Nausea 12 weeks after gallbladder removal
Posted , 108 users are following.
Had my gallbladder removed 12 weeks ago due to pain from 1 large stone. Had the dreaded diarrhea for 8 weeks but has settled. Have the most horrendous nausea I have ever experienced. It's worse in the mornings and I can hardly get out of bed its that bad. Some days it goes by lunchtime and I feel ok and other days it lingers until the evening and then I feel ok. Was back in hospital last week and other than a little gastritis everything is ok. My surgeon said it will go in time. I am just wondering if this happened to anyone else and how long did it take to go. Its starting to depress me now!
7 likes, 598 replies
shannon72303 Acejohnston
Posted
i did take some tylenol for my backache last night so im wondering if that is messing with my stomach.
josephine56147 shannon72303
Posted
i am going to be 13 weeks this week and i am not better yet.
shannon72303 Acejohnston
Posted
please pray for me. my husband is taking me back to the ER. day 2 of not holding anything down again, and my yellow diarherra has came back.
john64418 shannon72303
Posted
Continued prayers for you Shannon. So sorry to hear that update. Sounds like an issue with a duct or something. Keep us posted.
Hope you recover quickly
John
shannon72303 Acejohnston
Posted
update on me:
im back to how i was feeling right after my surgery. can barely hold anything down. i havent been able to work since monday. yesterday when i was at the er they did blood tests and everything came back normal. the doctors dont know whats wrong. i have a appointment in 2 weeks with a GI doctor. i pray this sickness leaves me soon! i want to be normal again. its halloween today and i cant take my kids trick or treating. i feel like a bad mom and wife. i worried about our finances cause i cant work with all this. i feel myself trying to slip into depression, but im trying not to. i just dont know anymore.
john64418 shannon72303
Posted
Stay strong Shannon. Think about all the good things in your life. You got this. Don't worry about trick or treating right now. You will have many years to come. Remain as positive as you can, and just trust in the Lords hands. He has a plan and this is a chapter, even though this chapter is not the best of chapters. Don't say you are a bad mom because of your body adjusting to this surgery - you are a great mom, but one who needs to recover in this moment. Right now the priority should be getting better physically and mentally. Physically will come, but the mental is in your control. You have to have a strong mind.
Rest and listen to your body. Your body is still in the adjustment phase; however, the good days are coming for you.I have several friends that have been through the same thing, and they all recovered and are living normal lives.
Stay strong, even though the moment is a tough one. Rest and surround yourself with positive people and thoughts.
I give these thoughts because I just overcame the same situation. I was willing to pay money to feel 100% again. It seemed like forever, but the body was just healing along the way.
PRAYERS!
John
john64418 Acejohnston
Posted
prayers and positive thoughts for johnette and shannon. time will heel everything.
this surgery is more serious and it requires time.
the body needs rest and recovery.
i continue to pray for everyone on the post.
john
shannon72303 Acejohnston
Posted
update on me: i am almost 7 weeks post op. Monday will be 7 weeks. The nausea is still coming and going. Its usually gone at night. I usually wake up around 8am before the nausea starts and i have found if i take the Zofran and Phenagren both at the same time, it takes the nausea away. My husband asked the pharmacist and he said it was ok to take both. Then i will go back to sleep for a few hours. Sometimes i have to take another dose after 6 hours, sometimes i dont. For the past few days, i have been having nothing but loose stools when i go. Still have to force myself to eat during the day as i have no appetite. I have a lot of burping still. I take a milk thistle capsule at night along with a nexium.
My biggest thing is i have been having major issues with anxiety and depression. i try to have a positive attitude, but most days that ends up going out the window. i cry everyday, sometimes i dont even know what for. i dont really know how to describe it. Its a heavy feeling that comes over me and settles in my soul. Its worse in the morning, and gradually lessens during the day. I know im not alone, i have family and friends, but i feel alone if that makes any sence. i feel like im a burden on my family because i cant work right now. My husband and other family have told me that im not, im just recovering, and i want to believe them, but somewhere is that disconnect in my brain so i dont. i just lay in bed and watch tv. its gross but tonight was the first night in 2 weeks that i took a bath. Thats how much this depression has a hold on me. i get perinold that something will happen to my husband when hes at work. he calls me when he gets to work, on his lunch, and when he gets off. if he doesnt, then i start texting him. I didnt have any of this before the surgery. i tend to worry, but never this bad.
My husband has been excellent through all this. he tells me that he wont accept this version of me cause he knows deep down the real me will come back soon. He prays daily that it will happen.
I pray that God will take this and settle everything soon. I go to the GI doctor on Wednesday so hopefully i will get answers cause i will eventually run out of the anti nausea meds in a couple of weeks. i need to go back to work. i want my life back, i want the depression gone.
I hope everyone is doing ok and feeling better.
josephine56147 shannon72303
Posted
how are you, today? i feel like i have bubbles coming out when i burp. it was not like that before. i am still wi
shannon72303 josephine56147
Posted
Josephine
Well this sickness has made a liar outta me. After i posted that update, yesterday and now today so far has been the opposite. The anti nausea meds arent working again, and i feel like crap during the day. Yesterday afternoon, i threw up a little bile. Water is even trying to come back up like when i have the reflux. The nausea was gone last night. i dont understand, i thought i had figured out how to control it and bam! Its frustrating. I feel like i will be like this for the rest of my life, and it makes the anxiety worse when i feel sick.
As for burping, i guess they are regular burps. i dont notice anything different, i just burp a lot. you can press on the middle of my tummy and it will send me into instant burps. the middle of my tummy is also tender.
I have my GI appointment in 3 days, i hope i can get help and some relief. Im a little weary of doctors now as they have no clue what is going on with me. nothing seems to be helping again. I will be 7 weeks post op tomorrow.
How are feeling today? I keep praying that we all will feel better.
Shannon
josephine56147 shannon72303
Posted
i have this sickly feeling too and my nausea comes and goes. i have no energy and i will be 15 weeks this week.
it is the body adjusting. we ought to be patient. give yourself some time. i look forward the 6th month post op. that is really when i think the body is starting to really adjust.
i pray we all recover soon.
john64418 josephine56147
Posted
Josephine and Shannon-
Our symptoms and situations are very very similar. I am 6 month post-op and I feel almost 100%. Hang in there, because each day/week will get better.
Your body is adjusting- nothing else is wrong with your body!!!!! Don't worry and get stressed. Trust me, you are fine, your body just needs time.
The key piece I want to throw out is to be mentally strong in this time. Every thought is controlled by your own brain, so hit reset when a negative one comes in. Doing so will help prevent depression/anxiety, which can make your current symptoms (nausea/etc) worse. I know its hard because of the situation, but put yourself in a positive situation. Dont get stressed, dont read the internet about symptoms, dont talk negative. The advice I am giving will work for you. Trust me. I was in the same boat heading down the depression road, but once I took my mind over, I instantly starting feeling better and improving. I was put here to give advice and then you will be giving advice to the next group who is dealing with gallbladder surgery.
Promise me, you two will try to just be patient, and tell yourself your body just needs time, and your mind needs to be strong. Be faithful and trust God.
One thing to remember to is God only provides tests like this to us, because he knows we can overcome them. We are strong and he knows it.
Lets all pray together for mental health, which will help ease the physical healing.
Sorry for the long message - I just want you all to get better and be in good spirits.
John
johnette_68826 john64418
Posted
Thank you John for your positive post. I'm glad you are almost 100% better. That's great news! I will be 3 months post op this week. I started to feel a little better where my nausea was less severe and could start to eat a little more a few weeks ago but it didn't last long. I'm back to feeling nauseous most of the day, no appetite, feeling sick after no matter what I eat and very fatigued and no energy. Did you have times where you felt you were getting better and then you'd seem to go back to feeling worse again? I don't understand why I seem to move forward and then I'm back to where I was again.
john64418 johnette_68826
Posted
Yes, one day was good, then back to feeling bad again for two days. I was feeling lost and didn't have answers. My surgeon wasnt helpful one bit. I went to primary doctor in month 3 and had a bunch of blood work done, but everything came back perfect. I thought for sure I had an issue. 6 months later, the only issue I realized I had was not being patient enough, and reading too much into symptoms.
Hang in there and take one day at a time.
I would say at month 4 is when I started having 3-4 good days in a row. At month 5, I was having 4-5 good days in a row. Month 6, I was having 5-6 good days in a row. I still don't feel completely back to normal; however my symptoms are low and tolerable.
Please be patient and just realize this is a phase that will eventually be gone. If you overcome fears/anxiety, your health will likely improve even faster. Dont read the internet about symptoms, because your body is adjusting, that is all.
Any other questions on your mind?
John
johnette_68826 john64418
Posted
are you still taking carafate or anything else to help with symptoms?
john64418 johnette_68826
Posted
I don't take it anymore. I took Carafate from month 3-4, to help with nausea feeling.
Right now I just pop advil for my headaches. My nausea is low enough, so I don't have to take anything.
shannon72303 johnette_68826
Posted
what happened at your first GI appointment? i have my first appointment on Wednesday. im hoping to get started on meds. prilosec and nexium is not helping me. i have to go back to work. we are barely making it on my husbands income.
josephine56147 john64418
Posted
how often do you have headaches?
shannon72303 john64418
Posted
john
what happened when you first went to the GI doctor? i have my first appointment on Wednesday. im hoping to get started on meds. prilosec and nexium is not helping, and i have to go back to work. we are barely making it on my husbands income.
johnette_68826 shannon72303
Posted
Since I was still feeling sick, they put me through a series of tests to make sure nothing was wrong, ct scan, ultrasound, endoscopy and bloodwork, all came back ok. I was prescribed nausea medication and colestipol which nothing has helped my symptoms. I was told that it can take 6 months to a year for the body to adjust. Doctors have not really been able to help with my symptoms other than prescribe medications that have not worked for me. I hope your doctor can find something to help you and give you some answers. Have you had any other tests done after the surgery to check things?
johnette_68826 john64418
Posted
that's great, glad you don't need to take it anymore. how often do you get headaches now? about a month after the surgery, i've been getting daily migraines
shannon72303 johnette_68826
Posted
at the ER, they have done bloodwork, another ultrasound, ct scan, and everything is coming back normal. i pray some medicine works on me. i have no other choice but to go back to work. we are starting to drown on just my husbands income. we are gonna have to start selling things soon so i have to work.
johnette_68826 shannon72303
Posted
praying for you Shannon. i hope you feel better soon and they can find a medicine that works for you.
shannon72303 johnette_68826
Posted
and i pray that you start feeling better soon also. this is one big nightmare.
john64418 shannon72303
Posted
My GI doctor said everything looked normal. I brought the GI doctor all my bloodwork from my regular doctor. The GI doctor said my body was just recovering after a major surgery, and to be patient and deal with symptoms one at a time; thus, she gave me Carafate for my nausea. My other major symptom was lack of energy and fatigue. I started gradually working out and little by little the fatigue started going away. One last symptom I had was headaches, and I started taking advil when they were intolerable.
Be prepared for a diagnosis from the GI doctor that everything looks perfect. Attack one symptom at a time. They have plenty of medicine for that.
Just please dont get depressed - its a tough road to go down. You will get better.
Hope this helps
John