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Uncontrolled diarrhea after gallbladder removal surgery: Any advice?
After a very painful event I had surgery to remove my gall bladder. Surgery took 2.5 hours. Follow up seems ok except I have uncontrolled diarrhea. I am living on imodium . I am weak as a baby with no aid in sight. The doctors offer no real help except telling me what to eat or not. Any similiar experience or advice.
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It gets better in time but there are meds they can give you and a diet to follow..
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2 ReactionsYes, Fecal Elastase.
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2 ReactionsThank you! do you mean elastase stool test? I'm so happy that you feel happy and healthy now! that's great!
I had similar issues. Took years to get Dr. to do stool test that revealed Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficient (EPI). Digestive Enzymes have changed my life. Good luck, prayers for you to get relief.
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2 ReactionsThank you! Yes I have SIBO, to be more specific I have methane overgrowth (IMO). I've tried cure it with xifaxan twice, but without positive result. My doctor told me that we need to find the root of SIBO and after many tests he came to conclusion that my GB is my root cause becuase it's filled with sludges, and poor bile flow might be a cause of SIBO.
Get a 2nd opinion
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2 ReactionsWithout a GB, while bile is still produced, it’s no “dumped” in adequate amounts when food is digested - especially those with fat content. Check with you Dr, but I’ve heard consistently from several practitioners that the supplement Ox Bile Acids can be VERY helpful. Also, a high % of those who’ve had their GB removed develop SIBO, due to big fat foods sitting in the stomach longer. Find out about SIBO, because it’s a critical issue that can results in several symptoms, including diarrhea. If your western MD is clueless, find a ND or GOOD nutritionist to advise you, including important info about the FODMAP diet.
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3 ReactionsOh cmon Annie! We're all on the same boat! to be honest.. english is not my first language so it's really hard for me to notice if you're writing to me as a colleague or as a mother! hahaha But I really like your positive attitude. Before surgery.... I was able to eat the whole 32 cm pizza on my own, ate a snack bar and drank a soda. Now.. I thought for two days whether to eat one egg. I'm still wondering if the surgery was necessary in my case. There were sludge and mud in my gallbladder and on the pathology report it was written that I had "cholecystitis chronica" despite this I am still of concers about the surgery.
I won't buy anything, my appointment is soon so I'll last.
Thank you! you're really helpful!
I'm so sorry for all my grammar mistakes.
Wow, you are only 30? Man, I hope that I don't start talking to you like I was your mother...Both my kids are over 30. Please forgive me if I do.
I don't know a lot about the make-up of the probiotics, unfortunately.
A couple more ideas:
1. Maybe do NOT change or add anything, even the probiotic, until AFTER the appointment with the new doctor, if you can last that long.
I've been to a lot of doctors. They are easily confused-- I'm only half joking here. They would prefer that we live like a science experiment with a control group and only one variable at a time.
You could probably add the GasX/store brand simethecone to see if it works. It's in the body for a very short time, and they even give it to colicky babies. It might relieve some of your pain.
2. The new doctor may be very reluctant to disagree overtly with your first doctor.
3. Keep a food record and your body reactions starting today up to the day of your appointment. You and the doc might see some patterns. And you really need to be clear and honest with the new doc about your diet.
4. My niece, my 2 sisters, my sister-in-law, and I have all had the gall bladder removed. [It's pretty common for women after having children.] So I have heard and seen a lot about it.
All 5 of us still have some dietary issues sometimes with fatty foods, and 4 of us are 15 years or longer post-op.
You just have to learn what sets your body off. And, for now, give it time to adjust to processing fats in a new way.
Some examples: I can eat one hot dog. If I eat 2, then I get the runs. My sister-in-law can eat 1/2 a cheesesteak. If she eats more than that, she gets the runs.
If you have been eating a "boy" diet of pizza and soda and beer and French fries and ice cream, etc., then it's not surprising that your guts are disturbed now. [Jeez, I am sure that I sound like a mother now...very sorry!] Take heart, eventually you'll be able to eat some of that fatty stuff again.
If you have been eating a good, grown-up diet, then be sure to tell the new doctor. That's where a food record can be really helpful. Both you and the doc can look for patterns.
It's a shame that no one warned you before the surgery about fatty, fried foods, but, on the bright side, gut issues with that kind of food might help you stay on a better diet for life. It's good for your cholesterol levels anyway.
Hope I didn't sound too know-it-all here.
Hope you get some results from the new doctor and that you feel better soon!
Good luck!
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2 ReactionsThank you Anne for all your advice!! I really appreciate that and of course I'll inform you about my next steps. I'm 30 yo, male.
I've found a probiotic that contains
L. acidophilus, LA-5®, 2,5 billion
B. lactis, BB-12®, 2,5 billion
L. paracasei, L. CASEI 431®, 2,5 billion
L. rhamnosus GG, LGG®. 2,5 billion
Maybe it's worth to give it a try.
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