Gall Bladder Removed?

Julie_W · September 2010

Hello, my name is Julie and I am starting over! I joined MFP several monthas ago, and was doing very well losing weight and making healthy choices. Then I missed a day. Then 2 days. Then a week. Next hing I know, I feel horrible, my system is a mess again and I've gained back half of my progress. I've never posted before, so I thought maybe now was a good time to try.

Last September I had my gallbladder removed and have been having problems since, so I'm also interested to hear if anyone else has had similiar issues and has any suggestions. I have miserable acid reflux, many foods make me gassy and feel very bloated, too many fruits/ veges have me running for the bathroom and too much dairy leaves me horribly backed up. I also still have sharp pains in the area where my gallbladder was. My doctor says it just take a while to work into a normal rythem, but suggested a gluten free diet, which I have been following for the past month with no improvement. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions? I'm giving up the gluten free, as it expensive, I've not seen any improvement and is hard to manage while still feeding my family our regular food. I'm up for trying anything at this point..

sparklefluff · September 2010

I had my gallbladder out 8 years ago. I can't eat foods high in fat. Nuts for instance will always bother me if I eat more than just a few. The way my doctor explained it to me is that you can't eat a lot of fat at once because there isn't anywhere to store the bile you need to break it down. It's more like a trickle into your system so you can only eat a little fat at a time. I tried doing South Beach & Atkins and I got very sick because of the fat you have to eat for those diets. I do much better just counting my calories.

That being said, I'm surprised that sharp pains are considered "normal".

Beebee78 · September 2010

Hi there Julie

Sorry to hear you have been through so much. I had my gallbladder out in 2007. It took me roughly 2 years before my body returned to normal ( I couldn't be sick for the first 18 months it was horrible) but eventually it does get back to normal. To start with I followed a low fat diet and ate small meals so that my stomach didn't have to work overtime. You will get there over time chick.

Thinking of you xxx

skdk833 · September 2010

I had my gallbladder out a long time ago. It took at least two years to get my system somewhat normal. I still can not eat certain foods, one being a salad with just iceberg lettuce... Who would have thought that? Over the years I have been able to add more fruits and vegetables without the adverse reaction. It truly took a long time, and fried foods are the enemy. Hope you are feeling better soon. Just a side note, recently I have done some research and a lot of woman get results with bile salts. You may want to look into it.

Baytoven229 · September 2010

hey, i had my gallbladder removed in 2007. the doctor failed to explain what i can and can't eat and why so i waited until i was healed and ate up a storm. later i found out that eating too much meat could be a bad thing. so i had the same issues as you. my only other question is...how does this affect our ability to lose weight?? cause i work out 6 days of the week at least doing cardio one day and weights the next...but i make sure i get my 45 mins of cardio each day. why isnt the weight falling off?? i try and take in my bottom number for calories but thats harder than anything else...any ideas??

goron59 · September 2010

I had my cholecystectomy about 18 months ago, and generally have been OK since.

I do sometimes feel a bit weird (either bloated, or spending too much time in the loo), but generally when I either eat too much fat or or too little, because the bladder isn't there to control the flow of bile. Low fat means bile drains into the intestines; too much and there's insufficient bile to break it down.

My surgeon said that any problems I might have could be due to an infection post-surgery and should be looked at... was it laparoscopic or full open surgery? Sorry, I'm not being very helpful, but I hope you feel better soon.

ladyj802 · September 2010

i also had my Gall Bladder removed several years ago. it took me just until now to really get the hang of what to eat and not to eat.
story time! -
last october i went to my doctor with major pains almost worse than my original gall bladder pains - he said i need to start on aciphex for heart burn - that is a $180/month scrip btw!!! - and when i asked if there was a way not to take medication he said 'a lifestyle change' - that really rang loud in my head. as my 30th birthday was 30 weeks away, i decided to buck up and do it. change my lifestyle. no more 4 cokes a day, no more daily starbucks or mcdonalds runs for lunch. but how could i do it? babysteps. i started a weight loss /recipe blog ( www.my30to30.bogspot.com) - it was a step by step of creating healthy habits and then segwayed into weight loss and just to be held accountable for my actions-- well in that journey i have found that my new healthy life style change helped! i no longer had pains, or heartburn, or that lump in the back of my throat. and on my journey i have black listed a few foods that caused A LOT of drama, for me it isn't spicy or acidic it fatty foods that leave me either running straight to the bathroom or in a lot of pain-
blacklisted foods:
sausage
bacon (i mourned this loss)
ground meat especially hamburger
any fast food - it gives me the full pain, but empy pain all at the same time
fried food - especiallly french fries - and keep in mind they fry the chips at mexican restaurants - just ask for soft tortillas as a substitute
nuts (i say, wtf??!!, but most nuts give me a weird lump in the back of my throat and the pain of swallowing a softball
and oddly enough -too much salad - it gives me the sack of stones in my stomach feeling

