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Life after gallbladder removal....

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kaylesc
kaylesc

Hi,

I had my gallbladder removed 7 weeks ago, due to my gallbladder not working correctly. Although the op was laparscopic I was in so much pain I had to have an epidural. Anyway ever since the op I have been in pain, felt really sick and cannot eat!. I get excruciating pain up to an hour after food. Also if I lie down in the same position for too long and stand up that brings on the pain too. I have also found that I keep getting a bile taste in my mouth, excessive sweating and fatigue. I also generally feel 'under the weather' at least once a day if not more! After several visits to the hospital and clear test results they think I have SOD - a problem with the bile duct which may require a stent. Has anyone else had these problems after gallbladder removal and had a successful outcome? My life is a complete mess and I cant do anything apart from take pills, sleep and eat creamy food .. everything else hurts!

11 likes, 202 replies

202 Replies

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  • david_09549
    david_09549 kaylesc

    Posted

    I am 67 yrs of age & had my GB removed seven months ago. Also had a hernia repair at the same time. I too had immense pain for several months & had to take strong painkillers.  I had a further scan & numerous blood & ruined tests which proved negative. With the help of my excellent GP  I needed to have a fairly strict dietary regime, & saw a dietician. I have cut down my portion size, I avoid fatty foods, but generally speaking I can eat most things. I eat lots of fresh veg & fruit, and I have never felt better.
  • Chebblies
    Chebblies kaylesc

    Posted

    Hi there, 

    I had my GB removed 7 weeks ago after being told for years I had an intolerance! I thought my life would get better .... How wrong was I!!! I seem to have developed something which the docs have no idea what it is. I eat and then a few hours later (please not e this does not happen all the time but at least every few days) I get stomach cramps, dizzy, fatigue, really bad diarrhoea and now I've started vomiting. I also get shakes and cannot get warm. This tends to last about twenty four hours and at first I though I had a bug but it's frequent now! If anyone knows what the hell it is please tell me. I'm looking at food allergy's and now filling in a food diary but it gets to a point where you daren't eat!!! There is nothing I can think of that I am not eating regularly although someone said they developed an intolerance to wheat after having their GB out. Any though peeps?? 

    Hope you are all well. 

    Caz 

    • Dollypl2310
      Dollypl2310 Chebblies

      Posted

      Hi Caz,

      I was scrolling through the thread and your post made me sit up as it sounds like our cases are very similar!.

      I had my non functioning GB removed 8 weeks ago and since then have felt great. Up until 3 days ago that is! Similar to yourself, I've suddenly got searing stomach cramps, pain across my lower back, severe bloating, fatigue and shivers as if I've a bug or something. I'm bent over when I walk as it hurts to stand up!!

      Before surgery my consultant said if the op doesn't work then it might be the sphincter of odi thing, but I'm hoping that that's not the case.

      As you posted a few months ago, and so are ahead of me as it were, I just wondered what your outcome (if any!) is. Hope you don't mind me asking, but I don't know what to do! Thanks, Ali x

  • tracy11711
    tracy11711 kaylesc

    Posted

    Hi all .I had my gallbladder removed 6 months ago.Since then I am really suffering with pain under my right rib cage,fatigue and hot flushes.I am 38 yr old and feel doctor will never fix this.Feeling very frustrated and depressed.I asked doc about SOD but he said he had no experience in that area.So I eat and 30 mins later pain starts and lasts 8-16 hours.Had mri and found nothing .Can anyone PLEASE advise me as I am on morphine for over a year now and had to give up work.Feeling hopeless.
    • Fkd
      Fkd tracy11711

      Posted

      Hello tracy wish your pain reliefed ,friend of mine suffer from same symptos which you mentioned.

      Doctor exaplained that related to kind of air bubble which caused by Laparoscopic surgrey he recommend him walk more...and that what he did and now he is okay.

      I also removed the GB and suffer first day from pain under my shoulder walking after 2 days from operation was enough to relief my pain

      hope this help

  • maxml
    maxml kaylesc

    Posted

    Hi

    I had my gaul bladder removed 2 weeks ago by open surgery, following that due to infection and damage caused by the gaul stones had a stent fitted sucessfully, by Mr Browning at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh.  I have the expected pains after operation in my shoulders, but I have not felt so pain free for some time and am very gratefull to my surgeon.

