Stomach Problems

[Banana]

Hi there,

I have posted before but I'm a little more concerned now for my mum! :(

She started the Atkins diet two weeks ago. She is being very good and sticking to the rules, if anything, some day she does not eat enough for her BMR. But that aside - a few days after starting this diet she developed pains in her stomach, sort of just below the rib cage, like a stone sitting there. It is present after she eats and then reduces to a dull ache in between, sometimes she wakes up with the pain.

She used to have this pain after eating very greasy foods before the diet, and also after eating bbq'd food.

Also she says she isn't loosing weight as you would expect during induction, although her scales aren't very good so I wouldn't take that too seriously, she says she's lost 4cm from her waist!!!

If she goes to her doc he'll probably say cooky diet, stop it it's bad for you!!! :rolleyes: , but then again, are there some people who just cannot tolerate the amount of fat needed on this diet? She doesn't fry things, just gets the fat from olive oil, butter, mayo that sort of stuff.

Is this potential gall bladder problems, indigestion, heartburn or what, surely it can't be detoxing after two weeks, especially if it's a pain she has had already in the past.

Any medical people out there, I'd love a chat please.

Thanks
Banana :wave:

[tlawson]

Hello,

I have described this to some of the docs that I work with and they agree that it sounds like gallbladder problems - although it is hard to know without actually seeing. I would suggest going to see her GP. People who have dieted previously can have a tendency to have gallstones, and the added fat/protein in l/c eating can aggravate the condition for some people. I believe in Protein Power the Eades have some suggestions on how to deal with this - I'm at work so I don't have my copy with me.

Theresa :wave:

[Banana]

Hi Theresa,

Thanks for replying to my post, I'm very grateful. I have a copy of PP and PPLP so I will look it up to see if some light can be shed on this.

I've read up on it, and it doesn't really go into any great detail, it just says that if you suffer from one of the disorders they list, including gallbladder disease, then you should start at Intervention level until the disorder has disappeared. So by what they say she should continue, but maybe she should see her doctor, there's no telling what he will say!!!!! :rolleyes:

If there is any more info out there please let me know. :D

Thanks
Banana :wave:

[Lisa N]

Banana...

Sure sounds like a gallbladder problem to me, especially given that she has had it in the past and the foods that tend to aggravate it. Your mum needs to go see her doctor for bloodwork and an ultrasound. I had my gallbladder removed when I was 30 after a terribly painful attack on New Years day (took 3 doses of IV Demerol to get the pain under control just so they could do the ultrasound). I had been having some pains after eating for a few months, but that was by far the worst attack. I have had no problems living without a gallbladder or even low carbing without it....the higher levels of fat don't bother me a bit. The surgery was a breeze (they did mine by laparoscopy and I was back to work in 5 days) and I even got pregnant 3 weeks afterwards! LOL In the mean time, your mum can continue to low carb but she should avoid foods that seem to make things worse (high fat, caffeine and spicy foods for sure). Definitely get her to her doctor, though. She shouldn't try to live with it...it likely isn't going to go away if it is her gallbladder and it could develop into something more serious if it isn't treated.

[mythreeson]

my friend says get off that stupid diet or it will ruin your kidneys and gallbladder. i just smile lol

[Lisa N]

Mythreeson...

Good response! LOL In actuality...it's low fat diets that seem to cause the most gallstones. When your gallbladder doesn't have to work, the bile salts concentrate in the gallbladder and eventually form stones. It won't hurt healthy kidneys, either. There has never been a study done that shows that it does. It's just something that's been repeated so often everyone assumes that it MUST be written down somewhere.

Banana....did you ever get your mum to the doctor? Is she doing okay?

[Oldsalty]

There is an article at Dr Mercola's site on the subject of gall stones, here is the intro to the article.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may raise a woman's likelihood of developing gallstones.

A gallstone can develop when bile, cholesterol, calcium salts and other substances come together to form a mass in the gallbladder, the tiny sac tucked under the liver that stores bile. Gallstones often exist without causing symptoms, but surgery is sometimes necessary when the stones cause severe pain.

Researchers studied more than 13,000 middle-aged women who enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer in 1993. The investigators followed up on the women an average of 3 years later and found that 58 of those women had developed gallstones.

The full article is here.
http://www.mercola.com/2002/jun/5/estrogen_gallstone.htm

[Banana]

Hi all,

Thanks for all the info.

Up until about 2 weeks ago my mum was still getting the pain. She has not given up on the LC eating, and is really doing extremely well, she doesn't know how much she has lost in weight because her scales don't work, and she's not so bothered anyway, but her clothes are much looser and she'd down a couple of dress sizes.!!!!! Which is fab, she does look good!

And, praise God, the pain has disappeared as I said about 2-3 weeks ago, and has not recurred, so maybe it was her body getting used to this way of eating.

Over here, it's not so easy to get your bloodworks done, the doctor's don't do it unless you're dying or something!!!! But I think she's still keen to pay privately and get her cholesterol tested just out of interest.

Thanks again for all you concern and advice.

Ivana