Gallstones and ulcers

Avatar for grimmy35
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Gallstones and ulcers
10
Mon, 09-25-2006 - 8:24pm

Hi everyone.  I have a question for those of you who might have suffered from gallbladder problems or ulcers.  I've been having stomach problems, whereby eating eggs, salad, and now pasta gives me these excruciating pains in my stomach.  I went to see a specialist who did no tests and no exams, just sat behind his desk and asked me questions.  He said he had no idea what my problem could be.  So finally I brought up gallstones and ulcers.  He said that he didn't think it was either because if I had a gallbladder issue or a stomach ulcer, everything I ate would bother it, not just certain foods.  I told him that I had read otherwise from research I had done online, that said that certain foods, especially greasy foods, fattening foods, hard to digest foods, could produce the same symptoms I'm having.  He said he'd heard that too but didn't believe it.  After an hour of asking me questions he told me I should see a food allergist, although he didn't think it was a food allergy, but he had no idea what it could be, repeatedly telling me that it couldn't be gallstones or a stomach ulcer.


I'm wondering if I should seek a second opinion, but the frustration that I felt in his office was so annoying that I really don't want to go through it again.  For those of you out there who have had one of these issues, was it caused to flare up by certain foods or by every food?


    Image hosting by Photobucket       

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Mon, 09-25-2006 - 11:03pm

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Sorry you had a need to find us Jennifer, but hopefully we can help you.


First off, can you call your insurer and ask that that jerk of a doctor not be paid? He certainly sounds very arrogant for someone that didn't know much.


Here are some excellent articles that might provide some help...


http://health.ivillage.com/digestion/digallblad/topics/0,,4v25,00.html?ice=ivl,searcht


http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/gallbladder/a/gallbladdissymp.htm


http://health.ivillage.com/digestion/diulcers/topics/0,,4v2z,00.html?ice=ivl,searcht


http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/119/main.html


You definitely should seek another opinion, but start a food journal right away. You may begin to see a pattern that will be helpful to yourself and possibly the next doctor. What type of doctor was the one you just saw?


Keep us updated and let me know what else I can do to help you. Having such bad pain after eating any foods shouldn't have to be tolerated!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting






CL of

Photobucket

<
Avatar for grimmy35
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 8:04am

Thank you Elise for the links.


The doctor I saw was a gastrologist.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2005
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 11:15am

Hello and welcome. First of all, I'd find a new doctor. I understand that they don't know all the answers - but they dont' need to speak to you that way.

I have an ulcer, so I can tell you what it has been like for me. In my case, my stomach bubbled and gurgled day and night, and I swelled up like I was about 6 months pregnant. The only time I felt any relief at all was if I didn't eat, though it didn't even stop then, but just wasn't quite as bad. Sometimes it would keep me awake at night.

I've been on medication since May, and it's starting to improve, though certain foods do still irritate it more - I've learned to avoid cooked tomatoes and milk. I also learned just recently about drinking cabbage juice - sounds gross, but things have improved dramatically since I started that.

I hope you find an answer soon!



"The diet-heart idea (the notion that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. This idea has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2005
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 11:25am

Here's part of an article about gallbladder problems:

"....If you’re an American, chances are you’ve experienced problems with your gall bladder at one time or another. Typical gallbladder symptoms include: gas (especially burping after meals), a full or heavy feeling after meals, bloating, “acid reflux” (after meals and at night when lying down), pain in right side radiating into right shoulder blade, loose or light colored stools that float.

Two things that the gallbladder doesn’t like are bad fats and no fats. Bad fats, like processed vegetable oils, are difficult to digest and put a lot of stress on the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a little sac that sits along side your liver. The liver produces bile, a substance made from cholesterol that emulsifies fat and makes it easier to digest. The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile, then secretes it into the small intestines when fats are present. If you don’t eat fat, the gallbladder won’t get any exercise and can begin to atrophy.

If you’ve eaten mostly bad fats in your life or have spent many years on a lowfat diet, chances are your gallbladder will need a little work before you will be able to completely digest generous amounts of good fats in your diet. Start by practicing good digestive habits (discussed in the Spring 2002 issue) and enhance your digestion with raw apple cider vinegar. Mix 1 teaspoon with 2-4 ounces water and drink with meals. A nice acid environment in the stomach stimulates the gallbladder to do its job. Use Swedish Bitters, 1 teaspoon in water taken just after meals, and lacto-fermented foods such as saurkraut and beet kvass.

Coconut oil is very easy on the gall bladder because the preponderance of short- and medium-chain fatty acids it contains do not require bile salts for digestion. If you are just beginning to add fats to your diet after many years of lowfat foods, your best choice in the start is coconut oil.

Lori Lipinski is a Certified Nutritional Consultant, lecturer and writer whose articles have been published and quoted in highly respected national and international health journals and books. Lori developed the “Making the Transition” series to help people transition toward a REAL food diet, one step at a time. For more info visit makingthetransition.com."



"The diet-heart idea (the notion that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. This idea has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 7:19pm

I mean no disrespect - but I have some issues with some of the statments in the article - my comments are below (no - I'm not a medical professional - just have some strong opinions ;)



If you don’t eat fat, the gallbladder won’t get any exercise and can begin to atrophy.


