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Post Gallbladder Surgery Complications – First 150 Testimonies
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I have been struggling with Gerd for over 9 months now. While I can say my symtoms had improved slightly, it had been at a snail’s pace. My frustration stemed from following all of the Gerd rules but to no avail. I had many test to include the Pipda gallbladder test and it showed I had a dysfunctional gallbladder with a ejection rate of 19% (normal rate is 35%). Anyway, I had my gallbladder removed on Tuesday laproscopically. While I was on the operating table, they hadn’t sedated me yet the surgeon talked to me and said I’d benefit from the Nissen procedure and that he’d throw it in if I wanted. I said no because I was scared and really only had 1 or 2 minutes to think about it. I hope I made the right decision but now it seems as if my Gerd has gotten worse and am having regrets. I also know from what I have read that surgery is no walk in the park. My question is this did your Gerd symtoms improve after the gallbladder removal or did they get worse? I know I have to give the gallbladder surgery time. I am taking prescription strength Prilosec twice a day, I took Nexium for months but it didn’t help. I have also decided if I don’t get better by June I will definately go back to the surgeon and have him perform the surgery. I can’t help but feel as if I missed the boat on that one but my Gastro doctor never wanted me to get the Nissen procedure and like I said I didn’t have much time to think about it. The Gastro doc said I was too young and it had too many side effects. I told the surgeon my Gastro doctor didn’t want me to ever get the Nissen procedure and he said “your doctor is old school.” I would really appreciate any input on the subject.
“I have been in constant pain since having my gall bladder removed on August 28, 2008. It is a sharp, burning fire in my right side. The two specialist (Neurologist & Pain Management) I’ve seen since have said this appears to be a classic case of nerve damage. I have had one nerve block that gave some relief for a couple of days, and have tried Lyrica (which I couldn’t tolerate) and then Cymbalta, which was giving me some horrible side effects at 30 mg a day. I am now trying a low dose of Topamax. I don’t feel like I am being helped, just having a drug tester; and I don’t do well with pharmaceuticals.
I have been taking Meprozine 50/25 mg and Zanaflex 12 mg morning and night just to get through each day. I also use topical Lidocaine ointment on the area around the surgery site. The worst pain is inside my body just under my right ribs. It goes down my abdomen a few inches, almost to the center of my sternum, and around my right side. Soon I don’t think the doctors will prescribe the pain meds for fear of addiction.
I am searching for some treatment or program that can relieve this constant pain that has taken my life away. My day consists of lying in bed, on pillows, trying to get into the least painful position I can. I also can’t take deep breaths or stretch without intensifying the pain. It is a chore to shower or even go to the bathroom.
I believe this is a bigger problem than the medical professional is willing to admit. Please post if you have had this problem after gallbladder surgery.”
Hello everyone,I do feel for everyone having these problems.I had my gall bladder removed about 10 months ago,and i still have a lot of problems.before and after i was having problems with slight pain but a lot of belching and i would feel like a foot ball game was going on inside.I would feel weak,a little dizzy,and then i would start to spit up a lot of white foam,and i do mean i would do it for about 30 minutes or so then i would start to feel better.Now with the gb out i still have the same thing.It isn’t as bad as before,but i thought having it removed would take care of the problem.I have a hard time going shopping or anything because i never know when i will have an attack..there are times i have to get out of bed and sleep propped up on the couch to ease the gas attack,and it makes you think your gonna have a heart attack.I did have the stress test done.The dr. said my problem wasn’t my heart.I would just like to get back to normal,but i fear that won’t happen..I know how you all feel about no one understanding how you feel..My husband would always tell me it was in my head.That sure would make it easier to take care of..I wish a dr. would find out what causes all these symptoms so we could all have a better life..My daughter and i laughed about me having to go on mystery diagnosis..If they could figure out what is going on i would do it..good luck to you all…may GOD have mercy on us all…[:(]
I have had severe dumping syndrome for more than 12 years when I had extensive abdominal surgery including the removal of my gallbladder. Since then I have had 2 children and am now expecting my third. I found that during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters my dumping syndrome was actually lessened but I had more problems with my blood sugar. I don’t know if you’ve tried it but I’ve found that by controling my carbohydrate intake I’m better able to control my dumping syndrome. Also I’ve found that if I wait 30 mins – 1 hr after eating to drink anything I have less problems. Hope this helps!
I had my gallbladder out in Nov. 2005. Mine was removed due to stones and it was enlarged and infected. Thankfully i have not had pain since the removal. Since they removed mine i have had constant watery stools. The stools are so loose they are like water, explosive and the stench is awful.. i may have this all day, every day. I also have IBS on top of this but the loose stools are driving me crazy. I am almost afraid to go out in public because the fear of “sharting”. I have little warning just a pressure then it is almost instantaneous. I have tried fiber (re-live product)helped for quite a while but had to quit taking it for now. I tried other fiber such as citracil to see if i could regulate it or to give the stools some bulk. Does anyone else have this problem and have you found solutions? i can look skinny one day then look six months pregnate the next which i am assuming is gas.? Do you all have these problems along with your removal
“Well, you can add me to the list of people who have had their gallbladder out and are in chronic pain.
