No gallbladder

kdz0444

Hello!

I am about to get surgery to get my gallbladder removed and I was wondering if there is anyone here who does low carb with no gallbladder. From what I have read everyone is different and while it is doable it can be a bit difficult to do. So just wanting to see if anyone maybe had some advice. So anyone out there with no gallbladder and doing low carb?

A little background I have been having the gallbladder pain for over 3 years now. But no one would take me seriously and check my gallbladder out. Finally this past Friday I woke up vomiting really bad and then got the most awful stomach pain. Turns out I do indeed have a bad gallbladder and my pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and the common bile duct were all inflamed because a stone had been lodged in the duct. It's since moved on but my lipase levels were too high so I had to stay in the hospital til surgery, which should be today and soon. I did great on low carb and only had a few attacks but not nearly as frequent.

WG_Keto

My wife does a low(er) carb diet and she had her gallbladder removed a few years ago.
Pretty much the only thing I remember she can't eat is eggs or anything really greasy (which you probably want have on low carb anyhow).

baconslave

Here are a few open threads I have saved regarding this topic.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10437725/how-many-grams-fit-into-low-carb-and-a-billion-other-questions/p1- gallbladder and histamine sensitivity discussion
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10391838/gallbladder-issues-with-high-fat#latest
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10388945/low-functioning-gallbladder#latest
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10400570/keto-without-a-gall-bladder#latest

Also I believe that we have a couple members without a gall bladder who can contribute

kdz0444

Thank you! My surgery just finished about 3 hours. So now I'm in recovery. I'm not worrying about carbs while in the hospital but I want to plan for when I go home tomorrow. I did read that a lot of people who have their gallbladder out can do low carb but not quite as low as I had been. I was keeping to almost Keto levels and read it can be really difficult.

jill5280

I stay very low at the recommendation of my dietician. I take Cholacol at her recommendation. It is a supplement that helps with the missing bile process that was available with the gall bladder. She said that the problem that she was trying to avoid me experiencing was this continual "drip" of bile (how attractive right?) from the liver since there is nowhere for the bile to go. She told me that this will cause a release of glycogen causing a blood sugar spike. Since I am doing this to manage T2D that is less than desirable.

suzqtme

My gallbladder was removed about 15 years ago. The only difficulty I had with low carb eating was BEFORE I had it removed. Afterwards I've had no difficulty with any type of meal plan I followed.

Here's to a quick recovery for you.

bametels

I had my gallbladder out last June - no problems eating at keto level. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

1thankful_momma

I have no issues with high fat < 20 carbs a day concerning my gallbladder being gone. Lettuce actually upsets my bowels though(go figure).
I didn't do Keto right after my surgery (didn't know about it) but I'd did SAD within a week and that had high fat stuff. The first week, I went easy on the fats.

KnitOrMiss

@Jill5280 - I am seriously going to look into this... I'm one of those without a gallbladder who can run at keto levels, but like @food_lover16, Lettuces and I aren't friends anymore unless I up my digestive enzymes and bile/stomach acids. But, unless your body adapts naturally to produce more stomach acids, @kdz0444, you may needs supplements to help you properly break down nutrients and be able to absorb them. For most people, it can take a decade or longer to discover gut infections,other health issues, and/or nutrient deficiencies, because of it being a slow burn.

The continual drip of bile prohibits me from being able to fast longer than 6-8 hours comfortably, and whenever I do end up with loose stool, if it is not an isolated issue (like having eaten lettuce), I will quickly move to loose stools that are almost all bile. I cannot imagine, based on the exit area pain levels, that this is good in any way for my body. So since this is new info, I'm quite excited to research on this one! Thanks for that.

EDITED TO ADD - looked up the med, Jill, and this article popped up in the search. @kdz0444 - this is a great explanation of what to look for, etc. http://mcvitamins.com/gallbladder-removed.htm

1thankful_momma

@KnitOrMiss now I'm wondering how much of the fat I eat actually gets digested.... and counted as calories that I consumed.

KnitOrMiss

food_lover16 wrote: »

@KnitOrMiss now I'm wondering how much of the fat I eat actually gets digested.... and counted as calories that I consumed.

@food_lover16 - An easy way to tell at a high level is whether your solid/semi-solid waste floats. If it floats, you aren't digesting the fats or not all the fats. If it sinks, but there is an oily residue, you're also not digesting all your fats. Likely, too, from the sounds of it, if you have regular loose stools (like me, 75% of the time), you're likely not digesting all your fats... Or if your stool is pale or pasty type colored... Those are some of informal ways you can make educated guesses.

