Ongoing Complications (1000+)

[DataCurator]

I had my gall bladder removed in 2004 and since then have had quite a few problems. I have to goto the bathroom at least 8 times a day, and will only have one normal bowel movement (non-diherreal) a week, if I’m lucky. I’ve read posts all over the internet with people having this problem and cannot find a solution. I’ve tried changing my diet, stopped drinking caffeine, high fiber diet, just about anything I can find that I think might help. Has anyone found a solution to this problem or am I reduced to working to pay for Immodium?

[DataCurator]

I don’t have the answer but I thought I’d share something with you. I had my gb out in April (I only had one stone but had the hida scan which showed an almost nonfunctioning gall bladder). Right from the start I felt a twinge occasionally where it used to be. I remember mentioning this to my surgeon who seemed surprised (he’s supposed to be excellent, highly thought of by doctors in this area). In early August I began to experience diarrhea despite taking Benefibre. I mentioned this to my primary care physician who said that gall bladder patients who had stones seem to recuperate better than those who don’t have stones (or very few) but have the low functioning gall bladders. I can’t remember the name of the condition she mentioned as I was stunned to hear this and not concentrating on what she was saying anymore. I went to my Gastroenterologist who prescribed Questran (to help with the diarrhea) but I got sick from it. Back to Benefibre and some probiotics, see how it goes and if I still have problems I’ll go back to the gastro (she mentioned that it could be a stone still inside & she may need to do some tests~shudder~). Anyhow, for those of us who did not have a gb filled with stones, it sounds like recuperation won’t be so easy. Maybe someone else reading this will recognize one of our symptoms.

[DataCurator]

I just had my gallbladder removed along with hiatal hernia repair surgery on April 20th and I feel awful!!! I have a constant pain in my left shoulder (especially whenever I’m eating and/or yawning). It’s the strangest thing ever. Just last night I became extremely nauseas and my body attempted to vomit but due to my hiatal hernia repair surgery, I’ll never be able to vomit again so I just bought up the mucus. This morning I feel terrible. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do for these problems. Thanks!

[DataCurator]

I’m 5 years ps after having gall bladder removed due to severe gall stones, and lately have started to get the old familiar pain and nausea again. I had no idea that you could get any symptoms years after having the surgery, but I too am starting to panic. My heartburn and acid indigestion are awful, whether i eat or not. And then lately ive woke up with the familiar pain in my back and chest ( like sumone is squeezing ) and that awful bloated feeling, then comes the sickness. Since having the op ive lived with constant bowel problems, ( my doc says IBS, im sure its related to this tho )which means i practically live on anti-diarrea medication. My weight has ballooned and im at the end of my tether. Im sure my doc thinks that since i have no gall-bladder i must be imagining these symptoms !!

[DataCurator]

“I too have been gaining weight slowly since my GB was removed. I was overweight at 119kg before the surgery and due to anatomical abnormalities (WTF???) they have to cut me open to remove the GB. BTW i still get the same pain (on the left side of abdomen (although not as severe)) and end up opening bowels 3 – 6 times a day. as apposed to 1 – 2 times daily prior to surgery. I mainly eat low cal/low-fat. Do not drink Milk (Fat Free Soy milk only) and get plenty of excercise. (1 hour walk to work and back each day).

Currently I am at 123.6kg. I eat healthily, although largish portions (need to cut back).

Things to try:
Table spoon of Lecithin with cereal in the morning (Lecithin aids in emulsifying fats, strange as its is virtually fat itself). Bile salts and acidophilus bifidus (Yakult) on a regular basis. I will also try fish oil as well ”

[DataCurator]

“Thank goodness someone else has the same problem as me … now I don’t feel so angry at my digestive system. I’ve always been a little sensitive to fatty (especially fried) food and removing my gallbladder made it worse — once it goes in, my tummy IMMEDIATELY starts rumbling & whooosh! It comes out. It’s truly gross & annoying. Yet sometimes satisfying and a great way of making sure that I eat healthy.

And alcohol speeds things up … even if it’s “”safe”” food. We went to a fancy restaurant a couple months ago and the small amount of pate in one of my dishes made me sick for 2 days. Ugh”

[DataCurator]

I had gallbladder surgery on september 30 2011, was told to come back for follow up in one week. The Dr. said that I was healing fine and that they didn’t need to see me again. Since then I swell up like a balloon and have excruciating pain in my right upper ab and flank. I really don’t think that the surgeons truly know what they are doing.

