No Gall Bladder and problems with Greasy foods...TMI

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  • squeak1989
    squeak1989 Posts: 29
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    In the first few weeks after the operation you can get diarrhea because without the gall bladder the bile constantly drips into the intestine and can irritate it. This is the diarrhea the surgeons talk about clearing up within a couple of months. If it hasn't cleared up after then its probably due to your bodies inability to digest fat and thats permanent.

    I had the operation in July 2010 and have the same problem. Any fast food, anything with fat = diarrhea. Just normal dietary fat makes me have wind that smells really bad. The main relief for me has been to stick to my pre-surgery diet which had around 15g of fat a day, sometimes I do splash out and go over and on those days I make sure take diarrhea tablets while I'm having my meal.
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
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    i had mine out a while ago and had the same problem - plus really bad heartburn. talked to an alternative practicioner and she told me to eat more vinegar (pickles and such) for the heartburn, but that IBS was a very commmon thing after having your gall bladder out. seems like she was right on both counts - but i do find that eating more dark green veggies helps. maybe b/c they're lower in fat, maybe b/c the high fiber. but it doesn't hurt to try and more veggies are always good.
  • shelleyfi
    shelleyfi Posts: 14
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    CHOLESTYRAMINE. I had mine removed 10 years ago and still deal with this issue. After about 2 years, I sucked it up and asked the dr about it. She put me on Cholestyramine. It is a wonder drug, and it comes sugar free! It is a powder that you mix with water, though I now just take it in dry form as sometimes I didn't have water with me. I carry a pack with me wherever I go. One in my car, one in my purse, one in my desk at work, etc. I find it takes about 10-15 mins to work and then I'm good. Somedays I don't need it all. I only take it when needed. A box has 30 packs in it, and I take an amount equal to the size of a dime in my hand, so a box can last me 6-9 months, but I went thru them a little quicker at first
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    Reading all these posts makes me want to just keep chugging the Vicodin when I have an attack (which hasn't been in forever since I started eating right).
  • taco_tap
    taco_tap Posts: 152 Member
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    CHOLESTYRAMINE. I had mine removed 10 years ago and still deal with this issue.

    Do you need a prescription for that? My friend has been searching for something. She is one of the cases where nothing seems to work for her.
  • angshep
    angshep Posts: 3 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel. I had mine out in June 2009 and suffered from diarrhea terribly, as well as sometimes having horrible/painful cramps similar to a GB attack. In Dec 2010, I was hospitalized for a severe bout of food poisioning, but they recommended that I take a probiotic to help with digestion. Since taking that almost daily, it has helped a lot with my digestion system. However, I still get bouts of the horrible diarrhea, but it is less frequent. I also started suffering from acid reflux (beginning of 2011) to the point where the lining in my throat was wearing away, so I had to be put on Nexium. I don't want to be on any type of pill, but when the lining of your throat wears away, you are more likely to suffer from throat cancer, so I take my nexium everyday now. I'm hoping that once I lose more weight, I'll be able to wean myself off the Nexium and hopefully not have any problems. I hope yours go away because the endless diarrhea is NOT FUN!
  • shelleyfi
    shelleyfi Posts: 14
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    Yes, its by prescription, yup here in Alberta, I only pay about $28/box without insurance
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
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    I also started suffering from acid reflux (beginning of 2011) to the point where the lining in my throat was wearing away, so I had to be put on Nexium. I don't want to be on any type of pill, but when the lining of your throat wears away, you are more likely to suffer from throat cancer, so I take my nexium everyday now. I'm hoping that once I lose more weight, I'll be able to wean myself off the Nexium and hopefully not have any problems. I hope yours go away because the endless diarrhea is NOT FUN!

    i had the acid reflux too - srsly i know it sounds like an old wives' tale, but vinegary foods really do help. try eating pickles - just make sure to drink enough water b/c the sodium is terrible. the few times i get an acute attack now - aweful as it tastes, nothing works faster than a shot of apple cider vinegar. disgusting but WORKS. i'm off prescriptions totally for acid.
  • Babrao
    Babrao Posts: 152 Member
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    Well, I had mine out in 1999 and I only experienced that for the first couple of years and I didn't eat very well at all back then. I don't seem to have this issue anymore at all since I've been making my "lifestyle change", now I don't go #2 half as much as I use to and when I do, it is "normal". Have hope. Like someone else said, sounds more like Irritable Bowl Syndrome.
  • dewgirl321
    dewgirl321 Posts: 296 Member
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    TRY A LIVER CLEANSE! Seriously! I have tried this and passed on the info to friends and family. It really works. It's basically cleaning out your body's filter, and it makes you feel so much better. If you have trouble with greasy foods, and feel sick / nauseous / or have diarrhea after you eat them, this helps. It can also help acid reflux-like symptoms that occur with greasy foods. Honestly, it can even improve your skin and all sorts of other things.

