Stomach Problems After Gall bladder removed

[NASCAR38]

I had my Gall Bladder removed 3 years Ago And I still Cant Eat Like Normal People I hate to go out to Eat or go to Someone's house to eat I never know If I if my Stomach will get upset and I have to run to the bathroom :rolleyes: I stomach will hurt and Cramp BAD . I had a Banana Milkshake last night BIG MISTAKE :rolleyes: I've had a Upper and Lower GI And Scope Everything looks Fine My Doctor Said that The problem is My Body has to get Use to Working without A Gall bladder . Good God it's been 3 years :eek: how Long does it Take ?? I hope i didnt Gross Anyone out .. Anyone Else have this Problem ??

[captorquewrench]

you can't digest fat or greae like you could before. gall aids in the digestion of these things, and removing the gall bladder can really affect how you digest, or DONT digest fatty things. been there, done that.

try going as low-fat as possible. it helps me alot, but i also have IBS, so it doesn't completely take care of the problem.

most likely, nothing ever will.

[nosamiam]

I know how you feel it's been over 2 years for me and I have to stay away from some foods now.

[DBackFan]

That does not sound common at all. I had mine out years ago and ate what I wanted right off the bat. Hope you get some relief but I would keep bugging the dr or find a new one.

[Blackerose]

I had mine out 23 years ago. Your body has no place to store bile anymore so if you eat fatty foods you will have problems. I still have to watch what I eat.

[ajksmom]

I know how ya feel also. I had mine out almost 5 years ago and have the exact same problem. My mom over 25 years and has the exact same problem. I used to laugh at her about it but I DON'T ANYMORE...

[mlathroum]

Had mine out in Feb. I also have problems. I also have IBS and severe regurg/reflux. I have to watch everything I eat. I am not perfect though. Ice Cream is too much of an attraction and I know it kills me everytime.

[WitchyGurl]

Have you been tested for lactose intolerance?
You could very well have it, the symptoms are right and dairy products are in everything now days.
I hope you get better, I'll send healing energies that way!
Blessed Be!

[cpbaby]

I had mine out almost 14 yrs ago. I STILL have that problem.


oh well, I wont EVER have to worry about being constipated. :D

[odyssey]

{{{{{NASCAR38}}}}}
you poor thing I am sorry.

[DBackFan]

Well I must be the lucky one because I had problems BEFORE my surgery but none after. My Dr said I can eat anything I want and I think I took him to literally! LOL

I eat greasy, fatty, spicy, milky whathaveyou and no problems at all. Mine has been out for 13 yrs but no problems ever. I'm so sorry most of you do.

**of course I had sex 2 weeks after a hysterectomy...lol**

[allyson101]

I have the same problems that you have. We cannot go out to eat or anything....it drives me crazy and I can't drink but a half cup of coffee,,,been six years for me and I finally asked my doctor. he gave me prescription for it. I haven't gotten it filled yet but I can't read it. Looks like Colestid ???? Wish I could be more help, cause I need it myself...Ally

[Ashlee]

I had mine out in March 2002, I had problems for a few months, but my body adjusted quickly. Also I am on a low carb diet now and eat alot of fat, meat and protein and my stomach functions the same.
As for your gallbladder being gone, your body should adjust in other ways, thats what my surgen told me, so far he was right. I would contact my surgeon.

[LunaChick]

OMG, You guys are scaring me. I'm getting mine out very soon. Is this what I have to look forward to? lol

[cch]

My grandmother had her's removed in the fall last year and she now has food allergies. She never knows when it'll happen or from what exactly, sometimes meat, sometimes cheese, sometimes veggies and then maybe the next time she eats the same thing she's fine. She'll have hives for a day or two, even with meds, and then she's fine. So far it's the only problem she's having with no gallbladder.

[cpbaby]

Originally posted by LunaChick3
OMG, You guys are scaring me. I'm getting mine out very soon. Is this what I have to look forward to? lol


Honey, dont be scared. What I go through is a SMALL price to pay to be pain free. I was SOO sick before I had my gallbladder out, this is nothing to me.

[LunaChick]

Ya, the pain right now is horrible! Mostly everything I eat makes me sick then the pain..ugh. I found that I can eat Nutrigrain bars without any ill effects but I can't live on those forever. I have about 5 stones and have been living with this for the longest time.
I'm sure you're right. It can't be any worse than what I live with now. It can only get better after the surgery. :)

I have a question. How long were you guys *down* for? About 2 weeks?

[mlathroum]

Lets see a week of doing nothing. Another week of doing things slowely. Make sure you buy stretchy pants or have sweats available. Anything on my tummy those first 2-4 weeks bothered it. Bending over was possible in that time period either.I had it out the new way also. One little slot right below the sternum, two on the righ side of my abdomen, and then one righ above my belly button.
I dealt with pain off and on for almost 10 years before the pain got so bad I couldn't move. Luckily I had mine out in the middle of a couple of snow storms here. Hubby is was off because the parks were closed, school was closed so I didn't have to worry about buses and such for the kids, and I could sleep most of the time.

