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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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You’ve already probably tried this, but have they looked for scar tissue? If his pain is where his gallbladder was, it sounds like the surgery didn’t go well. Just a thought. I’m so sorry. I hope you get your miracle.
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2 ReactionsThank you. The surgeon is not willing to do exploratory surgery and said all the scans come back normal. So I don't understand what would cause all the pain.
I'm so sorry that all of your husbands are still going though pain after the gallbladder removal. I'm praying health and healing over all of you.
We found out it was the crone medication that was making my husband sick after the surgery. He never had crones...it was his gallbladder the whole time!! If he eats too much fatty foods or drinks a few alcoholic beverages his stomach will act up but a doctor told us about a probiotic called Enzymedica Digest Gold + Probiotic that helps breakdown large meals and reduce gas and bloating (we are waiting for them to be delivered).
We think he probably has IBS attacks when he eats fatty foods or drinks alcohol. A friend of mine suggested Plexis Bio Cleanse and Peobio5 for IBS. She said that it cleared her IBS after her gallbladder surgery. All in all he is feeling much better and can eat food again. God healed him!
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1 ReactionHave they done any scopes, like a colonoscopy or endoscopy? It sure sounds like if the pain is in that area there’s something there. That’s just awful. I hope you can find a resolution somehow.
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1 ReactionNo they haven't wanted to pursue anything so i don't know what else to do except maybe go back to Rochester where he had surgery and see if they will look into it more!
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1 ReactionI had my gallbladder taken out April of 2024, Everything i eat seems to run thru me. I'm so tired of living like this. My stomach hurts and spasms on me a lot as well..has anyone else had this problem, if so what can i do to help the situation? Thanks
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2 ReactionsHi, @barbaraspainhour. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. So that you could talk with others who've talked about diarrhea after gallbladder removal, I've moved your post here:
- Uncontrolled diarrhea after gallbladder removal surgery: Any advice? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/post-op-diarrhea/
Hoping you can connect with members like @gwenrn74 @isadora2021 @twinkie23 and others.
barbaraspainhour - what did your primary care doctor or the surgeon who performed your gallbladder removal say about the diarrhea and its connection with the surgery? Did they recommend something to treat the diarrhea and stomach pains and spasms?
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1 Reaction@barbaraspainhour
I’m so so sorry to hear that. Such a long time to be struggling after gall bladder removal. I was very fortunate that mine resolved fairly quickly after removal on 9 May 2022 with a careful low fat, high fibre diet and eating between 4-6 small meals a day plus Imodium when needed.
I still need to be careful and if I get slack (eg had delicious fatty mutton chops the other day) I’ll get terrible diarrhea and need to revisit my diet and meal sizes.
I see there are medications your medical team may try.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholecystectomy/expert-answers/gallbladder-removal/faq-20058481
I also wonder whether you might have some other digestive disorder. Such as c-diff or SIBO? Have you had any tests done?
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1 ReactionI had mine taken out in 1988. Three weeks after I gave birth. A gallstone had came out and lodged in my pancreas, and I had pancreatitis and had emergency surgery. In 2006 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s. I already had the bile coming out all the time with my diarrhea. I finally told the doctor recently that I thought a lot of the diarrhea was having was not from Crohn’s, but because of my gallbladder. She gave me colestipol. It says on the bottle take twice a day for diarrhea. It is also a cholesterol lowering medication. It might work for you but for me it gave me constipation. I got so many bottles of that stuff. I can’t wait to get rid of it. What I do is if I get the really bad cramping and cannot get it to stop I take Imodium D. Just one. And that usually does it for me. Right now I am battling because I am going to have to have surgery with part of my small intestines taken out that is full of scar tissue from my Crohn’s. So I go back-and-forth between loose bowels and bowels not moving. The diarrhea started before that. Seems as soon as we move to Pensacola in 1985 the loose bowels started. He thought it was the water. I didn’t know it’s because I had Crohn’s. They know a lot more now about Crohn’s than they did even back then.
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1 ReactionMy primary Dr sent a referral to the stomach Dr, I'll see him in July.These Dr's in Ga do not get in any hurry to see you...I'm on meds for stomach spasms and nausea, don't seem to help much. I feel like I'm living with a diseased gallbladder again,although I don't won't to complain, I could be terminal right now.