Gallstones

[zoseraval]

Not strictly diabetes related!

I have been diagnosed with having a "mobile" 11mm gallstone which I have been told requires surgery to remove. I have a meeting with the surgeon next week and the operation will probably take place early February.

In the meantime, I have been advised to avoid fatty foods, which is a bit difficult considering I am on a very low carb diet. I don't eat fried food but I get my fat from cheese, yogurt, nuts etc. Should I cut down on these things? Or is LCHF OK?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated please!

 

[Pumper_Sue]

In the meantime, I have been advised to avoid fatty foods, which is a bit difficult considering I am on a very low carb diet. I don't eat fried food but I get my fat from cheese, yogurt, nuts etc. Should I cut down on these things? Or is LCHF OK?

Common sense should tell you that you need to cut right back on the fats you are eating as mentioned in your post.
Obviously if you want to become very unwell then carry on as you have been doing.

 

[Leadinglights]

If people have gall stones they suffer symptoms from eating fatty foods so cutting back on those would seem sensible. You perhaps have been lucky if you have not.

 

[Lucyr]

Not strictly diabetes related!

I have been diagnosed with having a "mobile" 11mm gallstone which I have been told requires surgery to remove. I have a meeting with the surgeon next week and the operation will probably take place early February.

In the meantime, I have been advised to avoid fatty foods, which is a bit difficult considering I am on a very low carb diet. I don't eat fried food but I get my fat from cheese, yogurt, nuts etc. Should I cut down on these things? Or is LCHF OK?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated please!

Given you’ve been told to avoid fatty foods then no they aren’t okay unless you’re eating the fat free versions of yoghurt etc!

 

[zoseraval]

Looks like another diet overhaul is on the cards then. At this point I'm left wondering what exactly I CAN eat seeing as low carb was really helping my BG. I was only recently diagnosed as T2 so this is all taking a bit of getting used to :-( I guess it's lean meats and veggies going forward. Goodbye cheese.

 

[Leadinglights]

Looks like another diet overhaul is on the cards then. At this point I'm left wondering what exactly I CAN eat seeing as low carb was really helping my BG. I was only recently diagnosed as T2 so this is all taking a bit of getting used to :-( I guess it's lean meats and veggies going forward. Goodbye cheese.

Why not just stick with the low carb but go for the lower fat options, it may only need to be until you have your gall stone removed. I assume they are not removing your gall bladder which can then cause a problem with higher fat or spicy foods.

 

[zoseraval]

That's a good idea, I can cut the fat for now. They are not removing my gallbladder, no. I only found out I had a stone on Tuesday so I'm super grateful I'm able to be seen so quickly (thank you health insurance).

 

[rebrascora]

I sometimes wonder about the development of gall stones and whether our lower fat diet may actually be responsible for an increased risk of their development. I am thinking that if the gall bladder is repeatedly being depleted of it's bile contents, there is less likelihood of stones building up in it. I know that might not be appropriate logic, but just one of those things that floats into my mind occasionally. I can understand that once you have a stone then there is a risk of it being carried/squeezed out and getting stuck somewhere leading to an urgent intervention being required, so I can see why cutting the fat down at this stage will reduce the risk from the stone but just wonder if returning to your LCHF after removal might actually be beneficial rather than detrimental. Maybe something to ask your consultant or surgeon... ie why they form in the first place?

 

[zoseraval]

I sometimes wonder about the development of gall stones and whether our lower fat diet may actually be responsible for an increased risk of their development. I am thinking that if the gall bladder is repeatedly being depleted of it's bile contents, there is less likelihood of stones building up in it. I know that might not be appropriate logic, but just one of those things that floats into my mind occasionally. I can understand that once you have a stone then there is a risk of it being carried/squeezed out and getting stuck somewhere leading to an urgent intervention being required, so I can see why cutting the fat down at this stage will reduce the risk from the stone but just wonder if returning to your LCHF after removal might actually be beneficial rather than detrimental. Maybe something to ask your consultant or surgeon... ie why they form in the first place?

