3 months after gallbladder surgery and still not well

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hello everyone, I am 3 months post op for having my gallbladder removed and I am feeling sicker than ever. I am nauseous and sick to my stomach, have no appetite, although I force myself to eat but its not much and eating makes me more nauseous, I am losing weight. I have no energy and I am very weak and tired. I feel lightheaded and dizzy. I've also been getting daily headaches, my vision is blurred. I have aches and pains throughout my body. I still get pain where the gallbladder used to be and across my abdomen. I had none of this before the surgery. I feel very alone dealing with this. I've had days where I just get through it and do ok but lately I feel myself slipping as it feels like things have gotten worse. I'm starting to feel sad and cry a lot. I just don't know how to stay strong sometimes, it's really hard to be strong when you feel so weak. I have some anxiety to that this may be how it is for me now. I am usually a cheerful and positive person but this is changing me. I don't know if I am doing what I need to to feel better. like am I eating enough, should I be taking any supplements or medicine to help me. I have tried some different meds and supplements but I feel they made me sicker. The doctors aren't much help as they only prescribe more meds. I don't want this to put me in a depression and I am fighting it. I do consider myself a strong person who has been through some things but I've never been sick like this every day for so long. I have had a number of tests and everything came back ok except they found a kidney and ovary cyst that will need looked again and watched. Something else for me to think about. Any advice on how others who have went through this would be appreciated or anything you found helped you or just let me know you made it through ok and are better would be helpful.

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  • Posted

    sorry your going thru all of that.i gp for a hidascan tomorrow but I too am not myself.anxiety and depression no naeusau or vomiting. but my happy relaxed self is gone.i just go day by day.i really hope they find something on the test tomorrow because i cant keep feeling like this.I know just how you feel as a person can feel like this before the gallbladder is out.stay strong,o know its hard.😢

  • Posted

    HI Johnette, i felt like this for the first few weeks and also was watching what I ate. But my digestion was very rough and I felt weak and sickly. i began to eat what I wanted, ie a much more varied diet again, and even though I still take Ranitidine I felt so much better after a couple of weeks. It was horrible to feel like this and depression for me was starting to set in. Did you have medication before which worked? It might be worth going back onto this for the short term?

    I hope you do feel better soon, best wishes 😃

    • Posted

      Hello, no medicines have worked for me. I'm going to make another appointment with my GI doctor to see if there is anything else we can do. Good to hear you are better. How long did it take for you to recover and do you feel back to normal now?

    • Posted

      I am now about 7 weeks and really feeling better- the odd day some discomfort in stomach or where gall bladder was but nothing major. Definitely worth speaking to a GI Doctor as he may have some ideas, best wished again 😃

  • Posted

    I just got home from my surgery so don't know what is to come, hopefully a speedy recovery. But a doctor did yell me before surgery that he had his gallbladder removed and for about a month or so he had phantom pain same as before the surgery that finally faded away. Dr advised me about a possible leakage from the cystic duct as could be one of the complications from surgery, have you asked about that?? Its a possibility that the cysts are whats causing the issues, if I were you I would ask to have them removed or if you are still not getting anywhere with your Dr then get a second opinion. Best advice I can give you is to be persistent, demand answers. You should not have to live this way. I dont know your financial situation or work abilities but asking about exploratory surgery might be an option for you. Hopefully you get some answers soon and start to feel better.

    • Posted

      Thank you for your response. Prayers to you for a smooth and speedy recovery.!

  • Posted

    Hey Johnette

    i wanted to tell you that you arent alone. i pretty much have the same symptoms as you except i dont have the pain or the headaches. you are about 5 weeks ahead of me in post op. im 7 weeks post op. its so frustrating cause i will start to feel better with the nausea, throwing up, and eating, then its right back down to the bottom. i dont understand. everyone says to stay positive, but its really hard to when you are sick everyday. ive lost more weight. im down 18 lbs in 7 weeks. i can barely eat. i just lay in bed and shake and watch tv when im not sleeping. i cant work. i look at people and wish i could be normal again. i want so bad to be normal again. i feel like i will be like this for the rest of my life. its giving me depression. i cry everyday now. i feel like i cant be a mom and a wife.

    my first appointment with my GI doctor is tomorrow afternoon. i pray they find whats wrong, and give me meds thats strong enough to work. the Zofran and Phenagren the ER docs gave me is not really working. i know something is wrong. we shouldnt feel like this. im scared that that GI doctor wont find anything wrong. my husband tells me they will figure it out because thats all they deal with is stomachs, but i dont know. none of the regular doctors knows what is going on. all my bloodwork is coming back normal.

    i pray both of us finds some answers and starts feeling better soon.

    • Posted

      to the both of you, i say this:

      it is taking time. i am like this myself. it is a rough road. but we will recover. however, we have to try to get some walk when we can daily, eat something despite the nausea, and take pain meds once a day. i am telling you, drink a lot of water and eat a lot of soups and crackers. take vitamin D, B complex and C to help with your energy. drink a lot.

    • Posted

      did any of you have anxiety before finally finding out it was the gallbladder. its horrible. god i hope they find something tomorrow!

    • Posted

      ive always been a worrier according to my husband which i admit i am, but my anxiety was never this bad until after the surgery. i actually didnt develop the anxiety and depression issues until a couple of weeks ago when i was 5 weeks post op. i dont feel the anxiety as bad when im not nausous so im thinking being sick is causing my anxiety. plus it probably doesnt help that my unfriendly monthly visitor decided to show up yesterday. it was 2 weeks late probably due to stress. sorry if that was TMI.

      good luck tomorrow. i pray everything lights up thats wrong on the scan so your doctor knows what to do. Keep us updated.

    • Posted

      thanks Shannon.yah your anxiety could be caused by being sick.its something in my stomach.hell, I never had this much anxiety after having my knee replacement so something has to be related to my stomach.ill let you know.

    • Posted

      Hi Shannon,

      Your situation sounds similar to mine. I feel the same way you do about things. I want to be normal again and feel like myself. I have lost 20 lbs. It's hard living like this and staying positive but we have to keep pushing on. keep me posted on your doctor's appointment. Good luck and I hope they can find answers for you.

    • Posted

      I agree I never had feelings of anxiety like this until feeling so sick. When I started to be able to eat more and my nausea wasn't as bad, I did not have the anxiety, it comes on mostly in the morning when I'm feeling bad. When a person wakes up day after day feeling so sick and not knowing if or when it will get better, how can you not feel anxious but I guess its best to stay calm and keep praying it will get better.

      keep us posted on your scan vivian. I hooe they can find answers for you. Best wishes!

    • Posted

      well i just had my hidascan this morning with NO sleep last night.not a very pleasant one

      especially when they inject the med to squeeze your gb

      she told me i would feel alittle naesea and alittle cramping but holy cow! this close tp throwing up and the cramps were horrendous

      she had me smell an alcohol wipe and drink water

      somepne told me if this part of the procedure really gets to you chances are your gb is bad.have you or anyone on this forum heard of this?? seeing my gastro

      Dr.tomorrow.👍

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