Please suggest me a cure for gallstones.

Question

Hello doctor,

Four days ago, I was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. I was given Oramorph, Codeine and Paracetamol. I was told that it was most likely a flare up of my gallbladder stones and that the pain would last for a maximum of 12 hours. I underwent an ultrasound scan the next day, which revealed gallstones. The next day my doctor advised me to go home, but I was still in agony. When I asked the doctors, why I was still in pain when it was meant to last a maximum of 12 hours, they said it could be inflamed or infected.

Hence, a blood test was done and the results were fine. As the results were normal, the doctors said I could go home. I refused to go as I was still in pain. My right side and stomach were sore to touch. Again, I had another attack and experienced the same kind of pain that I had on the day of admission. Again blood tests were done and they said blood results were fine and I could go home. Before I had the chance to say anything they had discharged me. It is almost four days now and I am still in bed with pain in my middle and lower right abdomen, and center of my back. I am feeling very lethargic. What can I do?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern..

The nature and characteristics of abdominal pain suggest that it might be related to gallstones. Generally, such severe abdominal pain occurs in gallstones.

If a small stone migrates into bile duct from the gallbladder or if the gallstone gets stuck in the narrowed part of the gallbladder, then it may produce inflammation.

In the first instance, there will be pain along with jaundice. Since your blood report did not show this, it might not be present in your case.

In the second instance, there will be pain due to inflammation in and around gallbladder. This pain will persist for a few days along with other symptoms of inflammation like fever and decreased appetite. Antibiotic therapy is a must if the blood report shows the presence of infection.

In both possibilities, you must remove gallbladder along with gallstones to prevent further attacks of pain and inflammation.

Surgery is not recommended in the presence of severe inflammation. Thus in active inflammation, you need to continue treatment for prevention of infection, pain management and resolution of inflammation. Once it is resolved, you can go ahead with surgery.

Thank you.