I had mine out after feeling nausea and some small amount of pain. That was 9 months ago.
Immediately after getting it out, the nausea was intensified. The pain was so intense, it felt like I had been shot with a bullet. Laying on my right side was impossible. It took me 6 months to have a solid stool. (Never a problem before).
I have had every test and tried every drug available. I am still in pain. The nausea is better, but not better than before the operation. The pain is in my solar plexus, my right and left upper quadrant.
I have been told that it is “”post cholysyscestomy (sic) syndrome”” and that it will clear up in a year. I have my doubts, and of course, hopes.
Oh yes, I also now have very deep burps that are never ending and independent of eating or not.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? God, I wish I still had my gallbladder. I wasn’t half this sick before. Other than this, I’ve never had any health problems before. ”
“Well, you can add me to the list of people who have had their gallbladder out and are in chronic pain.
I had mine out after feeling nausea and some small amount of pain. That was 9 months ago.
Immediately after getting it out, the nausea was intensified. The pain was so intense, it felt like I had been shot with a bullet. Laying on my right side was impossible. It took me 6 months to have a solid stool. (Never a problem before).
I have had every test and tried every drug available. I am still in pain. The nausea is better, but not better than before the operation. The pain is in my solar plexus, my right and left upper quadrant.
I have been told that it is “”post cholysyscestomy (sic) syndrome”” and that it will clear up in a year. I have my doubts, and of course, hopes.
Oh yes, I also now have very deep burps that are never ending and independent of eating or not.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? God, I wish I still had my gallbladder. I wasn’t half this sick before. Other than this, I’ve never had any health problems before. ““When you have problems after having your gall bladder removed–be it diarrhea or acid reflux–it’s called post-cholesectomy syndrome. Basically post-gall bladder removal syndrome. It’s not the same as IBS, because IBS has no known causes; if you have GI problems and you have no gall bladder, well, that’s a known cause.
I’ve been taking Welchol for about 5 years to deal with my bile diarrhea. It works really well, although I still have to be careful with my diet on a few points. I ran out of Welchol back in December and I’m unemployed and have no insurance, so I’ve been avoiding paying the doctor half a week’s unemployment wages for nothing more than a prescription, but I have not had any luck whatsoever controlling my D with diet or calcium either one. I’ve got enough money now I can afford to go to her (I have to get my prescription renewed because we’re going to a week-long campout in a couple of weeks and I can’t hope to make it 8 hours in the car one way, or teach classes or do anything else I want to do when I’m having diarrhea 3 or 4 times a day; even when I have a rare, normal bowel movement, it’s still full of bile and burns.)”
“Hello everyone! I was actually looking for information about medications/supplements and their interactions if I do not have a gallbladder, which I don’t. I didn’t find what I was looking for but……………..I found it strange that almost everyone here has acid reflux / GERD after having their gallbladder out. What is up with that? I had never had any problems with reflux until after my gallbladder was taken out. All of a sudden I started having pain in my neck that went down into my left arm and I had chest pain and trouble breathing. I went to the doctor because I have a problem with my mitral valve and after a stress test and a huge hospital bill they said I “”must”” have acid reflux. I tried prilosec which did not work and then they put me on Prevacid. Prevacid works marvelous!!! All my symptoms gone!! However, now I am not taking it because it is extremly expensive and I have a huge deductible because of the new year. Anyway…..long story short, my mom recommended calcium with magnesium and wow that made me way sick. Anyone know if I should take magnesium without a gallbladder or where I can find information regarding this?
Sorry for the long note but I was just so surprised to see that so many people have the same problems.
Don’t get me wrong, having my gallbladder out was one of the best things that I could have done. Much better than the pain I was having from it. And, mine was just “”not working”” right like any of you. No stones.
Good to talk to you all!
God Bless.”Ireally feel for you .I had gall bladder surgery about two years ago,and i have suffered every day since.bloating, pain,basically the same thing that i had before the surgery.I am on the same medacine that i was on before the surgery.I am at my wits end i need help also.every thing i eat makes me sick, I thoughrt i was alone in this. but i see there are more people out there that has the same thing that i do . help! thanks
I had gall-bladder surgery about 7 years ago. Since then I have had to evacuate a little bit after eating. I have to wear something to keep from having an accident. I have accidents and don’t even know it until ‘after the fact’. I go through about 10 or 12 mini-pads a day. I do know that fatty foods hurt, fried foods hurt and just about everything else. I feel for all of you with this syndrome. I just don’t know what to do……
I to suffer from RUQ pain. I was hospitalized for back and abdominal pain 6 weeks ago and the docs said i had a blockage after doing ultrasounds, and abdominal xrays. Then after discussing with the about a previous kidney stone they sent me for catscans and changed my diagnosis as they found a kidney stone stuck in the ureter. However in the hospital after having the kidney stone taken care of I continued with severe pain. I explained to the docs and nurses that when I ate something was triggered. I immediately build up with gas under my rib cages and all around the front abdomin (abdomen) making me look 9 months pregnant. The pain radiates thru my back and to my spine. The pain gets so intense that it causes me to become nauseated and even vomit. The pain could not be controlled by any pain meds starting from morphine, to dilauted etc…Im not sure what to do anymore. I can be in a dead sleep and woken instantly by the burning and bloating pain. I do know the pain gets more severe if i lay down. I asked the docs for carafate thinking maybe i have an ulcer. I have been treating myself with the carafate and nothing has changed. Ive been back to the doctors and now they want to put me on prevacid. My problems only get worse because now i am pregnant so testing is limited. My biggest fears are small bowel obstruction as my uterus grows and pushes on the organs. My previous pregnancy i developed an internal hernia causing severe intestinal damage for me.. Where do i go from here?
