Is it bloating or distention? If your belly stays bloated or bigger all the time, it may be from surgical lesions.
I’ve had the same problem since colon surgery in 2021.

I'm really sorry you're suffering like this. Your post caught my eye because I continued to have some symptoms after mine was removed too. Has anyone tested your bile acid level? Or your pancreatic enzyme levels? I have high bile acid and that can play into malabsorption and cause similar symptoms. I just found out my pancreas has been damaged so I likely have enzyme deficiency too. Have you had any diarrhea or constipation, lost weight etc?

I regret I ever had it removed 5 years later. I recall the bloating and it did diminish. It felt like there was a balloon there. I finally decided it was from the shifting of my insides and even swelling from surgery. My continued issue is more acid and bile backing up in my stomach then up my throat. So painful. Bending, slouching and sleeping is tough. I have to sleep in an elevated position and take prescribed meds to try to keep comfortable. Can't undo it now.

When the gall bladder and cystic duct are removed, bile produced in the liver flows directly to the intestine. The amount of bile which serves to emulsify dietary fats is no longer present in amounts to digest more than a low-fat diet. The gall bladder serves as a storage reservoir to supply additional bile in times when dietary fat exceeds the constant output of bile from the liver.

Unless you modified your diet to non-fat/low fat so the proportion of dietary fat to available bile salts is in equilibrium or there is an excess of bile to fat, some will not be emulsified resulting in digestive issues such as malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins and formation of gas in the bowel. Fats easier to digest are MCT oil, avocado and Ghee and Palm oils. Fatty meals and butter will cause issues without a gall bladder. Ox bile is one medication that can be used-supplemental digestive enzymes known as pancrealipase or pancreatin with a high lipase content help to digest fats. The Rx brands tend to be expensive depending on one’s Rx prescription benefits plan.An alternate source of pancrealipase are OTC brands that can be 75% cheaper.

A Registered Dietitian is a good source for reviewing your dietary habits and making suggestions on the use of easier to digest oils and supplemental medications. If you consume high fiber vegetables, they are difficult to digest in healthy persons and cause gas and bloating. They contain oligosaccharides that requires the enzyme alpha-d-galactosidase to digest without forming gas. The human pancreas does not produce alpha-d-galactoside. So if you want to eat high-fiber vegetables and legumes such as peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, most varieties of beans, taking the OTC product Beano will break down these complex carbohydrate vegetables without gas being formed.
https://flatulencecures.com/vegetables-that-cause-gas/
https://www.beanogas.com

Perhaps your GI doc will order a breath test for SIBO. I didn’t have problems with fat digestion or bile reflux issues for several years after gallbladder removal. I’ve also had testing for EPI and now diagnosed with that. Diet is a huge factor but there are also medications to try also. Best of luck on your health journey.

For EPI, I’m just about to start on a medication called Creon to be used when eating. It’s basically a replacement of the digestive enzymes I’m lacking. In the meantime, I’ve really reduced the amount of fats eaten.

I am so grateful to find this group. I am 3 weeks post surgery and although my energy has finally returned I am having excessive gas pains and now constipation. I’ve really been watching my diet but yesterday tried eggs and hollandaise sauce and have been in pain ever since. I’ve not experienced the diarrhea I’ve read about. I have lost weight (which is a plus) but am so confused as to what is safe to eat. Any suggestions that work? One person suggested Beano, so I will give that a try.

I am 12 days post surgery (laparo) for gallbladder removal and I do not feel any better. Constant nausea, pain where the GB was , stomach spasms. I was was misdiagnosed for 6 weeks before they realized it was the GB. The rushed me into surgery. I can barely get out of bed. Am I struggling because I was so sick prior to diagnosis???

I think a journal is something I'll have to do because having avocado toast I was fine yet the next day a bagel with avocado gave me great pain. Makes no sense!

Hi , I am sorry you are experiencing these symptoms. I have the same symptoms and it is no fun! I had gallbladder removed August 2023 and my digestion has never been the same. I got a few viruses this winter which probably upended my gut bacteria and have had diarrhea for months. My abdominal cat scan last week was negative. I am going the holistic route(and also its impossible to get into a Dr!) I take Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes with each meal. While everyone is different, it has greatly reduced my bloating. On the other hand it has increased nausea, so I take pepcid when that happens. Since I had gallstones, I also changed my diet to low fat. While it was hard at first, it has become easier. Plus it really helped me to lose 50 pounds in the last 2.5 years which is great for me. Another thing I started was taking Fiber everyday(with probiotics) which also helps. Someone recommended Tummy Fiber to me which I am about to start. It is a soluble fiber powder which helps people with irritable bowel syndrome but I figure it may help regulate my digestion. It has been /is overwhelming to me , however when I start thinking that way, I remember there are so many that have it a lot worse. I hope this helps some and good luck. Let me know if learn anything more on our journey without a gallbladder.