“I had the same issues, post gall bladder surgery.
I KNEW the surgery caused it.. the onset was that sudden and that severe.
I went to multiple doctors, and FINALLY told this one young man I WAS NOT LEAVING HIS OFFICE UNTIL HE GAVE ME SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP. 🙂
(pardon the screaming, but that’s how insistent I was… LOL)
Right in front of me this young man went throught his RX catalog repeatedly, back and forth, with a puzzled look…
then laughed and prescribed Questran.. (I think… I had to later ask for a pill, because I’d been prescribed it 3x a day, and it was tough to take at work.)
The difference was phenominal. I went from 1-2 hours of constant severe cramps and diarrea (diarrhea) after every meal, or even snack if I tried to skip the meal and just go with SOMETHING on the stomach… to EVERY NOW and then, I get sick for a little while.
I take Cholestid now, and any time I go to a new doctor (medical plans change) I have to explain yet again why I’m taking it, and that they better NOT try to not renew that RX.. 🙂 (I’m usually not an isistent or threatening type either.. LOL)
I take one first thing in the AM, sleep for another hour, then get up and have a NORMAL day… I only take the one a day, even though my RX says 3 times.
Every now and then I might get diarrea (diarrhea) still, but I take an OTC fix for it, and I’m fine again. I still consider it a 100% success, and I think it’s criminal that doctors advise the gall-bladder removal and tell ou there are ‘No adverse side effects’ to it’s removal, even after you come in WITH those side-effects. ”
I am so relieved to read all these stories of people who have had Gallbladder surgery and still have pain in the upper right side. I had my Gallbladder removed in 1992 and I have flair ups with this pain that sometimes gets sharp. The pain comes and goes and radiates to my back and sometimes up into my shoulder. The reason my Gallbladder was removed was because it was dead…non functioning and I had the Laproscopic Surgery. I’ve had Endoscopies, Colonoscopies, and about a year ago, had a series of 3 Cat Scans on my Liver and Pancreas with Contrast not to mention blood work. The only thing that showed up was that I have scar tissue where my Gallbladder was and cysts on my Liver which are non cancerous. I was told that probably the scar tissue is what’s causing my pain. It’s horrible to be in this kind of pain and have to live with it. So at least I know that I’m not alone and that other people are going through this same pain from having their Gallbladder removed. So glad I’m not imagining this pain!
Nerve damage after a Cholecystectomy is very common. I now am entering the 5th month of what should have been a simple outpatient procedure. In my searching online I am seeing many people who have the same problem. Nerve damage after this. Contact an attorney. I just did Thursday and today they took my case via a phone call. Its either that or a life time of pain.
“Ask your Dr. about taking Cholestyramine, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholestyramine
After having my gallbladder removed, I was scared to eat anything because I knew I would
be running to the washroom with in minutes of my meal. It is a horriable feeling.
Some tips on taking Cholestyramine:
Do not add to food, makes it taste awful.
Add a package to 2-3 ounces of water,
let it settle in the water for 5 min., stir and drink.
You will get use to it.
Make sure you brush your teeth after about 20 min,
as it can stain your teeth.
I take it once a day, at 7am, but I do not eat for at least and hour and a half.
If you take any medication, wait at least an hour or so or it will just absorb it.
I have Bile Reflux Gastritis. I make this tea and it does wonders. Here is the recipe. Go to the health food store and get Chamomile tea flowers, marshmallow root, slippery elm. Boil four cups water to a rapid boil. remove from heat. Take a big pinch full of chamomile flowers, smaller pinch of marshmallow root, smaller pinch slippery elm. Let steep for a good hour. Let it cool because you want it not to be hot. I strain it and put it in a jar. Drink all day little sips. I was finally able to eat a banana, apple, boiled potatoes, fish, salmon cod and trout, avocados and I make oatmeal smoothies. I soaked my alive vitamins in water then added that to the smoothies. No spices! When you have out your gallbladder you cannot digest fat so do very little. I do butter only but very little, no junk foods or processed, try to go gluten free, and I quit dairy, I do not meat but fish. I am going to order some digestive enzymes next month called angeo pangene, and lipo gene. Found this out through Dr Dahlman online. I did find the products cheaper through pure formulas,com. Make sure ot get Vitamin D 3 from DR Kalsa Soram. He is awesome and carries the best products. Gee I am full of info aren’t I. You know why, because you have to be.I do so much research. If you want to read a good article of Bile Refux go to Helium.com and find Frank Will on that article of Bile Reflux Gastritis. This is the tea he describes that has been used for thousands of years. Good luck. Hope you start to feeling better, If he mentions using licorice use it sparingly. Loony56
“After I had my gallbladder removed I started to experience diarrhea and acid reflux. I also had symptoms of bloating and gas. I was so upset and embarrassed that I started to question the operation. I was desperate and tried a whole bunch of diet suggestions and nothing seemed to provide the desired results.
