GALLBLADDER REMOVAL AND START OF GASTROPARESIS SYMPTOMS

[DataCurator]

So how long after having the gallbladder removed does the symptoms of gastroparesis start?

Has anyone got their gallbladder out then feel fine for a couple of months then all of a sudden get hit with gastroparesis?

Or does the gastroparesis symptoms come on immediately after the gallbladder removal?

[DataCurator]

I honestly believe that all my problems are related. First my gallbladder quit working (no stones), then one year later my sphincter of oddi and now my stomach. I have to wonder if there is a smooth muscle disorder they have not recgnized yet because they are all looking at each event seperately. I would be willing to bet that most people with GP pain have oddi dysfunction. Once they fixed that on me, the only GP symptoms I faced were/ are Nausea, fullness and bloating.

[DataCurator]

People please remember that sphincter of oddi usually is related to an imbalance of your gut flora. The normal yeasts get out of balance and so you also get a bacterial overgrowth. This overgrowth of yeasts and bacteria cause the sphincter to spasm. If you can get your gut flora in balance then the sphincter issue will go away.

Why do you think God created us with a Gall bladder? Because it’s a necessary organ to have unless it’s found on a HIDA scan that the Gall bladder is non functioning or not functioning well. When the Gall bladder isn’t working well what do you think happens when digesting your food. It doesn’t get digested well and so the imbalance in the gut flora.

You will need an Integrative Medicine Gastroenterologist or regular Integrative medicine doctor to help you with getting the gut flora in balance. Main stream medicine can not! They just know how to kill off the bad bacteria and not the yeast overgrowth. It’s kind of tricky to do and that’s where you’d need someone like the I.M. doctor.

There’s a doctor Gerard Mullin at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore Maryland that is an I.M. Gastroenterologist and there’s one in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Farshid Sam Rahbar. Dr. Rahbar does SYKPE consults if you’re unable to travel. He has helped me tremendously where regular Gastroenterologists can’t!

I Now have a damaged intestinal lining from having the dead gall bladder in my body for 3 years so I have a leaky, permeable gut lining. This sets a person up for autoimmune issues now.

Dr. Mullin has a number of books out that you can purchase from Amazon on Gastroenterology and there’s another book by Brenda Watson called Gut Solutions.

My doctor believes that GP is caused from a leaky permeable gut lining. Basically an autoimmune related issue.

I hope this information helps you all!

[DataCurator]

Do you know that Diabetes is an autoimmune disease? It’s caused by a leaky permeable gut lining. Seriously!
When your gall bladder doesn’t work properly you don’t digest your food properly…if it’s loaded with stones it can’t work properly secreting bile into the common bile duct ending up in the upper part of the small intestine to help break down your food.

Think about it and educate yourselves please as your western medicine doctor’s just want the money to remove your gall bladder, then when it’s removed what then to they do for you?

If you need the gall bladder out most definitely have it removed if it’s non functioning, or diseased. If it’s still functioning then leave it in. Once it’s removed you can’t go back and you will most definitely need the help from an Integrative Medicine doctor and Registered Holistic Dietician to help you to digest your food better.

Having an overgrowth of yeasts and bacteria in the gut lining is damaging to the intestinal lining and will set you up for a leaky gut thus causing autoimmune diseases. Diabetes, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, MS, GP etc. This is mentioned in the Gut Solutions book mentioned above in my prior message.

GP is a result of poor digestion of food is what I have been told and is an autoimmune related disease.

Do your own research and you will discover the links between GP and the immune system.

[DataCurator]

I had my Gall bladder removed in 12/08 and a couple of months later when I tried eating some ground flax seeds I ended up in the ER with really high liver enzymes. So I stopped eating fats until I had my sphincter of oddi cut in 6/09.
After having my sphincter cut I continued to have the sphincter pressure and pains in the upper abdomen and I told my stupid doctor’s this!
What I found was when the bacterial and yeast overgrowth was bad in the intestines the sphincter would spasm especially when eating something that required bile.
My doctor’s never repeated the Breath Hydrogen test to see if I had a severe bacterial overgrowth plus they didn’t know how to check for a fungal/yeast overgrowth either in the gut. They aren’t trained to check or believe that yeast overgrowth exists but it does. Believe me as I have yeast coming out my anus, ears, mouth and eyes. They ruined my life!
Only the I.M. doctor’s understand this and if you continue using mainstream medicine you will become sicker and sicker….I guarantee you of this. Mainstream medicine are good at removing things but as far as looking at the whole picture and body they fail at this….and they get paid to treat patient’s this way.
Seriously, we need Integrative Medicine as our primary doctor’s and mainstream medicine as an adjunct! They are good for emergencies, small things, imaging studies and surgeries. These are my strong feelings from what I have dealt with in my life.
If I were you all I would be consulting with an I.M Gastroenterologist about my situation and getting another opinion before having the gall bladder removed or sphincter of oddi cut. The problem could just be an overgrowth of yeast and/or bacteria in the intestinal flora causing poor painful digestion.
I am curious what your symptoms are for GP because maybe they’re what I am feeling all the time. I get terrible bloating and gas. This is because there’s an overgrowth of yeast in the small intestines. If you’re nauseous too this is an overgrowth of yeast. Bacteria will follow yeast when there’s a yeast overgrowth. Have any of you had a Breath Hydrogen test where you drink Lactulose? The lactulose is sugar basically and will make the yeast grow. What do you think happens when you add sugar to yeast? It will expand! Right! So if you’re eating anything with sugar, fructose, etc. you will be miserable. You need to be on a Candida diet, one without carbs like pastas, high glycemic numbers. Meat and vegetables and eggs. No breads, grains,etc.
Hope this helps!

