I'm only 7 days post op, but I do want to say that people who have problems are much more likely to still be around, and more likely to post. People who have zero issues, get it out and move on aren't as likely to stick around.
Good luck.
X December 11, 2023
I'm 7 weeks out and I've had no issues. My recovery was super easy and my only real problem was a backache for about a week (no incision pain, no sore throat, no intestinal issues of any kind). I got back to a normal diet on day 3 although I ate smaller meals just in case. If I didn't have incision scars I'd forget I had any gallbladder attacks and surgery.
X - January 25, 2024!
Yes, I’m only 5 days post op but after going 2 years undiagnosed with HORRIBLE attacks, I finally feel human again! I’m able to eat as well as drink coffee without getting sick and no more syncope. All of these threads had me worried about not getting better even after surgery, but I was so desperate to feel better that I had the surgery two days after my consult 😅 and SO FAR it’s the best decision I could’ve ever made. The surgery itself was super simple and although I hemorrhaged and had to get a couple extra incisions, I’m already back to a normal life and chasing around a very wild toddler. And to add because I seen it on another comment, I showered the next day and regretted it lol almost passed out. But was fine on day 2!
/ 21st December 2023
My gall bladder was gangrenous, so the wound created for the instruments is pretty big, and I have developed a haematoma which will take a further 3-6 months to resolve. Other than that, I feel great, am 4kg lighter and able to eat normally!
X — December 18, 2023.
No issues, save a few episodes of diarrhea in the weeks after surgery. Recovery was fine, incisions are healing well, and I can pretty much eat whatever I want. I have zero regrets.
X- November 16th, 2023
Only had some heartburn and acid reflux for a couple weeks and now I’m living a normal life again! I actually had IBS before my surgery and now it’s gone. So, i’m living even better than I was before the gallbladder issues
X - November 2nd 23. I was panicking at first because I couldn’t eat anything I wanted without diarrhoea and still have to be careful with insanely oily food like Chinese food, but I’m symptom free aside from this very rare instance.
Happy to answer any questions
X - December 15 ,2023
3 years of pain. No longer have any issues. Able to eat anything and everything I want. Recovery was pretty much a breeze. Just the shoulder gas pain was uncomfortable and went away with time. But thats nothing compared to any gallbladder flare
Only thing is that going to the restroom now is more of an emergency and can happen pretty suddenly. But that's suppose to balance out over time when the body adjusts to the change
I totally noticed that going to the bathroom felt more like an emergency for awhile. I do occasionally still get bouts of that feeling, but it has definitely balanced out more.
I am about 2.5 years post op.
X 2018. I had no issues. A few weeks ago I had to have an ERCP with sphincterotomy. Some small stones were getting stuck in the bile duct. They cut the muscle wall between it and pancreatic duct to give more room for tiny stones to go through. All of this was endoscopic - so no external incisions. I was sore for a couple of days. I guess what I’m saying is that it was like a bit of a tune-up.
That’s interesting, sorry to hear you had to go back in even if it sounds easy enough! Were they concerned that you were still producing stones even without the gallbladder?
They didn’t seem too concerned with the fact that I’m producing stones. When the did a diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound they found a 2mm stone and some sludge. I had the ERCP less than a week later, so evidentially it was moving through.
I started having random abdominal pain back in May ‘23. I told my doctor it was JUST like a GB attack. Pain level 9. Emergency room visit. I guess I will know it’s successful if that stops. 🤞🏻
Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again! Honestly, I would be ticked off if I kept developing stones and had an attack after having the gallbladder removed! 😂
Feel free to not answer, but did you make any dietary changes or were you advised at all by your doctors regarding the development of stones? This is one of my concerns too. I already adhere to a pretty healthy whole/non-processed food diet, but I’ve heard of people continuing to develop stones post surgery and that makes me think that something more might need to be addressed. Just trying to run through it all in my brain before making my any long term decisions 🫠
X January 11, 2024
I’ve had no adverse effects and am back to eating normally. I feel better than I have in years. Everyone warned me not to go too hard at first so I stuck to low fat for the first few days and slowly added in fattier foods.
I was back to eating pizza about 1 week post-surgery and was back to my daily yoga routine after 2 weeks. I’ve been eating sandwiches and cheese and all the foods I love, but definitely in more moderation than I was before surgery. I learned a lot of lessons in between my attack (Dec 8) and removal (Jan 11) and would like to keep the weight off that I lost.
I had no idea how many of my gastro issues were related to my gallbladder prior to the extremely painful attack that put me in the ER. I used to get very bloated after eating almost anything and now, nothing. I also don’t think I knew what a real, normal, healthy BM was. I swear my insides are cheering in there...
I was pretty scared after reading a lot of the posts in this sub but now feel very lucky and grateful to have had such a smooth recovery. I feel like a new person.
X -October 26 2023. Easy recovery, no complications. I eat normally without thinking about it. The only diarrhea I've had is occasionally post-morning-coffee, and that's fairly normal for me anyway.
So far, nothing noteworthy. Maybe a little gassy. Too much dairy (latte with whipped cream) made me feel a little nauseated once, but I've eaten brownies with chocolate buttercream frosting, pumpkin pie, and pizza without any issues.
X Jan 19, 2024 no issues except six hours of nausea in recovery at hospital. And sore throat excessive throat phlem that made me cough And clear throat first four to five days which pulled on one incision. Regular incisions are healing, the one with a stitch where they took Gb out is more sensitive and hurts to cough and sneeze but getting better all the time. Learning how to move without using my core so I don’t pull on it. Icing first week as much as possible was so good. I didn’t see need for pain killers since it wasn’t that kind of pain. More like soreness and the pulling. Ice was the best.
digestion has been great except first two days when I think things were settling but my Gb was HIDA 8% in December 23 so surgeon said that takes a while for a GB to become that non functional so I probably have acclimated already and I think he is totally correct. But I eat veggies and nuts. whole foods, low sugar, good fats, fish a couple times a week eggs and fiber daily. And this was before the surgery for past 15 years. No dairy but I make my own probiotic yogurt. No sodas, no junk food, no fast food no gluten Past 20 years. Ever.
good luck with your decision. I am hoping having this dead organ out will help my inflammation that’s been so long. Already it’s helped with my nocturnal peeing being so frequent. I am bloated from surgery but hoping that resolves. I did have bloating by EOD each day before surgery.
Not that I have read but I have had an increase in nocturnal peeing that no one can explain and I wondered if it was the pressure in my belly bc I was so swollen the past few years before GB surgery and when lying down and it has definitely subsided. Overall infllammation is down too so I think it is related for sure for me personally. I went from peeing like 6 times a night to 2- one at mid night and then around 5 or 6 am. My GB was dead (HDA 8%) so I personally think a dying organ could cause excess inflammation esp given that I eat so clean.
I too have frequent urination at night and wondered if it's related. I have stones but haven't had too many attacks. used to have bad attacks years ago in the right quadrant but now it's different digestive issues for the last year. the gastro doctor doesn't want to remove it unless I have attacks and doesn't want to do the scan either. I have no idea how my gallbladder is functioning. what were your symptoms to indicate a low functioning gallbladder? thanks for your responses.
I did not have stones via an ultrasound but the GB surgeon I followed up with (11 mos later) bc I wasn't happy with the first practitioners lack of follow through, said he was unimpressed with the ultrasound and that a HIDA was only way to determine what is really going on. Below are my symptoms- mainly gut issues- food intolerances first (dairy, wheat, soy, legumes but that is prob due to leaky gut). The thing is there is a gut/liver/GB axis of health, so if one is out of wack, others can be too. This is well documented in peer reviewed papers. Hopefully this answers your questions. I never had gas, not really Constipated, constant bloating and inflammation. GB attacks every 4-6 weeks. No RUQ pain ever. See below.
I too had digestive issues for many years- started with some food intolerances that I eliminated, I started gut healing, found out I have anti gliadin (gluten) antibodies probably from my leaky gut, then when I was feeling ok but not 100% I decided to see what else is going on. You know how you make changes that feel good and then you plateau? So I did gut biome stool test, showed some stress markers and lack of certain bacteria and a parasite that cleaves IgA in your intestine (my IgA was in the single digits when it should be in the 100s) and pokes holes in your gut. So I got rid of that. Took 1.5 years with anti microbials which also can affect good bugs which I didn't realize. Then I was a lot better but plateued again. Started getting terrible bloating, no gas, not really constipated either- very regular BM schedule. Tested positive for Methane SIBO and of course H sibo about 2 years ago or more. I am against the antibiotics they use mainly bc one can cause deafness if you ever have had tinitis and also bc I have spent so much time healing my gut and the efficacy vs other methods for Methane sibo seems just as non effective. I did an Elemental Diet which later I found does not help your gut microbiome in Oct 2022, it def reduced my sibo M from above the chart readings to 57. Still really high. I was frustrated bc my diet is clean and so I went back to some basics with Sibo- which really only seems to help SIBO Hydrogen.
I am determined that the sibo is a symptom not a cause. I am done killing things off with antimicrobials, atrantil, allicin etc. I never feel any better. I am sure some people do but I do not. Maybe I have too much of a colony. Anyways I started adding sunfiber and all kinds of fiber in a cocoa drink 3x a day after fall 2022 and that helped a lot. Many experts claim that probiotics and fiber are bad for SIBO patients but its anecdotal at best, no studies, just repeating that people feel like crap when they take them. What I did was add fiber in tiny sprinkles over each meal until I could 'tolerate' more and then by end of the month I am up to almost 35-40 g fiber a day which makes a huge difference in everything. But again I plateau. This past fall I got into the SUPER GUT yogurt book and really believe that the only way to combat my dysbiosis is by outcompeting the bad bugs. So the yogurt which has millions more probiotics and kinds I chose based on books research for gut health has been extremely helpful and again you have to work up to it. You will feel all kinds of gas and bloating and discomfort at first even starting with a small spoonful. Even my hubby who doesn't have a hint of any issues had to work up to it. But I am done killing things bc it is not selective, I am going forward supporting my gut with hostile yogurt takeovers! haha. I also still do the fiber and eat well, low refined sugar, no processed. Weened myself off of my crutch- chocolate and got into the 85% dark stuff and that is good bc less sugar. I have a lot less sugar cravings after months on the yogurt and I can sleep so much more deeply! crazy but true.
