Rapid Weight Loss Increases the Risk of Gallstones

If you have symptoms of bile stones, you should consult a doctor immediately.

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The German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases warned that rapid weight loss increases the risk of bile stones.

To avoid this risk, weight should be gradually reduced under the supervision of a therapeutic nutritionist and if necessary, drugs can be used to prevent the formation of stones.

Bile stones are one of the most common gastrointestinal problems, mainly due to a disturbance in the mixture of bile components produced by the liver. Eighty percent of the bile juice is made up of water. It also contains cholesterol, bile acids, and some other substances. In case of increased secretion of cholesterol or other substances, they can be deposited in the form of crystals that lead to the formation of stones.

The doctor should be consulted immediately after the symptoms of bile stones, which are characterized by severe pain and cramps in the abdomen on the right or upper abdomen in the area between the diaphragm and the stomach. These pains can last between 15 minutes to five hours continuously, an d they may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

It should be noted that four out of five bile stones are caused by abnormally high levels of cholesterol in the gallbladder. This excess cholesterol is gradually isolated to form the gallstone. A smaller portion is caused by high levels of bilirubin (red and yellow pigment found in urine, blood, and bile) and can be as large as a golf ball, although most are much smaller.

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