Post-cholecystectomy or gallbladder removal surgery

After having my gallbladder removed 14 yrs. ago, I still have issues with digesting anything with fat. Combine that with IBS and you're in real trouble. I'm trying to put weight on while the majority of people are trying to take it off. That of course brings it's own stress and as we all know that's the worst thing for any health issue. I am currently on a anti biotic and am being balanced off with a probiotic. Seems to be helping my stomach and the diarrhea associated with IBS. This is the first thing that has made me feel normal after seeing multiple gastroenterologists with no positive results. Is anyone familiar with Lypo Gold. It's an enzyme that is suppose to help aid with fat digestion. Just wondering what input anyone has on how it works and their results from taking it. Thank you.

@jtlang55 I had my gallbladder removed in 2001 along with having a Nissen fundoplication. The diarrhea bouts were awful afterward and anti-diarrhea medications of no help. I tried several probiotics with no relief. In 2008 my husband and I decided to travel from our home in Georgia to my brother's home in Washington state. We took our travel trailer. I prayed every day that my stomach would be okay as we traveled. Usually the diarrhea hit me before we left or after we stopped for the night.. so my prayers answered. Along the journey we stopped in Mississippi to visit my husband's family and his cousin told me he had had the same problem with diarrhea. He said Align worked for him. So I tried it and it has worked for me with just a few bouts and those happen when I eat something greasy. So I avoid very greasy foods.. and too many sweets.

I had to have more abdominal surgery and in 2013 had to have a feeding tube.. had it for a little over a year. I was limitted on pills I could take.. so no Align. I could eat pudding consistency foods so I ate yogurt which did help. When I did get back on solid foods a doctor recommended another brand of probiotics. Super something and all it did was give me horrible stomach cramps.. so I went back to Align... and the store brand similar to it do not work for me either.

Everyone is different.. what works for one person may not work for another. Just keep trying different things. I struggle with my weight. Still trying to figure out what foods works for all my mixture of stomach and esophagus issues.

Zaroga

Thank you for your response. I'm sorry you have had these issues. I know that it is a very complex problem and one that leaves you feeling helpless. I have talked to more people who have had these issues once their gallbladder has been removed. Thank you again for your suggestions and advice. I am going to be seeking out a naturopathic doctor as the medical field has been of little help.

Hello @msb18, welcome to Connect. I would like to invite a few members who have also had their gallbladders removed to share their experiences post-op with pain: @kozlo52, @roisemaire, @paula1957, @sq2753sw, @johnetteg, and @bertbiz. I would also like to invite @painwarrior to this discussion to talk about their experience with adhesions following surgeries.

@msb18, if you are comfortable sharing, has your provider talked with you about next steps if they suspect adhesions?

hello all, I am now close to 3 months post Op and still having spells of upper abdominal pain similar to pre op pain.The last round ( 3 days ago) was a "lighter version" less painful, but still kept me in bed all day. I just want to get past this and live again! This is crazy!!

We did discuss removing the adhesion but, the likelihood of new adhesions causes enough concern that we opted to treat the symptoms (chronic nerve pain at the port incision and in my back). I am frequently nauseated and get winded easily. The doctor believes that the adhesion may be against the stomach. My cholesectomy surgeon was contacted approximately 6 months after surgery to notify him that I developed intense pain under the location of one incision. He didn't answer and I subsequently discovered that he lost his malpractice insurance. A second surgeon was contacted and he diagnosed me with an incisionsal hernia. My GP asked me not to go into a second surgery as he felt that the degree of my pain was unlikely to be caused by a very small hernia. I wish I listened to my GP. The second surgeon went back through the initial port incision and lengthened it. He repaired a 10mm hernia in which fat was trapped. My GP read the notes and reiterated that the hernia couldn't have been the cause of my pain. Within months of the hernia repair, the pain became unbearable. I couldn't - and still can't - sleep on my back or abdomen. I wake nauseated every morning from the pain. I have seen specialists - I received lidocaine injections, nerve blocks, acupuncture, was prescribed 2 different anti seizure medications, anti depressants, etc to tackle the pain. Cymbalta worked the best but caused blood sugar turmoil. I am currently on Gabapentin and a non-narcotic pain medication. This combination is the one I can best tolerate but, the trade off is not having children (anti seizure medications can cause birth defects). Even with these medications, the pain is unending. I get violently nauseated if I don't eat small meals. I felt intense anger for many years that the second surgeon didn't recognize the pain as nerve pain and reopened the incision. The first surgeon killed a patient performing cholesectomy on him. He knicked an organ and realized too late what went wrong. So, my nonstop pain, not having children and living with nausea is better than the alternative experienced by the other patient.

Until statistics greatly improve showing complete resection of upper abdominal adhesion without adhesion recurrence, neither I nor my family would consent to surgery. My GP agrees with this decision. The devil we know.... My fear is - what if another adhesion forms and it causes worse pain and gastrointestinal symptoms?
@JustinMcClanahan

Are you having the pain you had prior to gallbladder surgery? Is there a trigger? I'm curious if you might have post cholesectomy syndrome. If you eat a 'gallbladder safe' diet - low fat/not greasy, do your symptoms improve?

Your upper left, is that next to your left arm/hand? My gallbladder surgery was on my right side, as in, I’m right-handed, same side. I, too have had continuous pain, though very tolerable 5 years out and on. Pain is lower rib to back. Surgery was laparoscopic done in 1996. Very bad stones.

@ckeys - My pain - while also in the former location of the gallbladder and straight through into my back - is predominantly directly to the left. It is at the site of the port incision (where the camera was inserted for the laparoscopic cholesectomy). It is that incision that was then lengthened the following year for the 10mm hernia repair.

Hi, I have surgery almost 6 weeks ago. I am still sore where the incisions are. I had it done laparoscopic. I went to surgeon today for follow up and told him how nauseous I was and he said he never heard of that! Well as i am reading a lot of posts, I see it's not that uncommon. He told me to go to my doctor and schedule an endoscopy because pathology showed my gallbladder wasn't "that bad". But when I went to ER and had an ultrasound they told told me it had to be taken out that day! I am so upset..but after reading other people's experience feel like I am not alone. I have been looking up Gallbladder safe diets..maybe that will help. I am tired, and just not the same yet. My age is 54 years old, female if that that makes a difference. Any input and/or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks