Gall Bladder Removal and Weightloss

heatherc369

I have been struggling with my weight for years, but I am finally getting close to my goal ( currently only 18.5lbs away yay!) But after recent tests/ doc visits my GI doctor told me that I need to have my Gallbladder removed, instantly I freaked and starting going on YouTube and watching recovery videos and reading forums. I have read a mixture of results from weight loss to weight gain and no change at all.

I was just wondering if any of you on MFP have had yours removed, if so ..how long were you out of work? How long until you could exercise again? Any noticeable weight loss/ weight gain?

thanks in Advance

MamaMc3

I had my gallbladder removed on a Thursday, and I was back to work on Monday. I have a desk job, though. If you do a lot of lifting, you might want to give it a little longer! I didn't have any noticeable weight loss or weight gain. You'll have to ask your doc about exercise, but I think you could do light exercise about a week after.

Unless you have to get the surgery with the big incision, it's a pretty easy deal. I didn't even think it was all that painful afterwards. I know some people who did, though, so I think that just depends on the person.

lorrpb

I was back to full workouts in about a month. My weight loss continued during recovery.

kshama2001

My fiance was back to his desk job a few days after having his gallbladder out. He had no appreciable sustained weight loss - lost a little initially due to the pain pre-surgery.

musicfan68

I had my gallbladder out and a partial hysterectomy at the same time. Was out of the hospital in 2 days, back to work in a few days. I didn't even feel like I had anything done, if it weren't for the little incisions.

Yi5hedr3

Ah yes, another victim of the USDA recommended low fat diet.....

AnnPT77

heatherc369 wrote: »

I have been struggling with my weight for years, but I am finally getting close to my goal ( currently only 18.5lbs away yay!) But after recent tests/ doc visits my GI doctor told me that I need to have my Gallbladder removed, instantly I freaked and starting going on YouTube and watching recovery videos and reading forums. I have read a mixture of results from weight loss to weight gain and no change at all.

I was just wondering if any of you on MFP have had yours removed, if so ..how long were you out of work? How long until you could exercise again? Any noticeable weight loss/ weight gain?

thanks in Advance

I had mine out in June 2015, laparoscopically. I kept up my calorie deficit while recovering, which I now believe was a mistake; if I had it to do over, I'd go to or close to maintenance for 2-4 weeks after. I'd say you should expect some temporary water weight gain while healing (mine lasted longer than my usual water weight fluctuations - IIRC a couple of weeks - before it dropped off).

I was allowed to walk (any speed) within a couple of days after surgery, but otherwise not allowed to work out for a month (oh, reps with 5lb dumbbells in the last week of that, I guess - but I think that was based on my personal healing rate, not necessarily generic - and I was hounding the doc because I need my exercise, and don't like walking because of a bad knee).

I was 59, and retired, so I don't know about going back to work. With a desk job, I think probably only a couple of days, though.

Other than the water weight thing, it had no noticeable effect on my weight loss (I started losing last April, and recently started trying to zero in on my maintenance calories). But I sure felt better. (Mine was adenomyomatosis, not stones/sludge, though.) But like I said, I'd recommend going to maintenance, or close, for the initial healing. (I feel like some fatigue I had the next month was related to not doing this.)

I also had zero problems with the other side effects or adjustment periods some people have. I was already eating moderately low fat because of the deficit, though.

MommyMeggo

I had mine out in 2010- no problems. No weight gain or loss from it the recovery was easy.

heatherwartanyan

Make sure you are taking good probiotics

Kittyr321

I had my gallbladder removed in 2000. It really isn't a big deal anymore like it use to be. They use to cut your stomach open. Now it's just 3 puncture wounds and your out the next day. Having gallbladder problems is very common in those of us who struggle with weight. What happens is when we starve our body of fat, and then all the sudden binge on it, our gallbladder have a very hard time keeping up.

