Post-cholecystectomy or gallbladder removal surgery

@jfperrone Diet is the main thing that will help. There is no one-fit-all diet. We are each different. Basics that seem to help everyone is to avoid greasy foods. That said you do need a little fat in your diet. Sweets are another thing to not eat too much of. Some people can handle chocolate and some not. Rich probiotic foods like yogurt and kefir.. or search for a probiotic supplement that works for you. I tried several before I found the one that helps me.. Align. Oatmeal can help.. it has both soluble and insoluble fiber. Some fibers can help firm the stool.

I think most people will tell you they still have a “dump day”. I do, but not as watery as they used to be, but I am on a opioid for pain that helps to firm too. I want to be off the the opioid. Not sure what will happen if I do, but I will deal with it. Before I discovered the probiotic supplement the diarrhea would usually hit me in mornings and I could go somewhere after 9 am. It would also hit me within one to two hours after eating, so I planned not to eat if I had an afternoon appointment. Dinner dates could be a problem. I have never been much of a going out to restaurant person. I was no longer working at an out of home job so that was not a problem either.

I and my husband did a cross country trip in 2008 and again in 2010 with out rv trailer in tow. We kept our clocks set to Eastern Time. and I was all good to travel by 9 am Eastern Time... except second trip when I had a stomach bug hit and my husband did too. We stayed put for 4 days. My doctor pre-prescribed anti-diarrhea med and antibiotic.. just in case I got sick, but we had to call home and get some for my husband. .. despite all we had fun. 🥳

Take your diet slow and easy to start with. .. sorta like when you have a stomach bug. Keep a food journal so you will know what works and doesn't work for you. You may want to increase your number of meals from 3 to 4 or 5. Avoid junk food. Right now you need good nutrition in you.. because you will lose it until you figure out what works for you.

Zee Gee

@jfperrone - I did not have diarrhea after my surgery, but years later I developed chronic diarrhea. I was then told at Mayo that the bile acids now would flow more into the intestines and can cause diarrhea. One of treatments tried was bile salts to prevent the bile acids from being absorbed, called cholestyramine. It did not help me because my diarrhea had another cause. Otherwise, Imodium and diet plus electrolytes- Pedialyte is best.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me; I learned a lot. I also have severe bouts in the am. I have given up coffee and other stuff to make changes. This am I had one half toasted bagel with a slice of american cheese followed by a banana with water. I am waiting to see the result. I dont know what to do about a probiotic yet. I don't eat junk food or sweets so I wont miss any of that. I'll look for supplements to try. Thanks again.

Hello @jfperrone,

I'm sorry to hear of the bouts of diarrhea that you have had since your gall bladder surgery.

As you have probably heard, the basic diet for diarrhea is referred to as the BRAT diet. This stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. When the symptoms become very bothersome you might go back to this type of diet for a meal or two and see if it helps. Usually, dairy products, such as cheese, are not recommended. If you continue to have problems you might ask your doctor for a referral to a certified dietician who can help you develop an eating plan.

As @fourof5zs suggested, you might have frequent, small meals which are both light in quality as well as quantity.

Has your doctor suggested anything other than Immodium and Electroyle liquid such as Pedialyte?

This may not apply here but in 2006 I had my gall bladder removed, emergency surgery. Starting in 2017 I started having nausea, diarrhea and this sounds awful, but terrible gas just prior to having to go.. often going in my underwear.Preceding the diarrhea was what I would call soft serve mushy BMs..embarrassing to write about such a personal thing. So in addition when I ate within about 30 minutes I had to find a bathroom..quick. Had two colonoscopies during this time the last one showed gastritis, esophagitis and one pre cancerous polyp. Put me on Pantoprazole and that did not work so they put me on Carafate.. did not work. So changed Gastroenterologists and had my first televisit just a couple of days ago.. he is one of the doctors in the large practice my first Gastroenterologist is in so he had access to my previous records. Said the issue was no bile production and prescribed Welchol which was way to expensive for me even with insurance so my daughter in law sent me info for a discount and I had my pharmacy use it and got a generic..Colesevelam 625, two twice daily.. so my question is does anybody take this drug? And so has it worked. Side effects? Thank you.

Sounds very similar to what I am beginning to experience, especially the BM description. Please publish the result of your medication. We are long past embarrassment.

Hi it's been almost a month since I had my gallbladder removed and I'm still having lots of issues. Before the surgery I'm going to the doctor a few times within the past year trying to tell them what pain I was experiencing and they kept telling me that I pulled a muscle underneath my right boob so I finally went in after 4 days of being an agony and the doctor ordered a CT scan and they said that my gallbladder had a lot of stones and that they were sending me for an emergency surgery so I got out the next day and are those all right but have not been able to eat in a month and when I do eat I throw it up three days later I have change my diet to a low-fat non-fat diet I have been back to the hospital about five times since my surgery because I keep having bad pain in my chest they told me this last trip like a week ago to follow up in a week but when I followed up with my surgeon and he saw the bruise on my stomach he looked like he was in shock and didn't even really speak to me before he walked out the door whether it's because I'm a Medicaid patient or not I don't know but I know this much I can't get out of bed most days I sleep all damn day I know my back is hurting so bad because all I can do is lay here already have scoliosis I constantly have gas in my chest I feel like and then now I can't even poop it will not come out and I've tried everything I'm 31 years old and never had any kind of surgery or problem like this in my life I don't know what I'm supposed to do or who I'm supposed to talk to but I just feel like they shoo me out the door and then that's it. I am hungry non-stop I feel like I'm starving myself to death I am shaky I'm impacted so constipated but nothing has helped at all so I'm stuck on is there something else going on or like what's going on with me I'm going to post a picture of my stomach which I hope is allowed here cuz everyone I spoke to said that they never seen someone bruise as bad as I have and the doctor looks shocked himself so I'm just kind of freaked out a little bit cuz I don't know what to do also can you have stones come out in your stool because I've only gone to the bathroom once since my surgery and there was things that look like stones in my stool and I'm not sure if that's normal or not but I can't take this pain in my chest and my back and in my stomach still please any advice will be greatly appreciated. First picture is the day after my surgery the other picture was what it look like a week later until just a week ago It finally went away.

Forgot to mention that I do have that post cholecystectomy syndrome. they also said that I might have a hernia behind my belly button and I did have active bleeding but now it's not bleeding. Told me to make sure I follow up and stay in touch with them cuz this is serious have any of you have had active bleeding after your surgery? Also I've had my menstrual cycle this month and it should be over and done with but now I am bleeding one day and not the next and it's way over the time of me still bleeding could that mean anything???

Wow. I would worry about an intestinal blockage. What if you do not eat for like three days. ,only liquid??

My intestinal blockage felt just like that. You need to go back to the hospital!