“I had my gallbladder removed when I was 18, I am 25 now. Fresh out of high school, I found myself working the overnight shift at a local store, tending to sleep a great deal during the day. During this time I decided to get my life under control. I had been obese my entire life and enough was enough. Over the course of about 6 months I lost an incredible amount of weight due to a self-created (foolish) diet consisting of less than 3 grams of fat a day, and very high in fiber. Roughly 115lbs in 6 months. I had experienced a dramatic change in my energy level, but attributed it to working the overnight hours; It wasn’t unusual for me to sleep up to 12 hours a day. Through it all, I was very happy with my life. I was down to about 220lbs, 5’10 and losing an average of 5-7lbs per week, working and sleeping away the time preparing for college.
One night while I was off work, I woke up about 3am with incredible stomach pain. I’m sure most of you have experienced this before and know exactly what it was. No position helped, I found myself laying on the floor, getting up, sitting on the stairs, going into the bathroom, waking up my parents asking for help. My mother always at the ready produced some aspirin and sent me back to bed, all to no avail. Eventually the pain subsided. A week later, another ‘attack’, this one even worse than the last. I was literally crawling across the floor crying. I ended up driving myself to the emergency room and testing revealed that I had gallstones. The doctor indicated that my gallbladder was filled like a gumball machine. The only option provided to me was laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder. I met with a surgeon that day and went on to have the procedure performed less than a week later. All the while being told that it was like having my tonsils taken out and that after a month it would be as if it never happened.
Two days following the procedure, I was rushed back into the emergency room, jaundiced, feverish, and what felt to me as if I were dying. A urinalysis was requested and my sample was the color of coca cola. The diagnosis? Shockingly enough, gallstone.
I was confused, this was supposed to be an hour long procedure and I was supposed to be on my way with a few weeks off on medical leave from work. Apparently a possibility never revealed to me had become a reality. A gallstone had found its way out of the gallbladder during the procedure and became trapped in a liver duct. Another procedure (and applicable medical bills) I was back home again.
Fast forward 7 years. (7 already…) I gained back every bit of weight lost after the near death of my metabolism. Despite taking on a more healthy diet including vegetables, non-red meat, fruits, etc and bi-daily exercise, the weight would not be stopped. Eventually I gave up. I actually gained back more than I had lost. At this point in time, no matter what I eat, I suffer stomach cramping and diarrhea within 20-30 minutes. I am always tired, my energy is spent. I’m depressed. I wish I had been told the truth in regards to the long-term effects of this procedure. At this point I should have been back to normal 6 years and about 4 months ago.
I urge anyone considering this procedure to research all of the options. Don’t let anyone pressure you into a choice. More importantly than anything, ASK QUESTIONS.
Sorry for the life story.
*Note that my experience with this procedure is not the normal outcome, most people I have spoken with regarding it have had highly positive outcomes with only minor side effects, but nothing is ever certain. Having said that, surgery should never be the first and only choice in regards to this particular illness.”
Hello, my name is Shelly and after gallbladder surgery, I have found that I have bile reflux and I cannot even work sometimes. I never took the meds the doc wanted me to because I was afraid of the side effects and they were not working. I tried Aloe vera juice and it burned horribly! I think maybe my stomach is too irritated right now for that. But I tried other herbs that did help. I have a script for Xanax because my anxiety is out of control, but no other drugs. Could you send me some info. to my email that might help. My teeth are cracking from this and death sounds good sometimes. I hate to be this way, but I am very miserable.
I myself had my gallbladder removed about 4 years ago and thought that we be the end to all my stomach problems, but I like you have had SEVERE upper abdominal pain with the pain radiating to my back. For me the pain didn’t come until about a year afterward so it could not be related but I sure described it the same way you did, I don’t remember that feeling at all. Mine only comes on about every 2 months or and cannot think of anything that I could be eating to cause this. One time I had to go to the ER I really thought something bad was happening but they found nothing at all. So I have given up I figure if something really bad happens off to the the ER I will go.I hope your pain is just from healing, good luck
“I too have been suffering to the point it is effecting my daily life.
I had my g/b out 7 years ago. I have persistant diareha. You would think with all the pooping I do I would be thin, but nooooooo. I have gained weight. A couple of years ago I had a coloscopy and everything was fine.
I am very excited about the Questran andI am goping to call my doctor today. I do find I do much better on a high protein diet but nothing takes away the diareha. I wish someone had told me there would be these dramatic side effects sooner. I have probably spent thousands on Immodiam AD.”
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