Nausea 12 weeks after gallbladder removal

Hi cocoloco7 I'm a lot better than I was. Haven't had nausea or vomiting since September and can eat normally. Am still taking psyllium husk twice a day as afraid of getting diarrhea again but am hopeful will be able to stop it over the next few months. To be honest I am dealing with an ovarian cyst which was there when my gallstone was diagnosed and wasn't told about and believe the cyst was causing a lot of my problems. Have been taking milk thistle and herbs prescribed by my acupuncturist to get rid of it and have felt better since taking these and am hoping that cyst has reduced. I have also been diagnosed with a serious hormone imbalance which is what caused the gallbladder problems and cyst and seeing a specialist next week about it. Have you recently has your gallbladder removed? X

Thanks Anita but unfortunately this is not a new problem it was just never checked out! The cause of all my issues (gallstones, ovarian cyst, fibroid all discovered at the same time) was high estrogen levels which causes distress in the liver which in turn created thick bile which caused the stoned to form. It also caused the cysts and fibroids too and low progesterone levels. Unfortunately I had to find all this out myself and thank god my GP listened and did the blood tests. Estrogen dominance/ low progesterone is one of the main causes of gallbladder problems. Birth control pill, hrt and other hormone drugs and also excess weight causes estrogen dominance. I was on a hormone drug for years and was not told this was a side effect. I now wonder if I had the blood tests done last year when all this started and has been treated for the underlying cause of the problem would my gallbladder problem have rectified itself. This all leads me to believe doctors should do blood tests as routine for estrogen and progesterone when gallbladder problems are discovered and treat that first and see do the symptoms improve. Thankfully the milk thistle and herbs have helped me and I persevered and can eat everything without problems. I had stopped the milk thistle a few months ago and the cyst grew very big again so am taking it now the last 7 weeks and feel a lot better. People need to start asking questions about the cause of their gallbladder problems and look at treating the cause as so many are left with side effects because the underlying problem is still there. I hope you are doing ok Anita and are feeling ok and have avoided the surgery. X

Hi guys, Actually I'm writing from Poland bc in my country I was unable to find similar forum with people with similar problems. I'm 9 weeks after the op, and still suffering although arguably my symptomps aren't as severe as some of you described. Have had severe morning nausea to the point I can't eat which goes away after several hours and that's virtually all, but has been enough to pull my weight down significantly over the past two months. Ginger tea on an empty stomach helps a bit with this. First of all, reading through the entire post I feel reassured that we're not alone and patients from different countries go through the same hell. I've also been looking up to this post for several weeks and thanks to U guys I managed to glean important pieces of advice - obviously it's trial and error but some did help a lot. It wasn't until yesterday that I decided to register here. THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE, it is important to feel there is hope and some reassurence. Hopefully this nightmare will end soon, as in the case of some of you. As to the op itself, I am lost for words, my GB wasn't ill, they found stones but they were asymptomatic so it should've been left alone...if only I knew the terrible consequences!!! Patients are way underinformed as far as side effects. Its so weird, my grandmother had hers removed years ago and the next day she was eating scrambled eggs!

I noticed little activity on this forum recently, I'd love to hear back from U guys how are U feeling at the moment, do you believe it has settled for you over time, are you slowly coming back to normal diet (or at least some semblance of it), etc.

Greetings from Poland. Bartosz.

Bartosz

I'm sorry to hear your suffering. Unfortunately there's a lot of people suffering after gallbladder removal. So many people having this surgery unnecessarily and not made aware of the potential long term side effects. It will be a year next month since my operation. The difficulty is that doctors don't look at treating the underlying cause of gallbladder problems. The main cause is a hormone imbalance primarily estrogen dominance which is caused by hormone drugs, steroids and excess weight. I was on steroids for a few years which caused a hormone imbalance. I was put on a hormone drug for a few years which I believe caused the gallbladder problems. I am a classic case of estrogen dominance/low progesterone and have a large ovarian cyst and fibroid too all found when the stone was found. I recently had my hormone levels tested and it showed exactly what I thought low progesterone which means I am estrogen dominant. 2 other people I know who've recently had their gallbladder removed have also had blood tests and got the same results as me. This is why hormonal symptoms are commonly linked with gallbladder problems and for some actually get worse when the gallbladder is removed as it puts extra pressure on the liver which is responsible for balancing the hormones. I recently spoke to another woman who had hers removed a year ago and she had stones and polyps in her gallbladder. She has been sick ever since and in and out of hospital with stomach pain and bad constipation and nausea. She said she's only starting to feel better now a year later. For most people it will settle down but can take anything up to a year or two for some. Most will have some minor side effect and may not be able to eat or drink certain things. Again something we are not told about. I am a lot better than I was but still don't feel right but now I know it's the hormone imbalance that's been causing my symptoms all along and until that's addressed I won't feel well again. I can eat pretty normal now but continue to take psyllium husk powder as I'm afraid of getting the diarrhea again. I have spoken to so many people who've had this operation and realise now very few will have no side effects long term. This is an important organ and unfortunately removing it is completely unnecessary in so many people. I am now hearing they can now use laser to shatter stones and wonder why this is not the first line of treatment for people. I did have pain from the one stone I had but my gallbladder was ok like so many others. If the gallbladder is ok laser should be tried to get rid of the stones. My acupuncturist has been great in helping me through this and explained more to mine than any doctor. I recently saw a gynaecologist about my cyst and he summed up how the medical profession view things. He said you have a pain in your gallbladder area, they do a scan see the stone and remove the organ and hope for the best! For some it works and for others it doesn't. He said the same thing applies to my cyst I have a pain in my ovary they do a scan and see the cyst. They remove it and hope for the best. Sometimes they get it right and sometimes the get it wrong! Those were his words and really shows me how they think. Unfortunately

we all have to take some responsibility for this too as we all have busy lives and want a quick fix something I'm guilty of myself. Is there life after gallbladder removal yes there is but it's definitely a lot different than before. Hope you feel better soon. Xx

Hi

Thank you so much for your long response. I agree 100% with what you said. I am also glad that you finally started to feel better and eat normally. Could you just elaborate a little bit on the acupuncture issue? I haven't tried this before. Did it help you with digestion?

Bartosz so sorry only replying to you now. I found the acupuncture the turning point in my recovery. Traditional Chinese medicine treats the whole body therefore treating the underlying cause which in Chinese medicine is usually liver qi (energy) stagnation and dampness. The liver and digestive system are closely linked so removing that gallbladder has a knock on effect on the digestive system. They use points through the body to unblock stafnation. I also started taking milk thistle extract which she recommended and herbs for all my symptoms. I find the milk thistle great and would recommend it for anyone whose had this operation. It cleanses the liver and helps the bile flow more freely and helps in the breakdown of fats. Digestive enzymes might also help you too. A lot of people who've had this operation also take them. One thing if you can avoid ppi drugs as they can cause a lot of long term problems and are now being linked to gallbladder problems. They stop the tummy producing acid which you need more than ever now with no gallbladder. They are a temporary solution and once you start taking them it can be hard to get off them as you will get a rebound effect within 8 weeks which is when your tummy starts to produce acid again but we think it's the heartburn again and reach for the drugs. It does pass as I went through this when I stopped the ppis 3 months after the operation. I hope you start feeling better soon. Most people do recover within 4-6 months and for others it can be a longer process up to 12-24 months as your body slowly adjusts. Take care and hope I've helped. Xx

Thank you so much for your replies. It means a lot to me. I will definately think about the acupuncture, I have a lot of faith in traditional Chinese medicine. I've just started to get a bit better, but the process is painfully slow.  Hopefully there will be normal life after the surgery, even if I had to forgo barbecue for the rest of my life. Take care of yourself. Thanks a lot.

Reading everything you went through broke my heart. You are such a strong person to have endured this.

I had my gallbladder removed 9 months ago, and it has been a horrible time. I'm a vegetarian, and studying to be an herbalist, and taking everything and anything. It has helped, but man has the long term bile/acid taken its toll. I get a pain in my lower right side,,next to the belly button, I have no idea what this is now I get it checked on Monday, I'm thinking it's crohns or ulcers due to the high bile acid?? I'm discouraged because I eat healthy every 2 hours, I take herbs, milk thistle, enzymes, you name it...but i still get this pain, and neasuea. Life is different after this surgery. I'm taking the holistic approach...please pray for me. I send y'all positive love too.

Am so sorry to hear this. Hope you got some answers the other day. I have ulcerative colitis since 1993 and had many surgeries mostly back then. Like you I now look at a holistic alternative approach and thankfully 18 months later am a lot better than this time last year. I'm still not 100% but it's mainly hormonal with me which most likely caused my gallbladder and ovarian cyst problems in the first place. Have you tried psyllium husk powder? It was a life saver for me and I took it until a month ago when I ended up in hospital with a partial bowel obstruction. Thankfully I don't need it anymore in fact I'm the opposite now! My digestive system is ok now although I do get some pain in my liver area and recently found out I've liver cysts. I'm still working on the hormone issues through diet and am also attending a women's health clinic which focus on the holistic approach through diet and vitamins and herbs. Give yourself more time. I thought I would never feel well again and thought the diarrhea would never stop but it has and my bowel is the best it's ever been. Try to keep positive but it's hard but it will get better. I can eat anything now but have totally changed my diet and only eat organic now and lots of avocados and nuts and seeds which I think really help! Good luck xx

please! tell me about your symptoms before you had your gaulbladder removed? i had some attacks of sickness when i started my period. doctor ignored i mention that and went straight to testing my gaulbladder. i had no stones but he said it was working at 31% and thats the cause of my attacks. the attacks where extrem nausea for weeks. after removing my gallbladder i am still sick where i cant go to work. stitting at home researching a 1000 different reasons i am so sick and its depressing me bad to the point of anxiety! i dont want to be put on another medication for anxiety if i could figure out whats going on with me

Crystal, I am so thankful for this opotunity to have a dialogue with those who are going through this. This all started for me about 4 years ago. I would eat and get nausated. This would happen every few weeks and then everyday all day. So out comes the gallbladder, and I thought all was good for about 2 months. Then it really got bad. I couldn't eat and lost many lbs.

With that came weakness. After many months of this the feeling of hopeleness was overwhelming.  It has been 19 months, and although I am bettter, its still not god. I do have about 2 or 3 good days a month. Will it ever end? Do you know anyone who has gone this long without a recovery.

This forum had been a big help. I just discovered it a few days ago.

I think my next step is acupuncture.

Many thanks to you and all others who took the time to write.

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear your story but you'll likely get better in time.  As far as asymptomatic goes, that's not entirely accurate.  You should not have stones.  Your symptoms may have come and gone, but could have very likely gotten far worse.  It's important to watch your diet carefully.  Try not to stress (bad) over weight loss.  Think longer term as in 6 months, a year and two years.  That way, you are not worrying day by day or week by week.  Nearly everyone I spoke with who had this years ago is almost totally fine today.  If you continue to have issues, make sure to get proper medical care in case you have something else going on.  If it was just your GB, you'll likely be just fine.  FEEL BETTER SOON!

I am wondering how you are now.

it is two years since my lap choly and i am experiencing morning nausea and diarrhoea maybe about three days in a week, then a normal,day, then back again.  I have ro adnit the nausea is the worst part as it srops me doing things.  I feel these two symptoms have worsened lately, i dont get pain.

can you shed any light on this, imhave heard of welchol helping but is there anything for nausea