[Reidfidleir]

Thank you both. Yes I have noticed I've been burping more this week. Yes I think I will try to avoid the surgery at all costs as I already tend to "need quick access to a toilet"! :facepalm: I don't need that any more than I already experience it.
I have since found out that it runs quite strong in my family. Both sides. Wonderful. And on my dads side my 3 aunts that had it all had them soon or months after bearing children. Weird. One of my aunts has not had it removed and she said that once she figured out what it was she's been very careful to follow a low fat diet and avoid trigger foods. If she's been bad for a couple days it will happen. But so far the last flare up she had was three years ago. She has had this for the last thirty years. And an X-ray has confirmed that her gallbladder is full of stones.
This gives me hope that I can live with this. If I do have another attack ill get checked out. Since its only taken me the one to figure out what it is I have since severely limited my fat intake (it wasn't too bad before anyway) so I think and hope ill be ok for a while.