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Profile picture for Teresa, Volunteer Mentor @hopeful33250

@cherawgirl
Bile Acid Malabsorption is an interesting side effect of gallbladder removal. Could you provide more information about what symptoms led to that diagnosis, as well as what types of tests were used to confirm the diagnosis?

How are you feeling now? Is there medication that you take?

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Replies to "@cherawgirl Bile Acid Malabsorption is an interesting side effect of gallbladder removal. Could you provide more..."

@hopeful33250

Not to butt in, but it's Mayo that just recently developed a blood test to diagnose BAM after all these years. It's called 7AC4. Last I heard only LabCorp was offering it nationally with Quest still a little spotty where it's available. BAM usually causes yellow/gold diarrhea because of the bile in the stool. Normally bile is absorbed through the small intestine and re-circulated back to the liver. But with BAM that doesn't happen and instead the bile is dumped in the colon. Bile is super toxic and the body responds by pulling water into the colon to dilute the toxicity and that's what causes the diarrhea. Meanwhile, the liver hasn't gotten that bile back and just keeps churning out more bile in a vicious cycle. All these years, GI's in the US didn't have a way to diagnose BAM. Even today it would be most common for a GI to just put the patient on a bile binder and see if that stops the symptoms. And the amount of binders needed often needs adjusted according to the patient's individual needs. Almost exactly like how Pert meds for EPI need adjusting per patient. Binders come in a packet of grainy powder where the patients either mixes it with a liquid or large pills.