At 4 years old i was diagnosed with a gall stone. This was very rare I was also born jaundiced. Over my childhood i was constantly on antibiotics. Surgeons wanted to remove my gallbladder at 6 years old but my mother decided not too. I am wheat and dairy intolerant also.
At the age of 11 i was perscibed antidepressants as I was in pain and doctors couldnt figure out what was wrong so it must be in my head. My mother refused this . We went to see a chinse acupuncture doctor and I was treated for liver stagnation. I was great until at 23 years old I opted to remove my gall bladder as I didnt want it to get infected ... even though Id only had occasional pain with a bad diet e.g. pizza .
This changed my life ...the single biggest regret of my life. From the surgery i was in constant pain constant diaroeah. I went back to the surgeon he said its normal.
It got progressively worse, i cut out gluten and dairy I was no longer having diaroeah which was great.
I was at a friends party drinking alcohol when a sudden pain came on i couldnt move or speak I went in the ambulance to hospital they gave me morphine. I was referred to a specialist but the Dhb lost it multiple times.
I stopped drinking alchol after i found it triggered severe abdominal pain... the doctors had no explanation i was treated as an alcoholic.
It was managed by this for a while. Then I started to get attacks again. I could mostly trace it back to gluten or stress . Then caffine and sugar triggered it. I ended up in hospital multiple times each time drs not knowing what was going on.
I asked the surgeon if i had SOD and he said no .
I got pregnant and had a flare up and went jaundiced. I then paid to see a specialist myself. While waiting to see him I misscarried... I was taking herbs to support the liver that can cause uterine bleeding. After seeing him he was sure I did have SOD. so he sent me for a test and it came back as type 1.
He said i could have also had this from a young age and that the pain was never actually the gallbladder.
He wanted to cut the spincter. I have not had surgery.
I am able to control it with diet. I work shift work full time and if i get an attack I take GTN spray and colofac. I have nearly been 11 months without an attack that has put me in hospital.