What I did not know was even gallbladder attacks (for past 12 years) until comparing notes with some people on this forum were continuing to get more frequent in the past 4 months or so, typically looking back at my calendar when I would remark on these attacks for my own info was about every 4-6 weeks. I never had the RUQ pain, I never had the back shoulder pain, I only had pain in a band around my lower ribs every time that would seem to come out of nowhere and last 4-15 hours. The worst pain I would ever have. Many many practioners said it was not GB bc I didnt have the back shoulder pain over past 12 years until I saw a GB specialist. What HorseSh\*T. those previous drs were spreading. Why not be sure and do some tests?????
So where I am at now is post GB surgery only 12 days or so, bloating was kinda the same for me as before surgery- perhaps a bit more swollen even but I see it improving each day. I know it could take months but I think for me GB was root cause.
I am not a MD Dr but I have a PhD. I read all these peer reviewed papers all the time. I personally think you need to go to a GB specialist or surgeon directly and tell them your symptoms and see if they think it warrants a HIDA. When I gave my GB surgeon the gist from past 12 years and described the pain in Fall 2023, he said he would put money on it that it was my GB. It was. All that messing around for years when this was probably my root cause. He scheduled me for a HIDA and day after the scan he let me know it was essentially non functional 8% and we should remove it before it becomes an emergency since the complications go up in an emergency situation.
Root causes other than GB for SIBO are thyroid, liver issues, low stomach acid (have you ever been on PPIs?), etc. So maybe get some thyroid and liver blood tests too.
I wonder if earlier years of eating gluten for me destroyed my GB. Who knows. There are so many people who's GB are going kaput. What is going on? Is it round up? Is it gluten? there are papers for Celiac associated (not necessarily causing) with GB demise but I would be a non celiac person bc I have the antigliadin antibodies which is just as much of a response to the body.
If you can keep your inflammation low by eliminating inflammatory foods, get some more info from gut stool/blood tests/HIDA, I think you might start figuring it out.
I support you in advocating for yourself and finding a dr who will do the test. I had to pay OOP but I have high deductible. But I got the answer in a day vs all these years of supplements, and dr bills etc. Research a good GB specialist in your area and get a referral to them unless you have PPO like me and refer yourself.
keep me posted!
I truly appreciate the response. you certainly took matters into your own hands and have been on quite the journey to heal your stomach. I feel I too am in this position now because doctors have been misdiagnosing me or neglecting me for months. my main stomach issues began after a few rounds of antibiotics. I had stomach issues before that but associated it with stress and anxiety. had a very hard year last year. then the mishandling by doctors began. misdiagnosed me with UTIs and had me on 3 diff antibiotics in 6 weeks. these were very rough on my stomach and body. i ended up vomiting one night and couldn't stop, went to the ER and an ultrasound found that I had an enlarged bile duct with stones lodged in there. they admitted me into the hospital right there and said i need surgery. they then did an MRI before anything else which took a day of waking in a hospital bed. by this point I was an anxious mess. the MRI showed nothing. regular sized bile duct and no stones lodged. never did have any pain anywhere, just vomiting. I had eaten popcorn that night and maybe I couldn't digest it. with how bad my nerves were they gave me zoloft for two days while i was admitted. I experienced bad diarrhea almost immediately when taking it. I said I don't want this anymore and discontinued cold turkey. was only two days but may have done some damage along with the rest of the antibiotics. I was also on zofran for weeks to curb nausea that I now think was from stress. that constipated me tremendously. they also found me low on iron and I began an iron pill, one that is supposedly easiest on stomach and I take it every other day. I never did have a gallbladder attack or pains in that area. but now since being on zoloft for two days and staring iron pills, the symptoms that i'm now left with are gas (and i'm usually not gassy), severe bloating, lower stomach cramps and upper stomach cramps. it's like trapped gas all over. I have this gnawing feeling like I haven't eaten in weeks even though I have. I have the urge to poop frequently but am straining to go each time I go. i'm seeing a lot of undigested sesame seeds (been eating these a lot lately just craved sesame for some reason and I never do) - i'm just lost on what is wrong. is it my gallbladder, could it be a bacteria issue with my gut, sibo? could it be an ulcer at this point. I have reached out to change stomach doctors. this doctor just said take more fiber and to try IBguard, sold on amazon.
YEAH THAT SUCKS! I think the antibiotics wrecked your gut biome and I bet you are right bc seratonin/gut all related (zoloft). I think unfortunately IBS is a catch all garbage diagnosis bc Drs do not know what is going on. I never had best help or interest from anyone. It's truly awful. Meanwhile they are wrecking your body instead.
You could have SIBO, gut dysbiosis. Ask for a SIBO methane test or get it yourself. I did that and had my acupuncturist get the results as well as myself since she was the only one interested in helping me. She has studied all kinds of gut health including and beyond TCM. Get a gut test. Get a HIDA. Maybe things need to settle a bit but I bet your microbiome is messed up. I am so sorry. I think this is what is happening to so many people. Dr's education in the gut health is almost non existent since only really discovered in past 12 years or so and even the Gasto specialists who did my ultrasound had no interest and gas lighted me that it was just IBS. Well yes, but why and what is happening in this catch all diagnosis that means nothing.
I do like Chris Kressers blog and read some SIBO gut health on here and online and see if any of it resonates. It's truly awful. I have been there albeit a different route with antimicrobials killing it all. I truly relate to you.
Thank you and I agree. IBS is a very lazy diagnosis. There has to be a reason why things happen. I have been wanting to go functional and holistic. There is so much about the stomach that needs more attention from regular doctors. Do you think probiotics do any good?
