Gallstone Relief

Democrat & Chronicle: Living: My life my words: Pam Finger

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 5 Dec 2005 09:32:00 -0500

Democrat & Chronicle: Living: "It all began on Sept. 12 as a routine laproscopic gallbladder removal. I breezed through the pre-op procedures and the surgery, and I went home that evening in very little pain, looking forward to enjoying two weeks off from work to recover. Thirty-six hours later, I awoke in excruciating pain and begged my husband to drive me back to the surgeon's office.
After an exam and a series of tests, it was determined that I had developed a bile leak, which happens in less than 1 percent of cases. I was readmitted to the hospital and spent much of that week on a morphine pump. I was sent home after a week, only to be readmitted two days later with more pain. I had more tests and procedures and two tubes inserted in my side to help drain the bile, in all spending 16 days in the hospital. Each day I felt a little stronger, and I was able to return to work on a part-time basis on Oct. 24.
In many ways, I felt like I had lost a month of my life. I came out of the hospital disappointed to see people putting out their pumpkins and fall decorations while in my mind I was still ready to take one last summer swim. I've had much time to think over these past 12 weeks, and this is what I've learned.... "

Wide variation in using laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder removal

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 18:01:00 -0500

Wide variation in using laparoscopic surgery for gall bladder removal: "the laparoscopic approach has become the method of choice for elective gallbladder removal, conventional open cholecystectomy still remains the treatment of choice for acute cholecystitis for many surgeons -- mainly because of concerns about bile duct injuries and an excessively high conversion rate."

Coffee - Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 07:02:00 -0500

Coffee � Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? | Christianpost.com- Christian News Online , Christian World News: "In terms of health, there are pros and cons of drinking coffee. Let�s examine the pros first. A recent study funded by the American Cocoa Research Institute, says coffee drinkers appear to have higher levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body against various types of cancers. Another research study conducted in 2004 showed that regular coffee consumption lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes. The mechanism as to why this occurred is unclear and further research into this area needs to be conducted. Other studies have shown that coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, it may prevent the development of colon cancer, it can be beneficial for people with Parkinson�s disease and it may improve cognitive function.

But, there is a downside to coffee consumption."

Coffee - Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 07:01:00 -0500

TSN.ca - Auto Racing - Canada's Sports Leader: "Unser was hospitalized in his hometown of Albuquerque last month for treatment of pancreatitis and gallstones, but the liver operation became necessary after a biopsy disclosed the tumor.
Doctors removed half of Unser's liver and his gall bladder in the Colorado procedure, his wife said. Gall bladder surgery initially had been scheduled for last month in New Mexico.

''But they never got that far with the gall bladder,'' Susan Unser said. ''They found the tumour when they did a CT scan. That's when they found his gallstones, but they also found this cancer.''"

Gallstones - MayoClinic.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 10:10:00 -0500

Gallstones - MayoClinic.com: "Like many people, you may have gallstones and not know it. In fact, gallstones - solid deposits of cholesterol or calcium salts that form in your gallbladder or nearby bile ducts - often cause no symptoms and require no treatment. But some people with gallstones will have a gallbladder attack that can cause symptoms such as nausea and an intense, steady ache in their upper middle or upper right abdomen. In some cases, the pain can be severe and intermittent."

my gallbladder and me

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 3 Nov 2005 08:11:00 -0500

"I broke a rib, so I went in to make sure that was what was hurting. Dr. agreed with me but he thought an ultra-sound was in order to make sure that I hadn't damaged any organs. The report said that my organs were fine but my gall bladder was full of stones. great.
I had the surgery last Tuesday. It was supposed to be a walk in the park.right. They did it laproscopically so recovery time is minimal. After the surgery, about an hour after I came out of the anesthesia, they told me 'you don't need to be here to sleep, you can do that at home.'
They removed a gangrenous gall bladder full of the 30 stones. Good thing I got it taken care of I guess. Linda took me to surgery and was there to bring me home. God bless her.
The next night I had to go to the Emergency Room. I was in terrible pain that the Percocet just didn't hit, I was nauseous, I had a difficult time even catching a breath to breathe, and I had a fever of 103.7 and rising. I was scared. I think Ed was too.
The quickly plugged me into the oxygen, took vials of blood, hooked me up to that 'juice bag on a stick'. I was dehydrated. I think they gave me another one also. They did a new urinalyis. At some point the fever broke. I was drenched and so was the bed. The gave me something like Valium in the drip to get me calmed down and breathing correctly. They finally were satisfied that there was enough oxygen in my blood and that I was hydrated enough. My meds were changed. It looked like I was going to pull through."
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This author of this story reminded me of my worst attacks when she mentioned difficulty catching a breath. I had this experience too but I haven't read much about this symptom of a bad gallstone attack.

