Forum Replies Created
-
I too have had my gallbladder taken out 2 years ago and since then everytime that I eat I get horrible stomach aches and then I have to run to the bathroom. And sometimes I just get really bad stomach aches that make me feel like I can’t breath and I try to relax for a few minutes but it usually don’t work. I also try not to eat anything in the morning if I am going to go to work because if I do then I get a stomach ache and I have to run to the bathroom and hope that no one is in there. I have also heard not to eat and drink dairy products because it upsets your stomach. I have also noticed that since my surgery I have had a really gassy stomach. I have tried the immodium, immodium advanced, zantac, pepcid, and a prescription medicine and found that none of them work so I hope that someone has a suggestion so I can spend the rest of my life worrying about my children and not worrying about if I am going to make it to the bathroom or not. I am only 21 I have the rest of my life ahead of me. So if anyone can please help me.
“Hi, I just had my gallbladder removed in June. I developed many problems post op and still have pain, burning and nausea- I was better before the surgery.
I went into the hospital about 3 weeks post-op and had several tests- all of which were negative. I am now about 8 weeks post-op.
I have a history of allergic reaction to titanium implants. I fractured my ankle 5 years ago- had too many problems to go into —but the doctor had determined, a year later, that I had osteomyelitis and I had a scheduled debridement and hardware removal done 11 months after the fracture. They discovered that I did not have an infection. I had inflammation due to the metal implants – and it was determined I was allergic to them.
Now, this doctor that took my gallbladder out knew that I was allergic to metal implants. I only saw him the week before surgery—-never again- not even when I was in the ER after the surgery. It was in my medical chart that I was allergic to metal. He never told me he was implanting metal clips in me. If I had been told, I would have ensured that would not have happened. But, I was not informed.
The second admission to the hospital is when my internal medicine doctor finally asked the gallbladder surgeon if he had used metal clips for closure and sure enough- he had. I did not know until then.
I am now going to see another surgeon and demand that they be removed. In this case, I knew I was allergic to titanium, he knew too and still he used the clips.
But, others here may have the same problem- a metal allergy.
I found a website http://www.melisa.org/ that tests specifically for metal allergy. It is more common than you think.
I am just starting this fight and I hope that the new surgeon will remove the clips. I am now aware that other things have metal in them(such as dental fillings) and I will look into that also as I have several autoimmune disorders that could be linked to metal allergy.
Hope that the website helps for some here.
Kathy ”” Hello, I’m a 34 year old female and have been suffering from this pain for so many years, I don’t even remember how old I was when it first started. I used to only get an attack once every couple years. But in November of 2008 I had another attack and til this day the pain does not go away. 2 years of constant pain. I had been living of of anti-inflammatory pills, taking 800mg every 4-5 hours and the pain was still never. Nothing ever really takes it away.
My pain is the exact same as most of you have described, however, sometimes it starts right in the middle of my chest, then moves to my right lower rib area, then moves to my back right rib area, then moves up to my right shoulder area…THEN goes all the way down to my lower back area, where your kidney’s would be. This severe pain is constant and lasts for one week, until it calms a bit, but never really goes away.
The other thing that I would like to address, but have not read here as most of your symptoms is that I am constantly struggling to take a breath because inhaling IS SOOOOO PAIN FULL!! I am not able to cough, sneeze, burp, laugh, and finish a normal sentence without running out of air and struggling to take a breathe to finish speaking. Forget walking…I’m slumped over and can’t stand up straight, and because it hurts so much to take a breath, any physical activity is too painful. I have also found that laying down is also very painful, I have to be in a seated position in bed and very still for me to find any comfort. There is no way I can even lay on either side during the attacks…too painful. Although I have found that when I apply pressure to the area (on my right lower rib cage) the pain does subside a bit.
Another symptom I always have with the attacks that I again haven’t read here is that I also get a fever, I haven’t really taken a temperature during this time…but I get really really hot and very weak and fatigued. I’ve also noticed that I get hungry very frequently, I know it’s odd but it’s been my observation.
Here is another finding, I started taking 500mg capsules of L-Carnitine around May this year, and after about a couple weeks of taking one a day I started to notice that it was helping relieve my pain. I don’t know if there is a direct scientific link, but that was the only thing that I had changed in my diet and noticed it helped.
I’m sorry this is so long, but there is so much to write about this topic and YES everyone around me is tired of hearing that I’m sick AGAIN. I feel like such a useless person and that the whole world is living, working, being active and enjoying life while I’m in bed completely immobile in pain…it is depressing.
