Has anyone here had their gall bladder removed?

[VenusRising]

I had my removed at 19. Now, I have so many issues with my stomach it's hard to not feel queasy most of the time. I go through cycles of being hungry, but the thought of food, the look, or the smell send me into what I only imagine pregnant women dealing with.

Yesterday was one of those days. I ended up eating so very little that I spent most of the night throwing up nothing but bile. I assume it's because of not having that little bag holding in all the bile that I have a leak of bile into my system making me sick.

All I want to do it feel batter, dammit!! Between throwing up and pacing, I'm surprised I got any sleep at all.

:cry::cry::cry:

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Sweetie, that's terrible!

Here, have some of these :hug: :hug: :hug:

[VenusRising]

2. Thanks, hon.

I'll take them today!

:hug:

[rasputin1952]

3. I had mine out years ago, and I found that eating a small amount

of a somewhat fatty food helps a lot, after all, bile breaks down fats. Just use moderation, and it may not work for you, as it did for me.

One thing I've had to deal with are some serious cases of the "runs" after my cholecystectomy...never know when it's going to hit either...:(

Try to avoid acidic foods like lemons/lemonade, tomatoes etc., or at least moderate them as well...:)

Hang in there, it's a day-to-day thing w/me, some days good, some days 'bad'.

[VenusRising]

6. Thanks. I'm trying to hang in there.

I guess I'm just going to have to force myself to eat sometimes whether I feel like it or not.

Ugh, I understand about the not knowing when the "runs" will hit. x(

I can't wait until we have a 2 bathroom house.

[trogdor]

21. That's why I get the runs?

Nice to know.

[VenusRising]

22. It seems to be a common factor.

Sorry you have to deal with it, too.

:hi::hug:

[seemunkee]

4. That doesn't sound normal

My wife had hers removed in her early 20s and her mother had hers removed also. Neither of them has the problems that you describe. Lactose is a bigger problem for them than not having a gall bladder
You should go to a gastoenterologist and get checked out.

[VenusRising]

8. Maybe I should.

I just hate having to go for something that seems ok as long as I eat.

I've also had stomach issues since I was a little kid.

I need a trade-in.

[Love Bug]

5. Have you seen a doctor about this?

I had my gall bladder out two years ago. Occasionally I'm reminded of this by a bit of indegestion but generally I have no problems. You may benefit from medication but you should probably be seen to make sure something else isn't going on.

[VenusRising]

9. No.

I only in the last couple of months got insurance, and this is the second time this has happened.

I know that a lot of it is centered around anxiety, and it all just snowballs.

[TheProphetess]

7. I'm very sorry

I had mine removed about 8 years ago and I've had no problems at all. I think you should call the doctor and see what's going on. :hug:

[VenusRising]

10. Thanks, TheProphetess.

:hug:

[MissMillie]

11. I didn't have these kinds of problems

and I suggest you talk to the doctor.

Getting it removed should mean you feel BETTER... and this doesn't sound like it.

[VenusRising]

14. It's been 12 years since I got it removed.

You would think BETTER would be a part of the equation, huh?

Thanks, MissMillie. :hug:

[Lex]

12. I don't think that's a ususal side-effect.

My SO had hers out 10 years ago and has never experienced those symptoms.

Maybe you should get it checked out by a doctor.

[VenusRising]

16. I should have made this a poll.

:rofl:

It would have been a unanimous "go to the Doctor" victory.

Thanks, Lex. I'm going to have to get it checked out, because this isn't fun.

It's also more difficult to make my husband go to the cardiologist if I won't see a gastrointestinal specialist.

[Midlodemocrat]

13. I don't think that is normal, sweetie.

I had a lap-chole in 1991 and have never had those symptoms. I think you should see a doctor and see if something else is going on.

:hug:

[VenusRising]

17. Thanks for the hug, Midlo.

I appreciate it.

:hug:

[Bennyboy]

15. I did in 2004 and to tell the truth...

To me it seemed a way for doctors to make a freaking pile of money.

Story: Went to the doc with mild pain in abdomen. Poke poke, X Ray. Appt with surgeon. Schedule removal. have gall bladder removed.

Rest for a week, continue usual activities. Pain still exists. Now I have to use the bathroom (#2) almost immediately after a meal. I mean RIGHT NOW. I have never been like that before the operations. I was a go in the AM kind of guy but now it is like NOW or have an accident. And the pain still persists.

So not sure what if anything they did except charge my insurance about 5 grand or so.

[VenusRising]

18. My pain was severe before the surgery.

I thought I was having a heart attack. I could't lay down and I couldn't sit down.

The immediacy of the bathroom was also a quite noticeable change for me after the surgery.

I hope your pain goes away.

