Uncontrolled diarrhea after gallbladder removal surgery: Any advice?

Hi @jfperrone, As you will notice, I moved your discussion to the conversation you had previously posted. The benefit to keeping like conversations about gallbadders and diarrhea together is that everyone experiencing the same medical issue can follow your progress in one place. I would like to invite @astaingegerdm back to the conversation. I would also like to invite @marshabittinger, @genocurt, @blueve97 to share their experiences.

Your intestines produce a lot of bile acid which is normally held in the gallbladder, so when that is removed the bile has nowhere to go except out.
@jfperrone Have you discussed with your physician about alternatives to sports drinks that may help decrease your symptoms?

It's now about 3 months since the emergency removal of my gall bladder. I am still plagued by bouts of diarrhea. I was told early on that i should drink those sports drinks with electrolytes (which I have) and take probiotic pills (which I have). Since I have not seen any noticeable improvement I'm wondering if I should continue or in fact are these pills and drinks making things worse. I'd appreciate any ones input with similar experience.

I was also told my removal was a 2.5 hour emergency surgery. The description among other things was Gangrenous. Since then the recovery has been exhausting; I have no energy. Plus non stop diarrhea. I have found some relief from taking constant imodium tablets. As soon as I hear my stomach making all kinds of noises, I took a shot of Pepto bismol ultra. I had a much less explosive BM and no second act. Sometimes the old remedies are the best.Time will tell if this continues to help. I repeat Help; it's not a cure. You may want to give it a try.

I had surgery for gallbladder removal , 5 years ago. I was told my gallbladder was what is called porcelain gallbladder . Needed to be removed because these types of gallbladder can turn to cancer. I wish, I could have kept my gallbladder. I have had Nothing but issues since it’s removal. I’ve had nausea,loose bowels,constipation, weight lost, weight gain , heartburn and just stomach issues. I’ve been diagnosed with Gastro paresis and upper GI problems.My surgeon took 2.5 hrs to remove my gallbladder and he told me it feel apart upon removal. So here I am still feeling the same and seeing a gastroenterologist.

No food or drink I quit in the AM seems to stop the painful urge to go.I just took 2 immodium again. I have been drinking a bottle of Propel to restore electrolytes. Is this better than pedialyte? Don't know. The interesting thing each BM is preceded by powerful gas; is this the problem? Don't know.

After two days the new prescription seems to be helping. Prescription calls for 2 pills three times a day.. but I prefer to go slowly when introducing new meds.. so I started taking 1 pill at breakfast lunch and dinner and today the same.. seems to cut down on the number of BMs and the nausea.. its only three days so will be interested in how much this prescription (Colesevelam 625) stops three years of pain and nausea..tired of having to hunt down a restroom 30 minutes after a meal when out in public.. I had just about quit being social because of it..

Sounds very similar to what I am beginning to experience, especially the BM description. Please publish the result of your medication. We are long past embarrassment.

This may not apply here but in 2006 I had my gall bladder removed, emergency surgery. Starting in 2017 I started having nausea, diarrhea and this sounds awful, but terrible gas just prior to having to go.. often going in my underwear.Preceding the diarrhea was what I would call soft serve mushy BMs..embarrassing to write about such a personal thing. So in addition when I ate within about 30 minutes I had to find a bathroom..quick. Had two colonoscopies during this time the last one showed gastritis, esophagitis and one pre cancerous polyp. Put me on Pantoprazole and that did not work so they put me on Carafate.. did not work. So changed Gastroenterologists and had my first televisit just a couple of days ago.. he is one of the doctors in the large practice my first Gastroenterologist is in so he had access to my previous records. Said the issue was no bile production and prescribed Welchol which was way to expensive for me even with insurance so my daughter in law sent me info for a discount and I had my pharmacy use it and got a generic..Colesevelam 625, two twice daily.. so my question is does anybody take this drug? And so has it worked. Side effects? Thank you.

Hello @jfperrone,

I'm sorry to hear of the bouts of diarrhea that you have had since your gall bladder surgery.

As you have probably heard, the basic diet for diarrhea is referred to as the BRAT diet. This stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. When the symptoms become very bothersome you might go back to this type of diet for a meal or two and see if it helps. Usually, dairy products, such as cheese, are not recommended. If you continue to have problems you might ask your doctor for a referral to a certified dietician who can help you develop an eating plan.

As @fourof5zs suggested, you might have frequent, small meals which are both light in quality as well as quantity.

Has your doctor suggested anything other than Immodium and Electroyle liquid such as Pedialyte?

Thank you for sharing your experience with me; I learned a lot. I also have severe bouts in the am. I have given up coffee and other stuff to make changes. This am I had one half toasted bagel with a slice of american cheese followed by a banana with water. I am waiting to see the result. I dont know what to do about a probiotic yet. I don't eat junk food or sweets so I wont miss any of that. I'll look for supplements to try. Thanks again.