No Gallbladder, anyone?

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2

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  • vixi76
    vixi76 Posts: 66 Member
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    I had to have my gallbladder removed last year, after ending up in the emergency room. I haven't had any problems since. My gallbladder had been giving me problems for years, I just didn't know it. But, the strange thing is that I didn't have such a horrible attack and end up in the hospital until after I was trying to get healthy and lose weight.
  • craftylatvian
    craftylatvian Posts: 599 Member
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    I had mine removed about 7 years ago, but have no problems at all. Not even any pain after surgery.
    I don't notice any issues after eating any sort of food. maybe my gallbladder was not really taken out.......**pokes around body for implanted microships**
    I had a gallstone attack after working at Subway (and eating noting but Subway for 2 months) and then eating a greasy pizza and omlette and Chinese food all in on weekend.
  • libbyadams2010
    libbyadams2010 Posts: 29 Member
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    I had mine out a year ago - I had gallstones and my gallbladder was not longer functioning. Its frightening to think that an organ could just STOP working inside your body and you have no idea!
    I had my ERCP then the surgery to remove my gallbladder...

    Some how I woke up in WORSE pain than my gallstones were causing me!! ...My doctor later came into my room and explained that when he was doing the ERCP surgery they were in there too long and messed with my pancreas, therefor giving me Pancreatitis.

    The next two weeks in the hospital were a total blurr, and pain meds were all I could ever think of .. other than food and liquids which they wouldnt let me touch for 2 weeks, since my body couldnt tolerate it..


    Luckily, I came out alive.. and a year later I'm SO thankful for life, and life without a gallbladder isnt THAT bad.... but sometimes, I just want to enjoy a meal without feeling like I'm going to "pay for it later" if you catch my drift...


    Have any of you had luck with certain medicines to allow you to eat without "going right away".. does it block you up or make you gain weight??


    ...


    The questran totally keeps be from going and I haven't gained weight since taking it. I usually skip a day I know I'm going to be home so i can keep from feeling Bloated you know. I can eat mexican and it not bother me now It has been a life saver....
  • mfkfoster
    mfkfoster Posts: 331 Member
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    I don't have mine since 1999 and I really don't miss it. I was sensitive to fatty foods for about 6-7 years then that stopped as well. Now I can pretty much eat anything. No wonder I'm fat!
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    I suffered for years until the pain got so bad that I wound up in the emergency room. The doctor said it was the worst case he had ever seen. He said my gallbladder was gangrene and although I only had one gallstone, it was the size of an EGG! He said he has to remove the gallbladder in pieces because it was rotting inside my body.

    It's been like six years and I'm just now getting to the point where I don't have to run to the bathroom after eating oils.

    I have been really trying to eat a higher fat diet so I can get my healthy fats (while keeping my calories in check of course) and I've been doing ok... though I still have very lose bowels, at least I can control them now.. oops sorry TMI?

    I also had too low total cholesterol which I am convinced was the fault of my gallbladder. My total cholesterol was under 120. Now that my gall bladder is out, my cholesterol is much more normal at around 160. I try to eat high omega 3 fats as much as possible to increase my HDL:LDL but I sometimes wonder if not having a gallbladder is hindering my efforts?
  • JenUB
    JenUB Posts: 84
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    Ok I had my Gallbladder removed several years ago and Im very sensative to almost everything.. Sorry but even water was going thru me and A woman at work told me she had the same problem and told me to go to her gastrologist.. Sure enough I had 2 problems one was fibrocystic coloitis (sp?) and post gallbladder syndrome... He gave me a powder called Questran I mix with Sunny Delight every morning and magically have no problems anymore.. Please please find a dr that will treat it as such and not try and tell you that you have IBS or something...

    Same here. I am on Questran now--have been for about 11-12 years--twice a day. They even make a sugar-free version. Before Questran I was having problems working a regular job because of my symptoms. I was sick every morning. Now, though, I am very normal. Please, people, go to your doctor. It's embarrassing to talk about, but you deserve quality of life.
  • ashley_jorah
    ashley_jorah Posts: 71 Member
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    have you had the pain for 2 years since?? and they havent told you anything?
    Why were you in the hospital for 5 days and not allowed to eat or drink?

    ...Kinda sounds like what they were doing for me since they gave me Pancreatitis from the surgery.... which can cause those same feelings.... something to think about

    I've had the pain off & on for the past two years after the gall bladder removal. I'll go weeks or even months without an attack, but when it comes, it's really bad and it feels like there's no end in sight. And I've found no common trigger! I've had attacks that lasted 8-10 hours. They've since treated me for gastritis. Didn't work. Tested for an ulcer. Negative. One guess now is that I may have a hernia. I've been waiting about 3months to see a specialist.
    Originally, after my second really bad attack in less than two weeks, the hospital decided to keep me for emergency surgery. But since it's such a low priority condition, I would get bumped for almost everything else that came in. And since you're waiting for surgery, you're not allowed to eat or drink. So I was on an IV only for four days. The nurses would sneak me liquids from 10pm-11pm if it didn't look like they would be operating that night. The morning I was released I was finally allowed yogurt!
  • ahsweetstuff
    ahsweetstuff Posts: 21 Member
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    Thanks everyone for sharing your stories!! After eating and getting a stomach ache or running to the ladies room I used to sulk and think, "why me?" ... its nice to know now that its not JUST me and I'm not alone.

    I hope you all can continue to share your stories with me and also your success stories or even things that havent worked out for you... I'm sure we can all stick together and be MFPals and keep each other motivated to be the people we KNOW we are inside, screaming to come out! :)
  • ahsweetstuff
    ahsweetstuff Posts: 21 Member
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    have you had the pain for 2 years since?? and they havent told you anything?
    Why were you in the hospital for 5 days and not allowed to eat or drink?