A-list diet foods and ORGANIC or Fresh!:
if spicy doesn't bother you...
b-fast
Poached egg on a honey wheat flat bun - add a little hot sauce, spinach, and dijon mustard - YUM! and under 200 calories
Organic Plain Oatmeal - add a Welch's Dried Fruit pouch and a teaspoon of local honey for flavor
lunch-
Veggie wrap with a low carb tortilla, spinach, cucumber, tomato, pickles, banana peppers, pickled jalps, bell peppers, and steamed julienned carrots (fresh carrots give me problems too) add salsa instead of mayo or dressing
Spinach Salad with roasted chicken breast, salsa, and mango (trust me!) and maybe a tad bit of parmesan
Chicken Rice Soup (Demo's Style) -chicken broth, 1% milk, a little rice of your choice, cooked chicken breast and a squeeze of lemon juice - hands down some of the best soup ever!
dinner -
well check out my recipe blog -www.dejafoodrecipes.blogspot.com
all in moderation and portion contol - i lost 17 pounds on my delicious organic food recipes

happy health!!

Chrissun · September 2010

Hi. I had my gall bladder removed in March...just 6 months ago. For me it's been great with no adjustments needed. I had been dealing with gall bladder problems for over 7 years and learned how to eat to control problems a long time ago. Obviously, things got worse so I had surgery. I learned that caffeine + fried anything = trouble. It also works best for me to eat a little every few hours. i have the biggest issues if I get real hungry, or go a long time without eating, then eat a lot.

My best advice would be to not eat a lot of anything at once, especially not on an empty stomach. Hope you find what works for you. I love all the practical advice that friends offer on here.

Chrissun · September 2010

ladyj802...great ideas...your lists are very similar to what I've found works and doesn't work

knittygirl52 · September 2010

It is interesting to see how many of us are the same, and some are different. I haven't noticed any particular gas/bloating issues since mine has been removed, but I can tell whenever I go over the invisible line on fats. Too many fats and I guarantee I will be miserable and spending a lot of time in the bathroom. The one good thing about that is that it helps keep me "honest" about my fat intake.

I like ladyj802's ideas as well. It rings quite true to me. Except, I guess I've been lucky, and haven't had any trouble with lettuce. Gotta get lucky once in awhile, right?

Julie_W · September 2010

Thanks for the info and advice. I've already outlawed many "irritating" foods. I drink 1 cup of coffee (5:30am is way to early for me) but nothing but water the rest of the day and totally avoid fried anything. It sounds like it is just a process that I nedd to continue with to figure out what works for me. It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one though. I never had any trouble until I had a gallbladder attack and landed inthe ER. Dr said he'd take it out and I'd be good as new. I'm not fond of that Dr. He gave me no indication of the problems that could follow.

Hopefully getting back to counting my calories and getting moving will help me track how I respond to diffrent foods. Thanks again to everyone.

Connie48 · September 2010

Had my gallbladder removed in 2005, had a history of reflux, and IBS. I didn't really have any issues after the surgery, just have to avoid the same type of foods prior to surgery because of reflux. Grains, iceberg lettuce, ice cream, caffeine, fried foods, just to name a few still trigger reflux BIG time.

MzBug · September 2010

Yup Yup Yup. I have to avoid the very spicy, acidic, oily, fatty beef, wheat products and nuts. All cause heartburn, gas and bloating. It took a couple years for me to figure out all the triggers. I found that Zantac before eatting them helps, but then I get the constipation.... no win win for me. Trial and error.

Good Luck!

calesmama · January 2011

I had my gall bladder removed in 2009. It took 6 trips to A and E before they diagnosed me correctly, and by that stage I had full on pancreatitis - not pleasant at all! Needless to say the surgery followed soon after. I too have found that fatty food, curries especially to be black llisted. As are most fruit juices (acidic), and I need to limit my caffiene intake. My body is still recovering as 2 months after the surgery I was pregnant with our gorgeous wee boy.

I need to make sure I eat a high fibre diet that's low in fat. I get wicked constipation post surgery and post pregnancy - so lots of veges and high fibre cereals etc, and easy on the meat - very difficult when married to a carnivore!

Gall Bladder Removed?

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