Recently, my husband had to have his gallbladder removed after a sudden attack which we thought was a heart problem. Thankfully, albeit painfully, it was discovered that his gallbladder had 4-5 stones inside which needed to be removed. His were mainly on the small side, but they can range from tiny up to the size of a golf ball. My grandmother had one removed in her middle age that was the size of a quarter and perfectly round, which the doctors gave to her to keep. That still sits on her dressing table inside a clear plastic bottle all these years later. Yikes!
There are 2 main kinds of gallstones – cholesterol and pigment gallstones. Many people are susceptible to gallstones as a result of heredity, but people will most commonly develop them as a result of a poor diet and/or obesity. My grandmother’s “conversation” stone is gray, black and brown in color which our research suggests that it must be the pigment stone type consisting of Bilirubin.
For over a year, he had been experiencing a deathly and sour taste in his mouth that could not be abated. The flavor was a mixture of the smell of death, metallic and bloody. The closest remedy to the bad taste in his mouth came in the form of Minute Maid Light lemonade, Icebreakers sugar free lemon flavored chewing gum or actual lemon juice, which he despises.
He had been researching on the internet, spoken to doctors and read articles on medical reasons for bad breath. This symptom is linked to a host of several major diseases such as gum disease, cancer and liver disease; however, no one linked it to a gallbladder issue at the time he was doing his research.
After his laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgery, he had to undergo a secondary surgery via endoscopy. The gallstones had wedged themselves into his bile duct just outside the organ. After this was done a day later, he experienced the same excruciating pain as the original gallbladder attack. We thought he was truly having a heart attack (since he no longer had the gallbladder) or that he had developed an infection after the endoscopic removal which was a possible side effect. After a nightmarishly long stay at the emergency room, several scans and bloodwork…it was deduced that he hadn’t developed an infection and that he probably passed another small gallstone after the endoscopic procedure. Since the remaining stones were of miniscule size in the bile duct, the endoscopic surgery had apparently dislodged another small undetected stone from that duct.
Now that he has healed from his surgeries, he is no longer experiencing any pain. He does sometimes have issues with diarrhea after eating a fatty food such as bacon, pizza or tacos though. So be mindful of the time period after you eat a rich or fatty meal, should you need facilities. Another benefit of the surgery is that the long suffered foul taste is gone. The doctors couldn’t tell him with certainty the gallbladder issue is what the cause of the disgusting taste was, but he is certain of it now. After dealing with that taste for over a year without relief and now having it suddenly disappeared without recurrence- the gallbladder removal seems to have solved that problem.
If anyone out there is experiencing this issue, please visit your doctor to inquire about testing your gallbladder for stones. My husband had an x-ray and the dye test performed to determine if it was in fact gallstones causing his pain. Those tests are simple, while it can be quite uncomfortable sitting in the waiting room for long periods while experiencing pains from having the stones.
This surgical procedures are way less invasive than they used to be, as they make a small incision in your belly button to remove the organ rather than opening your whole stomach up, which leaves massive scarring. Most people do not have to have subsequent endoscopic stone removal (also done through the belly button incision). My husband was an exception due to his stones already descending into the bile duct which could have caused terrible complications if passed further along into the Pancreas.
Since making this connection to the taste problem, we wanted to put the word out there. We have now discovered a few articles on the internet suggesting this. A recently published list of symptoms and homeopathic cleanse alternatives to surgery.
Do not wait long to see your doctor! The gallbladder may be small and disregarded as a largely unimportant organ, but when it goes bad you will feel it like a ton of bricks in your chest and shoulder blades! Best of luck to you. Take care!
I couldn’t resist this little cartoon below, as I make handmade jewelry and appreciate the unique beads and charms that I collect from all over. I don’t EVER want to make “gut gems” though. hahaha
Thank you so much for sharing your husband’s story. I’ve had a terrible metallic taste in my mouth for weeks and it’s driving me crazy. I’ve also had vomiting attacks and have had my gall bladder tested. The lab tech was pretty sure he saw stones, but said the doctor would have to look at the results and tell me. I go see him tomorrow. Hopefully they can just remove my gall bladder and the taste will go away.
Hi, Laurie. I am so sorry to read about your attacks. I hope that you’ve now received your results and will be able to get a fast resolution to become healthier and happier. Best wishes & thanks so much for reading and commenting on my blog post!
Hi Monica
I am so glad to read your post. I have had terrible taste in my mouth for o er 3 years now. Recently I finally got a scan to reveal
Gallstones and inflammation. On Monday I am having my gallbladder removed so am hopeful of some relief with discomfort in my stomach on the right side and most importantly the bad taste. Praying for a resolution. Sarah. Ps I’ll keep you posted
I’m happy this article helped you some and I wish you the best after your surgery today! I responded to your other comment, but wanted to thank you for letting me know you found something useful on my site even if it was off-topic to my handmade jewelry stuff that I do here. I’m glad that I did post it. I never had a clue anyone would ever see it, but so many people have sent me messages and I’m very happy to have offered some insight into my hubby’s experience with his removal. Sparkle on!
Hi Thank you to sharing your story I have a pain for more than a year and i have my scan which showed a have a big stone but my Gp said that this is not the cause of my bad test and pain in my upper right back shoulder 🙁
that said is acid reflux and gave me omeoprazole but I don’t feel any better. thanks your experience help me to comeback to my gp and show your line .
Many thanks
You’re very welcome, Mariela. I hope that by now you have gotten some relief from a 2nd opinion of your doctors and are now more comfortable. This was a harrowing experience for my hubby and me since we were initially thinking it was a heart attack. We’d been all over Google and asking doctors about thoughts on that bad taste, long before the gallbladder episode even hit and nothing connected the two at that time. Lots of other suggestions, but none for the GB. So, I’m glad I wrote the article since I’ve now heard back from several others who have confirmed similar issues leading to the same result and thought the info was helpful here. I hope it might help others, such as yourself. I am hoping I never have to worry with my GB, based on my husband’s situation. Not a fun road to travel. Thanks again for reading my blog post and commenting. Take care!
Your description of the foul taste hit home with me! A week ago I landed in E.R. with horrible pain. After a few tests , morphine and some nausea meds, I was advised to see my GP which I did. he set me up for an ultrasound which I now have to wait two weeks for. I’m miserable, but now I know much more than I did before reading your blog. Thank you so much.
Oh, Kathy, I’m so sorry for the trauma of dealing with the ER and that pain. My husband thought he had a heart attack and I was so scared for him. I am surprised they are waiting 2 weeks on that ultrasound though. They are usually pretty quick on that. I’ve now had to get an ultrasound for my own potential gall bladder issue and they were fast to get me in, despite all this pandemic mess. Please take care and I wish you well.
I have experienced this for over 2 yrs and know I have gallstones but doctors wont remove the gallbladder as no need AND they have not connected the 2 issues 😩 I need to figure out how to convince them to treat it as such. Thank you.
I’m so sorry, Karen! I hope that you have, by now, been able to get results with your physician and have either proceeded with removal or found some effective treatment. Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting. Happy New & Healthy Year!
I know I have a gallstone and have been wondering about that taste in my mouth for almost 2 weeks now. I started tasting it after my last galstone attack. Since I am away from home I have to wait untill December to have my procedure…I hope I won’t have another attack before that…the last one I have lasted for hours with a combination of acid reflux…
I’m so sorry you’re experiencing that! My husband had so much pain from his situation, but now he is much better! He no longer has that strange taste either. So, it must have been related although several others I know with their gallbladder removed didn’t have a strange taste. Go figure. Take care and best wishes to you!
This has been very helpful. For about a year everything tast and smells like fish. And when i eat my chest burn real bad and problems with my bowels and the drs say its all in my head and have not checked my gallbladder. They just check my heart cause i have had two heart attacks in the past. But when it comes back not my heart they send me home and tell me i am fine. But i no i am not fine
I’m so sorry for your health issues, especially right now with all the virus concerns. Please stay safe. Thanks for letting me know this information for was helpful. My hubby is still not having the taste anymore now that he’s without his gallbladder after several years. Best wishes to you.
OMG at last I have a reason why I have a horrible taste in my mouth! For over a year I noticed it but it was more prominent just before I had what I suspect to be a problem with my Gall Bladder. I had excessive burping, pain in the right side of my tummy, pain in my shoulder blades, dark amber urine and glazed eyes.
My GP is sending me for blood tests and I will have another Ultrasound but by the time I will have them, I will probably be better and nothing will show up. I read this can be hereditary so at least now thank to you Monica I am forearmed if I have problems again.
