Uncontrolled diarrhea after gallbladder removal surgery: Any advice?

Hey! I've been struggling with digestive issues for a year. (mucus in stool, pain in epigastric area, diarrhea just after waking up, nausea, burping all the time, everything increases after fatty meal) I had stomach endoscopy, colonoscopy, test for parasites, bacteria, candida, they checked my liver, thyroid.. and they finally found a lot of sludge in my gallbladder, my surgeon suggested to me that I should remove it becuase it might be a root of my all digestive issues. I agreed.

I had my surgery 7 weeks ago and my digestive health is worse than before. I often have epigastric pain (it's probably my stomach) especially in the morning (when my stomach is empty), my stomach makes loud noises like gurling after every meal, even when I wake up in the morning the first thing I hear is my stomach. Sometimes I get diarrhea after meals it can happen at any moment and it's urgent so I'm now scared about leaving my house or go somewhere by public transport.

My doctor told me to wait because my body is still adjusting to a new situation to not having a GB, but I don't believe him. I did read a lot of horror stories of people who has been struggling with diarrhea for many years after GB and it can be lifelong issue. Please be honest with me, it's possible that my body will adjust and these symptoms will dissapear over time? I can't live like that.

Hi @thisisabattle, I moved your discussion and combined it with the existing discussion titled:
- Uncontrolled diarrhea after gallbladder removal surgery: Any advice?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/post-op-diarrhea/

I did this so you could meet members @jfperrone, @vholtzapple, and @szaiko who all shared similar experiences after their gallbladder removal.

@thisisabattle, you mentioned your doctor told you that you are in a place to be patient, but have any next steps been discussed or things to try in the meantime to help curb the symptoms in any way?

Thank you.

Unfortunately no, he told me just to wait. I'm going to another doctor next week. I thought about buying a good probiotic/digestive enzymes.

M
HI! Sorry to hear about your pain and worry...

You don't say your age. It does take older bodies longer to heal and to adjust.

Maybe try this for a little while:
Use IBGuard- be sure to follow their directions. I got heartburn and burps when I used it wrong. I think I took it on an empty stomach.
Add a good probiotic pill
and an OTC gas- relieving pill (simethecone), after every meal.

Maybe add an antacid?

No fatty food, no fried food, no acidic food/beverage coffee or tea, no carbonated beverages-- not much tasty food left! but it's only for a little while.

Slowly add back in the food/beverages that you can't live without. For me, it's the coffee.

Some patients swear by yogurt. Greek yogurt disturbs my bowels, oddly, but Dannon yogurt helps. Not sure why, but definitely worth a try.

Getting started on this routine can be a pain in the neck, but it's only for a little while AND it really, really worked for me. My gastroenterologist suggested it when I had a bad bout of irritable bowel.

Good luck! Keep us posted. (sorry about my spelling!)

I think it's a good idea to check in with another doctor, as you said you planned to do.

Thank you Anne for all your advice!! I really appreciate that and of course I'll inform you about my next steps. I'm 30 yo, male.

I've found a probiotic that contains
L. acidophilus, LA-5®, 2,5 billion
B. lactis, BB-12®, 2,5 billion
L. paracasei, L. CASEI 431®, 2,5 billion
L. rhamnosus GG, LGG®. 2,5 billion

Maybe it's worth to give it a try.

Wow, you are only 30? Man, I hope that I don't start talking to you like I was your mother...Both my kids are over 30. Please forgive me if I do.

I don't know a lot about the make-up of the probiotics, unfortunately.

A couple more ideas:
1. Maybe do NOT change or add anything, even the probiotic, until AFTER the appointment with the new doctor, if you can last that long.
I've been to a lot of doctors. They are easily confused-- I'm only half joking here. They would prefer that we live like a science experiment with a control group and only one variable at a time.

You could probably add the GasX/store brand simethecone to see if it works. It's in the body for a very short time, and they even give it to colicky babies. It might relieve some of your pain.

2. The new doctor may be very reluctant to disagree overtly with your first doctor.

3. Keep a food record and your body reactions starting today up to the day of your appointment. You and the doc might see some patterns. And you really need to be clear and honest with the new doc about your diet.

4. My niece, my 2 sisters, my sister-in-law, and I have all had the gall bladder removed. [It's pretty common for women after having children.] So I have heard and seen a lot about it.
All 5 of us still have some dietary issues sometimes with fatty foods, and 4 of us are 15 years or longer post-op.

You just have to learn what sets your body off. And, for now, give it time to adjust to processing fats in a new way.
Some examples: I can eat one hot dog. If I eat 2, then I get the runs. My sister-in-law can eat 1/2 a cheesesteak. If she eats more than that, she gets the runs.

If you have been eating a "boy" diet of pizza and soda and beer and French fries and ice cream, etc., then it's not surprising that your guts are disturbed now. [Jeez, I am sure that I sound like a mother now...very sorry!] Take heart, eventually you'll be able to eat some of that fatty stuff again.

If you have been eating a good, grown-up diet, then be sure to tell the new doctor. That's where a food record can be really helpful. Both you and the doc can look for patterns.

It's a shame that no one warned you before the surgery about fatty, fried foods, but, on the bright side, gut issues with that kind of food might help you stay on a better diet for life. It's good for your cholesterol levels anyway.

Hope I didn't sound too know-it-all here.
Hope you get some results from the new doctor and that you feel better soon!
Good luck!

Oh cmon Annie! We're all on the same boat! to be honest.. english is not my first language so it's really hard for me to notice if you're writing to me as a colleague or as a mother! hahaha But I really like your positive attitude. Before surgery.... I was able to eat the whole 32 cm pizza on my own, ate a snack bar and drank a soda. Now.. I thought for two days whether to eat one egg. I'm still wondering if the surgery was necessary in my case. There were sludge and mud in my gallbladder and on the pathology report it was written that I had "cholecystitis chronica" despite this I am still of concers about the surgery.

I won't buy anything, my appointment is soon so I'll last.

Thank you! you're really helpful!

I'm so sorry for all my grammar mistakes.

Without a GB, while bile is still produced, it’s no “dumped” in adequate amounts when food is digested - especially those with fat content. Check with you Dr, but I’ve heard consistently from several practitioners that the supplement Ox Bile Acids can be VERY helpful. Also, a high % of those who’ve had their GB removed develop SIBO, due to big fat foods sitting in the stomach longer. Find out about SIBO, because it’s a critical issue that can results in several symptoms, including diarrhea. If your western MD is clueless, find a ND or GOOD nutritionist to advise you, including important info about the FODMAP diet.

Get a 2nd opinion

Thank you! Yes I have SIBO, to be more specific I have methane overgrowth (IMO). I've tried cure it with xifaxan twice, but without positive result. My doctor told me that we need to find the root of SIBO and after many tests he came to conclusion that my GB is my root cause becuase it's filled with sludges, and poor bile flow might be a cause of SIBO.