Exactly. I have been doing some research this afternoon and the general consensus seems to be a high fat diet is actually a good thing.

Ketogenic diet safety for pregnant wome, breast feeding wome, people on medicatio, childre, people with gallstones or those with gallbladder issues.

Ketogenic diet safety for pregnant wome, breast feeding wome, people on medicatio, childre, people with gallstones or those with gallbladder issues.

www.diabetes.co.uk

Gallstones and low carb - Diet Doctor

Gallbladder in pink Do gallstones improve or worsen on a low carb / high fat diet? It’s a common question with an interesting answer. The gallbladder stores bile, a yellow-green fluid manufactured in the liver. The bile is used to digest the fat you eat. The question is: Is it good or bad for the...

www.dietdoctor.com

There's alot of info out there that suggests the opposite of what I've been told... it's confusing.

Still, I'm going to take it easy until I see the surgeon next week though. My doctor has recommended low fat and he's the expert. I did have high cholesterol (now back to normal levels) so maybe that is what caused the stone to develop in the first place. Pre LCHF my diet was pretty shameful and had been for a long time, plus I was a heavy drinker.

I fully accept that I'm the one that got myself into this mess and it's about time I listened to what my body needs and make positive changes!

 

[Leadinglights]

Exactly. I have been doing some research this afternoon and the general consensus seems to be a high fat diet is actually a good thing.

Ketogenic diet safety for pregnant wome, breast feeding wome, people on medicatio, childre, people with gallstones or those with gallbladder issues.

Ketogenic diet safety for pregnant wome, breast feeding wome, people on medicatio, childre, people with gallstones or those with gallbladder issues.

www.diabetes.co.uk

Gallstones and low carb - Diet Doctor

Gallbladder in pink Do gallstones improve or worsen on a low carb / high fat diet? It’s a common question with an interesting answer. The gallbladder stores bile, a yellow-green fluid manufactured in the liver. The bile is used to digest the fat you eat. The question is: Is it good or bad for the...

www.dietdoctor.com

There's alot of info out there that suggests the opposite of what I've been told... it's confusing.

Still, I'm going to take it easy until I see the surgeon next week though. My doctor has recommended low fat and he's the expert. I did have high cholesterol (now back to normal levels) so maybe that is what caused the stone to develop in the first place. Pre LCHF my diet was pretty shameful and had been for a long time, plus I was a heavy drinker.

I fully accept that I'm the one that got myself into this mess and it's about time I listened to what my body needs and make positive changes!

It may be that the gallstone formed when your cholesterol was high as they are mostly composed of cholesterol. They often only get diagnosed when the block the bile duct and cause unpleasant or dangerous symptoms.

 

[zoseraval]

It may be that the gallstone formed when your cholesterol was high as they are mostly composed of cholesterol. They often only get diagnosed when the block the bile duct and cause unpleasant or dangerous symptoms.

I had an abdominal scan which showed fatty liver and the stone. It's 11mm which sounds pretty big but I honestly have no idea! I've not had any symptoms at all (as yet) so I am very lucky in that it was picked up and they can do something about it.

 

[mikeyB]

I shouldn't worry about an 11mm stone if it is in isolation. Its far too big to even enter the biliary duct, let alone get stuck there (which is an emergency situation). That's why you've not had symptoms. I tend to agree with @Pumper_Sue, you have to keep the bile moving, so as its job is to help with fatty foods, just go back to your normal diet after your op.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Exactly. I have been doing some research this afternoon and the general consensus seems to be a high fat diet is actually a good thing.

Ketogenic diet safety for pregnant wome, breast feeding wome, people on medicatio, childre, people with gallstones or those with gallbladder issues.