1thankful_momma

@KnitOrMiss so... 'It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K. '
guess that is why I am chronically low on vit d... why would no doctor put that together?

suzqtme

food_lover16 wrote: »

@KnitOrMiss so... 'It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K. '
guess that is why I am chronically low on vit d... why would no doctor put that together?

Because doctors have very little training in nutrition and supplements.

RalfLott

suzqtme wrote: »

Because doctors have very little training in nutrition and supplements.

Imagine a mechanic listening to your engine knock and not caring if you'd tanked up on premium or peed in your gas tank....

KnitOrMiss

suzqtme wrote: »

food_lover16 wrote: »

@KnitOrMiss so... 'It also means you’ll have a hard time absorbing fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins D, E, A and K. '
guess that is why I am chronically low on vit d... why would no doctor put that together?

Because doctors have very little training in nutrition and supplements.

Plus it's just now being widely accepted in the functional world, much less in the conventional medicine world, that K2 is needed to properly absorb and direct D/Calcium out of the veins/arteries and into the cells in which they belong... SO if you're not taking K2 or eating grassfed meats/dairies, you're unlikely to ever absorb D well if you already have absorption issues.

jill5280

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

@Jill5280 -EDITED TO ADD - looked up the med, Jill, and this article popped up in the search. @kdz0444 - this is a great explanation of what to look for, etc. http://mcvitamins.com/gallbladder-removed.htm

I am so glad that you found a good reference for support of the Cholacol. It is the specific brand that my dietician recommended to me and recommended it for life. I have seen it on Amazon, but I buy mine directly from my dietician as she is just a little less expensive.

I am working to drop my H1C and Blood sugars and this is all part of the grand scheme. So far, I have been working with the dietician for 2 months, lost 15 lbs. Dropped mine H1C a minimum of .7 and keeping on going. Soon I will be OFF the T2D medication and will just keep on going from there.

Good Healing for you KnitOrMiss!

KnitOrMiss

jill5280 wrote: »

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

@Jill5280 -EDITED TO ADD - looked up the med, Jill, and this article popped up in the search. @kdz0444 - this is a great explanation of what to look for, etc. http://mcvitamins.com/gallbladder-removed.htm

I am so glad that you found a good reference for support of the Cholacol. It is the specific brand that my dietician recommended to me and recommended it for life. I have seen it on Amazon, but I buy mine directly from my dietician as she is just a little less expensive.

I am working to drop my H1C and Blood sugars and this is all part of the grand scheme. So far, I have been working with the dietician for 2 months, lost 15 lbs. Dropped mine H1C a minimum of .7 and keeping on going. Soon I will be OFF the T2D medication and will just keep on going from there.

Good Healing for you KnitOrMiss!

@jill5280 - I just wanted to clarify one point - are you saying that the slow trickle of bile triggers the release of insulin, regardless of presence of glucose?

Because that makes SOOOOO much sense to me personally. If I have constant bile, and I have constant insulin, when on earth can I EVER burn any fat?

jill5280

Good Healing for you KnitOrMiss![/quote]

@jill5280 - I just wanted to clarify one point - are you saying that the slow trickle of bile triggers the release of insulin, regardless of presence of glucose?

Because that makes SOOOOO much sense to me personally. If I have constant bile, and I have constant insulin, when on earth can I EVER burn any fat?[/quote]


That is what I BELIEVE that the dietician said to me. That is why she wanted me to use the Cholacol to manage the slow leak process.

suzqtme

I haven't look this up at all but am trying to use logic to figure this out. My gallbladder was removed several years ago. I was told about the bile "dripping" from the liver through the common bile duct back then. However, bile breaks up fat to digest it. So why would something that's purpose is to break down fat cause insulin release, which is released in response to carbs? Not getting this. Anyone have an idea?

KnitOrMiss

suzqtme wrote: »

I haven't look this up at all but am trying to use logic to figure this out. My gallbladder was removed several years ago. I was told about the bile "dripping" from the liver through the common bile duct back then. However, bile breaks up fat to digest it. So why would something that's purpose is to break down fat cause insulin release, which is released in response to carbs? Not getting this. Anyone have an idea?

@suzqtme - This was said in absence of food. So bile dripping with no fats. I would imagine that there is a protective response from the body that says, "Whoa, there's too much bile up in here. Let me throw some glucose at you (since that's the easiest thing to throw at you) and see if that helps!" That's just what makes sense somewhat in my head, too.

