Diarrhea after gallbladder removal?

Short version: you have too much acidic liquid in your intestine. eat rice! Immodium saves lives!(and slows digestive system allowing food to catch up to dumping bile). Cholestramine binds bile to a solid(but needs dumping when there's too much stored on intestinal walls). Activated charcoal stops bloating and eliminates toxins. METAMUCIL IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST THING YOU CAN DO!!!(it makes liquid into gel and makes everything normal). Probiotic yogurt drinks are also helpful. DO NOT DO CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS! YOU WILL DEVELOP HEART PROBLEMS.

Explained version: I have had extreme difficulty after my gall bladder removal years ago. I became quite the expert on dealing with the symptoms and I hope this information helps anybody who might need it. First off, understanding what's going on in your intestine now that you don't have a 'bile gate'. There's not enough to break down lots of fat but there's always a trickle that adds liquid to your intestine and colon and causes diarrea. First step to felling better. Eat lowfat for a while. Duh, you know this part, but of course it is very important. Eat rice!! It blocks you up and helps with diarrea too. Next, Imodium is your best friend! It slows your digestive system giving food and liquid a chance to bind and catch up. Imodium is excellent in a pinch and you can take a good amount per day without consequence. Cholestramine powder is also great because it binds bile to the intestinal walls. Theoretically, you can use the bile later and it won't constantly dump. But you will occasionally have to dump the excess storage(so I've found).

Next is Metamucil. PROBABLY THE REAL LIFE SAVER HERE. I take it every night before bed. If you see what it does in water, it does the same to liquid in your intestine. It clears everything out everyday and I haven't had a problem since. Some people say that calcium supplements help with diarrea. The reasoning is that only 40% of the calcium gets absorbed and the rest becomes waste and clumps liquid together. I did this for 6 months taking twice the daily recommended dose. It helped a bit, however, I began to have severe heart palpitations because too much calcium causes clogs in blood stream and calcium build ups in the heart. DON'T DO THE CALCIUM TREATMENT!! Lastly, activated charcoal works wonders too. It stops bloating and neutralizes toxins as well as stopping diarrea. (Don't forget to add probiotics to your diet) I take a swig of highly populated yogurt drinks daily. One of my doctors also told me that the 'tube' where your gall bladder was connected to will eventually create a ball like end and store bile like a call bladder does. This takes time. It all takes time so be patient! I live a completely normal life now and a year ago I was afraid to go to the corner store and back. I was going to the bathroom up to 20 times a day and had severe panic attacks if I left the house. Now, I'm going to France next month

I will metamucil havent tried that have started with taking imodium but at times still have issues maybe i not taking enough of that  also will eat rice too i have had this isdur for 23 yrs ugh hate eating out 

Thank you for your input

Melanie

Hi Melanie,

Imodium should work, but be mindful that it stops your intestines from contracting, so if you take lots of it, that's not good for your gut. The contractions are what moves the stool through your system.  One doesn't want to keep the stool in your system for very long. One should have a bowel movement at least every other day to "take the garbage out."  

Cholestyramine is a resin developed to absorb cholesterol.  It also absorbs other substances, such as bile.  One shouldn't take cholestyramine right after one takes medication, as it will render the medication ineffective.  

Cholestyramine does not cling to the intestinal wall, it absorbs the excess bile and mixes with the stool, to make its texture more uniform.  You need to take it daily in order to see any benefit.  

For instance, I take it once a day, but I'm only taking 1/2 of what I would normally take, as I've had surgery on my abdominal muscles because of a tumor.  As a result, my intestines have been pushed together and are rather uncomfortable. I'm eating less. I'm also on pain medication, as you can imagine.  My doctor said eventually, my muscles will relax.  I was advised by my surgeon 6-8 months to recover internally.  

Bless you, I hope you find some relief.  xx

  

I can't praise the metamucil enough. It should work wonders but keep in mind that there a re a few side effects like bloating and gas that you will have to adjust to. After taking it on the daily, the side effects go away after about a week or 2. It's really a combination of different things that will relieve your symptoms. Also, when and how much you take of each is important. I still take a tiny bit of cholestramine before dinner as well. Probably not enough to do anything though. 

Hi all Gallbladder removal folks.