Wow, Sylvia, thank you so much for sharing your story with me! I’m so sorry that you’ve been experiencing this problem. It’s been a long time now, but my husband has not had anymore issues now after his gall bladder was removed. So, if this is the cause for your discomfort and it can be handled accordingly without any further issues, I’m so happy for you to have read this little post. Sparkle on!
Google liver flush. It works.
Cool tip. Thanks. He’s had his gall bladder out for a few years now, but maybe some of those discovering this article can try the flush first and rule that out. Take care.
You can also do the flush to clean the liver. Andreas Moritz is one of the experts.
“Try the flush first and RULE THAT OUT”. Why such negativity? I’d “rule out” anything else. As I said, it does work.
I’m not exactly sure why you think my reply was negative or did I miss another person’s comment somewhere? lol. I was thanking you for the flush tip. This article was written 5 years ago and is solely based on my husband’s medical emergency that arose which prompted his surgeries and discovery of the gall bladder issue. This was also at a time when Google didn’t have much helpful info regarding the taste being linked to anything of what resulted in his case. So, I hope that helps clear up whatever you thought my reply meant. I’m all for flushing anything to rule out having surgery, but this was my husband’s experience at the time. I only offer sparkles and helpful info here. No meanness. lol
I’ve had the same horrible taste and just got my gallbladder out. How long until he noticed it was gone?
Hi, Lainee. I’m sorry you’ve struggled with this, but hope you’re feeling much better now. It was pretty instant. I believe it was within the week that he stopped noticing the taste and hasn’t had it since. Best wishes!
Thank you for sharing your husband’s experience. I had an excruciating atrack a few weeks ago, thought it was heart attack, since then have had a ‘blood, sweat and tears ‘ taste in my mouth. I have been diagnosed with gallstones a couple of years ago. Hope it gets sorted one way or tge other soon.
Hi, Sally. I sure hope you get that sorted quickly. It’s definitely not a pleasant situation. Take care and sparkle on!
I have the terrible taste which showed ketones in my urine (ketosis/ketoacidosis) which causes the acetone/metallic taste along with indigestion, burping, abdominal fullness, back pain but I have a gallbladder ultrasound scheduled this week! I am hoping it’s just gallstones and will clear with the removal of the gallbladder. I truly can’t live with this taste in my mouth……it’s just awful!
It’s such a terrible situation to be in and I feel for you on that. I hope that your ultrasound comes back with good news, although it’s difficult to think of losing a gallbladder as good news. I completely get what you mean though. My husband has experienced some tummy issues after eating bacon or some fatty foods, but otherwise, it was what fixed his issue. Best wishes to you and heal quickly!
Thanks for your post Monica
Gallbladder surgery on Monday after 3 years of terrible taste issues and tummy pain. Fingers crossed and hoping for the best. Your article is a beacon of hope! Thanks Sarah
Oh wow, Sarah! I’m so sorry for your discomfort over the last 3 years, but I do hope that you find a pain-free life after the surgery. It always astounds me how so many people find this article when I’m a handmade jewelry maker. Just goes to show that lots of people are dealing with this issue. Thankfully, with the exception of a few oddball occurrences with sudden bathroom visits after eating bacon or something fatty like a hamburger, my husband has been doing extremely well since his gallbladder removal. I’ve begun to experience some pains and do have gallstones of my own, but after doing a series of tests where my gallbladder showed it’s still producing bile correctly…I wasn’t recommended to have mine removed. So, I just keep on hoping it stays that way because I don’t want any kind of surgery, as I’m a little chicken. lol. Take care and heal well!
Thank you Lisa
I just had day surgery so am home already now in London U.K. Hopefully will feel better once I get over the anaesthetic which makes you feel a little nauseous! Praying it’s the help I’ve been hoping for. Thanks again for posting your article. Clearly it has been important for lots of people. Sparkle on! Sarah
I am now a MASSIVE advocate for the gallbladder cleanse a couple people have mentioned.
I went to the ER for what I thought was a heart attack, turned out it was a gallbladder attack. It wasn’t bad enough for surgery but the ultrasound showed lots of sludge. Over the next year I frequently experienced gallbladder related pains and a bad taste in my mouth which is a rather unpleasant way to exist. I finally tried “The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush” and I passed a ton of sludge (small green cholesterol stones about the size of rice -> pea which float in the toilet). I passed literally hundreds of those sludge stones. After it was all said and done the bad taste in my mouth vanished and the related pains have dramatically decreased.
