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“Hello,
I had my gall bladder removed at just 13 years of age due to two small stones which caused me great pain, three years have gone by and I am now 16 and I am living in hell! I was told by my doctor that removing the gall bladder would take away all my pains so went ahead with the op but instead I have just been given slightly less pain and frequent bowel movements. Every time I eat something slightly fattening, I have to dart to the loo within a matter of minutes, I am not able to eat dairy products or take aways unless I have taken a sachet containing cholestyramine and sometimes that don’t even work. My school life has suffered a lot, I not only still get stomach pains and frequent bowel movent (about 6 times a day) I am also suffering from back pain and low energy. I would advise anyone NOT to get their gall bladder removed unless it is the only option avaliable. I am 16 yet am unable to enjoy my life as I always worry about going to the loo or constant pain, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone! :$”“Hello to anyone reading this,
I had my gall bladder taken out back in April 1986 (actually on April Fools day, how ironic). My life as it was changed that day, and not for the better. It was an emergency surgery so I have that big ugly scar. That is not even the part that bothers me though. I started with stomach pains so bad I thought I was going die. And then even worse the not being able to control bowel movements. I went to the doctor. Who proceeded at that time to tell me it was all in my head. I have had every kind of test you can imagine. Sigmoidoscopy, Colonoscopy, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Barium x-ray, and a few more I can’t think of the names.
I lived for 12 years pretty much house bound. If I wanted to go to my kids school functions I would go for three to four days without eating a single thing, this way I knew I would be safe. I also knew the price would be paid for this each time with that first bite of food I took after the no eating (at the time it was worth it). I learned over the years that stress can aggravate the condition. The doctors I have seen throughout the years have put me on many different medications. The side effects for some were worse than the problem itself, until one day I tried Imodium. (Which I call the MIRACLE DRUG). I take Imodium (actually the equate brand from Wal-Mart because it’s cheaper and has a lot of pills in the bottle). I take anywhere from 4 to 10 pills every 3 to 4 days. I can tell when I need to take them by how my stomach feels. I have asked my gastroenterologist if this is harmful and he has indicated it is not. It works for me. I can now go anywhere anytime and eat anything I want without any problems. It works for me and it might for you.
I also read there is a drug that is supposed to work really well too called Welchol. I am going to do some research on this one too.
It’s actually not IBS that you get from the removal of the gall bladder; it’s called Bile Acid Malabsorption. “
“I had my gallbladder removed in Aug. of 2007.
Before having it removed, I was experiancing stomach pain and nausea simlar to what is described in previous post. After a Hyda-scan – I was told that my gb was no longer functioning and had to be removed.
However, since my surgery, the nausea and pain only increased. I have now been diagnosed with gastroperosis.
In the mist of all the post on this website I have seen a connection between both the surgery of GB and gastroperosis. Not sure which one is causing the other, but there definatley seems to be a connection.I would advise strongly to read up on the effects of GB surgery. I have had several friends with stones that received immediate relief and now have a limited amount of side effects from the surgery. However, if your GB simply isn’t functioning properly – I would ask more questions.
Just please watch it carefully. Give yourself time to heal from the surgery, but don’t wait like I did before finding a Dr. that will help you out. I had to see several doctors (2 GI to be exact) before I found one that was willing to dig for answers. Your body knows when you dont’ feel well. The best lesson I have learned from this whole experiance is to listen to your body!!
Best of luck!
”my life is just ruined with diarrhea (post cholecystectomy syndrome). I take questran which helps but sometimes constipates yo-yoing back and forth. My lifes joys are gone. I loved exploring and going somewhere interesting on spur of the moment and traveling. I live in constant fear of humiliating myself although in 3 years I have had only 3 embarrassments, every day, and all other times racing at top speed and weeping to wherever i acn find a bathroom. My life is ruined and measured by the proximity of bathrooms. Forget festivals, ocean walks, city streets with no bathroom in sight for more than a block or so. I am so depressed I have to keep thinking of those who are suffering more than I am to keep from ending my life. I am educated, a Ph.D., and feel like a fool for having this surgery. I was very ill, high fever, incredible pain, etc. and let my excellent hospital (NGH) remove my gall bladder, not being told of any other choice but death. I am trying to find a way to continue to have a reason to get up in the morning since my personal way of life is destroyed. Now I have discovered that a statistically higher number of people who develop cancer are those who have had their gall bladder removed and now haave post cholecystectomy syndrome. My physician is excellent and the surgery went well. A year passed before I developed this condition which will last until my death. Shame on me for being so sad when others are suffering much worse health problems. I gained 30 pounds also which is not contributing to my happiness. Many others have had this happen. I envy Mandela who had his stones removed instead of taking the whole gall bladder out. Good luck to you and all of us who are so sad now.
“gB surgery seems like a recommendation that the doctors get to pretty quickly. In my case the PCP heard my complaints of abdominal pain attacks, ordered an ultrasound. That found gallstones. Pain + gallstones = surgery, even though my pain locations were atypical for GB disease. I never even saw a GE — went straight from my PCP to a surgeon.
