Anyone here have gallbladder issues?

superwmn

I'm currently suffering with an (undiagnosed) case of gallstones. I have no pain in my gallbladder and the stones don't show up in an ultrasound so my doctor does not believe that gallstones are causing my issues (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills all begin a few hours after a rich meal is eaten). I've even had a few successful cleanses at home and PASSED gallstones.

THAT said, I'm wondering if anyone on this site has had similar issues. What did you do? I know surgery is an option, but I'm not comfortable with bile leaking from my intestines for the rest of my life (that, and there's not a guarantee that surgery will correct the issues I'm experiencing).

I'm trying to get back on the birth control pill and every pill I take triggers a gallbladder attack (estrogen therapy can aggravate this condition for some reason). So thanks to gallstones I can't eat any rich food without getting extreemely ill, can't prevent pregnancy...

This condition is ruining my life. Thanks for your input!

Charmagne

mizzjessie

I had mine removed almost 2 years ago. I was doing WW back then and had lost almost 60lbs. I wasn't getting in enough oil daily which the dr said could have affected my gallbladder so they decided to remove it. My attacks were mostly in my back and occurred during the night. Since having it removed I have not had any other issues other then gaining all my weight back!

lutzsher

My Dad suffered from exactly what you describe for years and finally broke down and had the surgery. He had let it go so long that they couldn't just take the stones and had to remove his ballbladder. He got very sick the last few months before surgery and it got to the point that everything he ate would make him very ill.
He actually had little side effects after the surgery but still had to stay away from very fatty or rich food.

I feel for you as I vividly remember how sick he was. Good luck.

emills88

hmm, I had my gallbladder out about 2 years ago, 3 weeks after I had my son. I actually had these issues the whole time i was pregnant and they kept telling me it was false labor...then i kept having the pain after an emergency C-section. They don't always look for the less obvious things, doctors are trained to believe that the simplest answer is usually correct. In your case, however, I would suggest having them look further into the issue. They did a test on me where I had to drink something and they put me into this machine that took pictures of how i was digesting everything by lighting up the stuff i drank. Something like that could help them figure it out...Otherwise, you could have some gallstones that just aren't big enough or are stuck, causing blockage where they may not be able to see. Or it could just not be functioning properly, like giving off too much bile or something. Having your gallbladder taken out sucks but it did make the pain go away. If they finally decide that removing it would be the only permanent solution I would say go for it but make sure there isn't anything else you can do. Basically, if your body doesn't adjust to ur gallbladder being gone it will keep producing the bile and it will get fed through your system and irritate your insides...it can give you bowel movements that are painful, pain in the abdomen when things are moving through, and can make you have frequent bowel movements with little warning....I would say talk to your doctor and ask him point blank that if it's not gallstones what else does he think it could be? get a straight answer from him and research what he says to see for yourself if it seems to fit.

dragoneyes98

Well, I had the same issue not to long ago. I had to convince my doctor to do the surgery cuz he couldn't see the stones. I had a gallbladder FULL of, what looked like, sand. Vomiting bile, cold sweats, severe chest pain etc. Essentially without the removal, your going to be living on acid reducers and staying away from trigger foods, ie high fat, greasy, dairy(in some cases), high citrus foods, fried foods, chocolate etc...

Pure and simple...it sucks big time anyway you look at it. But after the surgery I feel a million times better and I haven't had a serious attack since. Best of luck ^_^

megamom

I had a diseased gallbladder without stones. Years and years of attacks. Finally a hyda scan was done after I had a attack that came and stayed. Had my gallbladder out 2 years ago and feel great, had no problems and wish I had agreed to have it done years ago. I don't miss the attacks at all.

scott24

Having mine removed next Tuesday morning. I don't have a lot of attacks - in fact, it wasn't until I started losing weight that I had any. One is bad enough. I feel for you. The surgery is apparently very routine.

CakeFit21

I think so. I started to notice it a few moths ago. Every time I'd eat a really rich meal, usually something with red meat, (once it was pork which I almost never eat) I started to get really sick after. Nausea, cramps, headache, just feeling awful. I googled the symptoms and came up with the gallbladder thing too. I actually never went to the doc about it, which it kinda unusual for me, but I just stopped eating that stuff. It's very hard. But feeling like that was awful. I have since eaten a piece of Filet mignon, (which is very lean) and limited my portion to 3 oz. and didn't have a problem so I have to assume it's just when rich fats are involved. So, basically, my diet is pretty clean, (which can be annoying ) but it has really helped. I don't eat things like pork bacon or sausage, I'll choose veggie or turkey instead. This winter season should be interesting because it's heavy food season. I'm sure I'll be making adjustments to recipes and saying, "No" to some favorites. :sad:

I currently have the Implanon birth control implant in my arm. I've had it for 2 1/2 years and I really love it. I didn't notice these "gallbladder" issues until a few months ago so, I'm figuring the implant has nothing to do with them. I don't know if that type of birth control is an option for you but I really like it and I don't believe it has any estrogen, I believe it's progestin. I hope this helps. I know how awful it feels. Good luck girl!

superwmn

Having mine removed next Tuesday morning. I don't have a lot of attacks - in fact, it wasn't until I started losing weight that I had any. One is bad enough. I feel for you. The surgery is apparently very routine.

Weight loss is another trigger. I had the attacks before but they've become more intense with my weight loss

superwmn

I had mine removed almost 2 years ago. I was doing WW back then and had lost almost 60lbs. I wasn't getting in enough oil daily which the dr said could have affected my gallbladder so they decided to remove it. My attacks were mostly in my back and occurred during the night. Since having it removed I have not had any other issues other then gaining all my weight back!