AnnPT77

Kittyr321 wrote: »

I had my gallbladder removed in 2000. It really isn't a big deal anymore like it use to be. They use to cut your stomach open. Now it's just 3 puncture wounds and your out the next day. Having gallbladder problems is very common in those of us who struggle with weight. What happens is when we starve our body of fat, and then all the sudden binge on it, our gallbladder have a very hard time keeping up.

Mine was outpatient - only at the surgical center for a few hours, home same night.

LaceyBirds

I had mine out in 2009 after several bouts of gallbladder attacks, which is some of the worst pain I've ever experienced. I took a long time to recover, despite it being performed laparoscopically - about three weeks, and I was in lots of pain. It didn't affect my weight, up or down.

Just FYI, something doctors never tell you is that 10 - 15% of people who have their gallbladders removed develop Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, which is basically chronic diarrhea with minimal warning, along with chronic gastritis. I have this, and it's made my life miserable. I have to take drugs every day for the gastritis, and I'm housebound a great deal of my life due to the diarrhea (basically Dumping Syndrome). Eating less fat since I found MFP helps, but it is still a regular occurrence.

markrgeary1

Been out for 8 years, quick recovery if they don't have to cut it out the old fashioned way.

I wasn't dieting back then and lost 35 pounds. I was eating a lot of fatty bar food, not a great combo. I quickly put the weight back on. If I was smarter I would have listened to the DR'S instructions on diet. I was pretty miserable and didn't have to be. Be smarter than I was and you'll be fine.

azulvioleta6

I had some rare complications and a very difficult recovery, but I have lost 40 more pounds since my cholecystectomy.

alyssa0061

My gallbladder removal came amidst some other much more serious health complications so my recovery was longer than is typical. But I didn't notice any weight gain and went on to lose a hundred pounds just a year later.

Latitude11Courtney

I also had rare complications. I had a year where I had lost 90 pounds through diet and exercise and then maintained for a year. Then, one day I was so sick I thought I was going to die and I got taken by ambulance to the ER. I had developed Mirizzi syndrome from a bad gallbladder and spent 8 days in hospital taking in *NOTHING* by mouth while they tried to stabilize my pancreas and liver. Then I was on aggressive antibiotics while my gallbladder basically died off and the antibiotics took hold in my system but just a few days shy of when I was scheduled for surgery I got brought into the ER again because of my gallbladder. I had one of the best laproscopic surgeons in the US perform the surgery but because there was so much damage to my surrounding organs they reverted to an open surgery. I ended up with an incision from my right side to just under my breast bone, with 62 staples keeping me shut.

amandatapar

Had it out in 2013. Surgery was on Thursday and back to work Thursday. I could walk and do light activity for exercise for 2 weeks. I have a fairly heavy lifting job and still did that when I went back.

heatherc369

thanks for all of your responses! I have a "mostly" desk job so I am hoping to have it done Thursday and go back to work Monday.

choppie70

I had my gall bladder out in 2012. It was a simple day surgery and I was home by 1pm. I was out of work for a week, but felt I could have gone back sooner. I am on my feet all day so my Dr. wanted me out that full week. I lost about 25 lbs soon after, but it was only because when they took the ultrasound for my gall bladder I was also diagnosed with nephrosis, so I was also having some kidney complications as well.

PurpleOrchid531

My experience has been a little different from the other posters.

I had a lap chole (gall bladder removal) in 2007 after several attacks. I decided to have it out electively only because I had a couple of giant gallstones that would temporarily get stuck near the duct and I didn't want to have emergency surgery. Mine was a same day surgery and I went home that afternoon.

I was in between jobs so I had the surgery right after I quit my old job and started my new job a month later. I had always been moderately active, going to the gym 3x/week, but I didn't get the go ahead to start exercising again until about a month after the surgery.

I had been doing Weight Watchers prior to surgery (MFP obviously wasn't around then) and had lost 13 lbs. But, after surgery it took my body several months to adjust to not having a gall bladder. Things that I normally ate made me feel very bloated and nauseated. I didn't start WW up again until about a year later, and you would have thought I would have lost weight after surgery from the fact I was eating differently, but instead I gained weight.