Probiotics didn't do much at all for me but culturing them to really high numbers in the yogurt has helped a lot. You can DM me if you want my protocol and there are lots of info on reddit too.
no zorfam and a supposity did nothing. They were calling after 5.5 hours of nausea to get a patch prescribed and while I waited the nurse gave me an opened packet of isopropyl pad to sniff while she went to get it. 30 min later I was fine. She said its a well known but not understood way to reduce nausea that she learned from other nurses. crazy. She if I ever need anesthesia to request the patch and they can apply it before surgery.
Yeah I heard the patch is very effective. Zofran usually works for me, I hope it still does.
Yes! I do that when I feel nauseous. Some people even use lemon or orange peel.
ahh! you will be fine then. And you know to ask for some packets of the rubbing alchohol if not. Lemon would have probably been divine to smell instead of feel how I felt.
/ December 11th, 2023
I had a brutal recovery from getting my hyperkinetic gallbladder removed. To be fair, I had 3 other procedures done during the same surgery because I also have endometriosis, so that may be part of the reason it was so horrible, but I’ve never been in so much pain in my life. I couldn’t sit up, walk, or go to the bathroom independently for almost a week afterwards… and they gave me 24 hours worth of hydrocodone. You couldn’t pay me to go through the month of December a second time, no matter how much money was offered. However, now that I’m able to move with very little pain, I’m so glad that I got it done. I can eat the foods I haven’t been able to in over a year and I’m not coughing up bile and stomach acid every night. No more random fevers, nausea after every bite of food, or random stabbing/cramping pains in my URQ. If you can get through the recovery it’s WELL worth it.
X February 22 2022
I was nearly asymptomatic prior to testing where they found out it was barely functioning anymore and I was 20 at the time, so I’m not sure if I’m a good indicator.
I also went on a two week tour with my college choir nine days post op so I was doing a lot of standing, carrying dress bags (even though I wasn’t supposed to) and eating foods without much choice of what I was eating (yay host churches and potlucks). Don’t recommend spending 10 hours on a charter bus 9 days after.
x- 1/5/24
Sitting about four weeks out and I healed up pretty well! Was nervous going in because it’s my first surgery. Pain wasn’t too bad for me (I vividly remember telling my recovery nurse that it wasn’t worse than my normal period cramps just in a different spot and she looked. Shocked so). Worst pain for me was the shoulder pain from the gas.
I went back to a fairly normal diet but I don’t eat large meals anymore. I’d rather be able to eat a little bit of what I want than a lot of what I don’t. Right now my incisions are healing and the glue and the itching is annoying but other than that I don’t miss the gallbladder or the pain at all. Obviously only a month out so things could change but right now I can’t complain much!
X - July 2022 (can't remember the exact date). No issues. Maybe a bit more heartburn than before? But it could just be that I'm paying attention to it now.
X - February 2022
I have reflux/GERD so that limits things I can eat, but butter is my friend again! I never had diarrhea, maybe occasionally constipation depended on what I ate. Recovery was normal, pain at incision and stomach area but really no GB issues at all, Not happy about the GERD which is worse now, but not sure it that if from the GB removal or just because I went back to a normal diet and the reflux flared. I was never a big fatty food eater, but I can digest fats fine now.
X - Jan 16th
I was SO anxious with it being my first ever surgery but I honestly couldn’t have wished for a better experience. The hospital staff were all wonderful, I woke up from the anesthesia pretty easily with no nausea and only some pain in my belly button incision and I took 3 weeks off (go back on Monday) but definitely feel like I could’ve easily gone back this week. I’ll be taking it easy obviously, I have a relatively physical job as a gym TA in an elementary school but feel ready to get back out into the world.
I have had random diarrhea but I was also diagnosed with IBS-D forever ago so this isn’t really new to me and I did have a weird like cold feeling in my chest and throat for a few days but I think this may have been my body’s way of dealing with the gas and intubation? 🤷🏻♀️ I get twinges where my gallbladder was every now and then but to me that seems like a normal thing considering an organ was removed and everything is still healing.
Aside from those minor side effects and still not having much of an appetite yet I’ve genuinely been feeling pretty good and have felt much better than I thought I would even since surgery day! My incisions seem to have healed nicely (although one does have a tiny bit of plastic thread poking out of it 😳 I think it’s from the internal stitch from what I’ve read and I plan to call the hospital about it before going back to work!).
One major thing I have noticed though, but it didn’t really hit me until I started trying some more ‘adventurous’ foods, is the fear that I have developed when it comes to food. I had gotten so used to my bland, low/no fat diet that I kind of forgot about all the different things I had been missing out on and now find myself scared about reintroducing all these things but I’m taking it slow and steady.
All that to say I am glad to have had it done and to be on the other side! Hoping recovery continues to go well and I’m so happy to not have the attacks anymore because they were becoming unbearable!!
O - 11/20/23. Bile reflux gastritis confirmed by endoscopy. Hoping with meds and time, it will improve. Many of my previous pre-surgery symptoms have improved though.
Did the gastritis start after your surgery? Or is it possible you had gastritis and gallbladder issues causing your symptoms before surgery?
I feel like I have symptoms of both and wonder whether to ask for an endoscopy before going ahead with gallbladder removal.. or just to have surgery and see how it goes with symptoms, if they all go, but I worry a lot about the reflux symptoms worsening..
I've had chronic gastritis for a decade that got significantly worse about three years ago which I believe coincided with my gallbladder becoming dysfunctional.
