Post gallbladder surgery issues

Posted by jdc60 @jdc60, Nov 25, 2023

I had gallbladder surgery 2012 and never lost weight but gained. Have trouble eating leafy vegetables, fiber, fruits, etc. it causes diarrhea, gas & bloating. When i do eat a meal other than salads, i have bloating and gas. Does anyone else suffer from these issues? I also had some of the Sigmoid bowel removed. Sometimes I can eat and no issues other times, severe acid reflux. Taking meds for acid reflux. Thank you.

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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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@pb50

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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Thank 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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Have 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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@jdc60

Thank 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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I 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.

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@debhammel

Have 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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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.

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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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@pb50

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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I 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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Didn’t you say you have an upcoming Colonoscopy?

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@pb50

Didn’t you say you have an upcoming Colonoscopy?

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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 !

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@hlp123

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 !

Jump to this post

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.

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