I did WW the second time diligently and lost nothing - absolutely nothing. I upped my exercise and still nothing. I didn't log my calories after that because I figured if WW didn't worth, why bother.

I tried MFP without much success the last couple of years and I lost a couple of lbs here and there but gained it back. I started taking digestive enzymes last year because I had read a lot of anecdotal evidence that they could help (I work in healthcare so I did a lot of research on this and got the OK from my doctor) Then in February this year, I decided to give MFP another shot.

I am much more consistent with my logging this time around and it's been slow, but so far I have been losing weight, and more importantly, I do feel better and my clothes are fitting better. I have noticed I need more protein than I thought so I've adjusted my macros to give me a little more protein and less fat and carbs. I do not eat a "low fat" diet per say, as I'd rather have the something without a fat substitute in it. For example, I'd rather have half a teaspoon of regular sour cream than a tablespoon of low fat sour cream.

My nausea and bloating have all disappeared before I started MFP - it just took a lot longer for me than most people to figure out what I can and cannot tolerate. To this day, there are some really high fat foods (Oberweis ice cream, I am talking to you) than just doesn't get along with me. I do feel the digestive enzymes are helping.

Sorry for the long ramble. I guess my take home point is it took me (or my body) longer to figure out its digestive issues than the average person.

I hope you have a complication-free surgery and an easy recovery.

jbee27

Same as many of the posters above, I had a very uneventful surgery and recovery. The majority of my weightloss came after having mine removed.

I had mine removed via laparoscope, I had one puncture wound, and a tiny incision that is actually fully within my belly button (it's been 2.5 years and I can barely see a scar). I had mine out on a Friday morning, and was back at work on Tuesday.

They should give you a full run down of your post-op limitations. I believe I was not supposed to lift anything over a few pounds for awhile after the surgery (they are concerned about the potential damage to your abdomen, which has been "inflated" to provide room to remove the gallbladder).

My one tip is that if you need to cough or sneeze a day or two post op, hug a pillow to your stomach, otherwise it hurts like a motherf--er!

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I had my gallbladder out in November. I ended up being out of work for 2 weeks because of some uncommon post-surgical side effects. I gained weight after the removal, but more because I just didn't care about my diet. I continued to have some GI issues post-surgically, but once I added a probiotic in February those issues seem to have remedied themselves.

PurpleOrchid531

michelle172415 wrote: »

I had my gallbladder out in November. I ended up being out of work for 2 weeks because of some uncommon post-surgical side effects. I gained weight after the removal, but more because I just didn't care about my diet. I continued to have some GI issues post-surgically, but once I added a probiotic in February those issues seem to have remedied themselves.

Oh yeah -- I too found the probiotic helped a ton.

puffbrat

I had mine out in 2008. I had temporary weight loss due to diarrhea and then a post-op infection which essentially blocked anything from moving through my intestines and forced it back up. I was only out for a few days with the surgery, the infection and drain tube had me down for a couple weeks.

LaceyBirds wrote: »

Just FYI, something doctors never tell you is that 10 - 15% of people who have their gallbladders removed develop Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, which is basically chronic diarrhea with minimal warning, along with chronic gastritis. I have this, and it's made my life miserable. I have to take drugs every day for the gastritis, and I'm housebound a great deal of my life due to the diarrhea (basically Dumping Syndrome). Eating less fat since I found MFP helps, but it is still a regular occurrence.

This is really interesting. I was never told about this, but I would definitely say I have this. When I complained to my GP about these symptoms several years ago (a couple years after surgery), she said it was abnormal and tested me for celiac disease (don't have it). The first year was the worst, in which pretty any meal and especially anything greasy would send me to the bathroom within 5 minutes of finishing. My stomach is still really sensitive to mood. This issue is really bad anytime I am stressed, anxious, sick.... Last week I lost a couple pounds thanks to diarrhea because I was really stressed.

