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4 weeks on......

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flowersgirl72
flowersgirl72

4 weeks after gallbladder surgery I'm still having intermittent urq pain, often after eating but sometimes without an obvious reason. This is the same pain I had before the op but i'm also getting frequent diarrhoea and acid indigestion. I'm due to have a follow up with the surgeon tomorrow but dont have much faith as when he admitted me for an u/sound he stated I had query anorexia (when challenged he stated it had a different clinical meaning). It has been suggested I could have some 'sludge' in the duct but i thought this would have resolved by now? Any advice on how to approach my appointment tomorrow? And if I'm given the brush off where should I go next? I live in the South wales area so would welcome any recommendations of decent medical persons.

I'm basically at breaking point after 7 months of daily pain, eating rice and toast and being almost house bound!

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • flowersgirl72
    flowersgirl72

    Posted

    4 WEEKS ON CONT.

    Just a couple more things, I seem to have more problems in the morning and it often eases by the evening. Also some mornings I seem to wake feeling like ive been run over by a bus and have a feeling that bile is being 'pushed' throught the duct.

    Anyone else have these symptoms?

    • Thebigboo
      Thebigboo flowersgirl72

      Posted

      About your message about feeling worse in the morning... it is because you have been fasting all night and your intestines are irritated by the bile that continuously drips in there. Try sleeping on an incline, take some Zantac or similar antacid, and please, please, please ask your doctor for Questran. I had the same feeling as you in the mornings after my surgery and it was because I didn't have any food in my intestines to soak up the bile. Once I started Questran (taking 1/3 of a packet in the evening with my dinner), it got much, much better. I notice if I miss the Questran one night, I wake up with the same feeling.
  • sally_14743
    sally_14743 flowersgirl72

    Posted

    Hi 

    what did it mean query anorexia ? 

    Sorry asking do u have an eating disorder? 

     

    • flowersgirl72
      flowersgirl72 sally_14743

      Posted

      Hi sally. Yes, the surgeon reported to other staff that he was querying whether I had anorexia. I was a little surprised as I dont have an eating disorder, I havent been able to eat properly because of gallbladder pain. It didnt fill me with confidence that he was taking my pain seriously.
    • sally_14743
      sally_14743 flowersgirl72

      Posted

      It's funny as I was being treated for food phobias as I had become terrified of eating meat, spicy food beans etc etc because I was terrified of having a sickness attack .. I became terrified of being sick because of the agony I experienced . I didn't realise I had been having gallstone attacks for 15 years ....... Then I discovered I had a gallbladder full of gallstones they removed them and I realised I had  felt nauseous a lot of the time. And attacks of bilious agony attacks were not food poisoning they were gall stones  being passed...... I feel so much better now and hoping to get over my food phobias now I no longer need to fear the horrible sickness attacks ..
    • flowersgirl72
      flowersgirl72 sally_14743

      Posted

      I can totally see how that can happen and eating for me has become a bit like playing russian roulette. I have been eating regular meals, though not quite the foods I was hoping to. Im just keeping my fingers crossed things settle down and I can get back to 'normal'. Unfortunately my pain was set off by anything which has been a challenge. Good luck with everything, I know these issues are not easy to overcome.
  • Thebigboo
    Thebigboo flowersgirl72

    Posted

    Hi flowersgirl72. I had my gallbladder taken out also about 4 weeks ago. I have learned that the bile being released from your liver needs food to soak it up and decrease the irritation in our intestines. I had the SAME EXACT symptoms as you so I did the following:

    1.) started eating safe foods every 2 to 2.5 hours (I had the diarrhea the first day I started this, but it tapered off once I started getting food into my intestines). I know it doesn't feel good to eat, but you gotta get food in there to help your intestines heal (the bile is irritating them).  I hurt a lot less in my belly once I started getting food in me

    2.) Your colon has a turn/flexure in your upper right quadrant - I noticed that, after surgery, if I have gas or anything remotely like it, I burn or hurt in my upper right side; this will ease eventually

    3.) I take Nexium - it helps (maybe you could try Zantac or something less addicting than Nexium or Prilosec - its hard to get off Nexium once you start it)

    4.) I sleep on an incline - it helps

    5.) I take Questran now (1/3 of a packet with water) at night and it helps during the time when we eat the least - fasting while we sleep -- please ask your doctor for it... it WILL help you

    BTW, Anorexia is a clinical term for when someone isn't eating. It doesn't necessarily mean you have a long term eating disorder. There isn't anything else a doctor could call it if you say you aren't eating.

    • flowersgirl72
      flowersgirl72 Thebigboo

      Posted

      Thanks for all the advice. I'm taking lansoprazole a ppi and this has now been increased to twice a day for the time being and I'll ask about questran when I next see the doc. I'm hoping the pain resolves soon. Right now it feels like the bile is being released in massive amounts or not at all.
  • gail_72309
    gail_72309 flowersgirl72

    Posted

    Hi flowersgirl,

        how did your follow up go?  Any luck and have the pains calmed down yet? I have my surgery next month and hoping that this surgery gets rid of my problems. 

    I did hear from someone on these site that it does take a good 6 weeks for things to calm down.

    Hope you feel better soon

    Gail

    • flowersgirl72
      flowersgirl72 gail_72309

      Posted

      Hi gail,

      still very up and down with the pains so taking all the pills I can get my hands on! Follow up went ok and have been referred for an mri but the doc isnt convinced it will find anything which doesn't help. Staying hopeful that things will settle on their own. If it helps at all I know 4 other people who had the surgery and they were all fine after it I guess I'm just the unlucky one!

      Take care.

    • sally_14743
      sally_14743 flowersgirl72

      Posted

      Hi 

      don't be brushed off . 

      Remember you can have gallstones and something else. 

      Your gallbladder may of been full of stones but may not be the cause of your original symptoms. Doctors are just like mechanics they go for the obvious first and then proceed down the list of most obvious things. You need to have endoscopy and other investigations carried out if this MRI shows nothing. There are a host of conditions out there from coeliac , ibs , ulcers, gastritus  etc etc....... Keep on nagging until they sort you out .... 

      Sympathy cos stomach problems are the worst ...

    • flowersgirl72
      flowersgirl72 sally_14743

      Posted

      Hi Sally,

      The consultat is very nice to be fair and is also testing for coeliac. It just takes so long to get anything done. Meanwhile I'm getting more anxious about eating by the day because I cant find a particular trigger and the pain can be excruciating. Not had the best few days, hence the whinging!

    • gail_72309
      gail_72309 flowersgirl72

      Posted

      I'm so thankful to have people on here, that have the same problems, to talk to to. It really helps. Thank you all

      Gail

    • flowersgirl72
      flowersgirl72 gail_72309

      Posted

      I know what you mean. It's tough going through these things alone and there's only so much sympathy people can give. I never realised how much digestive problems can affect your life.
  • BrianRE
    BrianRE flowersgirl72

    Posted

    I'm sorry you are having pains still flowergirl. I had my gallbladder removed about 4 months ago and on the whole it has been a big improvement. I don't get the real severe pains that saw me going to A&E on a couple of occasions and saw me lose over two stone in two months. I am lucky that I don't get diarrhea but I do get bad indigestion which has always been there but got worse over the last week. I get a constant need to belch which is embarrassing. Hopefully a phase which will pass. The diarreah definately did after a short time and I hope this does for you.

    Best wishes

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