About the whole gallbladder connection…here is my story…in July of 2009, while visiting Mexico, I had another attack and a friend of mine dragged me to their hospital (my first visit regarding this issue because I know they never find anything so why bother, right) anyhow, after giving all my symptoms they did an ultrasound and found that I had stones in my gallbladder and everything I was describing was a direct result of it. Leaving there relieved that it was nothing really serious and with some GREAT pain meds, I came back to the states and still in pain (it had become chronic by now) I decided to go to one of my US emergency room and see if they have the same findings. Well, after about 6 hours of waiting for results of blood and urine tests, they said that everything came back “”normal”” . I asked them to do an ultrasound, because obviously SOMETHING was NOT normal if I am having pain…right?! Well, they didn’t do it because there was nothing abnormal in my test results. So I contacted a gallbladder specialist dr, and took my x-rays and dr. reports and records that I had done in Mexico with me, he was so excited that I had PPO insurance that he didn’t even do his own tests and went on the “”word”” of the reports from Mexico and scheduled me for surgery to remove my gallbladder. Needless to say, I was excited that I was going to be relieved of the pain (pain=stones in my gallbladder) YEAH RIGHT!! I had surgery August 3rd…and before the month was up I had another attack….SAME PAIN! WTFFF!!! I was so upset and so depressed, everyone told me to call my surgeon and tell him that THAT wasn’t the problem and to help find what it was. I never did. I don’t want to be a guinea pig and a money making machine for our health care system or professionals. The only thing that I have gotten after removing my gallbladder is acid reflux/heartburn…don’t know which is which but it’s very bad in the mornings and if my first meal in the day is fatty/oily I HAVE to run to the bathroom within 20-30 min with crazy diarrhea…sorry if that’s TMI š Dr. told me that those will go away as my body heals from the surgery, but it’s been over a year and I now have 2 more things I suffer from!! And after searching and searching for some self diagnosis, I found that the closest definition to my condition is Pleurisy, and that concludes my research…sadly.
I so do apologize for this post being very long, but I just want to know if there is anyone else out there with these exact symptoms.
“i HAD MY GALL BLADDER REMOVED fEBRUARY 07, & had to see my surgeon after 2 months bec of the pain I had under my rt ribs and back. he ordered ultrasound & blood tests to find out if there are stones in my bile duct. Result came negative so i was referred back to my gastroenterologist and was told that they did not see anything wrong buut he believes it is pain caused by my fibromyalgia. I was given muscle relaxant. I have been taking it for 2 wks now & i still have this disturbing nagging pain. I happen to talk and compare our experiences with my co worker in the hospital, 1 cna & 1 nurse both of them had the gall bladder removed and they have the same problems. This is what we get from having the gall bladder removed. I have friends who talked to other people and have exactly the same problems, pain under the ribs, back pain, constipating 1 day and another day diarrhea. It seems that we have to face the consequence. I will research more and find out about this problem of ours.
“Hi Folks,
Boy this gallbladder stuff is the worst. I had mine out may 2005 and have had pain and a bout of pancreatitis since. Had an MRCP,it was ‘normal’ saw a specialist in Boston and I`m having an endoscopic ultrasound on friday. THe doc thinks this is what my problem is… check this out and if you cant get to the link from here, http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eengs/hints/oddi.html
just type in ‘Sphincter of Oddi or bile duct spasms’ into your search engine. The pain I`ve had is the exact as before I had my gallbladder removed, actually its worse. The docs treated me like I was crazy till my pancreatic enzymes shyrocketed. Personally I think all docs should have to experience undiagnosed illness for a few months before the get their MD.
Anyway, if you have the same kind of pain and your doc is shrugging his shoulders (they take a class in that I think!) check this out… it makes sense to me!
Hope EVERYONE fares well!
Lexxi ”“Hi, I hope this information offers hope to some of the ladies suffering extreme pain. Around 6 months ago my wife (46yrs old) started to have abdominal pain. She was given antacid tabs etc, nothing helped. The pain got worse and more frequent and was now accompanied by severe vomiting which usually came after the pain had built to almost unbearable levels. She ultimately had her gall bladder removed as the ultasound scan revealed disease of the gall bladder. Stones basically.
1 operation later and we find ourselves in the middle of a nightmare. Same pain as before, but more frequent and worse. She cried it was so bad. The vomiting was violent.
I researched the net and was convinced she had sphincter oddi syndrome.