[DataCurator]

Hello all. I guess I’ve got to say that I’m one of the lucky ones. I had my GB removed about 3 yrs ago when I was 40. I didn’t drink right after the surgery, but one year later, I was consuming as much after as I was before. I don’t drink every day, but can consume say, 12 beers on a weekend night and don’t really notice any effects. Wine or hard liquor don’t seem to bother me either. I do have the ABSOLUTE need to go to the bathroom in the AM right after breakfast, but that’s the case regardless of any alchohol consumed the night before or not. I did need to have the 12 inch cut surgery to remove mine as they couldn’t remove it laproscopically. Not sure if it’s tougher on my liver than before…… Any thoughts out there??? Thanks.

[DataCurator]

“Hi All, Have been reading through these posts today, sure is a lot of them, and just want you all to know you are not crazy. This most definetly pain after gall bladder removal. Not sure why but I had my gb removed about 8 years ago. Had several GB attacks before that so thought it was a good idea to have it out. I also had a huge stone sitting in it. So out it went.
The years that followed were just as painful as when I had my gall bladder.
I had trapped stones in my bile ducts twice and needed a procedure called an ERCP done twice. That worked fine. But a few years after that I developed pancreatitis from out of the blue. Talk about pain. Wow. Worse than giving birth I needed 2 more ERCP’s done and of course in between many endo’s for GERD. Than developed Barretts Esphagus and IBS.
I personally think it is all related somehow. My stomach has always been bad, even as a teen I was constipated. I still get gut pain that radiates into my back. One of my doctors thinks it is trapped gas while the other one thinks it is acid building up. So all of you that still get pain after surgery, you are right and it could be a number of things. Good Luck all and feel better. ”

[DataCurator]

My gall bladder was removed in 2002. I had ERCP in 2005 and suffered from GERD symptoms (daily pain and burn sensation in the chest/abdomen/gall bladder area) for about 7 months after ERCP. However, since 2006, I am glad to say that I am free of all GERD symptoms PROVIDED that I take one 20mg Omeprazole daily or nightly. My point is that you have to be patient. I panic when Omeprazole or Nexium couldn’t get rid of my pain 1-2 months after ERCP. I stopped taking the medicines. I consulted more doctors, take alternative medicines (chinese herbs, supplement, aloe vera), but was not able to get rid of the painful symptoms. After about 5 mths or so, I decided to get back to Omeprazole, (having given up on alternative medicines cure), and add on the fact that my body had begun to adapt to the pain, I felt less pain. Eventually, after resumed taking Omeprazole for 1 month or so, I was free of any GERD related pain. I must add that if I stopped taking Omeprazole daily, the abdominal and chest pain will come back after 1-2 days.

[DataCurator]

“I was so happy to find this that I had to sign up to share my story; I will try to condense a novel into a short story. I had my gallbladder removed more than 5 years ago. Everything went fine, but like many of you here, I still experienced right upper quadrant pain. After many doctors, you just learn to live with it. Anyway, nearly 3 years after the surgery, I suddenly developed diarrehea and cramping that would not go away. I lost 20 lbs in 5 weeks! Many stool tests and antibiotics later, my physician referred me to a GI dr. Without any other tests, he put me on Questran and it has worked fine. I thought he was a miracle man! Well, all good things must come to an end. Along about Christmas, I began to notice that I could no longer tolerate dairy products; you just know once you develop a lactose intolerance! But, even despite cutting dairy out (I’ve switched to soy everything), I still have cramping or pain and gurgling, some heartburn from everything I eat or drink. Even water can put me on a burping/flatulence jag for quite awhile. I went back to my GI dr. who was less than enthusiastic and just said I would have these problems since I didn’t have a gallbladder. He just told me to increase the Questran, prilosec and zantac. Well, I’ve been doing that and still have the same symptoms.
I am now trying enzyme therapy along with acidolophus. I’ve quit taking my garlic supplements and had 2 pretty good days in a row. I will keep you all posted if my natural methods are successful. Would also welcome anyone’s advise. ”

[DataCurator]

“I had an echocardiogram in sept””06 when all the indigestion started. I of course wanted a nuclear stress test but my insurance company would not cover it. I’m 49 years old so I am very concerned about women’s heart health.
Echocadiogram was fine. I have also made 3 trips to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack because I was experiencing indigestion and chest pain.
ER doctors ruled out my heart, told me I should have my stomach checked.
So here I am 8 weeks after having my gallbladder removed with the same symptoms. I have to say the indigestion is getting better. I take 40mg of Nexium once a day. I have also been taking gas-x after meals. I continue to have bouts of indigestion during the day with left (over the breast) chest pain.
I saw a cardiologist 2 weeks just to be sure and he said my symptoms sound
like GERD/Acid Reflux but nothing is showing up on my CT or GI.
I have been taking Nexium for more than a month so I wondering if that was a reason nothing shows up on the scans. When I read this thread, it seems there are a lot of people who are still having problems (like mine) after having their gallbladder removed. I mentioned the web site to my gastro doctor and
when I asked him about post-gallbladder removal syndrome, he didn’t seem to
think that was my problem because I had indigestion and backache before I had my gallbladder removed. I’m back at square one.”