In a North American diet that is very very unlikey that any of us are not eating enough fat. We need very little fat to keep the GB active. I don't think I've read anything about GB atrophy - in most cases the problems are:



  • Gallstones

  • sludge

  • thickened walls of the GB (due to chronic inflamation)

There is an on line food diary where you can record you food intake (www.fitday.com) It's worth doing it for a few days just to see how much fat we actaully do consume - everyone I know who has used this tool has been amazed.



If you’ve eaten mostly bad fats in your life or have spent many years on a lowfat diet, chances are your gallbladder will need a little work before you will be able to completely digest generous amounts of good fats in your diet. Start by practicing good digestive habits (discussed in the Spring 2002 issue) and enhance your digestion with raw apple cider vinegar. Mix 1 teaspoon with 2-4 ounces water and drink with meals. A nice acid environment in the stomach stimulates the gallbladder to do its job. Use Swedish Bitters, 1 teaspoon in water taken just after meals, and lacto-fermented foods such as saurkraut and beet kvass.


Again - I disagree with the first statement that suggests that many of us have spent many years on a low fat diet - given the high level of obesity in both Canada & US - it's highly likley that most people are eating a low fat diet.


The next comments really concern me. Substances like cider, bitters, saurkraut can indeed stimulate the GB. But if you have stones, sludge or thickend walls that is the last thing you want to do! When the GB is stimulated that is when you experience the pain of a GB attack. Perhaps that mixture is suitable for some conditions - but definately not for someone with GB issues.


Again, no disrespect - but I wouldn't jump in and give any of those remedies a try!


JMHO,


Jo


 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 7:43pm

Hi Jennifer - I agree with the others about the doctor you saw - what a nit wit.


I haven't had problems with an ulcer - so I know nothing about them.


To diagnose gallbladder problems an ultra sound is usually the first step. Plus or minus blood work to check liver enzymes.


I had a GB attack in Aug/03 that landed me in the hospital. They discovered that the GB was much larger than it should have been, there were some small stones and one very large one and the walls were very thick. That would indicate that the problem had been present for many years - but for some reason didn't cause the classical attacks.


Prior to that I didn't have any of the classical symptoms or have I ever been over weight. After the attack I was no longer able to tollerate most fats or processed foods. I tracked my food intake on www.fitday.com and found that if less than 15% of my calories came from fat I felt okay. But that is pretty much impossible to do on a long term basis. I was drinking Coke just to maintain my weight and energy. I couldn't eat eggs, dairy, meat, or as I mentioned before processed foods.


Spices never bothered me.


I've gone the elmination diet route to test for food sensitivites - it is a challenge - but you can learn a lot.


Wishing you all the best,


Jo


 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2005
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 8:27pm
Not a problem at all. I do know some who have tried this advice and recommend it wholeheartedly, but everyone is different and must do what is right for them.


"The diet-heart idea (the notion that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. This idea has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Tue, 09-26-2006 - 10:50pm

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jo. I agree with the points you brought up and find the alternative suggestions a bit too extreme. For someone with stomach pain and undiagnosed issues, most of the suggested practices don't sound safe and may cause more harm than good.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting







CL of

Photobucket

<
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2005
Wed, 09-27-2006 - 12:33pm

I agree it is generally not a good idea to act without knowing what is wrong, which is why I did not and will not tell others what they 'should do'. I simply passsed this along as information that was given to me about potential gallbladder problems. (as you recall I have some as yet undiagnosed pain, so I am the recipient of all kinds of advice from those who have BTDT) If someone finds it useful, that's great and I"m very happy to have been of help. If someone else thinks it's a crock, well, that's fine, too :) I belong to a couple of online groups that have very animated, open discussions (and good natured arguments) where people from all backgrounds and specialties submit all kinds of ideas and information to educate, inform and learn about various health/nutritional issues. Individuals take what they want from it, if anything in some cases.

More people everyday are turning to natural/alternative means - others prefer to stay with a regular MD. I favour a middle ground, and like to research all sides and then choose things that compliment each other. I mentioned in another post I started using cabbage juice for my ulcer. It's been recommended for decades for sound biological/nutritional reasons, yet it is not something my doctor ever mentioned. It's been amazing - and so simple, but that is so often the case. So many old ways worked, and still do, once we rediscover them. If we ever figure out what my other abdominal problem is, and turned out to be gallbladder - I would feel quite comfortable investigating this info further. But then, I personally know people who have used it with good results, and have great respect for them, so that helps, and if I was going to lose my gallbladder anyway...I'd want to be sure that there was no other solution before I give it up :).

As always, it's up to the individual to decide what is right for them. No one else knows what that is - even the same condition is different in two different people, and everyone differs in what type of approach they want.



"The diet-heart idea (the notion that saturated fats and cholesterol cause heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. This idea has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Wed, 09-27-2006 - 1:04pm

Thanks for explaining your view point. In the future, I think it is important to add a disclaimer of sorts, stating that these are strictly your own views. Since you frequent other boards, you are aware that many come online, looking for help and for some reason, think whatever is offered is 'gospel'.


Like you, I tend to take the middle ground and use a combination of medical and alternative methods, but it has taken me years to find what works for ME. The likelihood of my protocol working for anyone else is slim to none, kwim?


I look forward to more posts from you...this board needs some interesting alternatives, as long as everything is spelled out and sources are provided in total. It is much better for new members to go straight to the source and come to their own conclusions, not read only excerpts that might be confusing.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting







CL of

Photobucket

<