  • meli2014
    meli2014 kaylesc

    Posted

    i had pain for over a year. Finally this past week i got a good doctor at the hospital that did a ct scan and my results were gallstones. My follow up doctor suggested I remove my gallbladder but my mom says that it is the worst thing to do. She has to take nexoan (however spelt) twice a day just to eat normal foods daily. A friend told me that her daughter and her self both had the surgery and they feel fine.....any advice??
    • lynn23278
      lynn23278 meli2014

      Posted

      I had mine removed over 18 months ago and have never had the pain since then. The only problem that I have is that now I find that eating certain foods just goes straight through me and suffer from the runs a lot which I never did before. The doc says that is because of the bile having no where to go and really no cure for this just gives me powders to mix with water to drink and that stops it for a while
  • melissa40419
    melissa40419 kaylesc

    Posted

    I'm not sure if people are still talking on this thread.  But I'm having gallbladder surgery in a couple weeks and I'm terrified!!!  I've been doing a lot of research and it seems that most people are having nothing but bad times following the surgery.  I don't want to have the runs all the time!!!!  I can handle pain, but I'm not ok with pooping like the way a lot of people are describing. 

    Does everyone only have bad experiences with this???

     

    • mary76546
      mary76546 melissa40419

      Posted

      Hi Melissa, My name is Mary and I just had my gallbladder removed two weeks ago. I am fine and I was back to work in one week. I was also very scared and after reading all the bad experiences people had I was almost not going to have it done. My heart breaks for all the people who are suffering. My doctor explained that on these forums it is usually (almost always) people who have had bad results. The ones that had good results dont go on. I am here to give some encouragement to people like yourself who are afraid. So again, I am fine the worst for me was getting sick from the anesthesia. I get sick from anesthesia no matter what. There is some fatigue, but as far as pain I have to say there was practically none. I didn't even need pain medication. So good luck and fear not!
    • melissa40419
      melissa40419 mary76546

      Posted

      Thank you soooo much!!!  That is very very comforting!! And I'm glad your experience went well. Take care smile

       

    • rachel58640
      rachel58640 mary76546

      Posted

      Thank you for posting this.  My daughter has gall bladder dysfunction/biliary dyskinesia. She is always sick and has stomach aches and nauseas ALL of the time. They want to remove her Gallbladder. Nothing works as far as food restriction or reflux medicines. She has also lost 20 pounds in 6 months! She is only 11 years old, any help will be appreciated. I am nervous about the surgery and how it will affect her life. sad

      Rachel

  • gallbladde64245
    gallbladde64245 kaylesc

    Posted

    I had laparoscopic gallbladder surgery 6 months ago and until now the only pain I had was the first week after surgery. After that there is no more pain ever, I even lose weight very easily now (lost 13.5kg and counting, and my bmi was only 24 pre surgery, now 21). Which is strange because I eat similar calories pre- and post- surgery, and the difference is I significantly cut fat from my diet and probably only eat < 10g="" of="" fat="" per="" day="" (before="" was="" maybe="" ~40g="" of="" fat).="" after="" surgery="" until="" today="" i="" only="" eat="" pretty="" fat-free="" fish="" (boiled="" tilapia)="" +="" brown="" rice="" for="" lunch="" and="" dinner,="" fat-free="" huge="" green="" tea="" latte,="" and="" the="" fattest="" food="" i="" eat="" once/twice="" per="" week="" is="" salmon="" sashimi="" (which="" is="" only="" ~5-10g="" of="" fat).="" other="" than="" that="" i="" would="" only="" eat="" anything="" that="" has="">< 2g of fat.

    after reading the replies here where people seem to have problems post surgery, i guess i'm lucky or my age (25) helped me out, because it turned out to be better for me. i'm female btw. before surgery i used to have random heartburns after eating. i guess it was the fat.