When you were gaining the weight back (sorry if that was painful for you, by the way), did you eat the foods that caused you to become ill before you had your gallbladder removed? If so, did they cause you to have attacks?

LuvnAG10

I had mine out in an emergency surgery last December. I had attacks about twice a year and never knew what it was until I had an attack that woke me up in the middle of the night and it didn't go away. When I started vomiting my bowels, I knew something was really wrong. Went to the ER, they figured out it was my gallbladder and removed it, had to stay in the hospital overnight, took the full two weeks to recover and haven't had a problem since.

superwmn

I actually never went to the doc about it, which it kinda unusual for me, but I just stopped eating that stuff.

I won't stop eating that stuff. I have to be able to enjoy all foods. That is what makes life so incredible. I finally get that I can't eat it all in the same day and I don't want to spend another birthday or anniversary up all night having an attack

superwmn

He got very sick the last few months before surgery and it got to the point that everything he ate would make him very ill.

I'm glad your father is doing better! Before I started the cleanses, I was at the point where I was only eating rolls and drinking water and I was STILL having attacks (because gluten is also on the list of foods that can trigger attacks). I was at the point of mental breakdown before I did my first cleanse.

superwmn

Thank you everyone for posting. This makes me very hopeful

Charmagne

skdk833

I had mine out also because it was diseased. It was after a trip to Burger King (pre-weight problem days) and was taken out emergency surgery within 12 hours. I know you said you don't want the bile backing up into your system, but if your gallbladder is diseased you are allowing toxins to constantly run through your system. It is a no win situation.

I had a very hard time adjusting after mine was removed. It took 2 years to be able to control the IBS and other effects from it. I can say though I am at a place where there is hardly no pain, and if I wanted, I could eat small high fat meals and be okay.

Please google and research bile salts if you have yours removed. This seems to be the best alternative to keeping your system as normal as possible. I only wish I would have known that for mine.

Whatever your choice, good luck, and pain free vibes being sent your way!!!

knittygirl52

I had my gallbladder removed about 10 years ago, after having several SEVERE attacks--I thought I was having a heart attack. They didn't take it out during an active attack, but scheduled it a month or two out. For the couple of months before I had the surgery I could not eat ANY fat or I would have an attack. Lost a lot of weight that way! :-)

Since my gallbladder has been removed (since I wasn't having an active attack they were able to do it the minimally invasive way--wish all surgery could be that way), I've had no problems at all. I do notice that if I seriously overeat fatty foods, I will have bloating and diarrhea. However, since I shouldn't be doing that, I find that the discomfort I will face often makes it easier for me to say "no."

patti1007

I had mine removed about 20 years ago...was the best thing because having those attacks are horrible. After a full day in the ER, vomiting green... to only be sent home with some pain meds...really made up my mind.

abyt42

My grandmother had her gallbladder removed in 1985, and continues to produce gall stones. It's the worst superpower ever.

superwmn

My grandmother had her gallbladder removed in 1985, and continues to produce gall stones. It's the worst superpower ever.

I'm sorry for your grandmother and her experience is my fear. Hopefully I won't produce MORE as I have changed all the habits that led to my development of gallstones in the first place.

THAT said, calling this a 'superpower' is HILARIOUS. Thank you for that

LuvnAG10

Having mine removed next Tuesday morning. I don't have a lot of attacks - in fact, it wasn't until I started losing weight that I had any. One is bad enough. I feel for you. The surgery is apparently very routine.

Hope your surgery and recovery go well!

Brat3073

I dont, but my husband does. We dont eat beef in this house anymore because of it....last few times it put him in the hospital....the last time he was there for a week just about.

MzBug

I lived with the attacks for 5 years. By the time I would finally go (2-3 hours of pain) get to the ER (2.5 hour drive) and finally be seen (2-3 hours waiting) I would have passed the stone and the pain would be gone. It went undiagnosed until I passed out at work during a bad attack and they took me to the ER right next door (had moved to AZ). I waited 2 weeks before surgery and every day the surgeon would come into my work and check to make sure I was ok. I had a couple mini attacks the couple days after surgery from the stones that were still rattling around inside the ducts. Since then I have not had a problem at all.

superwmn

Doing another cleanse tonight. Going to shoot for one cleanse a month. Hate, hate, HATE the cleanses, but they've provided relief and I'm hopeful that I will see continued improvement. Wish me luck (because tonight is going to TOTALLY SUCK for me).

Charmagne

steffi1686

I just had my gallbladder removed on Halloween. I went to the ER thinking I had a stomach ulcer or something, but it ended up being gallstones. One of the stones was stuck in the bile duct causing a backup of bile in my system and inflammation in my liver. It also gave be jaundice ( skin turned a bit yellow and felt itchy). Luckily I was able to pass the stone before having the surgery and they were able to remove it via laproscopic surgery. I am happy to have had it removed so I won't have to deal with having another severe attack. You should really consult a doctor about having yours removed. Depending on where a stone gets stuck in the duct, the irritation can cause pancreatitis which my surgeon said was one of the worst medical conditions and many people who end up with pancreatitis die. I personally think that removing the gallbladder is the lesser of two evils.

jclguru

I had my gall bladder and stones removed last year. It was suppose to be an outpatient
surgery. They thought I only had 2 stones. Turns out I had enough to make a necklace,
I had 23 stones removed.

Needless to say, I had to stay overnight cause it took so freaking long.

Doug