Do NOT do anything based off of my summary here (you must look up the full directions)- but the main parts of the gallbladder flush entail:
– Juice with malic acid over a week to prep the gallbladder (tart cherry, apple)
– Flush night step 1: Drink Epsom salt water (apparently it contracts gallbladder, dilates bile ducts, and is a laxative which will quickly clear out your guts)
– Flush night step 2 (2hr later): Drink Epsom salt water again, it tastes horrible btw
– Flush night step 3 (another 2hr later): drink a big glass of olive oil / grapefruit juice and lay down for the night (this drink will heavily trigger your gallbladder)
– Flush morning: Epson salt water, 2hrs later Epsom salt water again
The only negative thing I experienced was the next day I ate a big piece of Costco pizza (I was rather excited for the maiden voyage of my new gallbladder) and my gallbladder had some numbness over and hour or so which is a symptom of passing a small stone in the bile duct while its not dilated. Been absolutely fantastic since tho. Wasn’t anything that a greasy piece of Costco pizza couldn’t take care of!
I’m glad your experience gave you relief, as this is a horrible experience to endure for a long time. Best of luck.
So I’m a 56 year old male in the UK. Around 7 years ago I started getting abdominal pain. Mainly central in position and around the belly button area. I started to wonder if medication for my controlled epilepsy could be a factor as I had been taking it for over 40 years and the later variant was slow release and had no enteric coating which helps to prevent stomach upset. With this in mind I changed the meds but to no avail. Over the last years I have undergone 2 colonoscopy and 2 gastroscopy visits to the hospital with no diagnosis given other than irritable bowel. This would consistently annoy me as I have never had diarrhoea and tell the specialists this, only for the reports to come back. Reason for colonoscopy: Diarrhoea. Aarrgh!!
This past year I spent most of the year with builders in, (very stressful) but no significant tummy issues. During this time I underwent another test this time drinking litre upon litre of trace element and then into an MRI scanner to check on the lower bowel function. This left me in agony afterwards, waiting for an ambulance that would not come before depositing the litres of trace element in 20 minutes of excruciating pain on the toilet. Specialist report: Irritable bowel! Then, come September with builders gone and no stress I found myself laid low. Diarrhoea on a couple of occasions and seemingly held together by Immodium , the pain under my ribcage and just to the right as I look down is back! This is very noticeable when I eat. Oh and did I mention that I too have had that foul taste in my mouth for over a year. It comes and goes but was diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome. More scans on pancreas a year ago too. My sanity is barely intact to say the least. I just want answers. So to my doctor again. My previous GP seems to suggest it is again IBS and she cannot help me any further. Time for a new GP. Having read your article and further investigation I think could it be Gallbladder? I take your article to the GP who dismisses it out of hand. An argument ensues but I get my way and now await another ultrasound scan just before Christmas. I have back pain, pain under ribs and also have been getting debilitating headaches through the right eye which I have read can also possibly be attributed to Gallbladder pain. In fact, some 18 years ago I spent a night in hospital with what was suggested could be gallstones and the pain was awful! So I await my next scan now on a month old gluten, wheat and caffeine free diet. This has helped the pain under the ribs somewhat but I am noticing that the treat of a bacon sandwich on Sunday and rost dinner doesn’t sit well with my body at all. The last word came from my GP and gastro specialist who both seem intent on me trying another Triptylene drug which I don’t want to do. The last one, Amytriptyline left me dribbling like a baby, unable to get my head off the pillow. Assured by my so called specialists it may help the stomach issues as it is stressed. Would it be any surprise to find that I may be just a tad stressed too.
Pete.
I’m so sorry for this very long stretch of years with what your doctors should be willing to review- your gallbladder. I’ll be hopeful that the Christmas scans will yield what you need to make a final decision on it. It’s so irritating to continually experience things that Dr. Google and real doctors want to say is anywhere from a tooth problem to full on cancer, then turns out to be the gallbladder. I’m not a doctor, but researching is helpful for issues so I can feel like I have some sort of handle on how to discuss with my doctors. Good luck to you.