    before all this happened i've heard from various people how gallbladder attack hurts like hell, i've worried couple times before if my frequent heartburns were actually that gallbladder attack (e.g. will it burst if i just ignore it), until i actually experience it one night after eating a fatty meal. it was comletely different pain and holy crap it was painful level 10/10

    one question though, it seems people say eating fatty food after gb surgery will cause explosive diarrhea, is this something that always happen to everyone? i ate something that definitely had 20g of fat at least, and one time close to 30g, but there was no diarrhea. yes i had strange uncomfortable feeling in my stomach after eating (not painful just uncomfortable) which is gone after 30' and i do have a slightly more watery stool 5-6 hours afterwards but not immediate, explosive diarrhea that people talked about. 2g="" of="" fat.="" after="" reading="" the="" replies="" here="" where="" people="" seem="" to="" have="" problems="" post="" surgery,="" i="" guess="" i'm="" lucky="" or="" my="" age="" (25)="" helped="" me="" out,="" because="" it="" turned="" out="" to="" be="" better="" for="" me.="" i'm="" female="" btw. before="" surgery="" i="" used="" to="" have="" random="" heartburns="" after="" eating.="" i="" guess="" it="" was="" the="" fat.="" before="" all="" this="" happened="" i've="" heard="" from="" various="" people="" how="" gallbladder="" attack="" hurts="" like="" hell,="" i've="" worried="" couple="" times="" before="" if="" my="" frequent="" heartburns="" were="" actually="" that="" gallbladder="" attack="" (e.g.="" will="" it="" burst="" if="" i="" just="" ignore="" it),="" until="" i="" actually="" experience="" it="" one="" night="" after="" eating="" a="" fatty="" meal.="" it="" was="" comletely="" different="" pain="" and="" holy="" crap="" it="" was="" painful="" level="" 10/10="" one="" question="" though,="" it="" seems="" people="" say="" eating="" fatty="" food="" after="" gb="" surgery="" will="" cause="" explosive="" diarrhea,="" is="" this="" something="" that="" always="" happen="" to="" everyone?="" i="" ate="" something="" that="" definitely="" had="" 20g="" of="" fat="" at="" least,="" and="" one="" time="" close="" to="" 30g,="" but="" there="" was="" no="" diarrhea.="" yes="" i="" had="" strange="" uncomfortable="" feeling="" in="" my="" stomach="" after="" eating="" (not="" painful="" just="" uncomfortable)="" which="" is="" gone="" after="" 30'="" and="" i="" do="" have="" a="" slightly="" more="" watery="" stool="" 5-6="" hours="" afterwards="" but="" not="" immediate,="" explosive="" diarrhea="" that="" people="" talked="">

    after reading the replies here where people seem to have problems post surgery, i guess i'm lucky or my age (25) helped me out, because it turned out to be better for me. i'm female btw. before surgery i used to have random heartburns after eating. i guess it was the fat.

    before all this happened i've heard from various people how gallbladder attack hurts like hell, i've worried couple times before if my frequent heartburns were actually that gallbladder attack (e.g. will it burst if i just ignore it), until i actually experience it one night after eating a fatty meal. it was comletely different pain and holy crap it was painful level 10/10

    one question though, it seems people say eating fatty food after gb surgery will cause explosive diarrhea, is this something that always happen to everyone? i ate something that definitely had 20g of fat at least, and one time close to 30g, but there was no diarrhea. yes i had strange uncomfortable feeling in my stomach after eating (not painful just uncomfortable) which is gone after 30' and i do have a slightly more watery stool 5-6 hours afterwards but not immediate, explosive diarrhea that people talked about.>

  • tammybubble
    tammybubble kaylesc

    Posted

    Hi All,

    I was advised to removed my gallbladder too as I had a gallbladder polyp about 10.7mm. However I am planning for my first pregnancy too. Will it affect my pregnancy? Or can I remove it after planning my pregnancy. It does cause me pain on and off especially after a heavy meal?? As I have not heard any succesful case of able to get pregnant after gallbladder has been removed.

  • adrianmorrisuk
    adrianmorrisuk kaylesc

    Posted

    hi

    I had laparoscopic gb removal yesterday following problems with gaul stones. this was done at Walsall Manor I went in at midday and was in theature at 3 I woke up around 6 spent an hour on the ward had biscuit and a cup of tea was asked to go to the toilet and see if I could walk ok did this got dressed and went home. had an ok night woke up a few times needing a wee. bit difficult to get in and out of bed but ok. not to much pain only from around the cuts. had a couple of twinges which woke me up as I maybe moved I usually sleep on my side so sleeping on my back is not normal for me. today has been ok I've been sleepy but that's to be expected habe been napping and going for little walks round the house. I ate toast at 6am this morning had bread and soup at 12 and just had some salmon and peas. no problems so far. have taken plasters off to let some air at the wounds as it said to do on my discharge note. look to be healing ok still very sour. so I just wanted to say all in all seems good so far. I will keep updated over next few days

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