So, anyone else in here not have a gallbladder?

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2

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  • dimplzz
    dimplzz Posts: 456 Member
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    Had mine removed in November and they did a muscle repair at the same time. I have had zero issues since mine was removed. Sometimes I wonder if they forgot to take it! I did pay for it though! lol
  • houzkat
    houzkat Posts: 78
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    I had mine out in June 2011. At first (like just about everyone else on here) fatty foods and stimulants like coffee sent me running for the bathroom and begging God to let me die of my embarrassment. Haha! It's gotten so much better though. I try not to totally stuff my face when eating fatty foods (it would be counterproductive to the whole weight loss thing anyway) and I limit myself to 1 cup of coffee (not before a "no bathroom access" situation) and I'm doing pretty well. I can tolerate foods much better now and I'm way happier that I was during the 8 years I spent with chronic pain and digestive issues (we just couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with me). I hope your digestive system learns to pick up the slack as fast as mine has :-)
  • Ephena
    Ephena Posts: 615 Member
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    I had mine out about 6 yrs (wow I now feel old :sad: ) ago. It was also due to stones, the doctor thought it was actually from my pregnancy. For a long time after I found I had lots of stomach issues. I did finally discover that adding fiber supplements really helped a lot, but it didn't always. Since I started with MFP and have made so many changes to my eating habits I have very little issue and actually don't have to take the fiber supplements anymore.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    I had mine out in 2001. The crazy thing is that since then i have stedialy gained weight. I have talked to others that have had theirs out also and most have had the same problem. My dr says he doesnt think it would cause weight gain but I beg to differ. The purpose of a gall bladder is to store bile to break down fatty foods. Well if we dont have them broke down then what happens? I am sure a large part is getting older and more sedintary but i still think it plays a roll.
    I have had a few episodes that feel like a gall bladder attack but im not sure what it was. I was in horrible horrible pain a few different times and it finally subsided and havent had anything lately but who knows!

    Idk...I've easily lost 15 lbs since having mine removed 2 months ago. I don't think having it removed would cause weight gain but I also watched my calories and fat intake before my gall bladder "got sick" and have continued to watch it since. Maybe this is why I haven't had much trouble with "bathroom issues" or pain and also why I've continued to lose. I do know my gall bladder attacks were worse then natural child birth. I would not wish that pain on anyone. Then it got to the point that I was in pain 24/7 for a month before it was removed.
  • Kimmer2011
    Kimmer2011 Posts: 569 Member
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    I had really severe gall stones when I was pregnant with my older daughter (just turned 13)--so severe that I got pancreatitis and had to be induced so I could have really strong antibiotics. I had it out a few months later. I've had occasional heartburn since then, but I managed to gain all my weight without it, and would regularly eat very fatty, greasy foods with no problems at all.
  • dorktaped
    dorktaped Posts: 15 Member
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    This is kinda sad but I was only 14 when mine completely gave out. No stones, it just quit working in a matter of about a week. I only had issues for a couple of months afterwards but there are still a few things that don't really agree with me (greasy things like fried chicken).
  • jfray0
    jfray0 Posts: 1
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    I had mine removed about 2 years ago and it was the biggest relief ever. My problem wasn't stone; I had a problem with anytime I ate a little too much, I ran the risk of my stomach not emptying properly. I would literally have to make myself throw up in order to relieve the painful pressure. If I didn't the pain would last for more than 8 hours and I wouldn't be able to eat again. Scar tissue around my gallbladder was causing my duodenum to be pulled upward so that the opening to my intestines was higher than the rest of my stomach. After the surgery, I have been able to eat whatever I want (which is why I'm dieting now!). However, I also take Prilosec everyday and it completely eliminates any heartburn or acid-reflux.
  • bjfmade
    bjfmade Posts: 543 Member
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    Had mine out 12 years ago and all is good. I don't notice any problems eating any type of food.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
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    I had mine out in 2004 (about a month before my wedding ..yikes). I haven't really noticed much difference or had to modify my diet so I guess I've been lucky.
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
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    Ah yes, fiber! Made no difference to me, but a number of people sans gall bladder have mentioned to me that eating extra fiber with their fat helped.
  • claire7090
    claire7090 Posts: 67
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    I had my gallbladder removed in 2004 5 months after having my son, the gallstones were formed due to a liver problem I had when I was pregnant and started giving me severe symptoms 9 weeks after my son was born.

    I can honestly say that life without a gallbladder is better than with one that has gone wrong! I have to be careful not to have too much fatty food eg if I had a fried english breakfast on holiday one morning I would then be very sensible about choosing low fat choices for the rest of the day, but to be honest that is what is good for my health anyway! So on the same basis if I know I am going out for a meal in the evening which is going to contain alot of rich fatty foods I eat sensibly all day that way I can enjoy the meal in the evening.

