Argh...I am no longer shocked by the horror stories I read on a daily basis in patient forums. (many not just here). This could be so many things, but just a couple of themes. 1. no, this is not 'normal' and you shouldn't have to live like this 2. In my humble (or not, lol) opinion, the GI medical world still has a LONG way to go as far as understanding most GI disorders. Unless you have one of the few 'classic' defined disorders with a name, you are out of luck. i.e, they do tests/biopsies for h.pylori, in the stomach and small intestine, Celiac disease in the sm intestine, for example. Maybe a few more depending on what they are thinking, but if you aren't positive for these, then you are 'negative', i.e. assume nothing is wrong. However, there are very few things that can be diagnosed with colonoscopies and endoscopies (and it also depends on what they do during the tests AND who does them and read the reports. So, that hardly means nothing is wrong.

3. Get copies of all of your tests. The full reports, not any abbreviated thing from your doctor. i.e. I had a colonoscopy, during which they went up and did a biopsy of small intestine, I had inflammation of the villi and leukocytosis, (increased white blood cells), i.e something is wrong. However, the report said "this is commonly seen with Celiac disease, and since I don't have that, the doctor never even mentioned it to me!!). My small intestine is reacting to something, they just don't know what (that was years ago, and things have gone downhill, but had I known that, or someone cared to investigate,I'd be further ahead today). If it's not a disease with a name, i.e. something they know what to do something about, it's 'normal'. Again, your reports but be normal b/c the problem may not be something that is visible during a scope, or one of the few things biopsied for. You are going to become a detective..odds are high that you are going to have to figure out your problem yourself (or be the one who initiates any help in figuring it out). So, get all your info together, and get ready to learn all you can about the GI system. Thank goodness for the internet (be wary of any doctor who tells you to 'stay off of the internet'. They say this because they think people are idiots and can't differentiate between reliable and non-reliable information. Most of us can, and you get better the more you learn. Knowledge is power.

4. I say 'horror story' here, b/c I can't believe they took out your gallbladder based on those symptoms!! Those aren't GB symptoms at all, so it is no shock they are still there! The fact that your Gallbladder was sludgy was probably incidental. Geez, I think they just do that surgery b/c it is easy. Did you have any other testing before they decided to to that? I wouldn't go back to that doctor.

5. I know I may sound a little harsh, and negative about the Docs, lol; but this comes from 11 years of experience, and I could have saved myself a lot of time and suffering if I took my current approach. Which is, if a doctor tells me nothing is wrong, doesn't seem interested in figuring out what is wrong, tells me to live with it, see a psychiatrist, or reduce my stress, I'm done with them. They aren't ever going to change, and you will waste precious years.

6. That said, do you have a good GI doctor now, or best you can find? Don't be afraid to go to a different doctor. I went to Mayo for testing recently, and I have a nurse practitioner who writes whatever prescriptions I ask him for. Together we are following a treatment protocol I got from another major center. Most important is someone who will work with you, and that is hard to find now, but keep looking. It may be a case of trying different things to see how they affect you, so you need someone you can communicate with.

7. Before taking any medication or treatment suggestions, you need to find out what the problem is, i.e what is causing you to have this diarrhea. Motility studies might be indicated, but with this diarrhea after eating, this sounds awful infection like. Did they test you for c. diff or any of the common stomach bugs? Also, in my opinion, I think SIBO is a greatly under diagnosed problem, (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). Be careful here, b/c there is a LOT of bad information out there about this! What happens is bacteria that aren't supposed to be in your small intestine take up residence there and wreak havoc. Often causing diarrhea, but sometimes constipation, BUT symptoms always occur after eating. When your 'food' gets to the bacteria and they start feeding on it. !5 minutes is pretty quick, so makes me wonder if you don't have something in your stomach.

8. Good luck, and I'm so sorry you went through an unnecessary surgery. Always ask questions.If a doctor is annoyed by too many questions, fire him. 🙂 . This is your body, your life. And you don't have to suffer because it inconveniences someone who isn't interested in helping. Don't waste time. Move on to someone who is. It sounds, since you are asking here, that your current doctor isn't offering you any thing. Continue to ask and explore, but you will need a doctor, so that should be your first step.

9. I'm assuming you've tried the obvious things, like going lactose free?, etc. watching for dietary triggers?