Dealing with symptoms after Gallbladder surgery

Posted by roisemaire @roisemaire, Nov 30, 2017

Hi is there anyone out there that suffers from nausea and pain almost 4 weeks after gallbladder operation. Every time I eat anything i get pain in site of operation. And tired all the time no energy

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@louise928

I am 5 weeks post laparoscopic gall bladder surgery. I did not have gall stones but was told my gall bladder was inflamed. I am having fairly bad pain where my gall bladder was underneath one of my incisions. I had a nurse check the incision and she said everything is good. I do not have nausea or diarrhea so was wondering what could cause this pain. Hoping it’s not some other problem like SOD. I talked to my surgeon’s nurse and she said it’s normal but I have talked to lots of other people who have had gall bladder surgery and they say they had no pain after 2 weeks. I’m 70 years old but very active.

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I think it may be a scar tissue forming. You're lucky in the way that you didn't end up as I did when they had to fully open my belly because the gallbladder was inflamed, and they couldn't pull it out ! I spent over 2 weeks in ICU because the butcher cut everything possible to cut during laparoscopy, so that's why another surgeon was called (3 of them) to save my life. In your case it's most likely a scar tissue, so talk to the the surgeon NOT the nurse !
It's very important that you do talk to the surgeon who knows better than the nurse no matter how good they may be.
Good Luck !

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@jerzy

I think it may be a scar tissue forming. You're lucky in the way that you didn't end up as I did when they had to fully open my belly because the gallbladder was inflamed, and they couldn't pull it out ! I spent over 2 weeks in ICU because the butcher cut everything possible to cut during laparoscopy, so that's why another surgeon was called (3 of them) to save my life. In your case it's most likely a scar tissue, so talk to the the surgeon NOT the nurse !
It's very important that you do talk to the surgeon who knows better than the nurse no matter how good they may be.
Good Luck !

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I take offense to your comment regarding the surgeons nurse and your dismissal of them. There is a reason that physicians have PA’s, NP’s, RN’s, LPN’s working for them to screen the numerous calls doctors get from worried patients. These staff’s deal on a daily bases with a hell of a lot more patients then you or I will ever see, I’ve been there as a retired nurse. If doctors had to spend their time responding to every call for a routine minor complaint they’d not get any work done let alone surgery. Everyone heals differently as we are not alike. If a patient complained about an issue that the doctor needed to be made aware of they would notify him. If the doctor trusts their staff to speak with patients why shouldn’t the patient do the same?

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@ogarabrandt

Hello! Thank you for the suggestion. Apparently, I don't match the criteria for Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, because I don't have abdominal pain associated with food. I have extreme exhaustion like never before, elevated heart rate, tinnitus, plus that strange lump and the soreness of the right flank. The GI doctor or the surgeon don't want to discuss the fatigue with me, but it's the most debilitating symptom, so I don't know where to turn.
@artist01 where is your lump located? Is it sore?

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Hello @ogarabrandt

I hope you are feeling better by now. Were you able to get a second opinion on the lump and discomfort in your right flank?

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Hi everyone, About two months ago, I had my gallbladder removed laparoscopically. It was so enlarged and infected that it was almost gangrenous! Doc said it had been making me sick for a long time. I had dumping syndrome, then diverticulitis, so I hoped for the best. All is going pretty well, except I still occasionally have dumping again and that is very distressing. You don’t know you’re about to “go” until you’re already going! Ugh
Anyone else have to deal with this? Any advice you give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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@congolia

Hi everyone, About two months ago, I had my gallbladder removed laparoscopically. It was so enlarged and infected that it was almost gangrenous! Doc said it had been making me sick for a long time. I had dumping syndrome, then diverticulitis, so I hoped for the best. All is going pretty well, except I still occasionally have dumping again and that is very distressing. You don’t know you’re about to “go” until you’re already going! Ugh
Anyone else have to deal with this? Any advice you give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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I've had a similar experience and it continues over a year later. You plan your life on where the next bathroom is. My gall bladder was gangrenous. The one thing that has helped is Metamucil. I take it every morning. Sorry I could not be more encouraging. I was told it would calm down over time. I'm waiting.

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@jfperrone

I've had a similar experience and it continues over a year later. You plan your life on where the next bathroom is. My gall bladder was gangrenous. The one thing that has helped is Metamucil. I take it every morning. Sorry I could not be more encouraging. I was told it would calm down over time. I'm waiting.

