Post Cholecystectomy

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It's been close to 13 weeks since I had my gall bladder removed, and I must admit that the pain I was having at my upper back area has gone, but the issue I also had prior to my operation was differences when visiting the toilet, my faeces are different day to day, but are mostly very thin in shape and light coloured.

Now the thing is I had a colonoscopy/endoscopy last year which ruled out anything serious, however they did find diverticulitis, and wondered if it was this that is causes my issues.

Has anyone that has had there gall bladder removed found anything similar?

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  • Posted

    I had my gallbladder removed in January. I am unable to produce bile to move day from my liver to my intestines. I realize the small amount of stool is not reflecting the amount of food I am consuming. I eat for my blood type and follow the Paleo diet. I exercise daily but nothing seems to increase my elimination.
  • Posted

    Late reply but hope it might help anyone on this thread- I had my GB removed in 2002 - I've done some heavy research with other medical colleagues as well - Most often you'll find a concurrent issue with the Sphincter of Oddi.

    Since it is not removed and usually not included in cholysytectomy surgery, it ends up scarred and/or untreated. It is very common to have these issues after removal and it is thought to be an issue before removal occurs. The likelihood of more hard than good by surgery just to see if it is the issue is not worth it to most surgeons and can cause greater upset as a result.

    General info:

    [b]http://iffgd.org/upper-gi-disorders/sphincter-of-oddi-dysfunction[b].html

    Hope that helps a bit!

    Also - hopefully anyone with GB removed is taking multiple types of digestive enzymes every meal. This makes an enormous difference.

  • Posted

    I have noticed that with anything I eat I will end up running to the toilet and I had this problem ever since I got it removed about a year after having it removed I went to a gastro doctor and he prescribed me a powder I mix into orange juice every morning it doesn't stop me going but it makes my poo solid and normal colour before this it came out clay coloured or really light get your GP to refer you to a GI doctor if you're concerned

  • Posted

    Short version: you have too much acidic liquid in your intestine. eat rice! Immodium saves lives!(and slows digestive system allowing food to catch up to dumping bile). Cholestramine binds bile to a solid(but needs dumping when there's too much stored on intestinal walls). Activated charcoal stops bloating and eliminates toxins. METAMUCIL IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST THING YOU CAN DO!!!(it makes liquid into gel and makes everything normal). Probiotic yogurt drinks are also helpful. DO NOT DO CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS! YOU WILL DEVELOP HEART PROBLEMS.

    Explained version: I have had extreme difficulty after my gall bladder removal years ago. I became quite the expert on dealing with the symptoms and I hope this information helps anybody who might need it. First off, understanding what's going on in your intestine now that you don't have a 'bile gate'. There's not enough to break down lots of fat but there's always a trickle that adds liquid to your intestine and colon and causes diarrea. First step to felling better. Eat lowfat for a while. Duh, you know this part, but of course it is very important. Eat rice!! It blocks you up and helps with diarrea too. Next, Imodium is your best friend! It slows your digestive system giving food and liquid a chance to bind and catch up. Imodium is excellent in a pinch and you can take a good amount per day without consequence. Cholestramine powder is also great because it binds bile to the intestinal walls. Theoretically, you can use the bile later and it won't constantly dump. But you will occasionally have to dump the excess storage(so I've found).

    Next is Metamucil. PROBABLY THE REAL LIFE SAVER HERE. I take it every night before bed. If you see what it does in water, it does the same to liquid in your intestine. It clears everything out everyday and I haven't had a problem since. Some people say that calcium supplements help with diarrea. The reasoning is that only 40% of the calcium gets absorbed and the rest becomes waste and clumps liquid together. I did this for 6 months taking twice the daily recommended dose. It helped a bit, however, I began to have severe heart palpitations because too much calcium causes clogs in blood stream and calcium build ups in the heart. DON'T DO THE CALCIUM TREATMENT!! Lastly, activated charcoal works wonders too. It stops bloating and neutralizes toxins as well as stopping diarrea. (Don't forget to add probiotics to your diet) I take a swig of highly populated yogurt drinks daily. One of my doctors also told me that the 'tube' where your gall bladder was connected to will eventually create a ball like end and store bile like a call bladder does. This takes time. It all takes time so be patient! I live a completely normal life now and a year ago I was afraid to go to the corner store and back. I was going to the bathroom up to 20 times a day and had severe panic attacks if I left the house. Now, I'm going to France next month wink

  • Posted

    New research suggests that having too little vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin, can contribute to heart disease, falls and broken bones, breast cancer, prostate cancer, depression, and memory loss, reports the December 2009 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter. Vitamin D is best known for building and maintaining healthy bones by helping the digestive system absorb calcium and phosphorus. But it does much, much more.

    Coronary artery disease. Calcium deposits that stiffen the arteries are more likely to develop in people with low levels of vitamin D. In one study, men low in vitamin D were twice as likely to develop heart disease.

    High blood pressure. Vitamin D decreases the kidneys' production of renin, a hormone that boosts blood pressure. Several studies suggest that low vitamin D contributes to high blood pressure, and that getting more of the vitamin can help control blood pressure.

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    Infection. Preliminary trials suggest that too little vitamin D can leave the body prone to infection, and having enough in circulation can help the body fight off the flu, tuberculosis, and infections of the upper respiratory tract.

    The Harvard Heart Letter notes that supplements are the simplest, safest way to get vitamin D. Getting 800 to 1,000 IU daily from supplements is a good goal. Ask your doctor to test your vitamin D level, and take a supplement if it is low.

  • Posted

    I have my GB removed 2 months ago. After that I have more frequents tools once or twice a day, and it has become narrow and long ever since. No diarrhea but the structure completly changed after the surgery which I actually thought was good because it was smooth and softer than before. I became a bit concerned when I read yesterday that narrow stools might be indication of some polyps in colon.

    I have also noticed that the color of the stool changes with the color of the food I eat.

    My other biggest concern is all the symptoms I had before the gas, the severe abdominal pain did not stop after my surgery. When I have the episode, it actually got worse with new major squeezing pain as if my stomach is curling which the whole 4-6 hours pain will stop after 1-2 major squeezes. Stress and some food seem to trigger it . Eating bland food, small portions and not mixing foods seem to help to decrease the episode frequency or the flare-ups.

    I thought all these would go away after the surgery but I had it like three days after.

    I ate beets 4 days ago but after that i noticed red in my stool. I thought it was blood since it has been 4 days since I ate the beets but not sure yet.

    Anyone with similar symptoms, the abdominal pain, the squeezing Spasms, the narrow stool , and may be blood is concerning me a lot.

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