Severe abdominal pain pain for 8 years after gallbladder removal

Is there anyone out there that has had the same issues after gallbladder removal? I feel so alone.

I ended up having bile reflux after having my GB taken out, thus resulting in a major surgery to reconstruction the duct to avoid this bile build up. I still have issues, and am dealing with a flare up of what could be scar tissue obstructing things from that surgery 3 years ago. But all my GI stuff started about 7 months after GB removal. I wish I would not have had this done and maybe tried some other things before having it removed. Check to see if you have sphincter of oddi dysfunction, I had that as well but then led to bile reflux.

I'm sorry you are going through this. I have had similar chills, sweats, pain, dizziness, and exhaustion in the few months since gallbladder removal. I have had no idea what is causing it. It is so debilitating and effects daily life so much! I wanted to share with you so you don't feel so alone. I wonder if others have this? Have you found any help at all?

Hi @cassie2025, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! I glad to see your post and that you are finding others to share experiences with. I am sorry you are having debilitating problems since having your gallbladder removed.

What kind of things are your symptoms impacting day-to-day? Do you plan to visit with your doctor about it?

So sorry to hear what you're going through. I've had very similar symptoms for the last 4 year, they were mild at first but have progressively got worse, I have constant right pain in rib area runs in to my back and shoulder, a tight pressure feeling some times worse when I eat and eat very low fat and healthy, when I don't eat I get a very painful
Biding pain in my back both on the right and left upper back. I suffer with night sweats broken sleep, extremely tired, I run a small business which is labour intensive I'm just about coping with it as I work from home so I can lay down if I feel ill. I have been to my GP several times each year I have blood test ultra sound scan camera put down my stomach blood test stool tests but all have come back negative, I'm waiting for a specialist scan where they put radioactive dye in to you via a vein to look in to your liver bile
duct and spinkter of oddi but I live in uk and the waiting list are ridiculous, I'm hoping this will help , hope thing get better for you kind regards
Dee

GB removed after a 6 year wait on NHS. Finally thought that was the end of it but the pain has gradually come to the point of nearly as bad as a full blown attack!! 10 months post op!! I feel it is worse when I eat healthily and try to lose a bit of weight, that's when the pain reaches it's crescendo. M.

@madmike - hello, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can't imagine thinking you had the surgery, were at the end of the pain, but then there it was again. Ow.

I had incredible gallbladder spasms before I had to have mine removed. They started coming on while getting my hair colored - literally with a head full of foils - and over-the-counter pain medication did nothing. The pain ramped up incredibly. By the time my hair was done (had to wait on that, or my hair would have broken off!), I got home, asked my husband to take me to the emergency room and arrived there, I could not even sit in a chair in the lobby. I had to lie down on the floor of the lobby. It was the only way I could even begin to get at all comfortable. The pain really surpassed even childbirth.

Have you had the chance to send an electronic message or leave a phone message for your primary care doctor or the surgeon who removed your gallbladder to talk about your pain at this point? If so, what did they say?

I had my gallbladder removed almost 5 years ago. I've had lots of issues with diarrhea and acid reflux seems worse. I work nights doesn't help. Been eating bad with work schedule fried foods etc, but when I lay off them for awhile it seems like almost anything recently upsets my stomach. Sometimes it's hard to tell if I have a stomach bug or not, since I will get low fever at times. I will see about more tests after first of the year, but seems discouraging. I can't eat cantaloupe at all anymore. Tomatoes I can eat ok, but have to have a little food in my stomach first I found out the hard way.

@lizz1900 - that sounds discouraging. I had my gallbladder removed about 16 years ago and have not had any troubles since. However, that does not appear to be the experience of all who have this surgery.

Your mention of seeing about more tests after the first of the year sounds wise.

Have you been in touch with the surgeon who performed your gallbladder surgery to see if they believe the symptoms you are experiencing now are connected to the gallbladder removal? If so, what did he or she say?

@tammyt1967 Yes, I had the same problem after gallbladder removal. When the surgeon finally believed me and explored the problem, he found that the lower portion of my stomach was stuck to the area where my gallbladder had been. This caused the pain after eating, and explained why the scans didn’t show any problems; they were always done on an empty stomach. A few years after the second surgery, all of the symptoms were returning. A third doctor found a mass of scar tissue in the area that flared and caused pain after eating more than very small portions. Try to find a pain specialist that will look beyond the normal causes and can treat the pain instead of dismissing it. Good luck