Headaches daily 3 months after cholecystectomy

Hi @unja, I did a quick Google search of cholecystectomy + headaches and found this article of interest:
- Is There a Link Between Headaches and Gallbladder Problems? https://www.everydayhealth.com/gallbladder/do-gallbladder-problems-cause-head-aches.aspx

I'm also tagging fellow members like @louise928 @mothermary1 @fourof5zs @ogarabrandt @1s1w1nak @lauren915 @mjzd who may have some experience to share with you.

unja, did you have headaches before your gallbladder surgery? Have you ever tried massage or acupuncture for the headaches?

Hi Colleen, thank you for the response. I'll check the article out here in a second. I suffered migraines for 30 years, but they were hormonal and went away after menopause. haven't had a migraine in 7 years, thank god. These are not migraines, but rather headaches that are at my temples and forehead. I very rarely use to get headaches. Want until after losing my galbladder.

Interesting. I am having terrible upper back, neck and shoulder pain. Been stretching and icing and heat, but nothing helps. Thought about a chiropractor , but haven't tried that yet. Perhaps it is, indeed, related to the meridians. I've had acupuncture before, but not for years. My shoulder pain however is a long term problem. Probably rotator cuff from an injury many, many years ago. That said, it us worse than ever since surgery. Perhaps I'll try acupuncture. Not too happy with my current GP and trying to find a new doctor in an area where health care is pretty abysmal. I'm in a rural, small community in northern California.

@unja

I had a Nissen Fundoplication surgery at the same time my gallbladder was removed in 2001. .. so I am a few years back and hazy on some of it.

With the surgery your digestive system is going through a big change, It is a slim chance but the anesthesia could still be affecting you.

Your doctor probably gave you instructions on diet. Right now you should probably be on blenderized or to the soft diet. It varies on progression from person to person. If you are nauseous you may be eating too much at one time. Don't expect to eat 3 meals a day. Eat a little bit every 2-3 hours during the day and stop eating about 2-3 hours before bed.

Being nauseous can bring on a headache. Vomiting and trying not to both can contribute to it. As you know with migraines the headache can cause nausea. Did your doctor prescribe something for nausea? If not ask for something.

I haven't used any pills for nausea in several months. My husband bought a Relief Band (with replaceable batteries) for me off Amazon and it helps with nausea and headaches… it is worn like a watch and works like a TENS machine. I was surprised it helped. I thought I was probably just throwing money out the window.

To me your headache sounds like it is coming from your neck. During surgery they do not put a nice fluffy pillow under your head. They put a stiff foam wedge under your head. When I had a hysterectomy I awakened with a bad headache … weeks later it was still there and I could not turn my head much by then. I saw my family doctor who referred me to a neurosurgeon who ordered x-rays and MRI.. I think bone spur and bulging disc at the time is what they showed. He ordered physical therapy .. which in 1997 at the facility I went to was lying on a table listening to sounds like the ocean and birds, etc, which irritated me instead of relax me and a bit of massage which did nothing.

After a few months I went back to my family doctor I had then who is a DO (osteopathic.. he loved sports medicine) I was in my early 40s then. He told me what he wanted to do. At that point I would try most anything. I hung my head off the edge of the exam table and he rolled my head around and around in his big hands and then gave my head a jerk… The LOUDEST noise I have ever heard.. and from my neck! but it put my neck back into alignment. He told me to never let anyone twist any part of me like that again… your bones are not great. It was great to not have a headache.

So a chiropractor might be someone to see. (I hear they don't do a lot of twisting nowadays) You might want to have your family doctor or an orthopedist order an x-ray before seeing a chiropractor.