Yes I do have problems every day but usually after eating something fatty,,not always..going out for christmas meals is testing but taking the questran powders does help.  I was prescribed some new tablets  cholestagel which I still have not tried.  I am a whimp as its side effects look worse than the problem!  I am overweight too and you would think I would be skinny by now.  It is depressing and sociall occasions are not a relaxing place to be.. I do think that the medical experts dont seem to take on board just how bad this is..the bile burns my poor 'underbeneath  bits' so heaven knows what its doing to my insides.  I recently had extensive blood tests as there is a recognised diagnosis called acid bile mal absorbtion.  I have yet to yet results.

I keep forgetting my password so sorry about apparently ignoring the posts which are supportive.

Alice

I'm right there with you Alice, the questran side effects were to bad for me 3 days I was done with it everything was burning, my throat and my butt was awful I'm still doing caltrate tablets which are over the counter, not to expensive, 1/2 tablet when I eat a meal, it's helped me a bunch,was taking metamucil too but I stopped 2 weeks ago and so far so good the caltrate binds the bile and not completely liquid on the exit which has helped with some of the burning, you might try it it's the best thing I've found ,let me know if you decide to try the cholestagel

Hi  Debbie..I wonder if you are in America?  Its just your words show you may be so I wonder if the caltrate is only available there..  sounds a med i ought to try,,,

I will let you know about cholesterel.  I got a few lunches coming up but may test it out when home to give me confidence.

cheers

Can you help. My post gb symptoms are more nausea than diarrhoea.  Would the metamucil,or caltrate help,that.  It happens usually when i wake up and i am on low,dodmap,diet so being very careful

 

Poor you.  I dont feel sick thank goodness unless I have a really bad session from the other end..in which case I suck a buccestum anti sickness tab and very quickly I feel alright.

I have ust had fish and chios at the pub but took a questrum powder before I went and so far OK..whereas without the questrum powder I would have been in the loo by now.

Hope you get help from messages on this site even if that you can now feel you are not alone. I am interested in the caltrate tabs that have been mentioned but not sure I can get them in UK. The questrum I get on prescription.

Chin up

Alice

Not sure if metamucil or caltrate would help you with the nausea , but I asked the doc for nausea meds and he gave me ondanetron it helped quite a bit , at first i was using it almost everyday, the nausea was terrible along with the diarreah but since I got the diarreah more under control , the nausea is maybe once or twice a week and don't last all day like it use to, I think the nausea and the pooping are related because only after the poop sessions i would get nauseated, not sure if this is the case or not with you . Just trying to feel normal again is the challenge , worried about eating out and having to run to the bathroom, vacations too , im scared to leave the bathroom, i also should tell you peppermint candy worked pretty good for my nausea, you might give them a try, I keep them in my pockets and purse just in case . Hope this may help you or anyone else who has this problem

Yes I am in the US but you should be able to get caltrate there or maybe something like it, it's by the supplements, it has to contain calcium carbonate as the first ingredient this is what thickens the excess bile the one i use is caltrate 600+D3 plus minerals it says on label only 1/2 tab with your meal it's done wonders for me

Thanks for the hints.  Am i right in saying the metamucil and caltrate are only really for diarrhoea? My nausea comes and goes and I think you are right they are related. I am frightened to say the dia is now a bit more sporadic and nausea seems to strike when i wake up,on bad days, i then take buccastem which works usually after a few hours i can eat.

I am on such a bland diet with rice, mashed potatoes, fish, chicken, dry rice cereal for breakfast and I have cut out all dairy, gluten and fats.  Hoping this will help in long run.  I do still have some chocolate in evening, my only pleasure.

you are right, trying to feel normal again is all we want. I havent eaten out properly since op. Or had a holiday.  My dr has me on anti deps but im trying to ditch those now.

ii just find it so hard to live like this, and feel quite depressed by it.  My old coffee girls i dont want to see and the ones i do see i sip hot water with!

i also keep mint sweets to suck in my pockets but they are not helping my teeth.

i sometimes wonder which is worse, the nausea and d or the depression this brings.

Thanks Debbie I have just had an emergency dash to loo...hey ho I  know I eat the wrong food sometimes but love cheese!

I will look on the supplemnt isle at chemists.

ali