    My one request to my surgeon when I had my operation was that I wanted a piece of chocolate cake for my birthday (2 days after the surgery) and when I saw him after he said I could have piece of chocolate cake but not to expect my body to like the whole cake! I guess what he was saying is that the rich fatty foods have to be in moderation.
  • Miss53
    Miss53 Posts: 1
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    I had mine out in 1972, the doctor said I would always need to watch how much fat I ate. He was very correct. Kaopectate has become my best friend. I am very careful of how much fat I eat but I'm not perfect so do stray sometimes. I also develped a gluten intolerence just to complicate the issue. I wonder if instead of our lack of a gall bladder being the problem with fat or certain foods maybe the CAUSE of the gall bladder problems for some of us are connected to tendencies toward these sensitivities?
  • Reckabek
    Reckabek Posts: 487 Member
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    Had mineout 8 yrs ago! Due to sluggish, i started to lose weight cause it would hurt to eat fatning things! Therefore after losing alot of weight i still kept it in, i kept it in until i couldnt eat at all and was throwing up bile. I was told it had turned gangreen and i was put onto antibiotics and had a longer hospital stay! I have not had any issue with eating, it felt so much better! I had continued to lose weight for about 3 yrs, then i started a new med and piled on 100 lbs! I am now down 95 of that! Woohoo! But no, no complications that i can remeber, i was happy i could eat without pain!
  • jbakerak
    jbakerak Posts: 76
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    I agree with a lot of what has been said here. I had mine removed about a year and a half ago I think. Had a hard time tolerating fat, milk products, heavy breads and certain peppers (mostly pickles jalapenos). My doctor said my body should return to normal in about a year. For the most part, it was. Still can't eat too much fat with nothing else in my stomach, or with heavy bread (heavy breads or starches like noodles make my stomach muscles freak out, it's weird, but I don't like it). One or the other in the same meal is best. Sometimes espresso latte's, I'm guessing from the warm milk. The weirdest is egg yolks that are not fully cooked. Those still make me sick really fast! I could eat red peppers and fresh jalapenos, but now I can eat pickled jalapenos. I just limit them (just in case), and try not to eat them with too much fat. As much as I have improved, I can only assume it will keep getting better, praise God. If it's bothering you, a healthy diet will ultimately fix that. I ate REALLY healthy right after it was removed. 1. Because I didn't like pain or getting sick 2. I wanted to clean my liver because the fluid had backed up due to stones
    If my stomach hurts now, it's usually because I somehow swallow more air? Not sure, but I'll just take a couple of tums and I burp lol, but I feel much better!
  • StephL0711
    StephL0711 Posts: 141
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    i had mine taken out july 09. best thing that ever happened!! i had pain since i was like 12 and the doctors didnt know what it was so i lived with it for like 10 years. and thankfully no problems at all after it was taken out!
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
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    Hiya,

    I had my gallbladder removed two years ago, unfortunately docs had left it so long i got a liver infection. My doctor said that i was the youngest person he had ever done the procedure on for some reason that didn't scare me at all and i continued to eat bad up until joining MFP. However, I've been suffering with diarrhoea, sickness and intense abdominal pain after a bad weekend..the doctor kept telling me I had IBS but after doing my own research it's the fact that i don't have a gallbladder any more and when in taking all this sugar my body can't handle and that's how it will react from now on.

    Yep, it is called Dump Syndrome. It is a common side effect to the surgery that some doctors don't tell you about. I had mine out in 2005. I cannot over eat or eat fuzzy's tacos without having to have a bathroom near by within 20 minutes of eating it.

    Gaining weight is a common side effect that I have noticed with people whole have had theirs out as well. I think it is a combo of being able to eat without hurting and the way you body processes food after not having a gall bladder any more.
  • runbyme
    runbyme Posts: 522 Member
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    I had mine out 32 years ago when I was just 22. I asked my Dr before he scheduled surgery if there would be limitations to what I could eat without it and he said no! I have never had any trouble eating anything since it was removed.

    On that note...the procedure was way different back then! I have a 7" scar. I was in the hopital 7 days or until I could fart! Honest! A tube hanging out that drained bile into a bag. Every day they would shut it off for 2 hours to see if I could handle the bile in my system. Came home with the tube still in and a heavy metal clamp hanging off the end of it. Still had 20 metal staples holding the incision shut. 2 weeks later, time for the T tube to come out. My Dr put a paper towel on my belly and as I asked "how" he was going to remove it, he pulled it out like someone pull the cord on a chainsaw! Bile went everywhere! Good times! :sick: :laugh:

    Now you have 2 little cuts and they send you home the same day! Nice!
  • determinedhealthy
    determinedhealthy Posts: 199 Member
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    Mine was taken out by emergency in July 2005. It was a great relief to see it gone. I had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time (4 months) prior to the getting pains from my gallbladder. My surgeon told me that is what caused mine to "give up". I got bad pains especially after eating pizza and greasy foods the pain would not allow me to lay flat, therefore I couldn't sleep. I couldn't take it anymore so I went to the hospital. I had an extra cut in my side for a drain b/c it was infected, yuck! No issues with eating now, not sure it's a good or bad thing :)
  • determinedhealthy
    determinedhealthy Posts: 199 Member
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    I had mine out 32 years ago when I was just 22. I asked my Dr before he scheduled surgery if there would be limitations to what I could eat without it and he said no! I have never had any trouble eating anything since it was removed.

    On that note...the procedure was way different back then! I have a 7" scar. I was in the hopital 7 days or until I could fart! Honest! A tube hanging out that drained bile into a bag. Every day they would shut it off for 2 hours to see if I could handle the bile in my system. Came home with the tube still in and a heavy metal clamp hanging off the end of it. Still had 20 metal staples holding the incision shut. 2 weeks later, time for the T tube to come out. My Dr put a paper towel on my belly and as I asked "how" he was going to remove it, he pulled it out like someone pull the cord on a chainsaw! Bile went everywhere! Good times! :sick: :laugh:

    Now you have 2 little cuts and they send you home the same day! Nice!

    LOL I had to do the fart thing too! Thats my main memory of the whole hospital visit. Wow I had the tube too, but they went through my belly button and one small cut where the pain was plus the cut for the bag/drain. Did go home same day.
  • jabbaknight
    jabbaknight Posts: 10 Member
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    I had mine out about 15 years ago. Fortunately, I only had one bad night of pain. Drove myself to the emergency room, and they took it out the next day. The doctors couldn't believe it hadn't been bothering me for quite awhile.

    You know, I never realized until reading this thread that having my gall bladder out and my need to be close to a bathroom after eating out at some restaurants were related. I just thought I had a weird stomach. Fascinating.

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