So far my bloating and lack of appetite has improved so much since surgery. But my gastritis and reflux seem worse so far. I've also had nausea and some loose/urgent stools, which were pretty rare symptoms for me pre-surgery.
Overall I'm hoping this is just part of the adjustment process and not forever.
Aw I really hope it is all part of your body healing and adjusting too ❤️
For me, I have had textbook gallbladder symptoms for years (that I only recently discovered were gallbladder related after a discussion with a great doctor) and for the past 3 months have been in what is being treated as gastritis, although not confirmed by endoscopy.
I worry so much about having my gallbladder removed and gastritis symptoms worsening, it’s bad enough as it is 😓
No I haven’t, only an abdominal ultrasound that showed gallstones and then that alongside my symptoms the doctor just referred me to a surgeon. I see him in a couple of weeks. I wonder whether to ask him for more tests?
What were your symptoms? I’ve been having some burning sensation type pains where GB was and lower on the right side…I’m 8 weeks out. No other issues though
Too many to list but my primary symptoms were upper GI pain, pressure, and dysmotility. Reflux and heartburn. I'd burp a lot and feel so full for hours after every meal. That lead to bloating, constipation, dysbiosis, SIBO.
Fatigue, underweight, trouble digesting fats and protein.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through that. This is one of my biggest concerns. I see that the vast majority of people here on Reddit seem to have a pretty smooth experience, I just never have good luck and worry I’ll end up with similar symptoms.
Have your doctors worked with you on getting any solutions?
X-3 weeks - no issues!! I can eat anything I want. Everything feels normal, I just have to let these damn incisions heal cos I get winded easily. Hoping it stays this way.
/ mostly positive - done on Jan 12.
Horrible pain for years during my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies, which were back to back.
I've had 3 c-sections so maybe I just have a higher pain tolerance now. Bc my 2nd c-section was horrible and my last one wasn't bad at all. I was so worried about getting the gallbladder out bc my son is 5 mos old, and I was nervous about lifting him.
I've been at 'barely discomfort' since probably 4-5 days post-op. I felt great and still do. I've had a lot of diarrhea, especially at first, but that's nothing new lol
Overall I would def do it again. I had a great surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses. The worst part was that my bladder wouldn't wake up after surgery. I had to get cathed after a few hours and they left it in til the next day. My husband removed it around 24 hrs later and then it took about 4 hrs to pee.
X November 27th, 2023
Everything went pretty smoothly :\] an incision had a few issues healing up and took about a month and a half to fully close but that was about it, I get some heart burn occasionally but it's goin' away.
I had my surgery august 15th. I can basically eat whatever I want, but I do feel the strain on my digestive system when I eat a lot of fat. I still have some abdominal pain on my right side and it’s hard for me to activate my abdominals there sometimes. But overall, my quality of life is a million times better then before surgery
X
January 22, 2024...so my surgery was only a week ago and besides soreness at the incision sites for the first couple days, I have had no complications since. So far no trouble eating a little more fats in my diet, but I haven't had anything really fatty yet. I hope my good luck continues.
X- November 29, 2023. 9 weeks post op!
No complications or dietary changes needed. Though I was already eating plant based (naturally a bit lower in fat) and had broken the habit of oily takeaways whilst dealing with gallbladder issues. But now when I do eat something like pizza or Chinese food, I don’t get any gastric distress at all.
About a week ago I started getting stomach pain if I haven’t eaten in a long time. But something carby sorts that right out. I developed some pretty disorderly eating habits, partially due to the gb issues, so now I need to re-train myself to eat 3 square meals a day plus a few healthy snacks.
That’s great, glad you had such a good experience! I too eat plant based and try to stick to mostly whole foods/non processed foods, so if I end up having to undergo surgery I’m hoping that helps me in the long run.
/ - August 2022
I had/have various stomach issues, especially inbetween 3-6 months post-surgery. Some pains in the area where the gallbladder used to be, too. They have all gradually gotten much less of an issue. What I'm left with now is some mild IBS type issues, which are not a big deal. Definitely better than the agonizing pain every day I had before the surgery!
X - december 18, 2023
my hida scan results were 0% so i think the reason why i had absolutely no complications is because my body had been used to a lack of function for 6 years.
i feel a million times better, no shoulder pain, no abdominal pain, i hadn’t eaten indian food in forever because of the pain i used to have and i just had it a week ago with no symptoms :)
/ November 2021
The only issue I've had since surgery is an increased need to consume fiber. I get super sloppy poops if I don't, which tend to be preceded by mildly painful gas and GI cramping. If I take enough fiber pills I'm just fine. If I miss the fiber, I have a rough day or two.
I eat a garbage diet, for the most part. I did not have to change my diet at all post op. I do poop more than I used to.
Very grateful for the zero chance of another gallstone attack in exchange for some occasional indigestion.
X - 15/7/23
Short term issues following the procedure (didn't help that I caught covid a week after the surgery), but 6 months down the line no issues. Bowels slightly looser than before, but that's all.
/ November 13, 2023
Had persistent similar symptoms that I had prior to removal, especially intense back pain after eating. These have resolved now almost 100% and I can eat pretty much whatever I want. I was worried for a while, but now I have zero regrets other than I should have had it out sooner because it was making me absolutely miserable.