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Earn your college degree online

I have gallstones. Does that mean I can't take the pill?

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:31:00 -0400

Q. I have gallstones. Does that mean I can't take the pill?

A. Women who take the pill and have gallstones have a greater likelihood of having a gallbladder attack. If you want to use hormonal contraception, the patch or vaginal ring would be a better option. "

Detoxing helps get rid of body's many stresses

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 10:51:00 -0400

metronews: lifestyle: "We are constantly exposed to external toxins. Our bodies are burdened with drug residues. Chemicals and heavy metals such as mercury have infected our air, water, and food. Low-level electromagnetic radiation fields - coming from microwaves, televisions, radios, electrical outlets and power lines - surround us in and outside of our homes.
Even our metabolism, especially when we eat high-protein foods, naturally generates toxic by-products. When wastes such as uric acid gradually accumulate in our tissues, our bodies' pH levels become too acidic, which contributes to aging and numerous chronic illnesses. 'Our bodies and organs are always engaged in the process of detoxing,' says Rahima Hirji, ND and manager of the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic. 'A detox program helps de-stress the body by supporting its attempts to expel its toxic burden.'
Detoxes may target specific organs and systems, such as the liver, gallbladder, bowels, kidneys, skin, respiratory and cardiovascular system. For chemical or heavy metal detoxification, the whole body will be targeted.
Detoxification can be especially beneficial for people with weak immune systems, fatigue, chronic symptoms (e.g. headache, sinusitis, arthritis), bad breath, gallstones, poor digestion, hormone imbalance, skin problems, allergies, depression, memory problems, fibromyalgia, occupational chemical exposure and amalgam fillings."

Try low-fat diet to break down gall stones

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 23:16:00 -0400

Belfast Telegraph: "Try low-fat diet to break down gall stones
Jan de Vries answers your health problems
26 September 2005
Q: I am a 76-year-old man with diet-controlled diabetes and 18 months ago I was hospitalised and received treatment for gall stones but they didn't go away. I had a scan last week and they tell me I have a lot of gallstones but don't intend operating. My test for liver lipids is very high. I'm on milk thistle complex. Can you suggest an appropriate diet and medication I should be taking.
A: Gall stones are a hard mass composed of calcium salts, cholesterol becomes less soluble. There are however many contributing factors. Surgery is not the only option and I am sure you will find that a good low-fat healthy diet and the remedy Milk Thistle Complex, which helps to stimulate bile production, will be of great help. Eat a fresh salad every day with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice to help slowly break down the stones."

Raising colon cancer risk

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Wed, 7 Sep 2005 00:51:00 -0400

Beneficial olive oil: "Raising colon cancer risk
Gall bladder removal or �cholecystectomy� raises the risk of colon but not rectal cancer, results of a United Kingdom study suggest. Still, experts note that the risk is only slightly increased and, therefore, should not influence the decision to undergo this procedure if it�s necessary."

The Water Cooler, a Font of Good Medicine - New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 6 Sep 2005 18:56:00 -0400

The Water Cooler, a Font of Good Medicine - New York Times: "No longer is a well patient with a sick gallbladder of medical interest for her gallbladder alone. With doctors increasingly exhorted to care for the whole patient, not just the disease, that gallbladder is often examined in its full context, and all social information - what might be considered gossip in any other context - becomes relevant."

ThePittsburghChannel.com - Health - Marilyn Brooks Investigates Gallbladder Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 6 Sep 2005 18:41:00 -0400

ThePittsburghChannel.com - Health - Marilyn Brooks Investigates Gallbladder Pain: "Every year hundreds of thousands of Americans suffer the pain of what they think are heart attacks.
Many later find out it's not their heart at all, but their gallbladder.
The truth of the matter is that the symptoms are so similar you can't tell.
But doctors can, after they rule out the possibility of something more life-threatening"

Gallstones in children

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 6 Sep 2005 08:33:00 -0400

Health 24 - Diet, Eating throughout life: "Most people would not believe that children can develop gallstones (also a disease that was always classified as a disease of the over-40s), but more and more obese children are being treated for gallstones."

