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Complications after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy - not warned by doctors

Posted , 65 users are following.

georgina52260
georgina52260

Hi lovely fellow gallbladder buddies smile 

I underwent an emergancy Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy around four months ago;

I had a giant gallstone blocking a bile duct, was in unbelievable pain and went from being put on a waiting list of about 6 months to laying on a hopital bed about to be put under, just one short night after a pain episode.

It wasn't life threatening, but it was life changing...

Never had surgery before and was told I would be "better in one week" that i'd feel "amazing" and "brand new, even better than before!" 

So as probably most of you are experiencing- Being someone who hasn't ever hated anoter person, after two months off from work due to post op issues, I was ready to hobble back into the hospital and punch every nurse, doctor and surgeon that had spoken or even smiled at me before. 

I had seen SO many doctors and gone back and spoken with the surgeons at my hosptial and have been lead through so many hoops. 

My post op problems include:

1. Vomiting/nausia after eating (anything, including salads sometimes)

2. Acid reflux (sharp pains in my chest- Middle and sides) 

3. Bloating after every meal to at least one dress size larger. 

4. Diarrhea

5. Extremely debilitating dizzyness/ fatigue 

6. Headaches behind the eyes 

And lastly 

7. Rashes 

Yesterday I found a new doctor that for the first time confirmed something that I was made to believe I was crazy for thinking---

!!!!THIS IS NORMAL!!!!

This is what he told me-

"Everytime I refer one of my patients to get a Cholecystectomy, I warn them that the following 6 months of their life will be the hardest.. but it DOES get better. You liver slowly learns how to produce and control bile and you begin to be able to slowly bring less bland meals with more healthy fats into your diet. Until then, taking digestive enzimes and getting plenty of excersise is your best bet" 

I hope this gives you all some sort of relief and a bit of hope. 

Reguardless of the changes, I'm still glad to have gotten it removed. 

I just wish someone had have told me this from the beginning. 

<3 >

14 likes, 76 replies

76 Replies

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  • MRP0727
    MRP0727 georgina52260

    Edited

    Can't believe there are this many complications after surgery. I've had the same symptoms since one week after surgery on dec. 14 2016. I didn't have gallstones, but instead my gallbladder simply died and was swelling from filling up with fluid/bile/acid and was spasming when I tried to consume anything. The surgeon said it was stuck to my liver and very sticky, hard to remove. Been admitted to the hospital again since then and multiple ER visits because of hives, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, chest pain, diarrhea to name a few. Been to many doctors with no answers. Test after test and still nothing. The most interesting thing about my situation is that I developed a semi straight white line and white patches of skin on my right forearm. Talked briefly to a dermatologist at my last gi appointment and she said it is from an allergic reaction in my body. I have been out of work for almost three months and am trying not to go crazy. I cry every once in a while because of anxiety and depression and out of pure frustration. Praying for some answers because surely this isn't just because I don't have a gallbladder anymore. Would love to know if anyone else developed allergies from or after surgery? And how long before you starting working again?

    • sally_14743
      sally_14743 MRP0727

      Posted

      Hi 

      I had an itchy reaction to the glue they use. On the incision in the middle between the breasts. But maybe you reacted to dissolvable stitches ? Just googled that and lots of examples of people who had hives etc after surgery and suffered until the stitches dissolved..

      yours Sally 

    • ann55375
      ann55375 MRP0727

      Edited

      I really feel for you.  It is so true that the surgeons dont tell us about this. Many of my friends had surgery then back to normal life.  Not me. A year has gone by.  Im the odd one out.  Nausea, diarrhoea, and anxiety and depressed about it all.  After several gp appts which yielded nothing but wait and see, stomach meds, i am no better.  Decided off my own back to try dietitian who has asked me to try low fodmap diet.  The diarrhoea is abating and the nausea a bit better but its early days yet.   The other option is to go back to consultant who can run some unpleasant tests to tell you what you already know - it has made you worse.  Then there is a medication he might prescribe to quell the bile which may or may not work.   Whichever way you go is your choice.  All i know is that there are a lot of unlucky ones out there and not much acknowledgement from medics about the problem.
    • judith99200
      judith99200 MRP0727

      Posted

      MRP I developed pain 6 months after having my gallbladder out and it has gotten progressively worse. I have been to the Dr and or the ER over 40 times trying to figure it out. In February I walked around the DR 's desk and looked at an x Ray and saw an object. I asked what that was and was told it was a surgical clip. I guess they are commonly used in the USA, but I didn't know I had any. Now I have been told I have at least 6 clips. I have been having constant pain since February. I am very sensitive to many things ( medicine, chemicals...). I also developed hives on my chest. I have recently found out that the clips is made out of partly nickel and I am allergic to nickel. I am still looking for

      solutions to fix this but it has made me feel less "crazy "!!

    • cici25870
      cici25870 MRP0727

      Posted

      Woo.. I have some very similar things as you sad

      Its very scary at times Am 71 but have always been active!

      I feel that it has affect me mentally & physically.

      Thank you for your input ...?

      Hoping you are doing better .