    ...Kinda sounds like what they were doing for me since they gave me Pancreatitis from the surgery.... which can cause those same feelings.... something to think about

    I've had the pain off & on for the past two years after the gall bladder removal. I'll go weeks or even months without an attack, but when it comes, it's really bad and it feels like there's no end in sight. And I've found no common trigger! I've had attacks that lasted 8-10 hours. They've since treated me for gastritis. Didn't work. Tested for an ulcer. Negative. One guess now is that I may have a hernia. I've been waiting about 3months to see a specialist.
    Originally, after my second really bad attack in less than two weeks, the hospital decided to keep me for emergency surgery. But since it's such a low priority condition, I would get bumped for almost everything else that came in. And since you're waiting for surgery, you're not allowed to eat or drink. So I was on an IV only for four days. The nurses would sneak me liquids from 10pm-11pm if it didn't look like they would be operating that night. The morning I was released I was finally allowed yogurt!


    that sounds awful , and exhausting! i'm sorry that you are continuously going through that pain and it sounds like quit a bit! have they given you pain medicine in case you have another attack?
  • Bubbles_09
    Bubbles_09 Posts: 65 Member
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    I just had mine out not even a week ago! Still recovering..i can eat anything as of now.
  • Sigh22398
    Sigh22398 Posts: 1
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    It's been only a month since I had mine removed, fat's and meats are still a no, no. Saltless saltines and melon fruit seem to be the only thing my body likes right now.
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
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    Had mine out two years ago this month. I'd had the pains for years, thought they were heartburn, and ignored them. When this attack wouldn't quit (most would in half an hour or so) I ended up in the ER. Later that week, out it went.

    Main key for me is eating often. 5/6 small meals a deal keeps my system regular. Too much fat, sugar, or spice bothers me, but it has to be pretty extreme.

    I recovered EXTREMELY well from mine, though. I bounced back almost immediately.
  • pickenslmc
    pickenslmc Posts: 47 Member
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    I had mine taken out at 16, I also developed Pancreatitis and was in the hospital for a week. I am now almost 30 and thought I couldn't eat fats or large amounts of meat since I had the surgery. I am finding now after a few months of avoiding breads, baked goods, and most over processed food most of the time I don't have the running to the bathroom problem-even when eating meat and fat in higher quantities. I have in the past had painful attacks since the removal although these have been infrequent, the last was about 2 years ago.
  • heyitsmekatie
    heyitsmekatie Posts: 544 Member
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    i had mine removed about 8 years ago. i really don't notice any difference at all.
  • kettlewitch
    kettlewitch Posts: 277 Member
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    Ended up in a&e yesterday. :cry:

    The pain I have is pretty much constant and has been since I started losing weight in January but yesterday it got really bad. Mine doesn't seem to be related to what I eat at all but exertion kicks it off. Home now with more painkillers and hopefully priority for the op when I have my clinic appointment in 2 weeks. Maybe 6 weeks from then but I just want it gone
  • teresaq1
    teresaq1 Posts: 53
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    I had mine removed about 10 years ago. I found that afterward there were alot of things that I ate that caused me problems. Doctor put me on Nexium, and told me I would probably have to take it the rest of my life. I read alot the first year and took those stupid purple pills as instructed. Then I read an article about how Americans are taking countless unnecessary drugs to keep the pharmacuetical companies rich! In my research I read about a natural enzyme found in papaya that could help with digestion. That was 9 years ago and I take the papaya enzme when I need to. A healthy wonderful alternative to being on Nexium the rest of my life. I only need the papaya enzyme occasionally. My body has adjusted to not having it's gallbladder. Add me to your friend list if you want. Fairly new to this. Can help support your efforts. Stay healthy!:flowerforyou:
  • MissConfidence
    MissConfidence Posts: 441
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    This is all news to me. I never knew about any of this... Removal of gallbladders?? What were some of the symptoms before the removal? (other than pain, what specifically?)
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
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    This is all news to me. I never knew about any of this... Removal of gallbladders?? What were some of the symptoms before the removal? (other than pain, what specifically?)

    For me, my main symptoms were stabbing, intense pain on the right side of the abdomen, just below the ribs (above the appendix). They'd come especially after eating a meal high in fat (since that's when your gallbladder kicks in). When I actually had it out I was also listless and lethargic due a stone likely blocking the duct.
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,212 Member
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    This is an interesting thread - Thanks for the heads up on post gallbladder syndrome. I had mine removed 11 years ago now after a severe flare up in pregnancy and afterwards. :(
    I haven't had too many problems but have occasionally had an upset tummy and not known why and recently am intolerent to beans (baked beans or other types doesn't make any difference) - I thought maybe I was getting some sort of allergy but it is definately along the colic sort of pain so maybe its related to my missing gallbladder.
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,212 Member
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    Ended up in a&e yesterday. :cry:

    The pain I have is pretty much constant and has been since I started losing weight in January but yesterday it got really bad. Mine doesn't seem to be related to what I eat at all but exertion kicks it off. Home now with more painkillers and hopefully priority for the op when I have my clinic appointment in 2 weeks. Maybe 6 weeks from then but I just want it gone

    ((hugs)) we all know your pain for sure. it's awful. I can only advise to keep a diary of foods you're eating and then avoid ones that cause pain. I found cheese set me off, which was along the lines of the fatty diet theory. Sadly my doctor didn't give me info on what to avoid etc I had to figure it out for myself.

    Hope you get your op soon.

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