Low functioning gallbladder

LemonMarmalade

Hey Friends!!!

I have been away while figuring my health issues out. My doctor recommended me to eat a low fat s.a.d. until we find the root of my issue since generally my symptoms are very mild eating that way even though I don't like it.

Finally we found out my gallbladder is only functioning at 24%. My doc has set me up to meet with a surgeon this week to discuss removal. I am nervous but will be SO flipping happy to be back to eating "normally"!! Will be soooo glad to eat a ribeye without suffering for a week!!

Anybody here have no gallbladder?

RowdysLady

No gallbladder for about 15 years now. I had it removed due to stones. I'm new to Keto, so I don't know if my missing GB has anything to do with my weight. I feel good, I didn't have the dreaded Keto flu when I started, I'm spilling ketones but my weight is stalling right now. I lost 8 lbs immediately. I have no pain when I eat. In the first year of removal of my GB I did have to be VERY careful what I ate and how close to a restroom I was because dumping syndrome was bad for me. It eventually went away and I normalized back then on a "typical American diet".

LemonMarmalade

I am so ready to get back to lc!!! Worried about the dumping syndrome though....have heard a lot of not fun things about it. Thank you for sharing your experience with me!

anglyn1

I've been without a gallbladder for about 10 years. Mine was also removed as it quit functioning...no stones. It will take awhile for your body to get used to the not having it and during that time sadly you do need to be near a restroom. My stomach is much more settled LCHF so hopefully you won't have many problems! The only time I have issues with the high fat diet is if I go too long without eating anything.

LemonMarmalade

Hello! Thank you so muchfor your response!! I have no stones as well. Just a dysfunctional gb. . I am ready to just get it over with at this point.

My husband was just teasing me that he will buy me some astronaut undies to get through the first year! He's so crazy! Lol

KnitOrMiss

I'm in the corner with @RowdysLady - I had mine removed 7 weeks postpartum (15.5 years ago) after passing gallstones while pregnant. I didn't have all the major signs, so it took them 6 weeks to determine that my GB was actually the issue. I had stones, was told they would recur no matter what, but was not informed of decreased performance or any realistic dietary changes I could make to prevent further issues. Had I been, I would have NEVER had my gallbladder removed.

Before I got pregnant, my ex-husband and I lived on fast food and takeout. When I got pregnant, I couldn't tolerate anything meat, sweet, or fatty for 5-7 months. So I went from my GB concentrating bile on mad overtime to literally "stop the presses!" So the bile kept concentrating and making stones. But, from what I understand, many women have this surgery after second or later pregnancies - or hormonal first ones. So I'm guessing there were underlying hormone issues that would have made my gb's removal necessary at some point any way.

When I went low carb, I didn't hit carb flu, despite going from 300-500 grams of carbs a day, over half of it just full on junk to 35-50 grams of carbs a day. My body was in hog heaven! Then about 6-7 months in, I hit a brick wall. I started having gastro distress with ALL my normal foods, and had to mess things about. It set back my weight losses significantly. I still lost some inches though.

Following that frustration, I spent about 5 out of 10 weeks from November to mid-January off plan, high carbing all over again. Then, I jumped right back to keto, going back to what worked the first time, in the beginning. Sometime in late March, I started having the gastro distress again. Following suggestions from here, I did some research, and it turns out, I very likely have low stomach acid (which actually could have contributed to all the problems that lead up to my have my GB removed in the first place - and possibly treated it, too). I've been using apple cider vinegar before/with my meals and supplements (if I don't take them with my meal). 2-4 times a day. Since then, next to zero distress. I have an appointment at the end of this month, and I'll look to confirm then, and might switch to using digestive enzymes in conjunction with or in place of part of the ACV treatment, due to some other concerns...

That being said, sadly, your hubby's joke about astronaut undies was not far from the truth for me in my first several years. While I still have the occasional issue, generally related to fasting or a bad combination of vinegar/salt and coconut/excessive oils, low carb has been far kinder to my dumping than anything else has. In fact, after fasting yesterday some, I normally would have ended up with some painful bile dumps this morning after eating. I did have loose stool that could have quickly escalated, but taking ACV with my meds last night, and again this am with my breakfast (smaller dose as was worried it would worsen things) then the compliment dose later this am, I had far less dumping and discomfort, and managed to avoid bum bile burn!

I hope whatever decision is made that you have a prompt recovery for getting back to normal!

Twibbly

KnitOrMiss, I find it interesting that you say coconut oil triggers it for you. I've been told that it's one of or the best fat for people who've had their gall bladder out, as the body doesn't need use the bile from the gallbladder to process it the way other fats do. Have you seen anything on that?

KnitOrMiss

@Twibbly I have not specifically seen anything on it, but it was generally a BPT/Loaded - Tea, cream, eggs, coconut oil, and sometimes butter that started flaring the distress(heartburn, burps, bloating, discomfort). Coconut oil + Vinegar/Excess Salt all at once triggered the disaster pants/Hershey squrts, etc.

Coconut oil without major other stuff and even MCT oil were fine. I think I must have had kind of a "store" of bile...and I just hit a wall with using it up, because it happened twice - once about 7 months in, then a break for 6 months, (on plan for 8 months, with 5 weeks off plan over the holidays/intermittently) then symptoms again.

I think it is very very likely, considering what I can remember of my symptoms prior to and during my pregnancy, that I had low stomach acid even back then, and that's what caused the gallbladder/stones issue to explode so to speak when it did, when my dietary intake shifted like the tectonic plates!

EDITED TO ADD: I also started reacting to my pepperoni (Hormel) and a bunch of different little things, salad, lettuce, etc. I think I put it in a blog. That's when I learned that folks with no gallbladder and low stomach acid and GREENS are NOT FRIENDS.

Sunny_Bunny_

I had mine out about 25 years ago when I was 16 years old!
I used to have a "phantom gall bladder attack" about 2 to 3 times a year but I've been Keto for a year now and didn't have one at all for the last year I have no problems with any fats.
However, I do think it's more common to have some issues adjusting. Especially with more recent removal.
I would look at Jimmy Moores blog to find info about when his wife had hers out. She had to increase carbs for a while and reintroduce fats slowly right afterward. He's talked about it on several podcasts. I would search his site for gall bladder info.

KarlaYP

Gallbladder removed in 2012. Been keto for 14 months and no bad side effects for me, thankfully!

LemonMarmalade

Thank you so much for all of your responses! I have been reading what I can on the Internet and some of it is pretty scary! I am definitely going to look up Jimmy Moores wife's experiences. Thank you again. Y'all have really helped me feel better and more prepared.