But there is a tie-in, too, in the thyroid. Insulin tells the thyroid to send out the signals to produce/release stomach acids...maybe there is a feedback loop in reverse?

KnitOrMiss

Not an answer, but wholly fascinating, especially once you get to the bits about fat soluble vitamins!

http://wellnessrepair.com/what-you-must-do-if-your-gallbladder-has-been-removed/

kdz0444

Well I'm home now! They discharged me last night. I'm doing so much better now that I am at home. I was able to finally sleep through the night without anyone waking me up which was AMAZING! I'm taking it easy on food today. Someone recommended broth so I'm doing broth with some plain chicken while I get used to having food in my tummy. I wasn't allowed to eat Friday or Saturday and only allowed liquids til Tuesday morning. Ate a couple bites at lunch and dinner on Tuesday. So I'm working on being able to eat. I did add some sauerkraut and lemon juice as I read that fermented foods and sour foods can help aid in digestion with no gallbladder. I'm taking apple cider vinegar. I am also continuing with my probiotics and adding a digestive enzyme in the mornings and evenings. We shall see if that helps. Not in much pain which I'm glad about but the belly button incision burns with pressure put on it so I'm taking it easy. Trying to walk as much as possible.

KnitOrMiss

How's the healing going, @kdz0444 ?

kdz0444

@KnitOrMiss It's tough. Overall I'm doing ok and my wounds from surgery are almost completely healed but I have days where I have upset stomach and diarrhea. It wouldn't be a problem if only certain foods triggered it but it is pretty random. I'm not currently able to go as low carb as I would like but I'm trying to keep it under 100 right now. I am maintaining my weight loss so that's good. Trying to figure out what works and just letting myself heal. It's only been about a month since surgery.

AlexandraCarlyle

I heartily recommend pure 100% non-concentrated, organic apple juice. My mother had her GB removed some time ago, and swears by a good glassful every day. Recommended to her, btw, by her hepatologist....

JessicaLCHF

That's a lot of carbs!

AlexandraCarlyle

It's extremely beneficial to the liver though. It helps do the job the GB used to do....

kdz0444

@AlexandraCarlyle I have read that and it seems there are varying sources that say do it and others that say don't. Right now though I'm doing apple cider vinegar which seems to be helping, fermented foods like sauerkraut, probiotics, and a digestive aid. So far all of that seems to be helping 98% of the time.
But from what I have read the first 3-6 months after gallbladder removal can be pretty rough while your body adjusts. Hopefully in another couple months all will settle down and I can transition back to lower carb.

AlexandraCarlyle

You're doing all the right things. I LOVE probiotics....

Are you making your own? I ask, because I'm a demon in the kitchen when I make my sauerkraut, Kombucha and Kimchi!!

kdz0444

No I don't. I'm very particular about the taste. I use bubbies sauerkraut and it's pretty much the only kind I will eat. I have tried other kinds but bubbies is the best. Lol

AlexandraCarlyle

@kdz0444 *Please note:* What follows is in no way intended to be a personal criticism of you, your tastes or what you do.
My comments are directly relating to the product and the company's 'blurb'.

Well, their pickled products are partially heated which kills of SOME of the beneficial bacteria. That they specify these bacteria are the ones that cause the pots to explode, is fatuous at best, and frankly false, at worst.
Isolating specific bacteria at the point of fermentation is extremely difficult, so I have my doubts as to how accurate this claim is.
Furthermore, refrigeration slows down the fermentation process to practically the point of halting it, and as such, any manner of explosions are going to be as rare as hen's teeth... I have unopened home-made sauerkraut in my fridge I've had for a year, and ...nope. No explosion yet!

We have a very high number of Eastern European subjects in the UK, and sauerkraut is a staple to them. Every single supermarket has a section of foods specifically from their countries, with labelling in their particular language, and bang in the middle, every time, is the big sauerkraut jar.

Three supermarkets had separately told me they mysteriously sell little of the stuff in comparison to other native products.
They seem at a loss as to know why.

Having spoken to several representative members of these countries, it would appear that the reason they shy away from their own beloved jars of supermarket sauerkraut - is because they're pasteurised. So it's just like eating something acidic without the associated benefits!
Many of them enjoy making their own.

As do I.

You really need to give it a go, it's an amazing feeling eating somehting you've made and nurtured from the get-go of a humble cabbage!