Ketogenic diet safety for pregnant wome, breast feeding wome, people on medicatio, childre, people with gallstones or those with gallbladder issues.

www.diabetes.co.uk

Gallstones and low carb - Diet Doctor

Gallbladder in pink Do gallstones improve or worsen on a low carb / high fat diet? It’s a common question with an interesting answer. The gallbladder stores bile, a yellow-green fluid manufactured in the liver. The bile is used to digest the fat you eat. The question is: Is it good or bad for the...

www.dietdoctor.com

There's alot of info out there that suggests the opposite of what I've been told... it's confusing.

Still, I'm going to take it easy until I see the surgeon next week though. My doctor has recommended low fat and he's the expert. I did have high cholesterol (now back to normal levels) so maybe that is what caused the stone to develop in the first place. Pre LCHF my diet was pretty shameful and had been for a long time, plus I was a heavy drinker.

I fully accept that I'm the one that got myself into this mess and it's about time I listened to what my body needs and make positive changes!

To be fair, you have found too very erm, "forward" low carb sites.
I doubt they would suggest anything else.
And if you do actually read the link in the first article, it's completely out of context.
It refers to the rapid weight loss from low fat diets, which that site doesn't especially support.

"Diet and gallstones
In the past, people with gallstones who weren't suitable for surgery were sometimes advised to adopt a very low-fat diet to stop the gallstones growing.
But recent evidence suggests this isn't helpful because rapid weight loss resulting from a very low-fat diet can actually cause gallstones to grow.
This means that if surgery isn't recommended or you want to avoid having an operation, it's advisable to adopt a healthy, balanced diet based on The Eatwell Guide.
This involves eating a variety of foods, including moderate amounts of fat, and having regular meals.
A healthy diet won't cure gallstones or completely eliminate your symptoms, but it can improve your general health and help control pain caused by gallstones."

The second link is in the same style, rapid weight loss low fat diets.

Having said that, low fat is my diet of choice, no issues at all.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

A good study on gall bladder emptying, which puts paid to high fat meals being needed.

A healthy gall bladder will empty in ten minutes, with just 10g of fat.
300ml glass of milk.
I'm on a 800 calorie tesco shake diet at the moment, so at around 5g a shake, I turn over my gall bladder at least twice a day.

Gall bladder emptying in normal subjects--a data base for clinical cholescintigraphy.

Biliary excretion scintigraphy with a cholagogic test meal may be used to assess patients with suspected disorders of gall bladder motility. The interpretation of results is frustrated, however, by the lack of information about the range of normal responses ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An interesting study, showing different responses in gallbladders, to a "normal" meal.
Emptying before even the start of the meal in some cases.

https://gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/32/11/1406.full.pdf

 

[Hepato-pancreato]

As a chronic pancreatitis sufferer, which starts with acute pancreatitis. Symptoms you can experience from gallstones is acute pancreatitis. Not what i recomend to endure. ( fellow sufferer on same ward said she would prefer to have a baby everyday of the week than suffer from this). i have to follow low fat diet due to this. Prevention is better than the cure so i would follow a low fat diet.

 

[Drummer]

A low fat diet means that the gall bladder is never emptied and so it is conducive to forming stones.
I have had many episodes of pain after abandoning yet another low fat diet and returning to what is normal for me. Fortunately the stones must have been small and were pushed out but the pain was memorable.
If there is a stone that requires an operation then eating low fat whilst waiting is safest, but afterwards normal amounts of fat in the diet will cause the gall bladder to empty - assuming you still have one.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

A low fat diet means that the gall bladder is never emptied and so it is conducive to forming stones.
I have had many episodes of pain after abandoning yet another low fat diet and returning to what is normal for me. Fortunately the stones must have been small and were pushed out but the pain was memorable.
If there is a stone that requires an operation then eating low fat whilst waiting is safest, but afterwards normal amounts of fat in the diet will cause the gall bladder to empty - assuming you still have one.

That does seem to be said repeatedly in some circles. Do you have the ultrasound or MRI studies that show that, or is it a Chinese whisper?
Because it seems the actual studies that do measure gall bladder emptying debunk that, ever to the extent the gall bladder can empty before eating food.
However, you seem to be very unfortunate on diets compared to many people.