[DataCurator]

“I had my GB out when I was 20, I was in the hospital for 2 weeks, within a month of going home I started with the same symtoms. I went back to my surgeon who told me it was normal post op pain. I didn’t buy this and had a 2nd opinion, they did a ultra sound and found a huge stone in my bile duct. I had removed as an emergency surgery and it stopped all my pain & issues. Granted it was a very large stone and easy to see. I know the dr that removed my GB said he was going to inject dye and so some type of scan. I pulled my medical records and it was never done. Go figure.
”

[DataCurator]

“I want to thank all of the kind people who have written back with suggestions on how to improve my sorry state of health related problems.

I used to be a healthy man who exercised 2-3 hours a day.I loved to have cocktails and eat like a horse. I had no real stress in my life even though I was faced with the usual problems that are associated with life in America (divorce, crime, Money worries etc ).

Then one day I was rushed to the ER for a nasty GB attack.I was ill in a big way and the Bone cutters told me that a simple snip would cure all that ailed me.
Once again the old adage appeared “” If it sounds to good to be true….. ) I did not follow this advice. I let them cut and in that action became someone broken.

The author Thomas McGuane said it best “”I felt like the night had written a check that daylight could not cash “” The first days after the operation were a portent for the hell that has followed.
PAIN-so much pain and a pesky need to vist the water closet 30 times a day so that a murk of acid (it actually sizzles as it hits the water ..YUCK !) could be expelled with the force and audacity of a round of grapeshot leaving the cannon barrel.

Percocet does not even touch that kind of misery when you compound it with deep searing and stabbing gut pain. What an introduction to my new life! The snake oil men (doctors) told me it was all in my head after their voodoo doll pokings produced no finite information for them to digest and spit back.

I was then sent to the Head shrinkers who sent me away with a suitcase full of antidepressents and an order to stop taking painkillers ( the s… even went so far as to convince my other doctors to cut me off.

I wonder if he even considered the 10 bathroom trips I made during the session or how I sat sweating from side pain as he lectured me on how it was all in my head ?)

I found out later that he is some kind of antidrug super stormtropper who feels that God is the only drug you need to combat pain, cancer or otherwise( You must know by now that I live south of the Mason-Dixon line in an area not to far from the snake handling for religous purposes capital of the world.

Dont get me wrong, as Mr Lennon once sang ‘Whatever gets you through the night is alright with me…. “”
I’m just saying that things are a bit conservative down in these parts. Sorry about the rambling. Now as I stated in my first e-mail, I am without medical care, money, and hope.

However, I am going to try a Liver Flush and change my diet more than I have already. I have found that alcohol, butter, cream, spicy foods and fruit almost kill me.

I have tried fasting for 3-4 days taking in only water but the symptoms still exist even with no food intake at all.

I think I could make it if only the pain would go away. I could somehow live with the frequent bathroom trips if only the pain would fade like smoke being sucked up a chimney.

No miracles here only the reality of being an ill person in a health and youth oriented republic. I don’t, no I refuse to feel sorry for myself!

I have life good when I compare it to other lives Ive seen or read about. Im not in the Sudan being raped or killed by the Janjaweed. Im not throwing rocks against tanks in some hivelike arid city somewhere. I am an american and that one fact makes me a hell of a lot luckier than most in this world.

Illness or no illness!!!!!

Sorry about all the asides and rambling. This note is a letter of thanks to all who responded to my original e-mail.

Thanks again for your concern.”

[DataCurator]

“I had gallstone filled gallbladder removed along with emergency ERCP for stone in common duct on 10/28/08. Now it’s Feb 1 and I’ve had GERD or acid-flux according to drs, ever since. I’ve been given Pepcid (worked for 2 weeks), prilosec (did nothing), Prevacid for 2 months (helped a bit maybe) and now on my third day of Aciphex – burning, shooting pains are getting worse. My dr wants to do another ERCP for possible missed stone. Has anyone had any thing like this? Also, since the surgery I’ve had a couple bouts of severe trapped gas, burping all day, hunger pang type pains (similar to what I had before the surgery!!). This is debilitating and depressing – no medication apparently is helping.

Help anyone??”