She was passed from doctor to doctor with no joy. After 1 particularly bad attack, and by now she was finding it difficult to breathe during an attack, I took her to A&E and refused to leave until they admitted her and diagnosed the problem.
1 MRI scan later they discovered some loose stones had made their way into the bile duct and become trapped. She will have them removed next week and we assume all will be well after that.
I’ll keep you posted.
Please, if you are suffering extreme pain as my wife was, insist they keep you in hospital and give you every possible blood test and scan available. Be rude if you have to. The nicer you are, I find they assume it can’t be that bad and dismiss you easily.
You are entitled to a cure. It’s your right, not a privilege.
I truly hope this helps a little. If you are suffering…there is a reason and there is a cure. Insist they find both.”
“Hello fellow loo luvers
I found this site because I was looking up details about the drug ‘Questran’. Well now I have the answers to my problems (watery diarrhoea, and high abdo pains mostly where the GB was) and it is a comfort to know that I am not imagining all my symtoms!
I am now 52 and had my gall bladder out about 5 years ago and apart from an increase in heartburn, indigestion and massive increase in the ‘burps’ when eating, I hadn’t had any real problems till last year Jun 2000 when going to the loo became a very very frequent event, enough to send me to the doctors because I thought I had a bug or worse. To cut a long story short (well will try) was sent to a Gastrologist and was examined inside, outside and upside down (doesn’t do much for self identity when you feel rotton already). Original diagnosis was Microscopic Colitis(another elusive condition), so was put on steroids which made the condition far worse and blew me up like a baloon, thankfully I am off them now, but took 3 months to find out they made me far worse.
Had severe pains where GB used to be and round front of diaphram under sturnum, still get these now and again, they can be frightening and was convinced I had pancreatic cancer. Anyway have had more tests including the bile salt malabsorption test which proved very positive, meaning that I was not re-using/storing my bile, does this make sense? Presumably that means more and more is being made and the bile, like acid is causing all the problems. Trouble is that no-one explains anything to you and even when I ask, the answers are evasive. My Gastrologist is not very forthcoming with information (I seem to know more about it than he does, and typically you cannot tell him anything or say that you have found things out, without consulting him!).
Anyway latest is that he gave me Questran to take a couple of weeks ago – and it appears to have stopped my frequent visits to the loo and I haven’t had the pains so much, but that leads me to what I said originally about information on the drug. I also have to take thyroxine because of hypothyroidism and am now worried that the Questran may affect that. Am due to see him in a couple of weeks and possibly to have a barium meal test. Will let you know how things go.
To all that need the GB op, not everyone is the same and mostly things are much better afterwards, also it is always best to get things checked out, just in case.
Best wishes to all and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Regards from Jan ”
“Hi, In Response
Oh my God ! If their was a way i could talk to you .Everything you said is exactly what i am going through. I recently had my gall bladder removed about 9 months ago.
I am miserable and feel alone in this fight.
I have bloating , nausea, headaches, I get light headed and even my back aches whenever the bloating begins.
Everytime i eat this happens.I immedietly feel tired and it feels like i can’t breath.Sometimes it lasts for about 15 min then it slowly goes away. This happens everyday and sometimes i am bloated all day long.
Please. I would advise anyone to be careful and research this before getting the surgery.
I have been to several doctors and no one seems to know why or how to help me.
This is affecting my life and everyone around me.
I don’t want to go anywhere because of this discomfort. If some one would have told me that this would happend to me i would have never got the surgery.
My life has changed and i am very sad because i wonder how long i will have to live like this.
Please Please if some one knows a doctor or anyway i could get help please respond to this.
I am desperate and hurting beacuse no one seems to be able to help me.
Please !respond to this ! ““I’m a 35 year old female who has had chronic pain under my right lower rib cage for 2 1/2 years. I finally broke down and had my gall bladder removed 6 weeks ago, even though the HIDA scan did not detect stones. My gallbladder was inflamed w/ cholestrol deposits, but no stones. Well, the surgery was much worse than I had expected. I’m still sore (from the surgery) and I still have the original pain. I just got back from a Gastroenterologist, he basically said “”sorry”” there’s not much more we can do (except test for SOD which apparently could cause pancreatitis?) HELP! I’m so sad and am terrified that I am going to be in pain the rest of my life. The doctors seem clueless. Why are there so many of us with these symptoms, but the doctors don’t know anything? If anyone has found something that helps please let me know!!!!