Turns out the GB had nothing to do with my pain. Don’t have a GB anymore, still have pain, looks like it’s stomach spasms. Fortunately there were no complications from that useless surgery. Just a few cute scars, perhaps some ongoing sensitivity to fatty foods, and some out-of-pocket expenses I didn’t need to pay.
A doctor told me “”sometimes the treatment is itself a form of diagnosis””. In other words, it may be your GB, we’ll cut it out and see if that’s the problem. I do understand the concept, but hate to surrender my organs 1-by-1 to narrow down illnesses!! ”
“I had my gallbladder out last Saturday. It has only been a week, I know but I am pretty sure I have dumping syndrome. I read that if you had this diarrhea problem PRIOR to the surgery, it is probably NOT related to the gall bladder. That just does not make sense to me.
My gallbladder was so necrotic and gangrenous that I am sure it was not working for quite sometime, despite my having only ONE attack. If my gallbladder is not functional, isn’t it fair to say that you would have an excess of bile thus causing diarrhea? It only makes sense to me.So, here’s my take on it. All my doctors act as if gallbladder removal is as simple and symptom free as removing a wart. The did not inform me as to what to watch out for, what to expect. I am now VERY concerned that at 37, my QUALITY OF LIFE, has been diminished because of my frantic trips to the bathroom. It may seem like a small problem in lieu of other problems, but when you measure your life by its “”quality”” it is a serious problem and should be treated that way.
I have yet to meet ONE gallbladder removal patient who has NOT experienced this problem. Granted, I had no choice but to remove the gallbladder as it was severely infected and gangrenous. I did not want to die. That being said, WHY does it seem that the surgeons who perform our operations, refuse to properly inform us? Are we not adults who deserve the whole picture? Can’t we be trusted with the information?
Sorry for this diatribe, but I am too young to limited in this way. It makes me angry. Thanks for listening. ”Hello everyone, (this story has a happy ending) my girlfriend was suffering from the exact same symptoms as all of you, sharp pain in right shoulder, burning pain under rib, numbness whole right side, the worst of the worst. I stayed by her the whole time and was like many of you who suffered by seeing our loved ones suffer. So I started to research, this was just before her first hida scan and after ct scans, blood work a milloion times, everyone saying she’s crazy. I figured out that this was something with her gallbladder. 2 days later doc says she has 3% bile pass. Before she can even see the surgeon and a little while after a plate of wheat pancacks, I have to take her to the e.r. After alot of crying and morphine, they take out her gallbladder. They released her that day and after eating some crackers, she goes right bAck into the same pain. So I did more reasearch and found the “ciliac” syndrome, it may be listed above, thank you very much if it is. Anyway, while she said eveything was throbbing I touched her gland under her right jaw and she cried even harder, that’s when I realized that she was having an alergic reaction. (I saw someone have a reaction to peanuts) I gave her 2 benadryl and after a few minutes she said the throbbing and dizziness has gone down. I Researched some more and found out about how glutens can over time, make your gallbladder shut down or get stones. I looked at the cracker box and sure enough, wheat. What happens is kids go to the doctor with all these symptoms and the doctors just come up with something and let you wither in pain for ages, while they go on eating food you would never know had gluten and no one makes a connection. After a while, the gallbladder goes and nothing happens. If you want to test yourself, then the next time you have an attack, feel your glands, if they’re swelled, then that’s probably your problem. I asked the surgeon about ciliac and he had no idea. once you put two and two together you’ll realize that many doctors and surgeons need a slap. I also realized that this affects women alot more than men. I hope this helps you because my reasearch saved my girlfriend from alot of heartache. Oh, we also talked to a girl who went through this and she gave us alot of advice, she said reading lables and just knowing what to look for will save your life.
I am a Registered Dietitian who had my gallbladder removed several years ago. I am 43 now, and was 36 when it was removed. The gallbladder is what allows your body to breakdown fats (by utilizing the bile stored there to allow your body to digest fat). I, too, have had many challenges with what foods I can eat (and what my body will tolerate). The best thing I found worked for me was not eating any foods that are very fatty. This doesn’t mean don’t ever eat good tasting food ever again….but choose what foods are important to you and if it’s worth the ensuing pain it creates. I was told post-op that in about 6 months, my body would adapt and digest everything fine…………..not true at all!!! So know that you’re not alone, and that, with time, you will find what foods you can tolerate and which ones are better left alone or eaten occasisonally. Hope I helped and good luck!
” I spent the last decade having doctors tell me my symptoms were unrelated, give me handfuls of drugs, then telling me as I got sick on their drugs that they could irradiate my thyroid, or take out my gallbladder or check me out for a hysterectomy. Beware of any doctore who can’t explain all your symptoms, but expects to cure you by cutting something else. That’s how you know a doctor is either kidding you or himself about his abilities.
The gallbladder, thyroid, tonsils, appendix, etc. are all “”unnecessary”” organs they can milk my HMO and me to pay for, without actually helping me. They need to dissdect their medical training, not me.