:hug:

[trogdor]

23. Dude, gallstones are no fun.

You can't live with them forever. If your doctor says your GB has to come out, it has to come out. They will ruin your life until you get rid of them. I was going to the ER three times a week while waiting for mine to come out. The drugs they gave me for the pain had me stoned out of my gourd. You know it's bad when they send you home with a whole bottle of the active ingredient of the "grasshopper" they give you to make the pain stop. That shit's a seriously controlled substance, and they probably should not have let me walk out with a pint of it. It kept me out of the ER, though.

The surgery was relatively painless. I was home the same day, and fit to work in less than a week. In the old days, when Kennedy was still alive, you went in for gallbladder removal, and they slit you open from one end to the other. You were fortunate if you got to leave the hospital in a week, and you were out of work for at least a month. Thank the medical gods for laparoscopy.

[VenusRising]

28. I went to the ER 3 times in 2 days.

It was over a weekend. When I finally went back on Monday and my doctor came up to see me, he was freaking out that I hadn't been admitted for surgery yet. I was home the next day post surgical.

My friend had to have his out a few months later, and they actually had to cut him all the way open. I'm so glad that I had already had mine out because no one around at the time would have recognized the symptoms. I rushed him to the ER because he was in as much pain as I thought I had been in. He was in the hospital for 2 weeks with serious infection. I was worried about whether he would make it or not.

[EstimatedProphet]

19. I did in 2000

I had serious coplications - like a 2 month long case of jaundice that was near-critical. Also, every now and then I get a pain twinge still.

[VenusRising]

20. Holy Schmoley!

:hug:

I'm sure glad you came out of that.

My mother developed jaundice and pancreatitis before she had her gall bladder out.

[EstimatedProphet]

32. Anymore I get jaundice for just about anything

I have Gilbert's Syndrome - basically it means that my liver gets pissed off and I turn yellow occasionally, whenever something happens.

[gmoney]

24. had mine out in November, no big problems...

...the only real problem is that when I eat at restaurants where there's a lot of fatty foods and large portions, I will need to find a bathroom very soon, sometimes on the way OUT of the restaurant. Of course, that would happen sometimes before, so it may not be related to the gall bladder thing, but anymore it's pretty much a sure bet when I eat at Denny's, Bob Evans, or the dreaded Olive Garden.

Before this gets locked for "medical advice", I'd just agree that it's probably worth seeing a doctor if you feel it's a problem. May be totally unrelated to your gall bladder situation.

[VenusRising]

27. Chinese buffet kills me!

I don't even make it through the first half of the meal before I have to run to the bathroom.

[dropkickpa]

25. I did 5 years ago

I have post-cholecystectomy syndrome (about 15% of people get it after). I get the runs after eating (I usually have about a 30 minute window, but I better be near a toilet at the end of that 30 minutes).

I have horrid heartburn now, even from drinking water. I put on about 50lbs. in the six months after I had it removed, even though I radically changed my diet and exercise to one that usually induces a large amount of weight loss. All of the women in my family have had their gallbladders out and all except my one cousin suffers from the same symptoms post-op.

BUT, that said, anything is better than the pain of a gallbladder attack. I gave birth and that was *nothing* compared to what my attacks felt like, and they were getting longer and longer, lasting up to 8 hours of non-stop agony.

Not having a gallbladder can alter your digestion considerably. See you doctor, tell ALL of your symptoms in detail.

[VenusRising]

26. You make me feel better about getting pregnant.

:rofl:

My mother told me that if I couldn't handle the pain of my gall bladder attacks, I could never handle the pain of having a kid.

Scared me right into kid-less-ness, she did.

I had all of those symptoms after my surgery including the weight gain.

It's just nice to know that I'm not alone in having my gall bladder out and having some "issues" the same as everyone else.

:hug:

[dropkickpa]

29. LOL

For me, childbirth was a breeze compared to my gall bladder attacks. When I landed in the emergency room because of pain I told the attending I'd much rather be giving birth right now!

You are not alone, there's a LOT of women who have post-op problems.

:hug:

[Love Bug]

34. Wow-- I didn't know about post-cholescystectomy syndrome

Now, I've had the 'dumping' experience a couple of times but after reading your story, I feel lucky that I have very little problems. I'm sorry you're having those kind of side effects.

[sarge43]

30. Venus, make an appointment with your doctor right now.

I had mine removed about a year ago and I never had any of those problems.

[VenusRising]

31. Thanks, sarge.

I'm looking for a doctor. I have only had insurance for a couple of months now. I'm not used to being able to see a doctor at all.

[Kali]

33. have you told your doctor(s) this?

I had mine out about 10 years ago and have never had a problem. I can eat anything, although I'm not sure that is entirely a good thing.

Pancreas came to mind when I read your post - have you had any problems there?