Gallbladder removal and constant diarrhea two years later?

Hi there  ive been same i now take questran  which i got prescribed of my doctor  it has stopped my diarrhea   he prescribed me 2 sachets per day  but i found it give me constipaction so i tried 1 a day  still had constipation  but cut it down to half a sachet  and its been really good,  although i still have problems with terrible gas(wind)  and on a strict low fat diet too  untill i have a colonoscopy in 2 weeks time to see if theres anything else.  but id ask your doctor as there are test for bile acid malabsorption you can have   hope you get sorted soon 

It's called Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM). As Patricia stated, there are medications that your doctor can give you to help. There are a few types so if one doesn't work, don't give up! I've also read people experimenting with fiber (specifically psyllium), probiotics and calcium carbonate but I would still talk to your doctor before experimenting with these as well.

In discussing possibly risks for my upcoming surgery, my doc did mention risk of chronic diarrea & said there is a specific medication for this "bile" diarrea.

I would definitely ask your doc for this! Good luck & sorry to hear you have gotten this!

Hi, Gia,

I think you have bile salt malobsorption. The gallbladder measures out the bile into your small intestine during digestion.  Now that you don't have one, bile drips constantly into your small intestine.  Also, the body makes a hormone to allow the bile to be absorbed back into your body during digestion.  This hormone is released in your large intestine.  Sometimes, the body stops making the hormone.  A clinic in the US has developed a blood test to check for this, and there is also a stool sample collection that can be done by the patient at home.

People with bile salt malobsorption are sometimes diagnosed with IBS-D.  But IBS-D is just a catch-all diagnosis for bile salt malobsorption and other problems.  

I'd suggest that you go see a gastroenterologist.  I think that would be the best way to get diagnosed and treated. I have BAM and take questran for it daily.  Sometimes, I also have to use the pills you take, too, if I want to be completely safe.   Trying supplements when you don't know what's wrong can make the problem worse.

Best of luck to you!  Let me know how you do! 

You should see a doctor. I had bowel problems after GB removal. I spoke to a nurse in the hospital and she advised I had either (1) baterial overgrowth in the small bowl, or (2) Malabsorbion of the bile duct. I was given an antibiotic for (1) and for (2) a radionuclide cat scan. The latter confirmed "Malabsorbion". For that I was prescribed Cholestramine powders to mix in water several times a day which did not work, then Cholestramine tablets 2 a day which do work. This Malabsorbion is a result of the absence of the usual GB function. When you eat food the GB squeezes out bile down the duct into the bowel and regulates its function. (it's a clever old system) If you have no GB,bile is not controlled, and bowel movements can be a problem, as you have discovered. They do not tell you this beforehand. It might be easier to control at your age anyway. Just keep going to the doctor. He should know about malabsorbion. Good luck