Gallbladder problems after losing weight

So I lost 50 lbs almost 3 years ago and I've been maintaining ever since. I never had any problems with my gallbladder.

This lady at work came in and she has lost 30 lbs over the course of a year. Now she is having trouble with her gallbladder and needs to have it removed. She said "The doctor said that anyone who loses over 30 lbs will have gallbladder problems and need to have it removed." Followed by "Here I thought I was doing something GOOD for myself and now I'm having even MORE problems!" (which I take as she now thinks that losing weight is pointless so she would rather life her life obese than cause herself any more "problems")

I have NEVER heard of such a thing and I just wanted to know if it was true at all?

Replies

  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    It's common to have gallbladder issues after weight loss, but not a given.
  • Vincentsz
    Vincentsz Posts: 407 Member
    I've heard of it . Some years ago while most people were using the nutrisystem shakes. Usually associated with weight lost very quickly. Floods the Gaul bladder with waste.

    But if she has lost it slowly as suggested, never heard of that!
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    A few years ago I had lost about 50 pounds and had to have my gall bladder out. I'm not clear on the mechanics, and I don't think doctors even have a clear answer, but yeah, it's a thing for a lot of people.
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    I had to have mine out when I was heavier, and part of the problem was likely due to being overweight (along with other factors). Some people are just inclined toward gall bladder issues regardless. I was told the likeliest candidates are women in their 40s who are fair complected, still fertile, and overweight. Check, check, check, and check. Bye bye gall bladder. She probably shouldn't attribute it completely to the weight loss, it may be due to damage done long before. And you may not have anything at all to worry about. It just depends.
  • Gallbladder problems can come at any point, while losing weight, while overweight, while underweight, etc. Most people don't realize that part of it. And there are some lucky people out there that don't experience gallbladder issues. I feel sorry for your coworker if she's going to sabotage herself because her gallbladder problems started after losing weight.
  • Yulya_
    Yulya_ Posts: 3
    http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gallstones.htm#d
    How may obesity increase my chances of getting gallstones?

    Being overweight or obese may increase your chances of having gallstones, especially if you are female. Researchers have found that people who are obese may produce high levels of cholesterol. This may produce bile having more cholesterol than it can dissolve. When this happens, gallstones can form. People who are obese may also have large gallbladders that do not work well. Some studies have shown that men and women who carry large amounts of fat around their waist may be more likely to develop gallstones than those who carry fat around their hips and thighs.

    Although rapid weight loss may increase your chances of developing gallstones (see the next section), obesity may be a bigger problem. In addition to gallstones, obesity is linked to many serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

    For those who are overweight or obese, even a small weight loss of 10 percent of body weight over a period of 6 months can improve health. In addition, weight loss may bring other benefits such as better mood, increased energy, and positive self-image.
    How may rapid weight loss increase my chances of getting gallstones?

    Losing weight very quickly may increase your chances of forming gallstones. If you have silent gallstones, you may also be more likely to develop symptoms. People who lose more than 3 pounds per week may have a greater chance of getting gallstones than those who lose weight more slowly.
    Is weight cycling a problem?
    Weight cycling, or losing and regaining weight repeatedly, may also lead to gallstones. The more weight you lose and regain during a cycle, the greater your chances of developing gallstones.

    When trying to lose weight on your own, stay away from "crash diets" that promise to help you drop the pounds quickly. Aim for losing weight at a slower pace and keeping it off over time.

    Some ways of treating obesity, such as weight-loss surgery and very low-calorie diets (VLCDs), may increase your chances of developing gallstones by promoting rapid weight loss.

    Weight-loss surgery is an operation on the stomach and/or intestines to help people lose weight by limiting food intake and/or by affecting how food is digested.

    A very low-calorie diet is a very restrictive diet that uses a commercially prepared formula providing about 800 calories per day. A health care provider closely supervises these types of diets.
    How may I safely lose weight and reduce my chances of getting gallstones?

    Losing weight at a slow pace may make it less likely that you will develop gallstones. Depending on your starting weight, experts recommend losing about 1/2 to 2 pounds per week.

    When making healthy food choices to help you lose weight, you can choose food that may also lower your chances of developing gallstones.

    Experts recommend the following:

    Eat more foods high in fiber, like brown rice, oats, and whole wheat bread.
    Eat fewer refined grains and less sugar.
    Eat healthy fats, like fish oil and olive oil, to help your gallbladder contract and empty on a regular basis.

    Regular physical activity, which may improve your health, is also related to a reduced chance of developing gallstones. To lose weight or prevent weight gain, aim for 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderately intense aerobic activity each week. Aerobic activity uses your large muscles (back, chest, and legs), increases your heart rate, and may make you breathe harder. To sustain weight loss, you may need at least 60 to 90 minutes a day.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    I did some research myself due to a history of gallbladders in my family, and losing weight rapidly can increase the chance of problems.

    Being overweight can also increase the chances, so it is recommended to lose weight at a slower pace, and to get plenty of exercise.
  • KateCon912
    KateCon912 Posts: 200 Member
    She lost weight by replacing meals with some kind of smoothie or shake that was packaged. Maybe that had something to do with it too.
  • nccarolb
    nccarolb Posts: 858 Member
    I weighed 115 pounds and was 17 years old when I had my gall bladder out. The doctors took forever to diagnose because I was missing two of the components for gall bladder issues: fair, fat, and forty. I did hear lots of folks talking about fall bladder issues 20 years ago when the low fat/no fat diets were popular. This most likely came about because the gall bladder helps digest fats. Gall bladder issues can tend to be genetic, as well. I would suggest not borrowing trouble. You'll have much fewer health concerns by losing weight than you would have by losing your gall bladder.
  • kvanderbeek1
    kvanderbeek1 Posts: 50 Member
    I needed to have my gall bladder removed after I lost 50 pounds. I lost it slowly over a year and a half and still had issues. Two of my friends are the same way. They needed theirs removed after a weight loss. Odd but it seems to happen a lot. Obviously there are other reasons gall bladders need removed as well but weight loss seems to be some sort of trigger.
  • CanGirl40
    CanGirl40 Posts: 379 Member
    Interesting! I gained 70lbs with a pregnancy and had GB issues a few months after as I was dropping the weight. Ended up getting it out about 6 months after giving birth! I always thought it was "hormones" that triggered it but maybe it WAS the "drastic" weightloss...interesting...
  • gypsyrose64
    gypsyrose64 Posts: 271 Member
    Sometimes it's just genetic predisposition! I had mine out when I was at my heaviest (240) and no yoyo dieting. Diet is a big contributor to it, but I'm not sure the medical field has pinpointed just how.

    My daughter had to have hers removed at 13!!! A year after my surgery, she was having horrible cramps that wouldn't go away and was throwing up. A few episodes of that before one hit that wouldn't go away. I told the pediatrician that her gallbladder was bad and he laughed in my face. I said "do the sonogram anyways and humor me". Two hrs later, she was in emergency surgery!! He apologized to me, and the surgeon said it her GB was the worst he's ever seen and she was 13.

    And for the record, she was 110 lbs soaking wet, and very little body fat. She did have a fast food habit, but weightloss wasn't a factor.

    I had another friend have hers go bad, but didn't realize it because she was on so much pain medication for back issues. The GB burst and started to disease the liver before she knew something was horribly wrong. She almost died waiting for a liver transplant. So a sick GB is nothing to mess around with. With that said, she needs to get over herself and realize what's done is done and keep striving for better health.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    yup! just had mine removed. and for the record, the 100 pounds took me over a year, eating generally healthy whole foods, grains, veggies and incorporating full fat foods.
  • x7xemilyx7x
    x7xemilyx7x Posts: 22 Member
    This happened to me! I lost about 2/3 stone and ended up being very ill for about a year (docs kept fobbing me off saying it was acid reflux).

    I had cholecystitis, an inflammed gall bladder and it made me very sick with a dull ache (it kept coming and going over the space of a year).

