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IBS and gallbladder removal

Posted , 3 users are following.

carolina68962
carolina68962

hello i was wondering if anyone her with IBS has gotten their gallbaldder removed? if you have, how did your IBS react to that surgery and to not having a gallbladder? is you IBS worse? how are you keeping it under control?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest carolina68962

    Posted

    Hi carolina, I had IBS(d) for about 7 years.  Around about 4 years ago I had my gallbladder removed.  It made absolutely no difference to my IBS whatsoever, the only change is that I used to occasionally get a pain on that side just under the rib which I no longer get.  I did have a small stone, but if it wasn't for my complaints about IBS and severe fatigue they said they wouldn't have bothered to operate for such a small stone - they did say at the time that they were not convinced it would fix the IBS.

    I had friends warning me about this surgery prior to my op saying for some people it makes them worse and they end up having more problems than they started with, so perhaps I am just lucky but I have to say apart from a few minor scars (keyhole) I wouldn't know I had anything done.

    Whilst I had an easy time of it and recovered quickly, it is still frustrating to find out only in the latter part of this year that it was olive oil causing all my problems, I generally avoid veg oils anyway but make sure I am much stricter now.

    If I do let my diet slip due to tiredness I can last about 2 or 3 days of eating things containing veg/olive oils before my symptoms come back, but even then the symptoms are nowhere near as bad as before (more just uncomfortable now, rather than previously they had been extremely painful, draining and inconvenient) and as soon as I have 24-48 hours back on food without oils in it all clears up again.  

    I am not sure whether you are asking from a point of view of needing gallbladder surgery and wandering if it will make your IBS worse, or if you are purely having the surgery in the hope it will help your IBS, but either way I hope the above is of some use

    • carolina68962
      carolina68962 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Kristy , thanks for your reply. I will be having my gallbladder removed this friday and i also have IBS and i know that a lot of people have bad side effects from this surgery, so i was wondering if some of those side effects can be due to other ongoing issues like IBS.
    • Guest
      Guest carolina68962

      Posted

      My mum stayed with me the first night out of hospital and expected to look after me for a day or two, but the following day I was making her lunch so it's not too bad recovery, a bit slow moving but was feeling ok.  

      The only thing I would say is as you are healing further down the line, don't forget not to turn too sharply at the waist, I don't know if it's scarring or just tenderness from the op but as I was moving around more and more I would forget I was still recovering and would catch myself, nothing major to worry about, just unpleasant if you forget, but then I guess that is the same with most surgeries.

      There is a powder they can give you after the op to help bind the bile if it does cause you problems, but going by my experience there is no need to think you will need it, just know that worst case scenario there is something they can do to help.

      Good luck for Friday

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 carolina68962

    Posted

    Well I am the other way round.

    Had gallstones so had my gallbladder removed and have more than likely ended up with IBS and a Hiatus Hernia

    Don't get me wrong here.

    I am better than I was with the gallstones and am not complaining at all.

    Sarah

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