In general, having my gallbladder removed has had no appreciable long-term impact on my weight.

spookyface

I recall a friend 40 years ago being out of work for 2-4 weeks. She had lost about 30 lbs. when she returned. But like I say that was decades ago. Probably alot faster now, better techniques.

AnnPT77

One note to OP, as well as other respondents:

I understand & sympathize with those who've had negative side effects or recovery issues with this surgery. It's a good thing for someone who's going into it to be aware of these possibilities, and you-all have the best understanding of them.

But, specifically for OP, I want to add a reminder that on a thread like this, it's likely that you may see "selection bias" - that is, the population who reply on the thread aren't statistically equivalent to the general population who've had the surgery. Those who had "no problem" surgery and put it behind them are somewhat less likely to reply, in that it didn't make much ripple in their lifestyle. Those who've sadly had more difficult recoveries are probably more likely to reply.

If you're concerned, you may want to ask your surgeon about the incidence of worrying side effects (i.e., ask what percentage of people experience them).

Again, not trying to minimize anyone's negative experiences at all, and I fully support your sharing them here. But I don't want OP to worry beyond the appropriate amount, either.

ccjlgrider

Had mine out in November. Was doing some cardio in two weeks but had to wait six weeks for weight lifting. Didn't affect my weight at all. I felt better though. Really wasn't a big deal. I slept a lot for two days and took a nap each day for a week or so. Just not a big deal. In fact, if it weren't for those tiny scars, I'd forget I ever had it. Good luck!

Jmepee

I had my gallbladder out last Wednesday and took 6 days off the elliptical and am now back at it 90 min workouts.

lmhbuss

I gained a little after I had mine out, because I could FINALLY eat without being in horrid pain. Seriously though, I was 8 months pregnant when mine decided to suddenly become an issue and it landed me in the hospital for the last several weeks of my pregnancy. I started developing problems with my liver as a result of a stone blocking the common bile duct which endangered not only myself but also my tiny human. It was evil and the pain was honestly worse than delivering my daughter. The surgery itself was easy peasy (they had me deliver early and then they removed the offending organ). I was picking up my daughter and carrying on with parenthood within a few hours of the surgery and I only used ibuprofen for discomfort because I didn't want narcotics to impact my ability to care for my kiddo.

ronjsteele1

Or you can use a product called Stonebreaker by Herbpharm and avoid surgery all together. I have more then a dozen friends who were having gallbladder issues and put a stop to it by going through two rounds (two 30mL bottles) of the Stonebreaker. Several were actually scheduled for surgery and cancelled it after using this. GB problems are exceedingly painful (BTDT. Had a gallstone cause pancreatitis while I was 13 weeks pregnant), but one does not need to have their GB taken out to fix the problem. Digesting fats and having runny stools are a lifelong issue for a lot of people who have their GB out. It's there for a reason......

If you do use the stone breaker - it is NASTY tasting stuff, my friends have found it most tolerable in purple grape juice.

I don't need everyone elses crap for suggesting this. You all gave her your medical information, I'm offering a non slash and cut route. She's old enough to research and choose, so please kindly skip the nasty comments. Whatever you do, OP, I do wish you well and a speedy recovery!

mtolose1

I had mine done, was supposed to go home same day. I went home the next day. But the following day i was back in the hospital, and remained there due to complications. Lost about 15 lbs in 10 days. I was out of work for about a full month. Took a while for my body to recover. The complications werent severe, just lots and lots of nausea, vomitting, blood work being out of control, etc. I did have bleeding more than expected so i had two drains for a few days longer. Etc. Though i was miserable those days....

Fast fwd 2 years later....i do have to avoid greasy food. Like some one mentioned above, to much greasy food will easily cause diarrhea. Which i hate so i avoid it. Lol. So i guess it kind of helped in some way. I still eat it, just not like before, bc i already know the consequences.

I had the small incisions. So not really noticeable now. Everyones body is different. I know quite a bit of people who have had this done and out of a large group id say 2-3 had issues, including myself. So id say you will probably be fine.

Hope all goes well.