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Reflux and heartburn after gallbladder surgery

Posted , 59 users are following.

Leni75
Leni75

Has anyone  suffer or has suffered from  bad chest pain with heartburn after gallbladder removal? Iam eating a very low fat diet, in fact no fat at all, and I still get most times pain in chest with burning. I would like to hear from anybody that has the same and if anything helped to treat it beside PPIs.they don't work for me. I am really worried because it might be damaging my esophagus and throat is sore from the reflux.

has anyone was told by doctors that it might be just a symptom until the body adjusts to not having gallbladder and that's why medication doesn't work? Please share your thoughts and experiences. I am worried and confused why my body started having reflux issues after this surgery. 

8 likes, 151 replies

151 Replies

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  • lucy33342
    lucy33342 Leni75

    Posted

    I had my gallbladder removed almost 10 months ago and I get the most severe burning in my throat every now and again, it happens mostly when I lay down, not sore if it's bile due to the cholecystectomy or something else!! I guess one common factor is that I get it mostly after eating fatty foods which I don't have often now due to having had the cholecystectomy!! Perhaps cutting out the common factor will help in reducing it, but a fat free diet is not the most exciting and sometimes it's nice to have a little treat, although I guess my body does not view it as a treat if it's causing that sort of reaction when I eat it!!
  • barry64736
    barry64736 Leni75

    Posted

    I had to drop off the thread for a couple of months because I wasn't getting any better.  I've been using Nexium once per day + Carafate (liquid) 4x per day and am feeling much better.  The two drugs combined have brought some serious healing that wasn't possible with a PPI alone.  This suggests that my problem was not merely acid reflux but bile reflux as well.  If anyone is using Carafate it really is true that you need to wait at least 1 hour (preferably 2) before you take any other medications, especially your PPI.  I was taking Nexium without Carafate and getting good acid relief but when I started the Carafate it seemed like the Nexium wasn't working anymore.  I was only waiting 15 minutes after taking the Nexium to take the Carafate.  When I wait at least 1 hour, I get 24 hours of coverage.
  • JuJuBee22
    JuJuBee22 Leni75

    Posted

    I had my gallbladder out about 4-5 years ago because my GERD, reflux, heartburn, and gas pains, along with the horrible acid burning my throat, always included sharp stabbling pains either in my chest, shoulders, ribs or stomach. Sometimes it felt like a heart attack and was directly over my heart. While working one day, I experirenced one of these regular stabbing pains, and it was so severe I would have believed anyone who told me I had been stabbed at an angle with a long thick spear and it was sticking out the front of my upper chest area and going through to my back, coming out my upper left shoulder. I swear an invisible one was there because I felt it with every move. The pain was constant and every time I breathed it intensified. An ambulance had to come get me because it was so bad. It lasted for 3 1/2 hours and gradually lessoned throughout the night. Five days later the GI decided to try taking my gall bladder out.

    I have not had that stabbing pain ever again. HOWEVER, immediately after the surgery I was put on Omeprazole for two weeks. The first day of the third week, I couldn't eat anything without severe nausea and throwing up. I was put back on Omeprazole and told I would have to stay on it indefinitely. As of today, whenever I miss my morning dose, it takes less than 2-4 hours for nausea to begin and it slowly increases each hour. As soon as I eat, my body rejects it the same way it would if I had a severe stomach flue bug. I've only missed it about five times in the last 4-5 years, but each time I am convinced for the first part of that day that I have come down with a nasty stomach flu until I remember I missed the dose of Omeprazole. As soon as I take it, everything calms down and is back to normal. 

    Having my gallbladder removed has created a new problem for me. I no longer can eat and keep any kind of food down, no matter how mild, unless I have taken Omeprazole that morning. The doctor told me the gallbladder served no purpose; it didn't do anything, so I either would improve without it or experience no change. Since then, I've learned it actually does serve a purpose: storing bile to aid in digesting fats in the stomach. Without it, the bile is always getting dumped into your intestines rather than into reserve (like while your sleeping and not eating.) I don't know if my gallbladder was malfunctioning in some way and was responsible for creating the sharp, stabbing pains in my stomach and chest, but I have never had a single reoccurrence since it was taken out so it sure points to that. I have no idea why not having it has made me incapable of eating like a normal person without severe heartbearn, reflux, nausea and vomiting, but the Omeprazole allows me to eat anything on the planet that I want....without any of the side effects I used to have pre-surgery. (...not saying that I do....just that all foods are accepted by my stomach without any discomfort whatsoever.)

    So, yes, I do suffer from extremely severe heartburn and nausea after the removal of my gallbladder and for me, the only recourse is a lifetime prescription therapy of Omeprazole.

    Judy

    • Acejohnston
      Acejohnston JuJuBee22

      Posted

      Judy thank you for sharing your story and for being so honest. I totally agree that the gallbladder is an important organ and unfortunately it's removed far too much and in my view unnecessarily in so many cases. It's a quick fix for surgeons to remove this organ instead of getting to the root of the problem. I had mine removed 5 months ago due to 1 large stone and haven't been the same since. Like most I was told I would be great afterwards and would be able to eat what I wanted. Well the truth is far from that. Thankfully my vomiting has stopped and my nausea seems to be easing off too. During the last 5 months I have researched a lot about gallbladder problems and what I have found out is that it's primarily women who suffer from gallbladder problems and the main reason is due to a hormone imbalance and in particular high Estrogen levels. Many women get gallstones during and after pregnancy too due to hormone imbalance. What the medical profession needs to do is look at fixing the cause and not taking out the organ and causing unnecessary long term problems for so many. Have you had a scope to check how your stomach is? X
    • JuJuBee22
      JuJuBee22 Acejohnston

      Posted

      Hi Ace

      Thanks for your reply. smile

      No, I've not had a scope since the surgery. I am 50 this year ('course in my mind I'm still 28, and think I look like it, so it's always a shock to my system when I pass by a mirror. LOL) I had two scopes in my 20s and 30s when struggling with all my stomach probs. Both were textbook perfect photos and results. I was put on Axid before and during my pregnancy years in the 90s and it was helpful for about 50% of the time. I've always struggled with acid reflux, burning and nausea since age 10 when anxiety did a number on my stomach and it landed me in the hospital. The relief at that time is still a mystery today - two Excedrine. Wha? I did continue to have stomach problems my entire life from my HS years on. These years after surgery are the first time I have never had to live with it, again...ONLY with Omeprazole. Without it, it takes my pre-surgery year's experiences and multiplies those pains by 1,000. I posted on another thread that I feel this whole gallbladder business and Omeprazole is truly dependent on each individual's chemical makeup and "cause" of the problems. The many, many possible causes alone make each person's experience unique before even bringing in our own personal chemical/enzyme balances into the equation. Forums like these are so great to provide alternate ideas, other things to try, hope, and encouragement. What makes one person worse can save the quality of life of another. I hope those who are still searching for answers keep an open mind that there is a unique solution for them and they may find help in a medicine or regimen or diet that a thousand others run screaming from. LOL

    • ffmffm7
      ffmffm7 JuJuBee22

      Posted

      Hi Judy. Eating Omeprazole for a long time needs check-ups. Please consult your GI. It's good if you do Endoscopy every several years, for example. I've read the report about the research of Dr. Blair Jobe about PPIs. Search for "Heartburn meds tied to cancer blair jobe". I do not want to scare you. Please read the report completely and do not get frightened at its beginning. I quote: "Doing a screening endoscopy on patients with GERD even for those without severe symptoms, might be a wise choice, the study concludes, because PPI medications could be masking the severity of the problem." So you see? No reason to be afraid. Just do an endoscopy routinely as prescribed by your GI. Also note that this is about GERD patients, which I think also applies to you. Be sure to consult your GI.
  • anne95820
    anne95820 Leni75

    Posted

    Hi Leni

    Had my GB removed in February and under the advice from a family friend who is a surgeon, started immediately on Lipo Gold digestive enzymes. Never had any problems until I ran out and couldn't find the for three weeks. By week three, I was with all the symptoms I had only heard about. Got my multiple months supply and vow never to run out. I take one with every meal. He was specific with the brand????? Perhaps they are not created equally. He did mention that the Lipase was obe of the key enzymes.

  • juls79
    juls79 Leni75

    Posted

    Leni75 how are you doing now? As you posted this over a year ago would love to hear how you are doing
    • Leni75
      Leni75 juls79

      Posted

      Hi I feel much better in one way no longer have those nagging pains in my chest and the burning feeling in my stomach. I suffered for so long ( over a year) after gb surgery that I couldn't believe when it no longer hurt. Occasionally I get some chest pain but it quickly disappears. I was feeling much better until this week. I started having some weird upper stomach pain that it's getting worse now. Hopefully it's nothing and it will go away soon.  It was a really tough time for me after the surgery but in the end it got better.  xx
    • juls79
      juls79 Leni75

      Posted

      Glad your better hopefully it's just a tummy bug or something, are you taking meds for your reflux, or have you had any burning in your throat? Hope your little one is doing well mines just had a chest infection! Xx
    • Leni75
      Leni75 juls79

      Posted

      I've had burning in my throat in the beginning after the surgery but in time got better and eventually disappear. I'm not taking any meds I took many Ppis in the beginning when I started having what I think was bile reflux but they've never work for me, in fact made my symptoms worse. I also tried sucralfate and metoclopramide for the intense nausea I used to have. That helped me. Have you had your Gb out yet?  Yes I think it's a bug and baby has too now oh dear x

       

    • Acejohnston
      Acejohnston Leni75

      Posted

      Leni am so glad to hear you are a lot better except for the bug. I think of you often and wonder how your doing. I think my GP was right when she said it would slowly get better. Hope your now able to enjoy your little one more. Take care of yourself. Xx
    • juls79
      juls79 Leni75

      Posted

      Oh dear! Hope your not feeling to bad! No I've still got my gallbladder awaiting scan appointment from hospital and bloods results, my little one is getting better, coughing up flem now 
    • Leni75
      Leni75 Acejohnston

      Posted

      Hi Acejohnston. Thank you for your concern about me. Talking to you and others in this website gave me more hope to feeling better.

      As I've been having stomach pain and nausea for last 2 weeks  I went yesterday to my GP and found out I havent got a Stomach bug like I thought but gastritis! I asked what could be the cause and GP thought it was alcohol but I don't drink at all. Also because I was still having the chest pains this summer, a doctor send me to do a MRI which I only did this November. It showed normal bile duct and everything else. But now I have gastritis. I just hope after such a long time trying to improve, that is not serious and it will go away soon. The only think I can think as a cause is the large amounts of coffee I was drinking lately might caused inflammation. 

      Hope you're feeling better by now xx

       

    • sue73987
      sue73987 Leni75

      Posted

      Hi Leni. I am new here, live in New Zealand and had my gallbladder removed just over four years ago. After being told the pain was anxiety (which i do not suffer from) and or indegestion at the hospital and then going to gp I had it removed two days later. it was stuffed and they removed several stones bigger than a dice. It had also got to the stage it was pretty much dead. After all that i had pains etc and was told it would go away. Another time i was told it was anxiety. I have just been back in hosp with a 4 night stay then six nights and one night. My liver wasn't good but has come right. They suggested sphincter of oddi dysfunction but now have been diagnosed with Biliary reflux. All these years I tried telling them something was wrong and I was treated like a hypochondriac woman. (I also suffer from RSD and fibromyalgia which did not help them treat me any better) I go back and see the gastroenterologist 13th January and hoping something good will come of it. Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated as I am sick of doctors not listening to me. I hope your current pains are short lived. All the best.
    • barry64736
      barry64736 Leni75

      Posted

      Gastritis - bingo!  Sorry for the delayed reply but I suspect that most cases of acid reflux have gastritis as their root cause.
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