P.s. Doctor prescribed desiparmine – has this helped anyone? ”“I had laparoscopic gall bladder surgery 2 years ago and 2 weeks afterwards, I bent forward sharply to shave my leg which was propped on the counter, and felt a “”ripping”” sort of pain.
I developed a lump on the right side and started coughing like crazy.
The pain never went away and only got worse.
Had 2 exploratory surgeries that made things even worse.
Now I have a diagnosis:
It is either Cecal Bascule (cecum flips up on itself) or Cecal Volvulus (cecum and right intestine twised).
It took me 2 long years of pain to finally be directed to a Colo-Rectal Surgeon.
If one is prone to a MOBILE CECUM, abdominal surgeries can cause these nightmarish conditions.My advice – see a Colo-rectal Surgeon ASAP to rule out these possible problems. They will not go away with time or drugs – only specialized surgery will help.
NO ONE and NO WEBSITE ever mentions this problem – you must know what it is, before you can find out more about it, and it’s more common than anyone realizes.
I now have some hope I might get my life back and can stop thinking of suicide.
Good Luck.”
“Hi. I’m a 31-year-old female with continued pain five months after a laproscopic cholecystectomy. This is the deal…
After several years of increasingly severe and frequent attacks, a frantic trip to the emergency room resulted in the removal of my gallbladder in August 2007, at which time it was also discovered that I had pancreatitis second to the gallbladder trouble.
Following the surgery, the surgeons told me that my gallbladder was so inflamed it was — and I quote — “”almost comical.”” Apparently, once inside, it was much worse than the ultrasound had predicted; they told me that there were dozens of stones, all of which were amongst the largest they’d ever seen. To that end, they had to make the hole in my belly button larger in order to get everything out.
I was in the hospital for four nights (if you count the first night in the E.R., and three nights post-op) because they wanted to make sure my pancreatitis improved. Once home, I immediately came down with a sinus infection (poor timing, I know) and developed a horrible, unrelenting cough. At my two-week post surgical follow-up, I told the doctors that I was still having flank pain and, after examining me, they said they believed I’d developed a couple of hernias, probably due to the excessive coughing. They sent me home to rest, and told me to go to the E.R. if the pain or my symptoms got worse, otherwise they’d check back with me again in two more weeks.
In the interim, I went to see my primary physician about the cough and he, too, felt what he believed to be a hernia.
Two weeks later, I returned to the surgical clinic — still in pain — and was told that they no longer felt a hernia but that the lingering pain might be caused by adhesions which, according to them, can begin forming right after surgery. They scheduled me for a CT scan to rule out the hernia(s) and once again told me to come back — this time in four weeks.
Four weeks later, I returned — yes, STILL having pain — and was told that the CT scan showed nothing at all. However, they advised me that adhesions wouldn’t show up on a CT scan or MRI anyway. Their solution was to have me wait a bit longer (i.e. another month or two) to make sure the pain wasn’t simply due to the fact that I hadn’t healed completely from the surgery (even though two months had already elapsed at that point), since diagnosis of adhesions requires another surgery and should be a last resort.
Well, at my last visit, the doctors (whom, by the way, have never been the same people at any of my visits, as they’re a team that does rotations) told me that adhesions took a long time to form (which contradicted what their colleagues had told me) so it was unlikely to be that, and that they were basically washing their hands of me.
I’m so disgusted! Here it is, five months post-surgery and I’m still having major flank pain — yet I’m getting conflicting information, and dismissals. I’m not having signs of obstructions or anything like that — but I’m in pain almost all the time, and it’s getting worse. I don’t know what else to do. I would like to get a second opinion at another hospital, but I’m told that surgeons very rarely will agree to see other surgeons’ patients. If that’s so, then what’s next? I didn’t have this pain prior to my surgery and I want it gone.
The pain, incidentally, involves major tenderness, the sensation that something is getting “”caught”” when I bend, and a feeling of being poked very hard. The location of the pain is my right flank, including my rib area, and my sub-sternum, very near one of the incisions.
Anyway, does anyone have suggestions on what to do next?? I’m stuck. š
Thanks in advance.”
I to had gallbladder surgery about 6 years ago and have suffered from the same symtoms and am also embarassed to go anywhere, for fear that it won’t strike until I am in the car and what do you tell friends, get me to the nearest bathroom quick. I have almost had an accident more than once. I never was given an explanation by my surgeon either. I hope that there is someone out there that can give us both an answer or a cure that will help us. Just wanted you to know that you are not alone.