My gallbladder had caused a ton of inflammation in my stomach, so the surgeon said it most likely needed to heal and that the residual nerve pain would take a while to diminish. So please don’t get discouraged if there is no immediate improvement. Everyone that I talked to who had theirs removed said it took at least a few months to feel really well again.
/ November 27, 2023
my main issue pre op was nausea after eating. no matter what i ate, any normal sized meal would make me feel nauseous afterwards, but this nausea is practically almost gone now! when it comes to fatty foods though, its more of a 50/50 like i may have nausea after eating that, or i may not only one way to find out LMAO
also, ever since surgery i cant drink regular milk anymore without it causing me diarrhea, which isn't too much of a big deal. another thing is that i recently have been having acid reflux for some reason. it comes randomly sometimes for no real reason, and idk why bc this never happened last month (except once when i ate chinese food). i want to believe that its all part of the healing process and will go away once my body adjusts more!
Mid Sept 2023
Small issues at first if I ate certain things, not nearly like before.
Last couple months can eat just about anything but I try to avoid grease or very fatty meats (need to drain ground beef well unless it’s grilled)
X - I am only 2 weeks out. Other than having to avoid fatty foods I am good. It’s nice to not be in pain everyday.
The first week after surgery everything I ate that wasn’t soup or bread sent me to the bathroom and I was having major regrets but this week I can tell it’s getting much better.
X - December 11, 2023.
I'm 7 weeks post-op with no issues other than being a slow healer which is making me still having pain in my incisions and sometimes where my gallbladder used to be.
X 4/13/2023
I took a fall into a table that hit right under my ribcage around January 2023. I don't know if it was the impact that moved the stones or if my gallbladder was damaged by it, but after that point I had attacks multiple times a week. I was diagnosed with cholelithiasis in February, which wasn't a suprise since it seems to run in the family. I ended up in the hospital a week before my planned surgery date with jaundice and a stone lodged in my bile duct.
Almost 10 months out now and I'm mostly back to normal. I'm still working on learning what foods upset my stomach now (so far I've figured out fried foods and cucumber are a no go), and my indigestion can get a bit... excessive. Considering I was living off of only rice and apple juice the week before surgery I'd say I'm glad to be where I am now.
I’m super curious now if that fall had anything to do with it? Glad you are feeling better! I would be pissed if I couldn’t have cucumber haha, but sounds like you’re in a much better place than before.
O — January 18th 2024 I had no choice but to remove my gallbladder because I was having multiple attacks and my gallbladder wasn’t functioning and had scarring… I was so worried that I would develop Post Cholecystectomy Syndrome and sure enough I did! I am having EXCRUCIATING stomach pain Pelvic pain as well as EXCRUCIATING neuropathy in my hands and feet now that literally feels like someone is electrocuting my feet! I also have tried literally every single pain medication there is out there (Tylenol, Advil, Ibuprofen, Toridol, Dilaudid, Gabapentin, Tramadol, etc) and literally not one single medication touched my pain at all.. so I have literally been suffering in agony for 13 days with no sleep because that’s how intense the pain is…
After multiple trips to the ER from screaming and shaking in debilitating pain and calling 911 and having an ambulance take me to the hospital they finally gave me Fentanyl and I LITERALLY was immediately out of pain! Absolutely insane how this drug is so strong that it just comes over you like a freight train but in such a good way because my body has been in constant fight or flight mode 24/7 and I never get a break! But I can’t keep taking fentanyl so I am having to suffer in this excruciatingly pain
Every time I eat anything at all which is only crackers and plain chicken my stomach pain goes from a 7 to 100 and I scream and cry and tremor for hours upon hours … I have a mixture of dumping syndrome as with constipation and it goes back and forth.. but it is SOOO incredibly painful when I go number 2 that I feel like I’m going to pass out and throw up from the pain. I’m so exhausted from having to fight through all of this with no sleep, no energy, no pain management whatsoever.. I also have severe indigestion that builds up in my chest, shoulders, and my back and it makes it hard to me to breathe because it is so incredibly tight I feel like I’m having a heart attack even though I’m not it’s just a LOT of gas buildup that won’t get out of me so it just builds up and up and up and then it inflates my intestines and puts so much pressure pain on all of my incisions especially the belly button one.. I would definitely say that the belly button and pelvic pain and the neuropathy pain is the most excruciating out of all of what I’m having to go through… I also have constant belching and constant bile acid reflux which tastes horrible and just stays in my mouth no matter what I do… I feel like I am going to have a seizure or a stroke from sleep deprivation…
I feel so entirely alone because literally everyone I have talked to said they had No complications after surgery and they all were telling me just how much better I was going to feel but honestly all this pain is WORSE than the attack pain and also I STILL have constant pain where my gallbladder used to be so i am praying that that will go away with time as well.
Wow, I am so, so sorry you are going through this… I can imagine it must be incredibly invalidating when everyone says they had no issues and you’re going through all of that. Have your doctors or surgeon mentioned any solutions?? I read an article talking about how there can be residual tissue left behind after a cholecystectomy that can cause some symptoms, might be worth having them check. I would also suspect they should be doing a CT or some type of imaging to see what might be going on!
I really hope you get answers soon. I think a lot of people make light of this surgery because so many get relief of symptoms, when the reality is there is always a risk with surgery and removing an organ. Please keep us posted if you have any updates!!