Gallstones

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 09:41:00 -0400

Gallstones: "Don't people need their gallbladder?
Fortunately, the gallbladder is an organ that people can live without. Losing it won't even require a change in diet. Once the gallbladder is removed, bile flows out of the liver through the hepatic ducts into the common bile duct and goes directly into the small intestine, instead of being stored in the gallbladder. However, because the bile isn't stored in the gallbladder, it flows into the small intestine more frequently, causing diarrhea in about 1 percent of people."
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I believe the percentage is MUCH higher than the oft quoted 1%
You should never take the removal of an organ lightly.

health effects of vegetarian diets

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 21:45:00 -0400

Vegetarian diets: "Gallstones
In a study of 800 women aged 40 to 69 years, nonvegetarians were more than twice as likely as vegetarians to suffer from gallstones (238). The relationship held even after controlling for the three known risk factors for gallstones: obesity, gender, and aging. "

"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause," and gallstones

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:14:00 -0400

STLtoday - Entertainment - Books: "Dr. John Lee has revised and updated his popular book, 'What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause,' which originally was published in 1996. Lee, like Gittleman, is a proponent of balancing fluctuating hormones at menopause with natural hormones, which are known as bioidentical hormones. When Lee's book first came out, hormone replacement therapy was said to help protect menopausal women from heart disease, Alzheimer's and a host of other serious conditions. Now we know that 'the synthetic hormone cocktails increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, breast cancer and gallbladder disease,' Lee writes. "

Obesity and Gallbladder Disease

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 15:36:00 -0400

Health 24 - Diet, DietDoc's articles: "Obesity and diseases
Many chronic and potentially fatal diseases are all linked to obesity: If you are obese (BMI equal to or greater than 30), then the risk you run of developing the following diseases increases dramatically:"

Evelyn Pringle: August 24 DC Protest - What's Everybody Mad About?

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 08:33:00 -0400

Evelyn Pringle: August 24 DC Protest - What's Everybody Mad About?: "Approving and marketing lethal drugs, while concealing the results of studies that reveal deadly side affects, should be a jailable offense. This conduct is not due to mistakes, it is representative of by now an all too familiar pattern of criminal behavior by top officials within the nation's top regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical industry.

According to Rosie, "About two million people enter a psychiatric hospital every year, 11% then is over 200,000 people a year who have an antidepressant-induced psychosis and who are hospitalized," she reported.

"Not all are hospitalized," Rosie warns, "Some of them have either committed suicide, a homicide, or a murder/suicide."

The truth is, nothing phases the greedy band of thugs involved in pushing these lethal drugs for profit. Only when they see CEOs and government officials being marched off to prison, right along side of other murderers, will they knock it off.

Why are other protesters angry at the FDA and Big Pharma?

Allen Routhier is the main organizer of the event, let's look at his reason.

In June 2002, Allen's wife, Diane, was suffering from abdominal pains, nausea, indigestion, migraines, and backaches, and consulted her physician. Even though she had no history of depression, the doctor attributed her problems to stress and depression.

The question remains why, when according to all accounts, Diane was known to be a fun-loving, lively, upbeat person.

Without advising her of any side effects, her doctor sent her off with sample blister packs of Bupropion, a drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, also known as Wellbutrin. The packs contained no labels, no warnings, and no indication of any adverse effects or reactions that she may be experience while taking the drug.

Almost immediately after taking one pill, Diane became violently ill, with diarrhea, nausea, shakes, and a fever. She also felt irritable, agitated, anxious, dizzy and nervous.

On Friday, June 20, 2003, Diane felt terrible and called in sick to work, which was highly unusual. On June 23 and 24, she was again bedridden and suffered from insomnia, nausea, headaches, toothaches, dizziness, and among other things, diarrhea.

At approximately noon on June 25, her sister, Lynn, called and Diane cried and said she did not feel well. At some point that afternoon, Diane took a gun, went to a corner of the basement, laid in a fetal position, put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

During the autopsy, the medical examiner discovered Diane had gallstones, a condition not diagnosed by her doctor, but which fit perfectly with the symptoms she complained of.

Allen was left to explain a mother's death to their 2 young sons.
"

Atkins Diet can cause gallstones

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 08:44:00 -0400

Health 24 - Diet, Weight loss: "Negative effects:
Then there are the negative effects associated with the Atkins diet that may have started to influence public perception.
On individual level, dieters who stay on the diet experience negative effects such as constipation, foul breath, gout, nausea, gallstones, raised blood fat levels, deficiencies and kidney disease.
If these side effects don't put them off, many dieters find that they just cannot sustain eating only protein and fat for long periods. Once they stop using the Atkins diet, they tend to regain most of their hard-lost fat, and often gain even more than they lost in the first place."

