problems after gallbladder surgery!!

jcorinne16
jcorinne16 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Back in march I had to have my gallbladder removed because it was only functioning at 1 percent, pretty much it stopped working, which made me very sick and it was also inflammed which made the pain worse. So they removed my gallbladder and I thought I would feel so much better and it would be the end of my problems but it wasnt!! After the surgery it took over a month for my body to get over the pain from the surgery but I noticed my stomach was constantly bloated like there was a ball stuck in there. I went to a couple doctors and all of them told me it was acid reflux but all the meds they gave me didnt help.I also watched what i was eating and it still happend. over the next couple of months the bloating in my upper abdomen got worse and eventually started hurting really bad. So one day i decided i couldnt take the pain anymore and went to the emergency room. they ran blood test and my enzyme levels were to high so they admitted me. After being in the hospital for almost a week the doctors decided to do a ercp and found a small stone in my common bile duct and removed it. After the ercp i dont have as many problems with my stomach but i noticed it still becomes very bloated just not as often. Ive seen many doctors and they all say its gas or acid reflux but ive been on nexium and plenty of other medications for those things and nothing helps. About three weeks ago i also started to get this terrible sharp pain in the center of my upper abdomen..it feels like someone stabbed me with a knife. the first time it happend i ended up on the floor doubled over in so much pain and it really scared my family. So i was just wondering if anyone else has had any of these problems and also what kind of foods seem to be good to eat and wont cause problems.

Replies

  • ladybird_
    ladybird_ Posts: 55 Member
    I had mine removed about 8 yrs ago and it's still an issue for me. As long as I eat foods that are unprocessed and look like they originally looked I am okay but if I stray from the path I am bloated, and need to know where the bathroom is if you catch my drift :-( I unfortunately didn't realize that eating more 'natural' foods could make such a difference for a long time, and I was assured by many that these issues are 'Normal' after the surgery.
  • hellmama5
    hellmama5 Posts: 17 Member
    I am sorry for your pain, suffering and ultimately your expensive experience. I was admitted to the ER on Sunday morning and after many tests the doctors recommended removing my gallbladder. Surgery was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. So I have been reading a lot about gallbladders and digestive pains. On MFP if you search gallbladder in the forums, many discussions will pop up. I have been reading these as well and everybody seems to have a different answer for themselves but the discussions seem to follow a steady path. I still have my Gb but the intense bloating and gas pain has been horrendous. I couldn't understand how my gallbladder was failing since my weight loss has been gradual but after more reading on MFP I looked at my net calories and see that I have gone below my bmr more than 5 times in the last 30 days...so that means I was hurting myself without realizing it. I've now set my calories to maintenance and will watch my deficit for a few weeks. Hopefully I will get into a pattern and be able to see the improvement in my net. My surgery is planned for next Monday....
  • jcorinne16
    jcorinne16 Posts: 12
    I had mine removed about 8 yrs ago and it's still an issue for me. As long as I eat foods that are unprocessed and look like they originally looked I am okay but if I stray from the path I am bloated, and need to know where the bathroom is if you catch my drift :-( I unfortunately didn't realize that eating more 'natural' foods could make such a difference for a long time, and I was assured by many that these issues are 'Normal' after the surgery.
    I know how you feel. What kind of foods do you eat exactly if you dont mind me asking. Im starting to eat alot of veggies and fruits but even then i still get bloated idk if maybe its the food im eating..which i dnt think it is. Im jst so tired of dealing with these issues and im sure you are to it sucks!! :/
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I had mine removed about 8 yrs ago and it's still an issue for me. As long as I eat foods that are unprocessed and look like they originally looked I am okay but if I stray from the path I am bloated, and need to know where the bathroom is if you catch my drift :-( I unfortunately didn't realize that eating more 'natural' foods could make such a difference for a long time, and I was assured by many that these issues are 'Normal' after the surgery.