I hope you find relief soon.
ZeeGee

Thank you ZeeGee,
3 months seems like a long time for the anesthesia to still be affecting me, but maybe. The nausea isn't as frequent as the headaches, but still fairly regular. I've done a ton of " research" for over a year so I'm pretty good about diet, small meals, low fat, lots of veggies, but fewer cruciferous ones, etc... Honestly, I'm amazed by the outdated advice that most doctors give regarding diet. In my galbladder removal group, its astounding how many doctors say to eat whatever you want! Really? That's not true at all. The previous advice/article about meridians/nerve pathways being blocked might be part of what's going on. Been fantasizing about a chiropractor adjusting my neck so my intuition tells me I probably should get to one. I saw a. Osteopath several years ago, had mri, but should've 8conteast because he couldn't see the insides of the joint in my shoulder. I then went to a PT and, like you, was left on a table with a tens machine and headphones. The guy barely did anything with me so I left.
I'm gonna address the neck and see what happens. I do need to see my doc, but really want a new one because I'm not happy with him. He's made a lot of mistakes and is not very caring. Because we have very high covid numbers here, our health facilities are swamped so it's hard to get in. I waited for over a year to get my galbladder out. Frustrating to be so limited largely due to antivaxers.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to help!
Jane

I just read this comment from John in another thread and the vidoe might be helpful to you. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/650173/

I always wonder where they get the foam from that is bigger than a pool noodle 😁

It is hard to get an appointment for anything right now… My husband called to make me an appointment with the podiatrist a couple of weeks ago… Dec 02 is soon as I can get in. My husband needs an MRI.. 3 weeks wait for that. I have my regular checkup appointments set up. .. and on regular schedule so far.. but may change. My doctors' office has a third of the staff out with covid or family member with covid or in quarantine. My family doctor and gynecologist are in same practice. .. I get blood work done there, mammogram, x-rays, and a few other test when needed.

So many things can cause a headache and I hope your cause is soon discovered and the headaches eliminated.

My mom was told after her gallbladder surgery to avoid chocolate… that was it. She had diarrhea and I told her to cut back on the greasy foods and sweets and it will get better. It did. I had the same problem and I found that a probiotic … Align … kept it mostly at bay along with watching my diet. I had to stop eating raw fruits and veggies.. other than ripe bananas. Canned fruits are okay, but sometimes I cook some fruit like apples. Weird.. but I seem to digest dried fruit like raisins and craisins okay.

ZeeGee

Oh please tell me you gotten relief. The same just happened to me. Had gallbladder removed, 3 months later headaches everyday. Can't seem to get answers. Anybody out there figured out this dilema? From gallbladder pain to headache. WOW

Do you have acid reflux?

I am having the same issue. That's how I stumbled across this thread. Attempting to find a correlation and some answers. I am almost 2 months out, post gallbladder removal, and have had severe migraines lasting 3+ days almost weekly. It is taking a toll on me. I'm having more bad days than good lately. I did read somewhere that it has been linked to the bile leakage into the system post gallbladder removal. That's the closest I have found to any answers regarding the matter. I have suffered from migraines since I was a kid. However, since being grown, have only suffered from them once every 3-6months. Until having my gallbladder removed. As I said, it's now been on a weekly basis with more days of having them than not. I hope that as time goes on it will subside and lesson. I have an appointment on Wednesday with my family doctor and will Definetly be speaking to her in regards to it and see what she thinks or says. I believe there is Definetly a strong relation to having gallbladder removal. There has been nothing else that correlates to this change in frequency, severity & prolonged period of having them. It is definitely frustrating and taxing on my body as well as mentally and emotionally. If I receive a definitive answer on Wednesday when I see my doctor, I will definetly reply/comment again and let you & others on this thread know if there is in fact a direct relation to gallbladder removal.

Good luck to you on Wednesday, I had my gall bladder removed 17 days ago. I have not gone to the bathroom regularly yet and have shooting pain in the incision areas. Last night first time sharp shooting pain in the gall bladder area. I also am somebody who have had migraines and headaches my whole life, I pray they don't become a regular thing. I pray for you and hope they come up with an answer for you on Wednesday.