Doctors should look out for acute cholangitis, says DTB

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Sat, 6 Aug 2005 23:46:00 -0400

Up to one in 11 patients admitted to hospital with gallstone disease has acute cholangitis (an infection of the biliary tree) which can quickly lead to septicaemia, shock and death. Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) reviews the diagnosis and subsequent management of patients with this condition.
(I-Newswire) - In acute cholangitis, normally sterile bile becomes obstructed ( typically by gallstones ), leading to infection in the biliary tree. The classic symptoms are fever, abdominal pain and jaundice. However, less than a third of patients display all three of these features ( which are known as Charcot's triad ). Most of the patients have fever but there is often no jaundice and pain ( if present ) might be mild. In particular, clinicians should have high suspicion for acute cholangitis in older patients with unexplained fever and abnormal liver function tests, whether or not they have pain and jaundice. Acute cholangitis is potentially fatal and requires emergency hospital admission. And prompt resuscitation and broad-spectrum antibacterial therapy directed at likely bacterial causes are essential. Patients also need biliary drainage. In general, this is best done using endoscopic or radiological techniques rather than by surgery, which is associated with a higher mortality and morbidity rate.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with bile duct drainage or clearance is the method of choice. Dr Ike Iheanacho, DTB editor: “Acute cholangitis is a medical emergency and needs to be spotted and dealt with quickly. Doctors need to consider it as a possibility even in patients who do not have all the classical features of the disease.”

Doctors warned of deadly infection

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Wed, 3 Aug 2005 00:02:00 -0400

News | This is London: "Doctors have been warned to be on the lookout for a serious and potentially deadly infection whose symptoms could go unnoticed.
Up to one in 11 patients admitted to hospital with gallstone disease has acute cholangitis - inflammation of the bile ducts - according to Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB). The condition can quickly lead to septicaemia, shock and death.
"

Pain Bad! Morphine Goooood!

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Tue, 2 Aug 2005 23:53:00 -0400

From the Basement: 08/01/2005 - 08/31/2005: "Cozy drove me over the emergency room, and I was seen pretty quickly. When the triage nurse was taking my vitals and interrogating me about my condition, she asked, 'On a scale of one to ten, with one being very little pain at all, and ten being someone tearing your arms off, how much pain are you in?'

I told her, 'I don't know. A seven? I've never had my arms torn off so I don't really have a point of reference.' She just looked at me in disbelief, tried not to smile, shook a hear head and moved on. I can't blame her. I get that a lot."...

A bit later the doctor came back and declared me a victim of gallstones. My gallbladder was throwing rocks at my small intestine and causing all the trouble. Funny. I never realized the two of them didn't get along.

dumping syndrome

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 1 Aug 2005 22:05:00 -0400

Q: Six months ago I had my gallbladder removed and ever since then everything I eat goes right through me. Sometimes it travels so fast I can't make it to the bathroom in time! As if that isn't embarrassing enough, I also have uncontrollable flatulence. What do you suggest?

A: It sounds like you have a classic case of dumping syndrome, which is a complication of cholycystectomy (gallbladder removal). Some doctors also call this "post-cholycystectomy syndrome." The most common symptoms after gallbladder surgery are indigestion, flatulence, and bloating. Diarrhea is also fairly common.
You need to discuss these symptoms with your physician. The diarrhea probably results from bile acids being dumped into the large intestine, causing extra secretion of water and electrolytes into the intestine. This is often associated with lower abdominal cramping as well. The good news is treatment with cholestyramine (Questran or Prevalite) is often successful and is available by prescription only as a powder that you mix with orange juice or another beverage. This medicine is primarily used to treat elevated cholesterol, so a bonus benefit is that yours may be lowered as a result.

What does a gallbladder do? Is it OK to take it out?

noreply@blogger.com (Jerry) — Mon, 1 Aug 2005 22:03:00 -0400

What does a gallbladder do? Is it OK to take it out?: "Since bile is actually produced by the liver, it's possible to survive without a gallbladder, but not without unpleasant digestive tract complications. Some patients suffer from dumping syndrome, in which food is 'dumped' too quickly into the intestines from the stomach. "
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More people suffer this side effect than most doctors let on.