My fiancée suffers from these from time to time, so she asked me to writ an article about it, so we could learn more together. Quite simply, a gall bladder attack is a sporadic pain under the right side of the ribcage. This pain will often spread to the right shoulder and the back and can be excruciating in nature. 

My fiancée's doctor told her not to worry, so long as the attacks were short, but we have decided to learn more about this condition, as there are some serious health risks involved with ignoring the symptoms. As such, I'm here to share with you what we have learned, with the hope the information will help you as it has helped us.

Before continuing on, I want to throw a word out to the wise. If you are reading this because you believe you are having a gall bladder attack, but you haven't confirmed it with a doctor yet, then please, skip down to the symptoms list and if you are experiencing those symptoms, have someone drive you to receive medical assistance. A gall bladder attack is nothing to mess with, as it can be a life threatening issue.

Now, I didn't add that to scare anyone, but I most certainly don't want anyone ignoring the need to seek medical attention, because they were too busy reading my article. Again, if you are experiencing the symptoms and haven't spoke to your doctor yet, then the time to do so is now.

The main symptom is pain below the ribs on the right side that often radiates to the back, the right shoulder, or between the shoulder blades. If you are experiencing this kind of pain your doctor will want to know how long you have been experiencing it and how often. This pain can also be accompanied by nausea or vomiting, making an already unpleasant situation even more so.

Some minor symptoms you might experience are: gas, belching, indigestion, and abdominal bloating.

These are a nuisance, at best, but there are more severe symptoms that could occur: jaundice (a yellowing of the eyes and skin), persistent pain, fever, chills and sweating. If you are experiencing these symptoms along with your attack, then you need to make your doctor aware, as they could denote a more serious condition.

A change in diet is the most recommended plan of action:

1. don't eat fried or fatty foods 
2. avoid red meat
3. stay away from binge and purge diets
4. don't drink carbonated drinks
5. eat smaller meals throughout the day

1. eat more fiber
2. take fish oil capsules (also knows as Omega 3 oils)
3. take vitamin E (unless you are currently taking an anticoagulant)

Absolutely! And it's not good when this happens. This is why a diet modification is often recommended, to keep things from going this far. If the pain continues, even with the new diet in-place, then it's time to consider surgery as an option.

It's not as bad as you think. Due to advances in medical science, the gall bladder is now typically removed by a procedure called laparoscopic cholcystectomy, which is a surgery by which small cuts in the abdomen so they gall bladder can be extracted. In 90% of all cases, this relieves all of the symptoms, allowing the patient to return to a productive life.

Typical recovery time from this surgery is 3 to ten days, but you can experience extreme fatigue for up to a month. Still, having gone through so much pain, you can see this as the road leading to better days, as the worst is probably behind you; however, if the symptoms return, be sure to let your doctor know right away.

Rose Mary of Hubpages brought this intersting cure to my attention. Some might want to try it as a possible alternative to surgery:

"I had no significant typical GB symptoms, but my chiropractor thought I had GB issues. I drank a disgusting mixture of 6 oz Coke classic, 6 oz olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon. Within 12 hrs or so, I passed a gazillion green gall stones in an array of sizes. I had no pain during any of this process. Possibly because gallstones are actually soft. I've done this cleanse one additional time since because I passed so many stones the first time.

My brother and his boss have had several episodes of kidney stones. They now take a product called Phospholiquid by Standard Process, also from this chiropractor, when they have symptoms of yet another stone. For his boss who has been to the hospital as an inpatient several times, well let’s just say she’s sold."

Thanks Rose Mary!

Below you will find some links that were very helpful during my research, and I hope they will provide further information that will be helpful. Remember, you only get one shot at life, so you need to make the most of it by taking care of yourself.

Here are the links I promised: