Reflux and heartburn after gallbladder surgery

Leni I'm sorry to hear you are still have issues. We have talked about a year now and I was hoping things were better.  

Daughter and I are good. I'm divorced and looking for a job. Going back to college too. I hope your little one is good.

Lori

Hello there.  Like you I have developed reflux issues after having my gallbladder out.  It started about a year ago with a sharp pain that was right below ribs.  After going to the GI Doctor  they tested me for h-pylori and started the testing for gallbladder problems.  The hydrascan (sp) test they did showed function gallbladder in normal range. But the ultra sound showed stones.  I would also have back pains with this.  I tested positive for H pylori and did the 3 antibiotic treatment. I also started on omeperzole started  at 10 mg and now at 40mg morning and night. I also have fibromyalgia and a hiatia hernia.   5.3' and 181 lbs   I thought by having my gallbladder out it would have cured it all.  Boy was I wrong.   Had it removed on 6/4/2015. And  4 month later I have new problems.  Still have back pains off and on. And the most annoying thing is a burning ammonia feeling in my throat and nose.  I just finished a 24 hour ph test and mamography   Came back normal muscles in the esography but I have both acid and none acid reflux.  They suggested maximum acid suppression.  The issue I have is that i am taking the maximum amount and being told I need to Chang to a new brand like nexium  but insurance will not cover it.  I also developed a cough. Now going though a slut of new allergy testing.  However I really don't think I have allergies   I have been placed on antidepressants to help IBS as well. (Imipramine 20mg and Busprirone 15mg).  Just went to th GI today and suggested I take calfrate.  Trying that now.   It is so hard to discribe all the feeling and it it is worse some day and better others.   Oh also had a CT scan from mid heart down. Didn't find anything other than the original stones in the gallbladder which is why I had it removed.   I am so tired of the pains and now burning in my nose and throat.   It was nice to read about other people's with some of the same issue. I am hoping I get this under control. 

Hi there, I have heard that using only PPIs is not be good when you have bile reflux. If you have both acid and bile reflux, ... ummm, not sure... things can be different... Ask your doctor if he can give you Domperidone, Ursodeoxycholic acid or other drugs for your bile reflux. Yet I'm not sure.

Someone said, I think it was Barry, that he is trying ox bile or different components of the NOW superenzyme bottle. I wanted to tell you all, not to test everything on yourselves. And it might be the combination of 2 or 3 components in that bottle thats making him feel better. And I wanted to ask Laura how long it took her to develop Barret's since her reflux started.

Hi Everyone,

I had my gallbladder removed 8 years ago. The surgeon said it was diseased and full of stones. 3 days after the surgery, I experienced the worst heart burn and nausea known to mankind. My gastroenterologist did an EGD and found my stomach full of bile. I was prescribed Welchol (bile acid sequestrant, did nothing but make me constipated), Carafate, and finally a bunch of different proton pump inhibitors. My doctors said there was no such thing as bile reflux after gb surgery, that it was probably acid reflux, and it didn't matter anyway because the treatment was the same. Take a ppi. After about a year, everything did settle down, and I assumed they were right, but I still needed the ppi. All gave me side effects except for Protonix, and I used it for 6 years. When I would have a flare up, it would manifest as chest pain, but once taking the ppi, it would go away.

2 years ago, I decided to try to wean myself off of Protonix due to all of the recent studies coming out regarding fractures, heart disease, hypomagnesia, kidney disease, and now dementia. I am a woman headed toward 60, so all very concerning. I would have an occasional flare up, but a double dose of Zantac would usually take care of it. 6 weeks ago out of the blue, I woke up with chest pain, nausea, and stomach burning. All too familiar symptoms. They got worse as time went on, to the point where it was as bad as it was right after surgery. I know this is not lifestyle related since I gave up coffee, chocolate, alcohol, fat, spicy and acidic food, and lost weight. I started taking Zantac, then Pepcid, finally went for another EGD, that came out completely fine. I broke down and started the Protonix again, and it is doing nothing. I have chest pain and stomach burning. It actually seems to help when I eat something which makes me think maybe this is bile again. There can be no acid because the ppi, turns it all off. I have had nothing but trouble since having the gall bladder removal. I am not sure what to do next. 