[DataCurator]

Diabetes is an autoimmune disorder but it is not caused by a leaky gut. As far as I, and science, is concerned the best description for IM would be a doctor who believes in using non scientific methods. use alternative methods that have never been proven in studies to work. Typically they are not much different than snake oil salesman.

I will stick with the real doctors who use methods proven to work in the majority of patients and not just the placebo effect.

[DataCurator]

I can agree to disagree scvetrran. I am currently living with severe food allergies where an allergist can’t find any foods that I am allergic to on any of his tests! So how is this happening? Please explain. This is due to a permeable gut lining that the bacterial overgrowth caused!
I have an article from the August 2009 Scientific American Magazine that talks about the relationship between a leaky gut, gluten, celiac disease and the Immune System. They mention trying to use a certain drug to help heal the gut lining but haven’t found one that works. So I guess the doctor’s know it exists but because there’s no drug they don’t have to really acknowledge leaky gut exists. So I disagree with you.
Integrative Medicine doctor’s are regular doctor’s who also have additional training in Holistic/ healthier methods of treating disease. They have more training than the regular doctor’s plus are more educated in nutrition. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here today. Mainstream medicine wouldn’t have ever acknowledged I had a yeast overgrowth but a bacterial overgrowth that they would have only treated with antibiotics. Patient’s will never get better just eliminating the bacterial overgrowth without getting rid of the yeast overgrowth first. They will get more sick. And there’s a systematic way to do this! If you’re bloated after eating, your lower abdomen is swelling after eating, then you have a yeast overgrowth. Then the bacterial overgrowth occurs and if this is allowed to continue then damage to this intestinal lining will occur, then autoimmune disease comes next.
I do have a regular Internal Medicine and Gastroenterologist but only use them for regular annual tests. But I also supplement my care occasionally with Integrative Medicine doctor’s. I have a board certified Gastroenterologist in Beverly Hills and also a board certified Internal Medicine doctor. I truly believe a person needs both in the world will live in today!

[DataCurator]

I had my gall bladder removed last July and had gastroparesis – like symptoms before the surgery. Turned out removing my GB didn’t solve my GI problems only made them 100X worse. I have not been diagnosed with GP – but do have a host of issues I’m dealing with; luckily my GI problems have started to settle down now. I have neuropathy that’s causing issues. But that’s another story..

[DataCurator]

My gallbladder was removed in August of 2008. There was a “honeymoon period” during which I felt great, was at my perfect weight of 135, then I was hospitalized with pancreatitis, then I began to bloat and gain belly weight (never had a weight issue in my life… ) and last year I was finally diagnosed with gastroparesis. I take Reglan without too many unwanted side effects. Bloating, nausea, vomiting, constipation and weight gain in my upper abdomen are my chief complaints. Oh, and I now weigh over 175 pounds. This is a disgusting disorder. I may visit Dr. Snape, a motility specialist at UCSF, if things do not improve. I’ve spent 5 years trying to figure out what is going on. I have a severe gastric emptying issue. Food just stays stuck in my gut forever. I’d love to hear from others, and gain suggestions on what the heck I can eat without blowing up like Humpty Dumpty. I’m simply appalled, listless, tired all the time, and am now on disability. I teach English online to make ends meet. My life has become very burdensome, and my body image is in the trash can. I’d been a fit athlete/dancer all my life until my gallbladder was removed. For a while I took bile salts and I wonder if anyone has any info/advice on supplements, including bile salts. I must see a nutritionist, I cannot live like this. Love and light to my fellow sufferers. ~ Beth

[DataCurator]

Like many of you, I have struggled with health problems for the past few years – but have struggled for the longest in just getting a diagnosis. During 2005, I began to feel terrible, and had unrelenting intense epigastric pain after eating. My internist ran some tests, and discovered that my gallbladder was working at 7%. Since it was not really functioning, it was recommended that I have it removed. I did, and felt better for a while. The symptoms returned about a month later, but were a lot worse. I was referred to another specialist 2 hours away, and was diagnosed with Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and had a biliary sphincterotomy. However, I did not have any significant improvement after the surgery. My doctor at the tertiary facility pretty much gave up on me and finally referred me back to my internist and local GI doctor.