So, I went to GNC and the attendant recommended enzymes. I tried their brand and got results almost immediately (next day), no diarrhea, at last!!! Just two capsules before meals.
A couple of weeks later I started to get huge improvements with the bloating and acid reflux. I’m so happy. No longer have I found myself in embarrassing situations where my stomach makes loud funny noises during meetings at work.
However, you need to follow a healthy diet – low fat, high fiber, and lots and lots of water since constipation might be a problem.
The enzymes that I using is Preventive Nutrition® Multi-Enzyme Formula:
But I suspect any will do. In my case, I’m sticking to was has worked for me. By the way you will need to take them for the rest of you life. I missed one or two days and the previous symptoms started to appear.
I’ve read about a lot of folks with the diarrhea problems and some are using Questran but this is chemical junk with some interesting side effects. I prefer the “”natural stuff””.
I wanted to share my experience since my quality of life has greatly improved with the enzymes.
Please refer to this website. It educated me as to why I was gaining so much weight after gallbladder removal. It has given me the supplements that I needed to take the additional weight off and maintain my ideal weight. It was a life saver! I have been searching for over 1 year and an extra 15 lbs. now! You will need a combination of bile salts, betaine hcl, and enzymes for the rest of your life. This website explains all and has packages for each specific need. The one I used was for weight gain after gallbladder removal.”
I have the answer for you. I also had my gall bladder removed years ago and had the same urgency problem. I now take a very inexpensive med called “colestid”. It absorbs excess bile in the gut that is making you have to rush to the restroom after meals. I also take no less than 6 fibercon a day. I know this sounds like it will only make things worse, but it actually helps to also absorb the excess bile spilling into your gut because you have no gall bladder to control it. ask your doctor about Colestid, it is a cholesterol lowering drug which is also given to absorb bile,,,, good luck
I also had my gallbladder removed Sept 1http://lifewithnogallbladder.com/forums/topic/operation-complications/th, 10 days later I had an unbearable attack that sent me to the ER. There was a stone in my bile duct so I had an ERCP. Since then I have been taking Digestive Enzymes on a daily basis. I have no problems and can eat whatever I like. I have a healthy diet anyway but I am feeling so much better than before surgery. I also take a supplement called Choline which helps the liver break down fats. I feel these two supplements have made all the difference in the world. Before starting to take them I was having diarrhea after every meal. They are natural
Cholycystectomy in Dec 2005, four months later referred back for right upper quadrant pain, referred to gastroenterologist – gastroscopy barium and colonoscopy, showed hiatus hernia (already knew about) Diverticuli (already knew about) CEA raised but as bowel o.k. no further action – guess what, TOLD IT WAS PHANTOM PAIN AND ALL IN MY MIND! not amused, gradual weight gain continued, unable to lose weight no matter what, upper quad pain continued though intermittent until jan this yr became continous for two months night and day. referred back to gastro, all tests repeated, same results although polyp removed this time from bowel. This time was told the pain was due to my weight! will refer to endocrinologist for failure to lose weight. Saw my G.P. this morning who realised another G.P. had passed my thyroid function test results as normal when it clearly stated abnormal. (he was not amused as this young G.P. keeps checking up on him – cheek) Thyroxine increased with a review in a month, and a ? sphincter of oddy dysfunction, prescribed probanthine, again for review in one month, lets see how things go, only been ongoing for 6 years so far. Another treatment he mentioned although only temporary is botox into the sphincter itself.
For breaking up scar tissue, even very old tissue, check out Rapid Relief Technology, a small hammerlike electronic device that has shown great results breaking up scar tissue. I have no affiliation with the company so this is not a biased post, but saw it in use with someone and it may just be what you need
“I had my GB removed in 2004 due to an infection, no option to keep it. I lost approx 25 lbs in the month following the surgery. I put back on about 35 lbs in the next 2 years. I had a lot of stomach issues depending on the food I ate. I will say that eating the same “”healthy”” diet you ate before will not work. Siple fact is there are foods you will not be able to eat unless you DO want to gain weight. I went for food sensitivity testing and it changed my life. I no longer eat ANY dairy unless its soy or goat milk. I eat NO eggs….none..no yolks..no whites…I avoid ALL spicy foods, I eat fish, a lot of it, I avoid suggary foods and have never been a soda drinker. Wine and beer is fine, hard booze would drive my digestion crazy..ie slowed it down….anyone that has had gb removed knows the super constipated feeling you get after eating foods that just did not agree with you…..likely foods you ate pre removeal and had no issues with.