I can't believe this is happening again after all this time. Has anyone had a similar problem? Has anyone had the fundoplication surgery, and has it helped?

Hi there, I have heard that using only PPIs is not be good when you have bile reflux. If you have both acid and bile reflux, ... ummm, not sure... things can be different... Ask your doctor if he can give you Domperidone, Ursodeoxycholic acid or other drugs for your bile reflux. Yet I'm not sure.

 

Hi- sorry I haven't replied in a while.  I've been on my own odyssey with Nexium, first getting on it because I couldn't find a root cause for my reflux problems that I could eliminate and second getting off it.  I'm on day 80 OFF Nexium and just now starting to come out of the acid hyper-secretion phase where it's heartburn day and night.  PPI's have so many side effects and I don't know that the medical establishment fully comprehends what they are doing to patients when they recommend them.  They urge patients to take them like they were a vitamin, "Mr Hoffman, your blood work shows you have a Nexium deficiency" is what they might as well say.

​After experimenting with way too many quick fixes, I am now convinced I understand the reason for my reflux and what to do about it.  In my case, and I suspect a lot of others, the root cause is gastritis.  Gastritis is where your stomach gets irritated because some of the lining has worn away due to a variety of causes: stress, bad diet, bacteria.  It often doesn't result in any pain.  The only symptom is reflux.  It's not until it gets really bad or in my case when I tried to come off Nexium the pain surged because my stomach became hypersensitive.  I was (and continue to be) under a lot of stress with my job.  Pregnancy or any type of surgery or hospital visit can cause this type of stress.  A part of the stomach lining will wear away and little by little you'll start having heartburn.

​In addition to stress, a lot of over the counter supplements and even prescription meds contain ingredients that will wear the stomach lining, not overnight but little by little over time.  Combine this with a very stressful life event and whammo!  Gastritis seems to kick you in the gut (literally) overnight when it's been there all along.  In my case, it was not what I was missing (e.g. ox bile, digestive supplements) that caused this but what I was taking!  I was taking a digestive enzyme supplement that not only had ingredients that are known to cause and exacerbate gastritis but they had fillers that made it even worse.  I figured this out by switching to a digestive supplement without these additives and felt a little bit better but it wasn't until I got completely OFF them that the real progress began.  The additives that you need to look out for are numerous, here are a few: magnesium stearate, cellulose, microcrystaline cellulose.  The digestive enzyme ingredients that were irritating me and you really need to avoid is: bromelain, papain, protease.  Anything with these ingredients will, over time, wear away the lining of your stomach.  Getting off them is difficult if you've been on them for years like me (ever since my gall bladder surgery).  Your stomach will become inflamed for the first week or so once you try to stop using them but, if you're using these, get off them now!  Ox bile: same thing.  It's not a shortage of bile that was my problem.  If anything it was too much bile.  Bile reflux can wear stomach lining away too!

​More to come...

Hi dear.. I also had a gallbladder surgery recently and I also suffering with same problem as u.. But milk help me a lot drink half a glass of slightly cold milk after every meal it will help you.

Hi..I had gallbladder removed 5 days ago and just yesterday I began to have the same chest and high back pain. It feels the same excruciating pain I have had for the past 4 years. I can't understand why I'm still getting this pain. I do have a hiatus hernia and so maybe the pain has been coming from that all along..I don't know. I am taking Co dydramol and ibuprofen for the pain and continuing with lansaprasole. I just don't know what to do, it's so bloody painful and I am not due to see the surgeon again until 5 Dec...can someone please give me advice on what other things I can take for this acid/bile..thank you