    Eventually I had had enough and went to A & E - after lots of tests (because it is unlikely, they said, for someone in their 20's and at a good weight) to have gallbladder issues.

    I had it removed in the end.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    Also, it is important to note that people often have gallstones without knowing they do.

    Weight loss might be the trigger which makes the gallstone known.
  • GoreWhore72
    GoreWhore72 Posts: 190 Member
    My Gallbladder problem is what caused me to lose weight. I had an attack in October and was bed ridden for three weeks in extreme pain, but only ever had an issue back 8 years ago, and that put me in the hospital, but I didn't lose weight or have surgery. I opted out of surgery, and just decided that it was back to eating responsibly and avoiding inappropriate food. Gallbladder/stones can be treated without surgery and cleanses and a proper diet. I lost 28 pounds immediately, and now another ten, and am toning because the weight loss was due to not eating and being afraid to eat, so right now I'm maintaining and eating as best as I can to keep it off and tone.

    you can still have gallstones if your gall bladder is removed, they form in your liver, and if the operation isn't done appropriately you can still have a tonne of pain from the gallstones going through the duct from your liver. It's about diet for the no pain part.

    I know if you have a lot of gall stones, and it's so repetitive, anything can trigger it, and doing cleanses works great as that's why I didn't have a problem for 8 years, but didn't change my diet considerably so more gallstones were forming in my liver which caused the newest formation of stones in my liver which made their way to my gallbladder.

    I'm still not having surgery.
  • callmeampersand
    callmeampersand Posts: 29 Member
    I weighed 115 pounds and was 17 years old when I had my gall bladder out. The doctors took forever to diagnose because I was missing two of the components for gall bladder issues: fair, fat, and forty. .

    Same here, i had mine out when i was 17 and about 130 or so. Went to the emergency room twice before they decided it was my gallbladder, the doctor told my mom the only time he sees that in someone so young is if they abuse drugs. Needless to say my mom told him matter of factly that I did not use drugs and she did not appreciate the insinuation. I was a good kid and my mom knew it and I am so glad she stood up for me.

    The only issue i have had since it was removed was with losing weight, i tend to lose it slower than the average person and my stomach gets upset if I don't eat something small every few hours. I have found that taking a digestive enzyme w/Ox bile helps amazingly though.
  • KateCon912
    KateCon912 Posts: 200 Member
    Thank you all for your responses!! I had no idea this was common!!

    My friend in college had her gallbladder taken out but she was a consistent 100 lbs since high school.

    And my Sister in law had hers taken out while she was pregnant but she was consistently heavy.
  • catnorbury
    catnorbury Posts: 35 Member
    yes this happened to me, i lost 90lbs + about 15 years ago and kept it off but began to experience gallstone "attacks" about 5 years ago. Worse pain than childbirth! Got them whipped out pretty quick and consultant said it is very common for people to get them after losing weight either very quickly or losing a lot of weight.
  • Dottie27
    Dottie27 Posts: 159 Member
    After telling my doctor that I wanted to lose 100 lbs. in 2014, she told me to go slowly as gallbladder issues do commonly pop up with people who lose a lot of weight-especially with quick weight loss methods. This will not deter me from my goal of getting healthier.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    It's common to have gallbladder issues after weight loss, but not a given.


    ^^This! There is a possibility of it happening but it's not an absolute like that woman's Doctor worded it. I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago. I was a chronic 'dieter' most of my life. I only learned sensible eating habits when I got older. So I know poor dietary habits contributed to my gallbladder attacks. Good riddance that it's gone now. I have no issues whatsoever!
  • weberk
    weberk Posts: 34 Member
    After my first daughter was born I had three gallbladder attacks and knew I had stones. The attacks stopped for months, then I started focusing on my weight, lost 25lbs and they started up again. I had attacks weekly for another month before I had to have it removed. So the weight loss didn't cause the problem, but it did trigger the attacks. Either way, I am glad I lost the weight I needed to and I don't miss my gallbladder.