    http://curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp

    It isn't too bad, and it only takes a day. Totally worth it!
  • BonLou76
    BonLou76 Posts: 36
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    Sorry, but mine's been out for 4 years and I still have this problem. I look at it as a good incentive to not eat the stuff. Stick with the healthy foods:)
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
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    Your description is how I still am 10 years after having mine out. I have found that if I eat VERY low fat all day, I can have something like a brat or french fries that night. If I'm in the same room with an Alfredo sauce, I'm done for. OK, that's an exaggeration, but cream and butter sauces are an absolute no. Even with a very low fat day. Keeps me honest I tell ya!
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
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    ok, I am due to have my gall bladder removed on the 24th of this month after only two episodes of pain and now I am not going to after reading this thread, good good it's so not worth it!
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
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    ok, I am due to have my gall bladder removed on the 24th of this month after only two episodes of pain and now I am not going to after reading this thread, good good it's so not worth it!

    Honestly, if you let it go, it may get worse. By the time I had mine out I was listless and pale, my enzymes were all over the place and it was an emergency surgery.

    A little trouble now and then was SO WORTH the feeling of suddenly having LIFE again.

    Mine's not bad. Tums or Caltrate-D (the calcium supplement) tend to keep things even (though Caltrate-D can occasionally induce the other problem). Mostly I just avoid anything too fatty.
  • theba2il
    theba2il Posts: 548 Member
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    I heard this is a great book...The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush~Andreas Moritz. After doing this flush you release tiny stones from your gallbladder.
  • squeak1989
    squeak1989 Posts: 29
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    ok, I am due to have my gall bladder removed on the 24th of this month after only two episodes of pain and now I am not going to after reading this thread, good good it's so not worth it!

    Not a good plan. I put off having mine out for a while and it got to the point where I couldn't eat anything but fruit because otherwise I'd have an attack and have to go to hospital for IV pain relief - they say a bad attack can be worse than childbirth. In the end I had to have mine out during an emergency operation and the gallbladder was so inflamed they couldn't do it keyhole. So I just ended up making the situation worse for myself by waiting because I experienced months of attacks and then a longer recovery time after surgery. I'd much rather have diarrhea than the pain anyday - although admittedly the fear of an attack was a good weight loss tool.
  • go2grrl
    go2grrl Posts: 190 Member
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    I had mine removed about 18 years ago and didn't have any problems with fat or greasy foods afterward. If no one has mentioned it already, you might also try incorporating yogurt into your diet to help balance out your digestive tract. Not sugary flavored yogurt, but plain with active, live cultures. And if you don't like yogurt, you can buy the supplements instead. Good luck!
  • duckychic
    duckychic Posts: 57 Member
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    This used to happen to me ALL THE TIME! I had issues every time I ate ANYTHING!

    The only thing that helped was fiber pills (my surgeon told me to take them). I bought fiber capsules at costco, over the counter. You can take up to 8 a day. I only ever took 4 a day. Just make sure if you're gonna try it take one a day, then 2 the next day and so on.
  • momburntdinner
    momburntdinner Posts: 44 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out (okay read viciously ripped out after the gallstones started blocking the duct to my pancreas) in 2005, and always had the same problem as you are having. Immodium?
  • hbrekkaas
    hbrekkaas Posts: 268 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out (okay read viciously ripped out after the gallstones started blocking the duct to my pancreas) in 2005, and always had the same problem as you are having. Immodium?

    Immodium and I are very close friends when I dare to eat a frenc fry or look at a potato chip.

    Thanks for the advice everyone! I will try adding more fiber and see if that helps, and stay far far away from all the foods that bother me, which is really hard, but since it all crap food anyway I won't be missing out on anything.

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