Without a GB your entire body is thrown for a loop, hormones, digestion, food sensitivities…everything so you need to experiment and see what works.
I am now 25 lbs liter than when I had gb removed, cycle 4-6 hours a week, eat what I want ..knowing there are things I just cannot eat.
Warning…eggs are in everything!!! Read the labels, dairy is in everything read the labels.
Drink lots of water to keep your guts moving…1.5 to 3 litres a day…
STOP ALL FRIED FOODS…if you dont then dont complain about reflux and weight gain
And finally…..without the gb we dont digest fat as much as pre removal…that means we sh*t it out..it does not just magically “”deposit”” in our bodies….try eating fried food for 3 days and see how much time you spend on in the can…having said that eating fried food is fattening with or wothout a gb…just dont eat it….avoid ice cream
Yes I developed IBS after it was removed…avoid dairy and you will eliminate most of the issues…..and the spicy food.
Remember the provious healthy diet something from the past….forget it and devleop a new one….”
I just found these messages by searching for gallbladder surgery complications. My gallbladder was removed on June 23, 2000. I had horrible pain as I was coming out of anesthesia. It was right in the middle of my abdomen. It hurt so badly that I started holding my breath, which helped, and sounds silly, but then I set off the monitors that were hooked up to me. They just kept giving me more pain meds, and within the hour I was reluctantly walking out of the surgery center. At home, I yelled in pain every time I had to get out of bed. For three days, this continued and during that time I could only sleep on my left side and propped up. A few days later I felt fine, except for some pain twinges that reminded me that I was recovering from a surgical procedure. I was fine until the middle of August. I even drove myself 1700 miles to CO and the same distance home again. Then I found out that my husband had prostate cancer, and I began to live with stress on a day to day basis. At that time, the bowel changes began. Three and four times a day. Soft stools became diarrhea, and back to soft stools, and then to diarrhea. My pains in the gallbladder area became worse. Now it is November, and I have had tests for parasites and an ultrasound of my upper right quadrant. Everything was negative. Just last week I visted an organic farm and health food store, and purchased acidophilus capsules. I take two a day as per instructions, and I am happy to report that my stools returned to normal the day after the first dosage, and I am practically pain free. Coincidence? I hope not. For now, I feel normal again. I am only on my fourth day of the capsules. There were several choices and I picked one called Kyo-Dophilus. It contains L. Acidophilus, B. Bifidum and B. Longum. I take no other medications and I will be 65 in April.
I just found these messages by searching for gallbladder surgery complications. My gallbladder was removed on June 23, 2000. I had horrible pain as I was coming out of anesthesia. It was right in the middle of my abdomen. It hurt so badly that I started holding my breath, which helped, and sounds silly, but then I set off the monitors that were hooked up to me. They just kept giving me more pain meds, and within the hour I was reluctantly walking out of the surgery center. At home, I yelled in pain every time I had to get out of bed. For three days, this continued and during that time I could only sleep on my left side and propped up. A few days later I felt fine, except for some pain twinges that reminded me that I was recovering from a surgical procedure. I was fine until the middle of August. I even drove myself 1700 miles to CO and the same distance home again. Then I found out that my husband had prostate cancer, and I began to live with stress on a day to day basis. At that time, the bowel changes began. Three and four times a day. Soft stools became diarrhea, and back to soft stools, and then to diarrhea. My pains in the gallbladder area became worse. Now it is November, and I have had tests for parasites and an ultrasound of my upper right quadrant. Everything was negative. Just last week I visted an organic farm and health food store, and purchased acidophilus capsules. I take two a day as per instructions, and I am happy to report that my stools returned to normal the day after the first dosage, and I am practically pain free. Coincidence? I hope not. For now, I feel normal again. I am only on my fourth day of the capsules. There were several choices and I picked one called Kyo-Dophilus. It contains L. Acidophilus, B. Bifidum and B. Longum. I take no other medications and I will be 65 in April.
“Try cooked rice in the AM, usually does the trick.
Remember the BRAT diet if someone had diarehha …..
B is for bananna
R is for rice
A is for a fresh grated apple
T is for toast
The rice works and also take your Caltrate, with Vit. D and minerals.
The calcium supplement is up to you and how much you should take.
But I take 2 – 6oo mg. / cut them in 4 and take them after each meal.
It is not meds and works so far. The rice is a binder for the stools.”