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Post-cholecystectomy or gallbladder removal surgery
Hi – I had my gallbladder removed 17 years ago and have chronic, sharp back pain behind the port incision. That incision was in my upper left abdominal quadrant; the pain is felt in my back, directly behind the incision. It is thought that I have an adhesion in my upper left quadrant. Is it possible that nerves are trapped and that it causes referred pain in my back? The pain is nauseating and hasn't improved. I have been on anti seizure medication and a pain killer that isn't a percocet-type medication. I am curious if anyone else has persistent pain in their back following gallbladder surgery. If so, how is your pain treated.
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This sounds very familiar. I had most of those symptoms and tests that you described and was told that it must be psychological because all the tests were negative. Finally a pain specialist found an abdominal neuroma-scar tissue created a mass where my gallbladder used to be- and treated with ablation therapy. When that was no longer effective, I received a neurostimulator that changed my life for the better. I know how frustrating this is but keep searching for the answer. Finding a doctor that believes you is more important than what specialty they’re in.
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3 ReactionsI got my gallbladder removed in April 2019 after almost a year of constant throwing up, stomach pain, etc. as per my HIDA scan it was functioning at 23%. Though it seems since the removal I have had nothing but GI issues since. I’m on my 4th GI Dr now. All the ones that I have seen, all say I must have had some underlying condition prior to the removal to be having all these issues. I’ve had 3 EGD’s and 1 Colonoscopy so far. Colonoscopy came back with no findings. The EGDs show I have an herniated diaphragm (stomach pushing up into my diaphragm) and an Esophageal Ulcer from the stomach acid. I’m on 40mg Omeperzol every morning, but sometimes it seems I need to take more. After years of self experimenting with foods/beverages I’ve realized I ALWAYS have a stomach flare if consume anything that has one of the ingredients. We’ve came to a conclusion, I have an intolerance to acidic food/beverages, Citrus Intolerance (which includes flavored water), and an Alcohol Intolerance.
Though the past 1.5 Months I have been having daily pain in my upper right quadrant where my gallbladder used to be. The pain lasts anywhere from 5min-4hrs, I get nauseous, and feel like I’m burning up, and get a headache when it happens.
I had an Ultrasound on my upper right abdomen, which ruled out Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction.
My new GI wants to start completely fresh and so now I have an MRI scheduled to look at my abdomen, and another EGD/Colonoscopy. It’s a couple weeks out, but I’m still stressing and miserable and trying to plan ahead for my next steps if they don’t find anything. I’m personally leaning towards going to an immunologist, because it also seems (especially the past year or so) I’m getting sick WAY more frequently, or things are healing more slowly.
You are definitely not alone. I hope you get the answers you need, and hope that can help manage or treat your symptoms!
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2 ReactionsNo doubt related to the gallbladder removal. I'm dealing with increase diarrehha since mine was removed almost 3 yrs ago.
Your bile now is a continuous dripping into your intestinal system, where as with a gallbladder it would go into it and wait until a meal was eaten and then release what was needed inorder to support the digestion.
With bile constantly in your system, your intestines don't like that and so it will get rid of it faster....it sort acts like a laxative now.
I was first diagnosed with IBS-D, but am looking into BAM (bile acid malabsorption). Did lots of natural supplements at first to correct a digestive system that was in dysbiosis (messed up with too many bad bacterias). Was just in to see a gastro doc and she immediately said I had BAM for the simple reason that i have diarrhea and no gallbaldder. Her only answer was a drug called Colestipol which binds itself to the bile and takes it out with your poop. But I don't want to take a drug jsut to see if that will work but she can't do the tests that will determine for sure if I have BAM, so now am back to my other doctoor which does a lot with functional medicine as well.
The two tests that can prove if I have BAM BA48F / Bile Acids, Bowel Dysfunction, 48 Hour, Feces and the 7 Alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7aC4) tests. So waiting word from her now.
I've been reading also that increasing soluble fiber and keep fat grams per day help a lot too. So will be working on those in the meantime.
Hope this helps send you in to some more exploration. Everyone is so different and sometimes the docs don't help much so we have to be our own best advocates.
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4 ReactionsI have similar symptoms. I had a lap chole in October 2014. Gas bloating diarrhea alternating with constipation. I take lamotrigine for seizure prevention. GI issues a side effect. My dose was reduced by 50 percent. I am better but still working on this. I have a GI apot in November. I have been working on dietary issues.
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1 ReactionI had a laparascopic cholecystectomy at the end of March. I'm recovered from the surgery (which was a bit of an ordeal). I've also had IBS-C for most of my adult life. Now in my 70's, I'm noticing my symptoms (bloated, gassy, irregular/incomplete BM's) worsening, and wonder if this is related to my gallbladder removal and the re-working of my bile system. Has anyone else experienced this?
I had my gallbladder out in 2012 and I've never been able to eat normally since then. I don't think it's the surgery per se, I think it's the fact that we desperately need our gallbladder to release the bile after we eat. If doctors would do a better job of periodically checking people's gallbladders, and in my case listening to me when I told them for six years that I thought something was wrong with it and their test said it was OK when it clearly wasn't, they wouldn't have to remove so many! It's there for a reason. I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's problem. I had to completely change my diet and I'm on a very limited one, but at least I can eat most of the time. I wish you good luck! Sorry you both have to go through that. 💕
Hi, I’m sorry your husband’s surgery didn’t solve the problem completely. Has he had a post surgery check with the surgeon?
Perhaps you can request a session with a dietitian, who can assist in having proper diet for specific problems. I am considering to do this as I make suggestion to you.
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1 ReactionI, too, am sorry that you suffer from this.
I don’t have diarrhea, but constipation, gasy. Perhaps diet is the way to aid the situation???
I have not checked bile acid nor pancreatic enzyme yet. Thank you for sharing this information. I’ll ask my doctor to prescribe such tests.
I had my gallbladder removed in 2012 and I couldn't eat for 10 days afterwards and I hadn't eaten for a week or so before the procedure, so I finally passed out and they took me back to the hospital and they put me on a medication called cholestyramine I think. It takes the cholesterol out of your bile or something so it doesn't trigger your IBS. That's what I was experiencing anyway. I was on the medication for nine weeks until I became allergic to it, but that was long enough for me to be able to eat and the diarrhea stopped. I would've died without it, I think. I couldn't even drink water before that without triggering severe diarrhea. I hope you can find a resolution. It's awful and scary! Take care.
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2 ReactionsFatty foods will redefine the term “fast food”.