For those of you that have had them, what are the symptoms?

It's the only thing that worries me about this weight loss thing. And I do feel a little discomfort on my right side just below my breast plate. But it is very minor and might just be calory deficit (and the weird stuff that does) or a strained muscle from lifting too much today.

Do gallstones really hurt? I do not want to be missing something here.

For me, it started as an aching under my ribs on the right side, like a dull toothache. It felt like if I could just press hard enough on it, it would ease. It didn't, but it didn't stop me trying.

When it got worse over time, attacks started with the ache, but developed into a band from under my ribs around my side to my back back, so painful I couldn't sleep.

After about six months of that on and off, that's when I gave up on diet treatments and had the surgery.

Thanks! I'll keep my eye out to see if it gets worse.

I was diagnosed about 6 or 7 years ago but I still have my gall bladder as my dietary changes helped and I haven't had an issue in years. I ate an extremely low fat diet in the beginning which I think caused the stones. I eat low fat now but I'm careful to add fats in. The biggest change that helped was giving up animal food sources, aka going vegan. I may be an anomaly though because the attacks were triggered by very meaty, cheesy meals for me.

And an attack feels like the worst pain in your life and you feel like dying. I thought i was havin a heart attack one time. I also still felt sore for days after an attack.

I had my gallbladder out 3 years ago. I must have missed the symptoms of just having stones before it got really bad.

I went from no symptoms to screaming to my husband that I was having a heart attack. I literally could not stand into an upright position. I was in soooo much pain. We lived 3 blocks from the hospital & I was begging him to just let me walk because trying to get into the truck was so painful. I got in the truck.

I thought I was dying.

You might want to have a check up & ask your doctor so it does not get really bad. I hope you feel better soon.

I had pain for 9 years before I went to the dr about it. It was right below where the sternum ends. The pain got progressively worse, and wasn't always associated with eating, so when I had mentioned it to my dr in the past the brushed it off as stress. The pain got worse and worse. I kept getting what I thought was the flu but was really gallbladder attacks; vomiting etc. I finally was diagnosed with "many many gallstones" and was awaiting my surgery to be scheduled I had the mother of all gall attacks, went to the er, and came home with my gallbladder out. I do wish I'd have gotten it diagnosed sooner, I may have been able to avoid getting it removed. Boo to me for not inisisting on having the drs look more closely years earlier.

Thanks. No pain today but it's been useful to discuss what to look for.

I have my gallbladder still and I have gallstones. I have indigestion frequently and it's always just ever so slightly more tender under my right ribcage than the rest of my abdomen. I haven't had an attack in about 4-5 years since changing my diet to a lower fat one. Good to keep an eye on them though if you're rapidly losing weight as I know that can be a precurser to developing them (though I don't think Doctors know the exact cause and why they form).

Never hurts to see your GP about it though! I would prefer to know whether or not they're in there than waiting for an attack to know for sure. Attacks are extremely painful and most pain meds don't even touch it.

Significant weight loss can cause gallstones??? Did not know that.

I was lucky enough to never have any really painful attacks but I had heartburn and indigestion almost constantly. TMI here, but I also had to run to the bathroom about 5-10 mins after eating breakfast in the morning no matter how healthy or unhealthy my breakfast. I did some research on my own and then asked my doctor if my symptoms sounded like gallstones. She agreed that it was best to send me in for an ultrasound and I was right, gallstones!

I had my surgery scheduled for Nov 2011 and in mid Oct I started feeling just the slightest bit of aching on my right side. I called my surgeons office to ask if I should be concerned and they just happened to have a surgery opening the next day. After I came out of surgery (and came to) the surgeon said my gallbladder was almost the size of a football and he'd never seen that in someone that was NOT admitted through the ER. Guess my body has a high tolerance for pain!

"rapid" and significant. Usually this is a concern for WLS patients.

I had gallstones so badly that it gave me pancreatitis. It hurt right below my breast plate into my back. It felt like I was having a heart attack. I've had two kids seriously the stones and pancreatitis was worse. I spent a week in the hospital and still suffer from pancreatic problems. Also drinking makes it ten times worse so will smoking, spicy and fatty food. I also had severe diarrhea, heartburn, nausea and eventually could hold no food down. I ignored my symptoms for a month get checked Ian better to e safe

Oh sweet mother of all that is good and pure. I'd best not have them then! I think I am good. Weight loss plays a lot of tricks on your mind and your stomach. At least for me it does...

But I will get it checked if it comes back.

I hope you don't have them, they are awful.

Ooooh, okay. Thanks for clarifying.