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I don't know if you have ever had "the talk" after your surgery about food. In my case I did not and was on my own for a few years. The first thing to go was coffee, or rather caffein. Getting used to decaf wasn't too difficult. What I found helpful was to keep a journal. I recorded everything that went into my mouth and the time of day. even chewing gum. I also recorded the time and consistency of every bm. It wasn't too long that some things began to change my bowel habits. One of the first things to go was dietary supplements, like fish oil and vitamin D. Eventually it came down to animal fats. Things like, whole milk, that includes ice cream, yogurt and butter. It also included bacon, and anything fried, even potato chips. The second thing was chocolate, in any form (it could have been the caffien.) I found that chocolate sometime shows up in things that you might not expect, like some cookies that listed cocoa but not chocolate in the ingredients. The last thing, so far, was oatmeal and I think some cold oat cereal.
The thing is that some foods affect me in different ways. Whole milk products seem to take effect within two hours. Others not until the next day. Things like chocolate, did both. Sometimes within two hours and sometime the next day. Oatmeal, the next day.
At first, I tried eliminating things one at a time but that didn't work and was sometimes confusing. It wasn't until I started eliminating whole groups of things that I began to notice the difference. If it were possible, becoming vegan and adding things one at a time might have been more scientific but I was not in a position to do that.
I know what you are going through and it's rough, but you need to hang in there and find out what foods your body is reacting to.
I just might try Metamucil when I want to have some ice cream.

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@congolia

Hi everyone, About two months ago, I had my gallbladder removed laparoscopically. It was so enlarged and infected that it was almost gangrenous! Doc said it had been making me sick for a long time. I had dumping syndrome, then diverticulitis, so I hoped for the best. All is going pretty well, except I still occasionally have dumping again and that is very distressing. You don’t know you’re about to “go” until you’re already going! Ugh
Anyone else have to deal with this? Any advice you give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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@congolia

Keep a food journal.

Everyone reacts differently to foods, but most common triggers for the dumping is greasy foods, sweets, artificial sweeteners. With some it is dairy. Oatmeal, bananas and psyllium foods and products can help solidify stool. A food journal will help you figure out what your body likes and doesn't like. I

t seemed to me most anything I ate triggered the dumping.

So I tried adding more probiotic foods like yogurt. I tried probiotic products .. pills/capsules .. and not much help. Then my husband's cousin told me to try Align. Gee.. my first thoughts was it is expensive! My husband said that it was worth a try. It worked! So you might try probiotic products. Again everyone is different so it might be trial and error. Don't just take one pill and say it doesn't work … give it a good try of 2-3 weeks. You might have a gassy stomach until used to it. I had the gassy stomach already and the Align calmed it.

Diet though is going to be your greatest help in being able to go somewhere without worrying about if you are going to “go”. There are more diet hints throughout this forum.. just use the search box at top of page .

ZeeGee

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Hi,
I have been suffering with symtons of Gerd for about two months. i never had it before. I did have my gallbladder out in January. so it started a couple months after that. i am scheduled for a endoscope June 8 although they are trying to see if it can be moved up just so i can know more of whats going on. I have been seeing my motility doctor at the biggest hospital in my state which is suppose to be the best but lately its been nothing but a nightmare. In addition to Gerd, I started seeing this motility specialist for stomach issue . my stomach problems did not get better after my gallbladder was removed. i did the smartpill. i was sure i had gastroparisis or at least leaky gut. i had unintentionally lost about 30 pounds since last summer. before that i really struggled to lose any weight on my own. as it turns out smartpill study was normal. no stomach delay, intestines and colon normal. i was relieved. but still dealing with stomach issues(onset of diehrea after months of constipation) but back to the GERD which is what is bothering me the most. it just feels like a burning in my throat in addition to sore when swollowing and like a lump in the back of my throat. i had been on omprazodole 20 mg twice a day. it really didnt seem to be doing anything for me. so last friday morning i messaged my doctor(its his nurses who respond)a nurse asked me if i had changed my diet i said no then she said she would check with the doctor and i said ok, thank you.well it got to be 3:30pm and still no answer so i messaged again if she could get back to me by 5 so i wouldnt have to suffer all weekend. no response. so i was very upset. monday morning(yesterday) she responded and said they have 1-2 buisness days to respond. im sorry but i was suffering and to let me go all weekend with no help or answers really upset me then she said the doctor looked in my chart and saw that i was on no ppi's and he would send a prescription in so i thought at least something. i didnt hear anything after that i wrote back in the afternoon the doctor decided NOT to call in a ppi and told me to take gaviscon over the counter and to keep taking ompraodole as my pcp recommended. i was so upset here i was with a sore feeling like i had a lumo in the back of my throat.this doctors also went on my weight and if i lost more weight because there was a connection to bmi and acid reflux. at that point i was beside myself first because he refused to call something in after he said he would and then he mentions my weight. after unintentionally losing 30 pounds and its not like i w=eat much now anyway which i dont plus with the lump its very hard to eat in general. since i have found these nurses to be horrible and now this doctor, who by the way is the one who is suppose to do my endoscope. my husband called my pcp he called in a ppi. turns out its just omprazodole but 40 mg once a day i dont know if a stronger prescrition dosage will help more than a otc 20 mg twice a day. my husband was so upset for me he wanted me to talk to my pcp about finding another local gastro dr for this and for my endoscope and be done with this hospital as this hasnt been my first problem with staff there. a friend said not to change to stick it out because you dont know how another gastro dr would be and you would probobly have to wait longer for the endoscope. my question is im leaning that way even though im very upset at the treatment i got but im confused and torn. i want the endoscope done asap but im not happy with this place for all the reasons i indicated. also does anyone know from experience if 40 mg of omprazodole once a day plus the gaviscon will help me more? i just took some of the gaviscon last night. two when i got home and two before bed. i was coughing during the night and the back of my throat still hurts but seems maybe slightly better. does it take time to work and is there anything i can do in the meantime? also as far as eating and my weight i have been working with a nutritionist for several months. sorry to say but that thing the doctor said about gettingmy weight down and the connection between bmi and gerd really offended me since since last summer its been a struggle with food hence the 30 pound weight drop. just would like peoples help and thoughts. thank you so much.