I do agree though it was great after everything else I have done. Hubby just has to learn what I can and can't eat. If I eat out I make sure it is a place with a nice clean bathroom too.

[jennirv4967]

I had mine taken out in feb. I had problems BEFORE surgery. Everytime I ate, I got sick. Everytime! Since surgery, I only get sick when I eat out at restaurants. If I eat at home or at my dad's, it's fine. I think spices don't help....and unfortunately restaurants cook very unhealthfully with lots of fat and grease.

My mother had hers out 5 years ago, and she still can't do fried food. She can't eat fries, and can only eat burgers cooked on the George Foreman grill or she gets sick.

You're experiencing the fun of "dumping". You might want to talk to your doctor though, cause my stepmom has some medication she can take to cut down on how much she dumps.

[Dawnathon]

OOOOO, I am so happy to have seen this thread as I have been trying to find out why I get these extreme abdominal pain episodes that come on very suddenly.

I even went to a gastroenterologist, and had to drink barium and do those gosh awful tests, and he said, "Gee, I don't know".

Then I was having some back problems and couldn't sleep from the pain, so I found a new chiropractor, since I am new to the area, and he took x-rays. He said, "Did you know you have gallstones? Yup, look right here, there's one". It took a chiropractor to figure out that I had gallstones!

So I did the research and sent the x-rays to my first doc and he said, "Yup, that's a gallstone!" Jeez. He said the only thing they do is surgery to remove the whole gall bladder because if you take the stones out the gall bladder will keep reproducing them.

I asked him what I can do when the attacks happen, and he said, "Just take pain meds." And so I asked him for a rx for some, and he said he wouldn't feel comfortable prescribing them for me when I live so far away now!!! Docs are soooo afraid of prescribing pain pills!!!! Argh!! It's not like I have any history with addiction or that anyone would look at my case and say I had no need for them. Heck, he's doing me a disservice, he's got the evidence (x-rays) right in his hands for proof that I have them! Arrrrrrr! There's new legislation in hospitals that they need to document that they attempted to relieve your pain, but outpatient doesn't matter???

And what I find interesting about this thread is that when I asked the doctor, "Don't you need the gallbladder to digest fats? So what happens when you remove it totally?" and he said, "Nothing really."

Whatever!! You guys are having some real side effects!!! You think that they could in this day, give you an enzyme pill to take before eating fatty foods, I mean come on!

Well, thanks for listening, fellow gallbladder peoples....!

Dawnathon

[tiffany21]

I had mine out for almost 3 years and had no problems at all.

[NASCAR38]

I got very Sick Before my gall Bladder was Removed .. My Gall Bladder Stopped Working And I got Pancreatitis (Sp) I was in ICU For A week I have kidney Disease And had a heart Attack Other than the heart Attack i can say pancreatitis is the Sickest I've Ever Been ..:( it Dont matter if it's high fat or no Fat Foods For me I never know What i can Eat .. But I still keep on eating ;) :D

[MommyG3]

DH had his out earlier this year, and let me tell ya, that man's appatite (sp) is worse. He eats like a durn horse. I swear, sometimes I think we are going to have to take out a loan just to feed that man. :eek:

[kgerstorff]

I had mine out 23 years ago. i stil dont eay chili, tocos, or any Spicey foods. Greasey dont bother me other then i run to the bathroom no matter what i eat.I dont go any where if there isnt a restroom LOL

[NASCAR38]

GRRRRRRRRr My kids want to eat at Sonic tonight .. CHILI CHEESE FRIES , CHILE CHEESE FRIES , CHILE CHEESE FRIES , CHILE CHEESE FRIES !!!!!!!!!! OH GOD I know I'll Pay For it Later Somebody Please Stop me :eek: :D

[cpbaby]

If you have gallstones, HAVE YOUR GALLBLADDER REMOVED!!! I know a girl who put it off and put it off and hers BURST. She ALMOST died.

I had the BIG surgery, pre-laproscopy, and was back to work in less than three weeks.

[Tasha405]

Originally posted by NASCAR38
I had my Gall Bladder removed 3 years Ago And I still Cant Eat Like Normal People I hate to go out to Eat or go to Someone's house to eat I never know If I if my Stomach will get upset and I have to run to the bathroom :rolleyes: I stomach will hurt and Cramp BAD . I had a Banana Milkshake last night BIG MISTAKE :rolleyes: I've had a Upper and Lower GI And Scope Everything looks Fine My Doctor Said that The problem is My Body has to get Use to Working without A Gall bladder . Good God it's been 3 years :eek: how Long does it Take ?? I hope i didnt Gross Anyone out .. Anyone Else have this Problem ?? I am the same way and its now been 2 yrs since I had mine removed.