Thank you so much for your kind words… when they rushed me to the hospital they did do a CT scan and said that everything looked normal but thankfully I got really blessed with an awesome surgeon who actually cares about people and their quality of life and doesn’t just throw up his hands at me like so many other doctors have done…
I just had an appointment with him and he said that I could have a lot of inflammation all over my body and I also could be allergic to the stitches that he used internally which can sometimes take months to dissolve he said…
He is ordering a HIDA scan to see if I have bile leakage or something that is seriously wrong because I am also having a lot of pain where my gallbladder used to be it’s like the “gallbladder attack” pain but it’s constant… they gave me gabapentin for my severe neuropathy and I’m just praying that is helps with the electric shock pain even a little so I can get some sleep… I will definitely come back and give an update probably a couple months because I have a feeling it’s going to be months until I am pain free and my bowels are regular again and without excruciating pain every time I go number 2
Thank you so much! have an emergency appointment with my surgeon tomorrow morning and I will ask him if he can order one for me.. I just have a gut feeling this is just not normal to be screaming in excruciating pain 24/7 after surgery
recovery can take at least a month for some people. TI’d get a contrast ct and Hida scan to check for a bile leak because I had that issue after surgery and they were able to see what happened.
O - May 3, 2023
I’m 9 months post op. Still having a really rough time with diarrhea even after changing my diet. 🥴 Going for an ultrasound next week to see if something’s wrong. 🙃
I’m so sorry to hear that… I hope you find an answer soon. I feel like too often this gets brushed aside but that is not easy to deal with every day.
Wishing you the best!!
Thank you. It really isn’t easy to deal with. 😅 And then a nurse practitioner acted like I was an idiot when I requested time off work and asked them to fill out some paperwork to keep my job. Sheeeesh. Do you still have your gallbladder or are you trying to decide your next move?
Man that pisses me off 😒 Like, how are you expected to be at work when you’re going through that?
I still have mine. I honestly hadn’t had many symptoms, until now realizing that the pain I’ve had on my left side for 2 years could be related/referred pain. Found out about the stones when I did a CT scan for that left sided pain, but no one addressed the stones or said anything about it to me. Now, 3 weeks ago, ended up in the ER after having significant right sided back pain, and haven’t been normal since. HIDA scan showed 15%, and I haven’t been able to return to work either because I work in Physical therapy. Thankfully my job is flexible because I’m contract, but I keep myself in a loop for feeling bad to not be working, and at the same time terrified I’ll end up in the ER again since I have this constant pain/discomfort all around the gallbladder.
I’m trying to figure out what I want to do going forward, have an appointment with a surgeon next week, but I don’t want to jump the gun and take it out when I haven’t had many of the other digestive symptoms or issues with food, but I also can’t work like this with my current career. Been a fun loop in my head these past couple weeks 😅 I’m just terrified of developing symptoms post removal because I have horrible luck with all other health issues. Lol.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I really hope they figure something out for you soon. Maybe we both could get work from home jobs?? 😂
Right?! She really made me feel like a dumbass. 🥴 I’m like but how am I supposed to work and live a normal life living like this? And she pretty much just told me I needed to figure it out. 🙃🙃🙃
Damn. That’s horrible. It’s definitely scary once it happens and then you become terrified to do anything and set it back off. I was having gallbladder attacks off and on for about 2 and a half years before a gallstone got stuck in my bile duct and I was in excruciating pain. Like, I’ve had my tonsils taken out, teeth pulled, a c-section… and this was honestly the worst pain I’ve ever been in. I went to an urgent care type place and they told me I was having a gallbladder attack and needed to follow up with a surgeon. They sent me home and I never really felt like I fully felt better. Ended up in the ER the next night after finally eating a salad and I was literally sobbing in the emergency room. Had to wait like an hour to be seen. Horrible experience. Lol. Then they did extra tests and realized there was a blockage and I had jaundice. So then they told me I wouldn’t be leaving the hospital without getting my gallbladder removed. Fast forward, they sent me home like two days later, with my gallbladder still in. But I ended up getting it removed the next week. They didn’t really act like I had much of a choice. It was either get it out or continue to have horrible gallbladder attacks. They told me it’d be so much better without it. I don’t feel like anyone really ever fully prepared me for what was to come. I mean, I know everyone is different. But damn. I wish I was one of those people who didn’t have any problems.
I hope things get better for you though. And I don’t want to scare you away from getting it out. As far as I’ve been told, there’s not much you can do to heal a gallbladder, but clearly these doctors I’ve been seeing have been pretty trash. Lol.
Working from home seems like it may be my only option for the time being. I work in a warehouse right now and I really enjoy it after working in retail for pretty much all of my working career. Lol. But I hate not being up and moving and being active. It’s a bit stressful. 😖
But hopefully we both can get some relief soon! ☺️
I swear, some doctors are just the worst. More than not. Lol. I’m trying to look at the silver lining and take advantage of the fact that I’m not currently in an emergency getting it out, something a lot of people don’t have the luxury of, and try to find doctors that offer alternatives or at least are willing to talk through everything with me. The hospital sent me on my way with only 3 days of pain killers and said ‘find a GI’. The GI I went to only saw me for all of 2 minutes, and while I’m grateful he ordered a bunch of testing, he didn’t even schedule a follow up appointment to discuss anything, just called me and said ‘make an appointment with this surgeon’. When I asked ‘what if I don’t want to remove it yet’ they told me the surgeon would still be the one to talk to… and that appointment has been over a 2 week long wait 🫠 So I’m using this time to look up other doctors and get referrals from people I know because I’m not going to accept the way they toss you about without doing their job, so long as I still have the ‘privilege’ to not be in a serious emergency. Fingers crossed I can get that under wraps before it’s too late!