At that time, I was so sick that I could only eat soup and baby food – and even that was painful to eat. No one could figure out what was wrong. In 2007, a local GI doctor referred me to a nationally renowned facility, and I received a call from the facility stating that a doctor had reviewed my case and thought there was nothing they could do for me! I eventually got an appointment with another facility 14 hours away. I underwent a few tests, and was diagnosed with moderate idiopathic gastroparesis. The GI fellow that broke the news to me prescribed Reglan, told me to eat a balanced diet, read about the disease on the internet, and figure out what to eat by surfing the web. He then left the room, and my husband and I got into the car and drove 14 hours back home. Still frustrated, because I thought something else may be wrong, I drove back 14 hours for a follow-up appointment. I was told by the attending physician there that maybe I pulled a muscle, maybe I was just depressed, or just maybe I wanted attention. That made me angry. I thought at one point that maybe I was losing my mind, but I had physical symptoms of pain, vomiting, and nausea – and there is no way I could be making up all of that!

I finally did my own research and found a list of the top motility clinics in the US. I decided that I wanted to get to the bottom of this… I was tired of the run around… I wanted some real answers from doctors that deal with these problems daily. I finally made a phone call to one of the most comprehensive motility clinics in the US and got an appointment rather quickly. My husband and I traveled once again, hopeful for answers. It was determined that I have severe reflux (even though I don’t have heartburn or an erosive esophagus) as well as gastroparesis. All of the doctors that I had seen before did not really go into detail about gastroparesis – only that I should not be hurting like I do. They blew off my symptoms and thought I should feel normal. Their attitude towards this disease made me feel like I should be normal and eat whatever I want, etc… This has caused me to really “be in denial” that anything significant is wrong with me, which actually made my symptoms worse. This “new” doctor actually told me that my problem was pretty moderate – and there was a problem! He did not sweep my problems under the rug or try to downplay them. We are actively trying to manage this situation. He actually gave me some dietary advice to follow. I have had consultations with a dietician that knows about gastroparesis and how to manage it. At least now I feel like I have a toolbox of solutions to my problem. It took me 5 years to get there, but I feel like I have finally made it!

For those of you out there who have been rejected by the “best” and who have lost all hope for help… please do not give up. I am confident there are answers out there for you. It may take some time and effort to find all the answers, but you will find them. It may take a long time to find a doctor that understands functional GI disorders, but he or she is out there, and has dedicated his or her life to help you. My prayer for you is to not become discouraged in your journey towards seeking help, and that you may find wellness and healing.

[DataCurator]

Gastroparesis after gall bladder surgery
Was told by a highly regarded Motility expert which stated that it is very likely that my GP was a result of my GB surgery. there were a ton of adhesions that he had to manuver around. My GI doc, and Lawyer are convinced that it was the cause.. Like someone else said on this thread. The vagus gets bangged around and such during surgeey. Plus it dont take much. Also, myself, and alot of others on here are in the same exact prediciment that you are. Docs stick up for other docs. Of course there gonna tell you it aint possible. Well, it is possible, and I’m living proof of that. My lawyer has just found out from many so-called “experts” that a vagul injury can be a risk of a lap GB. And you are right. It doesnt go near the GB. So, then hore is it a DAMN risk if your not even in tgat area?? I an extremly frustrated right now with Dr s, Surgeons, Lawyers, hell, all of em!! Buch of corrupt, greedy,people that have ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY!! Dont let then tell you its not possible..

[DataCurator]

And also annie, ask your husband surgeon this. Why do soooo many people that have that surgery, end up with GP.? He certantly cannot dispute the 1000’s of people that get GP right after this surgery. And, if its not the Vagus that was injured, then what is it? What causes GP especially right after this type of surgery?? It just seems.very.strange that GP happens after a surgery like a GB removal. According to my GI/ Motilty Dr., I should have had an open surgery because of the severe Adhesions from a prior stomach surgery that were found, plus I WAS considered obese. 2 huge factors dictating that the surgeon should have converted from LAP to an open.. Like I.had said previosly. These.docs have zero accountability for their carelessness, anddont give a sh#t about us as patients. Something is DRASTICALLY WRONG HERE, and we are the ones paying for it.

[DataCurator]

I also got sick with GP after having my gallbladder removed. I had many gall stones and had it removed lapriscopically in an emergency surgery (it almost burst) and after the next few years I gradually got sicker and sicker until I was diagnosed with GP. None of my doctors have confirmed that it was because of the surgery but I know it had something to do with it. Otherwise, why am I sick?

[DataCurator]

Both my neice and myself had the same problem.We had our gallbladders out and ended up with gastroparesis,i don’t care what the doctors are saying there has to be a connection.

[DataCurator]

I agree, the anecdotal evidence is highly suspicious that gallbladder surgery is a cause of GP in many people. The disconnect that I see is the belief that vagus nerve damage is the only cause of GP. My research and others here shows it is not, it is but one of many possible causes. Perhaps some damage to the enteric nervous system, which is embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system, happens during some surgeries. “The enteric nervous system (ENS) or Intrinsic nervous system is a subdivision of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that directly controls the gastrointestinal system in vertebrates.” “Vertebrate studies show that when the vagus nerve is severed, the enteric nervous system continues to function.” Wikipedia.