[Dawnathon]

That's interesting, since my doc said, "We will only remove it if you have symptoms." I would think that not being able to breathe and rything on the floor from the pain would be classified as symptoms. If the jerk had the same symptoms you bet he'd prescribe himself pain pills.

Anyway, I already have IBS (since 16) and know the feeling of staying in the vicinity of a bathroom. I really rate places by how they take care of their bathrooms. When you use them sooo much it's more important. That's why being in Europe was sooooo hard because they don't have toilets in stores. You can't just swing into the gas station or nearest Wal-Mart. You have to pay, which is fine, but they just don't have many public restrooms. Talk about restroom anxiety....it's like an addict....when is the next one going to come???

[mlathroum]

Dawn I had the same problems for years before I was in such pain I could pass out. If you go to the ER they say go see your family Dr for it so I wasn't going there. I told my family Dr flat out she was ordering testing. She really didn't have a choice. I told her that if she didn't I was going to march myself down stairs to her husband and write her up. Her hubby is my boss ( he has an office downstairs from her) and the chief of Medicine for our local hospital.
She ordered an abdominal sono to look for stones which came up negative. You have proof you have stones. They told me if I had stones they would have taken it out before this. They also ran a Hydascan on me. Takes about 20 minutes and looks at how your gallbladder is filling and emptying. Mine was filing and never emptied in the almost 30 minutes I was there. It wasn't functioning at all.
PLEASE!!! Argue with him or get another one. Depending on where you live someone on her might be able to suggest one to you.

[Dawnathon]

Mlathrom, thanks for the support! The doc was very suprised to have seen it show up on an x-ray, he said only 15% show up.

I will be seeing another doc, I've had to do some fanagling, since I don't have insurance and this is at a community clinic. I betcha they are gonna think I'm drug seeking since I don't have the xray right now to prove it....and I sure don't wanna depend on the ER when I have an attack...I've been to them sooo much and last time I left because I was waiting 6 hours writhing around. I understand that ER are for major emergencies, but that's where sooo many people like us end up when we aren't treated properly (thoroughly, correctly) by outpatient tx....and the health care system has to adjust to this!

[Dawnathon]

I wonder if my episodes of extreme pain are when I have a stone blocking the duct...

I know medical accidents happen, but 9 years ago when my aunt was having hers out, the surgeon slipped and cut off her pancreas. I remember her almost dying at least twice when she was in the hospital for over 2 months...that was so scary. She now has no natural insulin production so that implanted a pump in her abdomen, and she still has a lot of side effects.

And like I said, it was probably one in a couple thousand chance that it happened, but it's harder to think about going under the knife when something like that happened to a family member with the same surgery!!

[mlathroum]

Dawn,
I would bet since you have stones that is what your pain is. I had pain but no stones. They said it was because the gallbladder wasn't working and the bile and such were building up.

I had an Aunt die over the weekend. SHe had been sick for almost a year. When she started the Dr was also caring for my Uncle for terminal cancer. The Dr said it was her nerves at first, then she must have an infection, so they put her on antibiotics for a couple of months. My Uncle passed away in July. In Oct my AUnt found a lump in her breast. Mom took her to the Dr right away. He said "No its just a fatty tumor". He refused to do a biopsy even after the family pressed him on it. My AUnt said he is the Dr I will listen to him.
She kept loosing weight. She was a diabetic and was doing everything like she always had but he still wouldn't listen to her.
3 weeks ago she got so bad he finally admitted her. She was told 2 days later she had terminal cancer and it was already in her bones. She had nose bleeds, the bone marrow she had when she went into the hospital was gone 3 weeks later. They told her last Wed. there was nothing else they could do and were sending her home the next day. She died that night at the hospital.
Dr's are not always right is my point. I love the ones I work for and they prove it everyday. I do know Dr's that aren't like that also. My family Dr being one. I don't change from her though because I won't hurt my bosses feelings. I think the world of him and know he sticks behind me if I really had a problem. I just tell her like it is and make her do what I know I need.

[tmesser]

:( :( :( I had mine out in "95". Had sufford with pain for 8 years. when they took it out they woke me up to tell me that they needed to go back in because i had a 2 inch stone lodged in my liber duct. my liver was shutting down. ever since almost anything i eat maked me run to the bathroom. real fun when we are out in the middle of a lake fishing and i have to have my hubby zip me into shore so i can go. good luck but there is now cure for our ills other than make sure there is a bathroom around at all times

[cyberrat]

you would think there was something we could take to help stop this i had mine out 10 years ago. And am really tired of being chained to the bathroom. at least if food is going throw us so fast you would think we all would be supper skinnky LOL