GallBladder Removed - Diet

chu604
chu604 Posts: 353 Member
Hey

Somebody I know has recently had their Gallbladder removed and sometimes when they eat they feel very sick afterwards in their stomach. Its not all the time and sometimes the same food one day will be fine then the next time it won't be.

If anyone has a good site to reference or knows/experience please let me know

Looking for causes of this and solutions as to what foods to eat and how exercise routines should look

This is a 55 year old woman who is OW and Sedentary

Any help is greatly greatly appreciated

Replies

  • After having a gallbladder removed that person (most of the time) needs to change their diet a lot. I had my gallbladder out about 2 years ago because when my pregnancy gave me gallstones, so I had to have it removed a few weeks later. But a lot of what they told me is that your whole digestive system changes and MOST people can't eat a lot of unhealthy foods, fast food, or just a LOT of food, because your body doesn't know how to digest it. This is something that the doctors should have told her, but if she is having stomach aches then she should either talk to the doctor who did the surgery, or go see a nutritionist to talk about healthier food options. When I first got mine out I couldn't eat anything spicy, or any fast food or anything that was remotely unhealthy and IF I did, I would get horrible stomach pains. But now I can eat anything... I guess it just depends on the person because I do know other people who had that same surgery and even after having years pass they still can't eat certain things. Let me know if you have anymore questions!
  • jess1992uga
    jess1992uga Posts: 603 Member
    I don't have a site either nor did my surgeon tell me the craziness that would ensue after having my gallbladder removed. I had it taken out 2 years ago and I swear I find new things every day I can't eat.
    She needs to make sure most if not all of her fats are plant-based and to spread them out throughout the day. Any animal-based (aka saturated fats like butter, cream cheese,etc) I can't handle whatsoever any more. I have found a lot of good vegan recipes or low-fat recipes for desserts. Also, pumpkin and applesauce are great replacements in baking.
    I also can't handle cheese, or any concentrated dairy (ie greek yogurt) and soy seems to be hard on my tummy as well. Honestly for me it has just been test and go. I wish her luck
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    When my husband had his removed, he dropped 35 pounds from the surgery and found that he ate smaller portions than normal. It's been two years and he's back to normal. He also has Crohn's, which complicates things, but I suggest your friend talk to his/her doctor about it.

    A bland diet would certainly help. Low carbs, low fat, avoid sugar and spices, etc., for a few weeks.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    For me, I had to cut way back on a the fried foods and fatty processed meats like salami or pepperoni.

    The biggest thing that helped was just cleaning up my diet and exercising. I still eat flavorful and spicy foods, just not a lot of fried chicken and so forth.
  • poodlepaws
    poodlepaws Posts: 269 Member
    My daughter had hers out a couple years ago and didn't have to change her diet too much simply for the reason that she never did fast food, fried foods, more unhealthy foods a whole lot.
    I know she discovered there were things she could no longer eat, but I have no idea what they are.
  • I had my gallbladder removed last year, I never had gallstones or any pain until one night I spiked a fever and started having severe pressure, I went to the ER and less than 2 hours later I was prepped for surgery. Unfortunately, no two patients are the same it's all a matter of adjusting your diet to fit your new digestive track. My cousin had hers out and can't eat pizza or hamburgers, I'm fine with those foods but don't eat them because I am trying to lose weight. Exercise helps to regulate my system, so if you can get her moving that might help the transition. I've found that I do better with avoiding wheat and dairy too. I wish there was a fix all answer but the situation is so different for each person. Btw, my doctor didn't give me any diet info at all when I checked out of the hospital, in fact my hospital breakfast the next morning was eggs, bacon and buttered pancakes! Lol, go figure. Good luck!
  • chu604
    chu604 Posts: 353 Member
    Honestly everyone thanks so much for your help, Its deeply appreciated.


    I was thinking about that today as to why her doctor didn't give her any instruction on diet
    I will do some more research but I think Im gonna get her to see a nutritionist anyway just for ideas atleast

    Really again thanks!
  • I had mine out June 16th. The surgeon told me my stones were genetic after telling him what I eat, so he told me to just keep avoiding fried foods.

    It was kind of trial and error for a while because things like fruits and vegetables, which is the majority of what I eat, made me sick. I'm not sure why this happened, but pineapple and cucumber made me sick as hell, but a bean burrito from taco bell? Totally fine.

    If she's keeping her fat in check, she should probably avoid acidic foods as well is what my surgeon told me at my follow up appointment.

    It does get better, at least, for me it did
  • Uxorial
    Uxorial Posts: 38
    Try to get her doc to send her to a dietitian or nutritionist.

    I had that problem and it ended up that I had pancreatitus (can be related to gallstone problems, even after the gallbladder is removed).

    But I have to follow a low sugar/low fat diet with no alcohol and limited caffeine.
  • juscallmeb
    juscallmeb Posts: 369 Member
    had mine removed about 4 years ago.. my doctor basically told me to stay away from fatty/fried and processed foods.
    I will be honest, i have them once in a while and they do bother me, so I really try to avoid them as much as possible. the pain afterwards is never worth having it. lol.

    I also increased my excercise and stick to a cleaner diet as much as I can. that has helped me more over the years than anything else.

    hope your friend gets better soon :)
  • I found this site quite useful when I had an attack. http://www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladderdiet.shtml

    and it suggests you can use the diet after you've had your gallbladder removed. But I guess it really is down to the individual as my friend can eat all sorts without too much bother.
  • juscallmeb
    juscallmeb Posts: 369 Member
    I had mine out June 16th. The surgeon told me my stones were genetic after telling him what I eat, so he told me to just keep avoiding fried foods.

    It was kind of trial and error for a while because things like fruits and vegetables, which is the majority of what I eat, made me sick. I'm not sure why this happened, but pineapple and cucumber made me sick as hell, but a bean burrito from taco bell? Totally fine.

    If she's keeping her fat in check, she should probably avoid acidic foods as well is what my surgeon told me at my follow up appointment.

    It does get better, at least, for me it did

    agreed :)
  • zrmac804
    zrmac804 Posts: 369 Member
    Try to get her doc to send her to a dietitian or nutritionist.

    I agree with this^
  • chu604
    chu604 Posts: 353 Member
    Again,

    Deep thanks to everyone who has responded.


    A new question I have is does anyone know or recommend any good/well-known Rice based Protein Powders??