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Pain since prior to gallbladder surgery
I am unsure where my original post went. Im just looking for those in similar situations, what were the outcomes what were the diagnoses. In 2014 I started to have gallbladder attacks that would last for 2-3 weeks. It took until 2017 to have gallbladder removed there was no sludge, no stones it was functioning at 2%. I had the gallbladder surgery woke up in excruciating pain not like surgical pain continued to have more intense "attacks". A month later they found 2 tears one at the pancreatic duct and one at the liver duct. I had an ercp where stents were placed for 12 weeks. And dealt with pancreatitis and elevated liver enzymes during that hospital stay. Doctors said I shouldnt be having pain but I was. Pain continued, and could feel the placement of stents. I have been in and out of the hospital for years over 12 hospital stays averaging 7-10 day stays. All tests have come back normal (CT,MRI,Bloodwork) other than a little gastritis during an endoscopy. Ive had a small bowel study which showed that everything goes through my small intestine within 14 minutes. Ive been dealing with chronic fatty stools diarrhea up to 10 times a day-which lead doctors with a dx of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). I was placed on a high dose of creon which helped with diarrhea but pain has remained. Pain is becoming so severe that I cannot leave my home, it wakes me up from sleep, Im having excruciating pain within 30 minutes of eating. It is a constant 8-10 out of 10 pain with no relief. The pain is located on the end tip of sternum, epigastric region, directly in my back behind epigastric region and towards my right side under my right breast Im pleading with doctors or anyone with any information or insight what can be causing this pain please respond. I have an appointment with Johns Hopkins in July and trying to get into Mayo if I can be seen sooner. I just want to be able to function again.
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I believe you describe bloating and gas with everything you eat, and if your meal contains fiber such as fruits and leafy veggies, you also have diarrhea. Are you treating any of those issues with over the counter meds?
I haven’t had gallbladder issues but I have microscopic colitis that causes similar issues. Then my doc added a statin to my meds and that causes constipation. So I take fiber for that and try to find that magic balance that relieves constipation but doesn’t result in diarrhea. Some days I don’t want to risk leaving the house.
Are there specific questions you have of anyone who has had their gallbladder removed? That might be helpful for anyone reading your post. One of our awesome mentors may also know of other boards that may be more closely aligned with gallbladder issues.
This site is a great community, so let’s see who may join the discussion 🙂
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1 ReactionThank you. I have taken statins and had to come off of them because it caused my liver enzymes to increase. After the second try with statins my liver enzymes would not decrease and the doctor made me take hepatitis shots to protect my liver. It took almost 12 months for enzymes to come back to normal levels. If all I eat leafy greens, fruits, beans, then I have a diarrhea Doctors suggest a Mediterranean diet but it consists of all the above except for some fish or poultry. I’m trying to find a happy medium to where I can enjoy eating and having a life. It all just doesn’t seem worth it anymore.
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1 ReactionHave you been to a gastroenterologist for these symptoms? Sometimes abdominal surgery can trigger other GI issues. You may have a problem with too much bile secreted since you no longer have a gall bladder to mete this out, and a simple med like Colestid could help. You may have developed either IBS or IBD, and diet and meds could help. None of us can diagnose this - you really need to see a GI specialist to determine the cause and what will help.
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3 ReactionsI am on a low dose of generic Crestor -10mg-but my Rheumatologist monitors liver enzymes because the biologics I am on can impact them. So if they spike I will know .. thank goodness.
As someone who is older, insulin resistant, edging toward type II diabetes, and with a profound family history of cardiovascular disease, I am forced to eat to live -when I would much rather live to eat. 😁 it is certainly tiresome, and demands a lot of focus… so I understand your comment that it isn’t worth it. Hopefully you will meet a community here who can help you believe it is indeed worth it.
Sending good Juju your way.
I’ve been to a gastroenterologist and expressed my symptoms and Dr. doesn’t seem to think it warrants additional testing, etc. Their suggestion, change diet.
In recognition of a group of marvelous physicians and the Mayo medicine group overall, I want to be cautious not to over-generalize. But I am aware of patient frustration across many medical collectives and benefit administrators, and the gist of that seems to be limitations we face in pursuit of diagnostics. The fear that docs will order every known test and still end up with no diagnosis- but at great cost- is driving the insurance administrations to lean in with “we won’t pay for all that”.
I believe the docs, hospitals and benefit administrators all want optimal health outcomes. But their funds are not limitless if they are to be able to provide good for all at reasonable cost. It’s a dilemma where no one is quite happy.
If ever there was a screaming opportunity for AI, this is it. Digesting reams of clinical studies and sanitized medical records (no personal data) to define optimal diagnostic paths is already being applied in the background- but there’s much room for more applied analytics technology. .
Like everything, the more we understand, the more we see what we don’t - yet.
So if our individual insurance carrier seems heartless, well… it’s complicated.
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1 ReactionI am grateful for any help relating to repeated, severe pain identical to the pain I had before I had my gallbladder removed. Gastroenterologist does not have any answers !
Thank you
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1 ReactionDidn’t you say you have an upcoming Colonoscopy?
I do not have an upcoming Colonoscopy. Must be someone else !
I would like to ask if anyone who is experiencing this severe pain after gall bladder removal has found Bentyl to provide any relief. My gastroenterologist has now scheduled an MRI and Endo, but says the earliest he can do it is April. I do not understand this ! I never expected to continue to have the same severe pain that I had before I had my gallbladder out, after it was extracted.
Thank you, and my heart goes out to all of you who are experiencing this severe pain. Hopefully we will find an answer !
It took me 3 months for by appetite to resume after I had my gallbladder removed in 2021. I lost 15 - 20 lbs in 3 mos. I didn't not experience pain - just nausea and lack of appetite. I would contact your surgeon's office or internal medicine doctor to get a scan sooner.