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@eileenb1022

Hi,
I have been suffering with symtons of Gerd for about two months. i never had it before. I did have my gallbladder out in January. so it started a couple months after that. i am scheduled for a endoscope June 8 although they are trying to see if it can be moved up just so i can know more of whats going on. I have been seeing my motility doctor at the biggest hospital in my state which is suppose to be the best but lately its been nothing but a nightmare. In addition to Gerd, I started seeing this motility specialist for stomach issue . my stomach problems did not get better after my gallbladder was removed. i did the smartpill. i was sure i had gastroparisis or at least leaky gut. i had unintentionally lost about 30 pounds since last summer. before that i really struggled to lose any weight on my own. as it turns out smartpill study was normal. no stomach delay, intestines and colon normal. i was relieved. but still dealing with stomach issues(onset of diehrea after months of constipation) but back to the GERD which is what is bothering me the most. it just feels like a burning in my throat in addition to sore when swollowing and like a lump in the back of my throat. i had been on omprazodole 20 mg twice a day. it really didnt seem to be doing anything for me. so last friday morning i messaged my doctor(its his nurses who respond)a nurse asked me if i had changed my diet i said no then she said she would check with the doctor and i said ok, thank you.well it got to be 3:30pm and still no answer so i messaged again if she could get back to me by 5 so i wouldnt have to suffer all weekend. no response. so i was very upset. monday morning(yesterday) she responded and said they have 1-2 buisness days to respond. im sorry but i was suffering and to let me go all weekend with no help or answers really upset me then she said the doctor looked in my chart and saw that i was on no ppi's and he would send a prescription in so i thought at least something. i didnt hear anything after that i wrote back in the afternoon the doctor decided NOT to call in a ppi and told me to take gaviscon over the counter and to keep taking ompraodole as my pcp recommended. i was so upset here i was with a sore feeling like i had a lumo in the back of my throat.this doctors also went on my weight and if i lost more weight because there was a connection to bmi and acid reflux. at that point i was beside myself first because he refused to call something in after he said he would and then he mentions my weight. after unintentionally losing 30 pounds and its not like i w=eat much now anyway which i dont plus with the lump its very hard to eat in general. since i have found these nurses to be horrible and now this doctor, who by the way is the one who is suppose to do my endoscope. my husband called my pcp he called in a ppi. turns out its just omprazodole but 40 mg once a day i dont know if a stronger prescrition dosage will help more than a otc 20 mg twice a day. my husband was so upset for me he wanted me to talk to my pcp about finding another local gastro dr for this and for my endoscope and be done with this hospital as this hasnt been my first problem with staff there. a friend said not to change to stick it out because you dont know how another gastro dr would be and you would probobly have to wait longer for the endoscope. my question is im leaning that way even though im very upset at the treatment i got but im confused and torn. i want the endoscope done asap but im not happy with this place for all the reasons i indicated. also does anyone know from experience if 40 mg of omprazodole once a day plus the gaviscon will help me more? i just took some of the gaviscon last night. two when i got home and two before bed. i was coughing during the night and the back of my throat still hurts but seems maybe slightly better. does it take time to work and is there anything i can do in the meantime? also as far as eating and my weight i have been working with a nutritionist for several months. sorry to say but that thing the doctor said about gettingmy weight down and the connection between bmi and gerd really offended me since since last summer its been a struggle with food hence the 30 pound weight drop. just would like peoples help and thoughts. thank you so much.