    yup. I was diagnosed with "dumping syndrome" within a year or so of getting my gallbladder out. Too many rich foods, fried foods, or even something like bacon can have me running for the bathroom. Hubby knows that when I get a wide eyed look and say " I GOTTA go" that the countdown has begun and I need a bathroom ASAP. He will even look at what I am eating and say "you gonna be OK if you eat that?" Holiday meals ( Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter) usually end up making me dump, no matter how careful I am...I'm thinking it is the volume of food in that situation.
  • neon7girl
    neon7girl Posts: 230 Member
    I found I had to totally change my diet and I thought I was eating fairly healthy before, but I too need to keep to foods in their 'natural' state - i.e. no processed foods. It makes a huge difference. Even just a few bites of the bad stuff can send me running.
  • jcorinne16
    jcorinne16 Posts: 12
    I am sorry for your pain, suffering and ultimately your expensive experience. I was admitted to the ER on Sunday morning and after many tests the doctors recommended removing my gallbladder. Surgery was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. So I have been reading a lot about gallbladders and digestive pains. On MFP if you search gallbladder in the forums, many discussions will pop up. I have been reading these as well and everybody seems to have a different answer for themselves but the discussions seem to follow a steady path. I still have my Gb but the intense bloating and gas pain has been horrendous. I couldn't understand how my gallbladder was failing since my weight loss has been gradual but after more reading on MFP I looked at my net calories and see that I have gone below my bmr more than 5 times in the last 30 days...so that means I was hurting myself without realizing it. I've now set my calories to maintenance and will watch my deficit for a few weeks. Hopefully I will get into a pattern and be able to see the improvement in my net. My surgery is planned for next Monday....
    Thanks and i wish you luck on your upcoming surgery. Hopefully after yours is removed you will feel better and not have problems like i do and many other people. How someone feels after the surgery pretty much varies from person to person. I know people that feel 100% better after the surgery and have no problems then i know other people have gerd, acid reflux, some even become sensetive to gluten ( i think thats how you spell it). I hope your one of the lucky one!! :D
  • jcorinne16
    jcorinne16 Posts: 12
    Ive noticed I dont really rush to the bathroom to often but the one thing that makes me is when i drink alcohol. I dont know why but i usually have diarrhea for about two days after i drink and i dnt even drink that much
  • cmacphee3
    cmacphee3 Posts: 278 Member
    Your pain sounds just like how my gallbladder attacks were before I got it removed. They didn't know it was my gallbladder because of where it was located. That being said, that nerve comes from all sorts of things in your stomach/pancreas area, and so the source can be hard to determine.

    Are you eating high fat foods? I found it took me a good year or so to eat higher fat foods without pretty negative consequences. Your gallbladder helps your body by storing bile from the liver, so when it is removed, you only have the slow drip of bile from the liver to process the fat you eat, and so if you are eating a lot of fat at once, it may not be processing properly anymore. I used to end up with (TMI) diarrhea when I ate high fat things for the first year or so. You can tell if there is a lot of fat not being processed by looking at your stool (I know, not pleasant). If it floats to the top, there is lots of fat in it, more importantly, the lighter it is in colour, the less bile was used to process it. If you are having pale stool, especially if it floats, that could be part of the issue.

    That being said, the doctors also told me my gallbladder issue was acid reflux until I went back to emergency over and over in horrific pain and begged them to do further tests. You could have a stone stuck somewhere near your pancreas, and that is dangerous, so if this continues I would tell the doctors you really need testing done, that acid medication is not helping.
  • moraldd
    moraldd Posts: 99
    I was supposed to have surgery to remove my gallbladder, met with the surgeon and was about to make an appointment but the thought of surgery didn't sit right with me so I decided to do some further research. I went to a naturopath (sp?) who put me on a treatment that really worked wonders. I've never had surgery and I don't have pain from my gall stones. I suppose the stones are still there but they don't bother me at all. I stay away from dairy and processed foods as much as possible. I'm sorry for your pain, I know what gallstone pain feels like and it is horrid. Perhaps you can ask your doctor about exploring some alternative treatment. I hope your pain goes away soon.
  • jcorinne16
    jcorinne16 Posts: 12
    Your pain sounds just like how my gallbladder attacks were before I got it removed. They didn't know it was my gallbladder because of where it was located. That being said, that nerve comes from all sorts of things in your stomach/pancreas area, and so the source can be hard to determine.

    Are you eating high fat foods? I found it took me a good year or so to eat higher fat foods without pretty negative consequences. Your gallbladder helps your body by storing bile from the liver, so when it is removed, you only have the slow drip of bile from the liver to process the fat you eat, and so if you are eating a lot of fat at once, it may not be processing properly anymore. I used to end up with (TMI) diarrhea when I ate high fat things for the first year or so. You can tell if there is a lot of fat not being processed by looking at your stool (I know, not pleasant). If it floats to the top, there is lots of fat in it, more importantly, the lighter it is in colour, the less bile was used to process it. If you are having pale stool, especially if it floats, that could be part of the issue.

    That being said, the doctors also told me my gallbladder issue was acid reflux until I went back to emergency over and over in horrific pain and begged them to do further tests. You could have a stone stuck somewhere near your pancreas, and that is dangerous, so if this continues I would tell the doctors you really need testing done, that acid medication is not helping.
    ya I actually have a endoscopy on friday to see whats going on in my stomach and a ultrasound on thursday to make sure they didnt leave any stones during the ercp i had. Also I dont eat high fat foods cuz I know it will make me very sick so I dnt think its the food i eat. Hopefully they can figure something out on friday

Categories