I’m just so mad that I had to spend so much money, time and evaporating trust in humanity to find one good doctor out of the hundreds. I once had two teams of doctors at Emory and Peidmont healthcare systems in Atlanta, all telling me I needed more antibiotics and steroidal anti-inflammatories. I nearly died, and was certainly put out of commission for months. This time, I ended up desperate in an ER with few choices, and should have gathered what little strenght I had to go back to teh one doctor I trust. Maybe I should just shut up and be happy to find one good doctor and be recovering, but I’d much rather put this spit and vinegar to good use changing the system. I can’t stand to think people are having to go down the same dead ends as me and have non-infected organs removed simply because the organ is crying “”uncle”” because it is toxic”Before considering a cholecystectomy I would give a trial of sucralfate and cholestyramine. I think that many people with these generalized forgut dysmotility issues have significant bile reflux gastritis as part of their dysfunction. The episodic loose stools may well be due to inappropriate “firing” of the gallbladder resulting in a bolus of bile into an empty duodenum with upstream gastric irritation and downstream secretory diarrhea. If this fails to improve things and symptoms were really reproduced with CCK I would then consider cholecystectomy. Christopher R Watters, MD
I agree I too had gallbladder removed over 4 years ago and have been gaining weight ever since. my whole life I have been a slim person and am now 30 kilos over my original weight. I do not eat carbs or sugar, eat fresh veggies and fruit and some lean meat and chicken. i don’t even like sweets and cakes etc. I have diahoria after nearly everything I eat. I would have a transplant if there was such a thing, as I only had small polyps too. It all happened pretty quickly and I didn’t have time to get second opinion.
“Bile duct repair after Gall Bladder LAP
Had Lap gall bladder surgery back in 1http://lifewithnogallbladder.com/forums/topic/operation-complications/http://lifewithnogallbladder.com/forums/topic/operation-complications/4, was sent home in such pain and vomiting..My bile duct was cut and had to get it repaired ( which took 7 days of tests). I’m okay now but I did sue and won a decent amount. The way to sue is to contact an attorney in a big city ( I’m on long island and had to get an attorney in NYC). I should have gotten more of a settlement but they have “”caps”” here and the most i could have gotten was 175,000( I got a little less)..”Oh my gosh. I was hoping to find answers when I found this, but now I am just plain scared. My daughter is 12 and was having a lot of stomach issues. After a lot of visits to the doctor and a lot of testing, I was told her gallbladder was functioning at 17% and needed to come out. I was told there really wasn’t any other options to this and it was definitely necessary and the answers to her problems. So, at 12 years old, she had her gallbladder taken out, this was on March 23. Now, she is having so much recurrent stomach pain and cramping that she is missing so much school I am afraid she will fail. I have called our primary care doctor who sent me back to the surgeon. Then, the surgeon sent me to the walk in clinic because they couldn’t get her worked in. The walk in clinic sent me to the ER who did a CT scan and said everything was normal and to return to school. I have gotten calls from the school nurse to pick her up because she is in so much pain they don’t know what to do with her. I am at the end of my rope and feeling very helpless as a mother right now. I am so in hopes that I did not make a mistake and a bad decision for her health and her future. Any advice and/or answers would be greatly appreciated.
“Hi,
Just thought I would chime in here. I had my Gall bladder out going on 4 years ago I am male and now 34. I ate like a typical kid and teenager and drank pop like it was water so it happened one night in a severe Gall bladder attack, I killed it. I had to have it out the discussion was had while I was on morphene and I can say that I was advised that I should be able to go back to ewating pizza and fries with no issues. They LiedAt first I lost like 30 lbs, I have now gained half of that back. For the last year or so My depression and lethargy were getting progressivly worse I could time the bathroom runs to 45 minutes after anything that contained Nitrates or was High in fat. My job suffered and so did my life outside of work. I have been sick more now than I have been in years.
In the last month though I feel like a new man. I have started taking digestive enzymes with my meals take 1000mg of Vit D every day and a probiotic drink every AM. The bathroom runs have lessened, but still happen, but I have energy again. The fog has lifted over me and I now know that the last years was sue to malnutrition.
Was in store for the future I think some Fatty acid suplements may be added and acidopolus? My co-worker swears by the stuff. Best of luck out there.
Remember Doctors are “”general”” practitioners and do not know us as well as we do. together we can come together and share our stories and learn for each other but they will never admit that they do not know.”
You were scammed on by our deceptive medical society initially concerning the gallbladder surgery. I and countless others are being taken advantage of by our trust, not just with this surgery. The description of the aftermath of having digestion problems, not being able to eat without feeling full or sick all of the time and the pain within the upper right side where they took the gallbladder out and then did what…..re-directed everything that was once natural and part of our whole body’s equilibrium, is just part of the woes that everyone is experiencing from this surgery. Have you tried exercising your stomach or abdominal area? Does this make pain? It makes excruciating pain in me and as you age it has gotten worse because the skin thins. Our government is allowing these nonsensical surgery’s for money flow. Just try going public with what you feel, especially to the newspapers.
