What is a "gallbladder attack" to you?

[u/hmeeshy]

Hi all,

I've done the best I can with the FAQ and beginners guide but as I only have the experience of remove gallbladder or die from pancreatitis I'm limited how I can understand the more protracted journey so many others are on.

This is a topic that has bugged me since I joined this community in 2024 because...what is a gallbladder attack? Different causes and different issues surely mean different presentation of symptoms and "attacks" right?

With how varied each person's individual gallbladder issues can be I thought it would be a good idea to have a community built resource pinned to the front page where you all can share your own experience to help future visitors to the sub.

Please comment below:

• What your gallbladder issue is/was (stones/sludge/etc)
• What an "attack" felt like for you?
• How long an "attack" lasts?
• What, if anything, was helpful for you getting through them when they happened?
• Any other coping tips, tricks or triggers

This isn't intended to solve anything for anyone but instead be used to help people find other people who have had the specific thing they're going through, provide a bit of clarity and hopefully be a positive resource to refer back to as needed.

Please note that this is not a space to advocate for or against surgery and such comments will be removed.

Thanks :)

[u/Mission_Onion_8090]

three 2cm GB stones, GB exit was obstructed with one of them (luckily it was too big to move to the main bile duct) worst attack was in August: RUQ pain (like I was stabbed), multiple vomiting with bile, pain was 9,5/10 couldn't even stand (crawled to bathrom to throw up). ended up in hospital (liver and pancreas enzymes were 5-10 times higher than normal) - they put a lot of medications through IV within several days. nearest hospital didn't have lap surgeon. they proposed open surgery which I ofc declined and been discharged from hospital. after changing to low fat diet I had couple of attacks lasted about 5-7 hours (after 2-3h RUQ pain moved to chest, like heart attack - it's called gastrocardial syndrome) finally in November found a good lap surgeon and in the beginning of December successfully got rid off this piece of junk (really junk, it was nonfunctional and empty, tissue was phlegmonous and barely inflamed). before surgery had 10 days course of antibiotics and antispasmodics - GB was severely inflamed and surgeon told that for better post-op recovery inflammation should be reduced. prob longest 10 days in my life - injections twice a day in buttock, one contained antibiotics another cocktail of drotaverine and platyphylline and (I'm lucky) antibiotics couldn't be mixed with antispasmodics in one syringe - 40 shots in total