    • kelly33873
      kelly33873 MRP0727

      Posted

      i don't know if I'm to late to post here, but iv been looking up my symptoms,

      and am scared stiff of my body now.

      i had my gallbladder out 3 months ago , due to small stones and pretty much monthly attacks which went on for 6 months.

      they were so bad my gallbladder ended up infected so they took it out .

      but I'm still having the attacks, and still monthly only this time they give me hives and my eyes go yellow,

      i stayed in hospital 5 days while they did tests . mrcp ,ct, and endless blood tests all clear!

      they said im a medical mystery .

      im due a upper gi endoscopy and more blood tests.

      my liver function tests are now always raised , and im dropping weight.

      i think due to just not being hungry, and with all the stress and discomfort.

      iv never felt right after surgery.

      and i feel a sharp pain when i bend down , in my gallbladder area .

      toileting is normal but sometime i can struggle to go,

      but i do suffer trapped wind and cant always burp when i feel i need to??

      iv lost my job over being off,

      and daily life is hard ,

      its hard to plan things as i dont know if im going to end up having another as i now call them non gallbladder attack.

      i dont know whats going on , but its now like im having alligies to these attacks?

      have you found out any more?

  • YeoGuelph16
    YeoGuelph16 georgina52260

    Posted

    Hi all,

    I just came across this post and started to cry after reading it. I felt like I was losing my mind since having my gallbladder out in Nov. I've been so sick I can hardly make it out of bed some days. I've been off work and have been having terrible anxiety attacks. I'm so frustrated and want to get back to my life. I'm hoping that your doctor was right and you started to feel better at the 6 month mark it will give me something to hold on to.

    • cici25870
      cici25870 YeoGuelph16

      Posted

      So glad I have found this site

      I thought I was just going crazy

      I have very similar symptoms

      ...

      Think you for your input !!

  • Frustrated50
    Frustrated50 georgina52260

    Posted

    I understand how you feel. I'm coming up on a year since my removal and my life has been a nightmare. I can't eat anything unless it's bland . And last summer I was in and out of hospitals. I have lost over 30 pounds . There are days I can't even get out of bed I feel so sick. And if I eat something that does not agree with me it feels like I swallowed acid . I was put on welchol. The good part it will stop your diarrhea. The bad part then you might not go for days until you stop the welchol and then you get bad diarrhea. I have played with the dosage and nothing has worked . I am to scared to leave my house most of the time. I'm just depressed and giving up

    • ann55375
      ann55375 Frustrated50

      Posted

      I havent been right since the lap,choly. Nausea every day and sometimes sick and diarrhoea.  I wish i had never had it done
  • biochemjay
    biochemjay georgina52260

    Posted

    Hello all,

    I am 4 weeks post op.  And have been having bloating and chest pains.  I have had numerous ekg's and they are all negative yet I cannot convince myself that it is not my heart.

    I meet my surgeon a week today for the final check-up but in the hospital he flat out told me I was having phantom pain.  I was 4 months dealing with an over active gallbladder lost 40 lbs and was in and out of the ER numerous times having anxiety attacks which I thought were heart attacks.

    I just met with a therapist yesterday and with the help of my PCP I am currently on ativan (smallest dose possible) and started Zoloft yesterday.  The anxiety was causing my body to go crazy and the stress leading up to the surgery had my body responding to every little feeling.

    My PCP is a D.O. and is amazing an has talked me through this whole process.  Fatigue, dizziness is all going to be a part of this but eventually your body will heal.  Some may be faster than others. 

    We need to stay positive in this time. 

  • theresaV
    theresaV georgina52260

    Posted

    Did you have to do anything specific to get rid of the rashes. I have other issues. I am 8 days po. But this rash and itching is the worst. This is why I had the surgery in the first place.
  • LisaD62
    LisaD62 georgina52260

    Posted

    This is all very disheartening to read and I feel terrible for everyone suffering these awful post-op issues. I just had my lap choly two weeks ago and have been wondering how long it will take for my body to adjust. I guess the answer is somewhere between soon and never. sad I came initially looking for advice about the very itchy red reaction I've had below the site of my belly button incision. I see that also appears to be very common. I already knew I was allergic to steri-strips, so they only used Dermabond on me. The other 3 incisions don't have this problem...just the one at the navel. It's driving me crazy and nothing seems to help. 

    • AJ1962
      AJ1962 LisaD62

      Posted

      Hi, I'm 4 weeks post op and was rushed into hospital with apricot sized gallstone, due to infection I had to wait 4 days for op and then had drainage bags after gallbladder & stone removed. I feel constantly tired and bloated (also four weeks previously I'd had a bladder repair with SSF) anyway on Monday I started itching where belly button incision was and the rash developed very quickly and was very hot to touch, doctor gave me antibiotics, the rash has got smaller but still painful to touch, and cannot wear jeans! I hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel as getting fed up now. I'm hoping your rash has gone and wasn't an infection.

      good luck

  • michelle46349
    michelle46349 georgina52260

    Posted

    I'm two months post op, still have same pain and other symptoms as before but less severe.  They found nothing wrong with my GB when they took it out except for scar tissue around it.  I'm still losing weight (I'm normally underweight so this is a problem) and am now suffering from muscle aches and pains all over my body, like fibromyalgia in all my muscles.  I read somewhere I should try taking bile salts and calcium supplements. Has anyone tried these?  Did anyone else suffer from myalgia symptoms and does it settle down over time?

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