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Still feeling sick after gallbladder removal

Posted , 10 users are following.

johnette_68826
johnette_68826

Hello everyone, it will be 8 weeks this week since my gallbladder removal. I’m still feeling very nauseous and sick most of the day. Still not eating much and I’m weak and fatigued. I’m trying hard to stay positive that things will get better and not let my mind worry that it won’t. It’s staring to really take a toll on me. I haven’t been able to work. It’s very depressing at times. I’m usually a very positive and cheerful person but it’s making me feel very low. I do try and do things and keep mobile. I do eat some and take vitamins and try and drink a lot of water. I’ve had all kinds of tests and they have all come back ok. I worry they’ve missed something. I just don’t understand why some people bounce back after this surgery soon after and others suffer from it for a longer period of time. Just looking for some positive words and other people’s experiences of recovery. It helps me to know if t does get better for others. 

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • joanna17875
    joanna17875 johnette_68826

    Posted

    Hang in there, this is so not a walk in the park!! Be assured that things will get better, I know how depressing all of this is. Have you tried an anti nausea drug called Cyclizine (from dr) it did make me sleepy but I got a break from the nausea.

    Do keep posting as we are all here for each other.

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 joanna17875

      Posted

      Thank you Joanna. No it sure isn’t. How are you feeling? Do things continue to improve for you and how long ago was your surgery?
    • joanna17875
      joanna17875 johnette_68826

      Posted

      I had my surgery on the 30th June and after six weeks was only eating porridge made with boiled water, mushed up banana, boiled veggies, soup, yogurt, weak tea, herbal tea etc. This has only improved ovet the past two weeks where I have started introducing more foods.

      I would suggest a good probiotic too.

      All the best.

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 joanna17875

      Posted

      I am on a very bland diet as well. Bananas, oatmeal, plain white rice, chicken, dairy free yogurt. I feel nauseous and sick after eating those things but make myself eat. I do feel hungry so that’s a good thing but just feel sick most of the day. I’ve started taking walks even though I feel sick, I do it anyway which has been helpful in my mood. I’m glad things are improving for you. I’ve just got to keep my mind right that things will get better in time. It helps to know we’re not alone.
  • bebe33104
    bebe33104 johnette_68826

    Posted

    I would suggest finding a few foods that sound good to you and start eating more.  It sounds like you could be weak from not eating,   Also not working can lead to depression.  If you could at least work part-time that may help you to recover.  I do think eating more will help you the most though.

    This is just a guess.  I have no medical training other than the school of life, and I know when I don't eat enough on one day, the next day I am tired and weak.

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 bebe33104

      Posted

      Hello, did you have your gallbladder removed and if so how long ago? I do try and eat every few hours and small portions. What things have to found easy to eat? Not working has been hard, I just want to feel like me again.
  • Guest
    Guest johnette_68826

    Posted

    Hi Johnette

    I agree with bebe and not eating enough and anxiety are a likely cause for nausea and also tiredness and depression. It can become a bit of a loop of not eating, tired, anxious, feeling sick.

    Try to eat small amounts of the things you like and/or liked before you had gallbladder issues. And maybe keep a diary of how you feel everyday and what you eat it can help identify any food reactions you may have and just writing about how you feel may help you feel less anxious.

    Talk to your doctor anti nausea medication is very good these days and they may think you could benefit from anti anxiety medication.

    Focus on the positives no matter how small and make the most of relaxation time. I know it's hard and easier said than done but it does help my overall mood in life in general if I can manage it smile

    Best wishes

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 Guest

      Posted

      Thank you so much for the advice. I do eat often and very bland foods. I do feel hungry to but the sick feeling doesn’t go away. I’ve been doing pretty good at keeping the anxiety down but it creeping up on me lately. Did you have your gallbladder out and if so how long ago? What anti-sickness medicine has helped you?
  • emily5513
    emily5513 johnette_68826

    Posted

    Did you have gallstones or a below functioning gallbladder? Although it's probably unlikely I have heard of some cases where the gallbladder is removed although the gallbladder was never the main issue causing problems. In my friends case, she had just had severe IBS so removing the gallbladder did not do much for her. Was there any complications during the surgery? Do anti-nausea remedies such as medication, ginger or peppermint help? Did your surgeon provide any insight as to why you may be experiencing the nausea? I know for a fact that anxiety will make nausea worse due to my own experience so try not to worry so much, as maybe your body is still really healing. Try as many anti-nausea remedies as you can and see if it has any effect. Keep pushing for more answers as well. Everyone's body is different, truly hoping you can get back on track soon.