š„ I had my gallbladder removed on may 19, 2006. The surgery went great and I came home feeling great. Well, about 4 days after the surgery I had a nausea that came over me and made it to the point where I couldnāt eat at all. I had no fever, but couldnāt even make myself eat. I figured ok itās just my body getting use to this. I ended up in the er twice from the nausea. I lost weight down to 97, but my normal is only 105-110. So, the hospital put me on zofran the second time I went in which seemed to do the trick. The following day I was eating a liquid diet (which was more than I could do before), and with each day to follow things seemed to get better. Well, on june 29, 2006 the nausea hit me again. The very same way it did before. I couldnāt eat, but I was still able to get liquid down. So, I went to my doctor and he said that I needed to take the zofran again. So, here I am and canāt get rid of this nausea, and I am at a loss and getting very depressed. I just donāt even know what to do anymore. Has this happened to anyone else?
” I had my gallbladder removed 5 months ago. Before the surgery, for three years I had problems with severe diarrhea after eating. It was very unpredictable what food/drink would trigger an attack. I would be okay for several days to several weeks, then get an attack out of the blue. A few times I had an attack while on the city bus. I never had an accident, but came close a few times. That was really frightening. I stopped eating out, including having coffee, and knew where every bathroom is around town.
I began having upper abdominal pain and was diagnosed with multiple gallbladder stones. I did some online research before having the surgery, and read that the diarrhea would get worse. Unfortunately I didn’t read the kinds of stories I’ve read at this site. I had no idea HOW much worse. Now I have it about 1-3 times every other day. I’ve changed my diet to low-fat, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I still have pain where the gallbladder use to be. At times the pain is worse than a gallbladder attack. I went to a GI that suggested I have an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. The GI thinks it may be an ulcer, but who really knows.
This diarrhea problem is really effecting my life. I hardly go out any more. Whenever I am going to be out I bring bottled water, and a banana, and don’t eat before hand. I really miss going to the neighborhood coffee shops/cafes with my husband. Im sick of bottled water and bananas. I’m going to be looking for work soon (been a stay at home mom for several years), but I’m fearful that I’ll have an attack, and have an accident at work. I wouldn’t feel comfortable telling a potential employer that I’m rectally challenged! How have other’s handled this situation with their boss/coworkers? A job dealing with the public seems out of the question. I can picture it now…. helping someone at work when I get a major bowel attack, my eyes as big as saucers, sweat on my forhead, clammy hands, major anxiety attack as I figure out very quickly how to get to the can, and not cause a spectacle of myself in the process waiting, or perhaps unable to wait for someone to take my place. It seems so potentially embarrassing.It’s good to know I’m not alone with this condition. ”
“Hi. I am crying as I write this, partly because I know this isn’t over yet & partly because I have finally found a site with people going through the same thing I have been dealing with for years! In 2001 I had gall Bladder surgery as I had swelling & severe pain.
Well, as many of you have said…it didn’t go away! I also have had many tests since then, including being admitted to the hospital with this pain. They did Ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, blood work, urine, endoscopy and colonoscopy. I do have GERD and take Prilosec for that. but GERD was diagnosed many years ago. My son has Crohnes & Mom has Ulcerative colitis. So I thought it may be related to that. But all the tests keep coming back normal (I did have a little blood in my urine is all). I also had one ovary removed 3 yrs. ago and they found I do have IC (Interstitial Cystitis) So, they thought I had IBS which can be related to IC…. Well, the IBS diet did not work at all. Still have pain & swelling with NO answers yet!
I do have a theory from my experiences….. Since I don’t have a gallbladder… could all the fat my GB used to process, be causing some or most of this pain? They were also thinking Abdominal Adhesions but tests didn’t show it. Unlike some of you I am GAINING not losing weight! I ALWAYS feel bloated & full & am constipated (only go 1x per week) Even if I “”Diet”” it doesn’t matter. Still swollen & in pain. It feels like my liver or pancreas is burning (especially when I sit or lay on my right side) It also feels like pressure & is right under my ribs on the URQ. I look 9 months pg! They even did a pg test even though I’m in menopause.
I will follow up on some of your leads & sites you mentioned also. We need to stick together on this! Like many of you, my family’s getting sick of hearing it and I am getting so sick of laying around in my Jammies with so much pain & swelling! I am so tired of trying to explain to people who don’t understand! Thanks so much for all of your input & for being here! It’s so great to know I’m not alone on this!
“