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@eileenb1022 - I feel your pain and your frustration! Been there myself- actually have experienced more symptomatic GERD for a month.
Your endoscopy is coming up soon- hope you get some answers.
The medication you are on now seems appropriate.
My doctor told me to take the ppi one hour before a meal.
At a recent visit he also reminded me to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, juices and carbonated drinks. Since my gallbladder days I don’t tolerate fatty foods. These foods also remain longer in the stomach and causes more acid secretion.
Have you tried propping up your upper body at night? Adding pillows? I even have slept half sitting at night.
Wishing you some peace before your procedure!
After it’s all done, you can look around for someone that you can better communicate with.
Can you give us an update after the procedure?

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@eileenb1022

Hi,
I have been suffering with symtons of Gerd for about two months. i never had it before. I did have my gallbladder out in January. so it started a couple months after that. i am scheduled for a endoscope June 8 although they are trying to see if it can be moved up just so i can know more of whats going on. I have been seeing my motility doctor at the biggest hospital in my state which is suppose to be the best but lately its been nothing but a nightmare. In addition to Gerd, I started seeing this motility specialist for stomach issue . my stomach problems did not get better after my gallbladder was removed. i did the smartpill. i was sure i had gastroparisis or at least leaky gut. i had unintentionally lost about 30 pounds since last summer. before that i really struggled to lose any weight on my own. as it turns out smartpill study was normal. no stomach delay, intestines and colon normal. i was relieved. but still dealing with stomach issues(onset of diehrea after months of constipation) but back to the GERD which is what is bothering me the most. it just feels like a burning in my throat in addition to sore when swollowing and like a lump in the back of my throat. i had been on omprazodole 20 mg twice a day. it really didnt seem to be doing anything for me. so last friday morning i messaged my doctor(its his nurses who respond)a nurse asked me if i had changed my diet i said no then she said she would check with the doctor and i said ok, thank you.well it got to be 3:30pm and still no answer so i messaged again if she could get back to me by 5 so i wouldnt have to suffer all weekend. no response. so i was very upset. monday morning(yesterday) she responded and said they have 1-2 buisness days to respond. im sorry but i was suffering and to let me go all weekend with no help or answers really upset me then she said the doctor looked in my chart and saw that i was on no ppi's and he would send a prescription in so i thought at least something. i didnt hear anything after that i wrote back in the afternoon the doctor decided NOT to call in a ppi and told me to take gaviscon over the counter and to keep taking ompraodole as my pcp recommended. i was so upset here i was with a sore feeling like i had a lumo in the back of my throat.this doctors also went on my weight and if i lost more weight because there was a connection to bmi and acid reflux. at that point i was beside myself first because he refused to call something in after he said he would and then he mentions my weight. after unintentionally losing 30 pounds and its not like i w=eat much now anyway which i dont plus with the lump its very hard to eat in general. since i have found these nurses to be horrible and now this doctor, who by the way is the one who is suppose to do my endoscope. my husband called my pcp he called in a ppi. turns out its just omprazodole but 40 mg once a day i dont know if a stronger prescrition dosage will help more than a otc 20 mg twice a day. my husband was so upset for me he wanted me to talk to my pcp about finding another local gastro dr for this and for my endoscope and be done with this hospital as this hasnt been my first problem with staff there. a friend said not to change to stick it out because you dont know how another gastro dr would be and you would probobly have to wait longer for the endoscope. my question is im leaning that way even though im very upset at the treatment i got but im confused and torn. i want the endoscope done asap but im not happy with this place for all the reasons i indicated. also does anyone know from experience if 40 mg of omprazodole once a day plus the gaviscon will help me more? i just took some of the gaviscon last night. two when i got home and two before bed. i was coughing during the night and the back of my throat still hurts but seems maybe slightly better. does it take time to work and is there anything i can do in the meantime? also as far as eating and my weight i have been working with a nutritionist for several months. sorry to say but that thing the doctor said about gettingmy weight down and the connection between bmi and gerd really offended me since since last summer its been a struggle with food hence the 30 pound weight drop. just would like peoples help and thoughts. thank you so much.

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Hi @eileenb1022, lots and lots of people dealing with issues after their cholecystectomy. I moved your post so you could connect with those members.

Is the smartpill that you are referring to the pill cam procedure that they do?

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