Hello,
I'm not sure whether I'm on the right board for this (and if not, please point me in the right direction; which one is the medical board?), but has anyone had any experience with gallstones? I recently had a blood test that indicated some elevated liver enzymes, and my doctor (Dr. Drossman at UNC) wants to do a CT scan for gallstones. I don't have any of the major risk factors, e.g., I'm not overweight and I exercise a lot. However, I do eat a lot of refined sugar and carbohydrates, and have actually increased my intake of white breads, pastas, and other carbs and sugars since following the IBS diet. I have read that eating a lot of sugar can increase the risk of gallstones due to its stimulation of increased cholesterol in the bile duct.
One of my most debilitating symptoms, which I and my Dr. have always attributed to IBS, has been abdominal pain that wakes me up in the middle of the night and lasts for up to 18 hours. Some people on the IBS boards have observed that this symptom (particularly the fact that it wakes me from a deep sleep at night) is not normal for IBS and can be a red flag for other conditions. However, my pain does start in the lower abdomen, and gallstone pain generally starts in the upper abdomen, usually on the right side (where the gall bladder lives).
Anyway, I guess I'll find out after my scan, but if anyone can shed some light on this in the meantime, I'd appreciate it. If I do have gallstones, at least something can be done and maybe I'll eventually feel better (although perhaps at increased D risk -- ugh!). I hope it's nothing more serious (and it could be a big nothing).
Thanks,
Kristy
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Gallstones?