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 emily5513

      Posted

      Hello, I responded to you, see below but it didn’t tag  you. I have tried ginger chews, peppermint, which have helped  and some anti-nausea meds which haven’t helped much and have had so bad side effects. Have you tried any that have helped you?
  • johnette_68826
    johnette_68826

    Posted

    Hi Emily, 

    Thank you for your insight. It means a lot. I don’t think my gallbladder was the problem. I only had sludge in my gallbladder. I still felt the pain I was having before I had my gallbladder out after the surgery  and they did an endoscopy a few weeks after the surgery and found ulcers. I was treated for them and that pain is gone and I now have these new symptoms after the gallbladder was removed. I really wish my surgeon would have done an endoscopy before recommending me to get my gallbladder out and he would have seen the ulcers and maybe I could have just been treated for them and not had my gallbladder removed. I feel I’ve been doing everything I can to get through this, eating bland, trying to keep busy and eat some too, taking vitamins, had a lot of tests done and everything came back ok. I guess my body is just taking more time to adjust to not having a GB. I just feel so sick every day and feel sicker after eating. My anxiety is up and down. I try very hard to just keep getting through the days and have faith I will get better. Did you have your gallbladder removed? What was your experience after? Thanks again for your support!💕

    • emily5513
      emily5513 johnette_68826

      Posted

      Thankfully I don't have any gallbladder problems, although it runs in my family so perhaps one day I will. My husband has been suffering with gallbladder problems for the last 10 months, so that is why I'm active on these forums now. I guess it would then be safe to assume that your ulcers were the cause of the inital pain and not the gallbladder, and now your body is experiencing the aftermath of the removal. Zofran is an anti-nausea med that has helped my husband, but the side effects include some rough constipation which is unfortunate. Ginger, peppermint, lemon, yoga, light exercise (such as walking), and essential oils are some natural remedies we are trying until we can get more answers. I would recommend to keep pushing for answers from your surgeon and solutions. Has it felt like your nausea has been decreasing or becoming less severe as the days pass? That could be a sign of improvement for the future. I've heard of people not going back to normal until months after surgery so that's what I try to hold on to, that everything will eventually turn out okay and it may just take some time. My husband took a long time to get diagnosed with gallstones, and it was so diseased that it had fused to his liver during surgery. So thats probably why his recovery is so rough. In your case, it is hopefully just your body slowly adjusting to the removal of an organ that didn't really need to go. Best of luck.

    • thomas1133
      thomas1133 johnette_68826

      Posted

      Well Im a week away from gb removal and have been told it will be day surgery and out that night, they are optimistic!  Ive read posts in this forum for some time now and posted quite a few.  My nausea and dizziness has gone but replaced by not wanting to eat and when I eat a small portion I get very full quickly.  I seem to have a problem swallowing, although it does go down, seems to stick at the top of the stomach and then I get this severe pain in my back.  Can anyone tell me if this is gb related and have they suffered with same symptoms ?  I wonder is it ulcer related like johnette68826!  Anyway be glad to hear from anyone about this......I always think the worst.
    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 thomas1133

      Posted

      Hi Thomas, 

      I’m sorry to hear what you’re going through. Have you had an ultrasound and did your doctor say your gallbladder was diseased? The symptoms you’re describing sound like it could be acid reflux or GERD but I’m not a doctor.  Do you have pain in your upper right abdomen where the gallbladder is? Also, the symptoms I had with ulcers was bad pain in my upper abdomen, fatigue and very nauseous, I couldn’t eat much and had no appetite. If you think it could be that, your doctor can do an endoscopy and check for ulcers. I wish my doctor would have done that as I believe ulcers were my issue and not the gallbladder. Most people recover within a few weeks after gallbladder removal but others feel really sick for awhile and some it can change things long term. I wouldn’t recommend anyone getting there gallbladder out unless their gallbladder is diseased. I would try and eliminate all possibilities of what is making you sick before taking the gallbladder out due to the risks of having issues after having it removed but that’s just me because of my experience. For some people it is the best thing and they need it done and feel much better after having it removed and I’m happy for them but I would just make sure you’ve had everything looked at before having it removed. I hope this helps. I wish you the best and hope you are well soon.  Keep me posted!

    • johnette_68826
      johnette_68826 emily5513

      Posted

      HI. How long ago did your husband have his gallbladder out and how long did it take him to recover? What was his experience or symptoms after having it out? It's been quite the journey and I wasn't expecting to feel like this several weeks after the surgery. The doctors make it seem like a not so big deal surgery and recovery is quick which is the case for a lot of people but not for all like many of us on this forum. I wish my doctor would have went over the risks of the surgery with me before the surgery and did the endoscopy to find the ulcers. It seems like if you are one of those who don't recover soon after, there's not much advice or help on how to deal with your symptoms. I feel left alone to figure it out. I was even told that i could eat my normal diet the day after my surgery, which was not the case. Your husband really lucky to have your support. It does help a lot to have people who try and be understanding and supportive when you're going through this. I hope your husband is doing well. Thanks for responding to me!

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