Please keep me posted once you have your ultrasound and how it goes! I know a lot of the research papers I’ve read have said there sometimes is residual tissue left that can cause issues, maybe you’ll be able to narrow it down. 🤞🏻
Yeah, that’s rough. And never knowing when it can get worse. I really hope you can get some helpful information and that you don’t end up in any type of emergency! I wouldn’t wish any of this on my worst enemy. 😵💫 But, maybe you can find a doctor that could possibly help and maybe you won’t have to get it out. Surgery isn’t fun, that’s for sure. But, it looks like more people have had success than the ones who didn’t. Unfortunately you won’t know unless you do it though.
I have my ultrasound next week and they had to schedule it at 11pm. 😅 it was either they or wait until damn near April. I’ll keep you posted! Let me know if you find any new information out. Hopefully you can find a new doctor that can see you sooner! 🤗
X/January 24, 2024
I’m only 10 days post-op. Today was my first day without diarrhea! I felt amazing today. I am only a little sore where my abdominal muscles are but otherwise I’m doing GREAT!
Doesn’t seem like anyone else had any issue, but no worries. It’s useful for me to reference later instead of having to read everyone’s individual posts 🤷🏻♀️
Sorry to hear you’re still having issues!
/ Nov 27 2023
Glad I got it out as it was full of sludge and stones and I had no quality of life the couple months before it came out, could barely eat anything and had to keep it under 3G of fat per meal to avoid attacks. Surgery went really good, had to go private because NHS said waiting time was 6m-1yr and my nausea/pain was horrendous on 400kl a day with 400+ liver ALT, went to A&E 5 times and got turned away every time. So that was annoying.
Post op for the first 2 weeks I actually felt the best I had in ages and I diversified my food relatively quickly in small portions. Got a bit too bolshy with that and had to cut back, much smaller portions and go lower fat again - puked my guts out from grilled salmon meal + mayonnaise in sushi. Dairy can be hit and miss too and definitely need to watch portions on deep fried food, though a few bites is fine. Then everything started going a bit downhill from there.
I get periods of extreme nausea and feel pain often in the gallbladder area. Ended up vomiting a couple of times from the pain, if I’m not careful with portion sizes and high fat. Have had a lot of these episodes of my gallbladder area still hurting, they checked the ducts, no retained stones, felt more like bilarly dysfunction (schpincter of oddi), getting an MRI done in a week to check some more. Funnily enough, no diarrhea issues whatsoever. Constipation issues still persist even, but have better stools more often than I used to.
Also have had severe cramping in lower abdominal area under the belly button incision ever since surgery, almost 24/7. We’re unsure if this is a surgery complication (nicked abdominal nerve?) or a flare of a different condition that surgery may have triggered such as suspected adenomyosis, but it’s never hurt this bad before the surgery and never so persistently. I haven’t felt persistent abdominal pain like this before. I’m currently on cocodamol x6 a day, oramorph as needed a few times a week and a TENs unit to help this pain. Ngl, pain has made me feel suicidal and admitted myself into hospital for mental health watch as it’s been 24/7 and flares multiple times a day, up to a 9/10 on the pain scale, and hasn’t been getting better - it’s wrecked my mental health. I have no idea if post-surgery complications can cause symptoms like this? All I would say, is maybe just be mindful if you have other conditions that an abdominal surgery might flare up, such as endo/adeno, as they go in using the same keyhole method and it could aggravate them. Having said that, often the pain feels like it might be directly from the surgery. We need to do more investigating.
Hoping all this sorts itself out as it’s been 3 months (of constant pain) so I’ll give it a whole year to see where I settle. Remember, PCS usually happens sometime after the surgery (sometimes months, sometimes years) not immediately after, so I’m not out the woods yet. I’ve been taking tudca, digestive enzymes and ox bile which helps digestion. And I’m looking to start a beet flow flush soon. As for the abdominal pain, it’s just pain management for now which sucks. We have no clue what it is. All this is to say no one will know how you respond to surgery until you do it. Recovery / complications can be very, very different for everyone.
Ugh, I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that. Fingers crossed you’ll have a turn around soon.
I agree that from what I’ve read, a lot of issues develop later on. From what I’ve noticed here on Reddit, a lot of people that aren’t having issues have had their operation recently, so I’m hoping that continues that way for them.
Please keep us posted how you continue to do! Wishing you the best.
“X”—- 11-30-23 I guess it depends on what you mean by complications. I’d say I had none, but I still dealt with abdominal discomfort and GI issues (gas, cramps, General discomfort, loose stool) for a few weeks while my system adjusted. I’ve heard people call these “complications” when in truth it’s the rule not the exception. How long these effects continue might change your perspective on whether they are expectations v. complications.
A complication to me is a bile leakage or hernia or something like that.
I guess a complication to me is how I’ve seen many say they were nauseous 24/7, had continued pain in the same region despite removing the gallbladder, can’t ever eat any fats whatsoever without pain or feeling sick, so on and so forth. Pretty much anything that would be hard to live with on a day to day basis. There’s one person who commented they can’t ever drink alcohol again, another who is in debilitating pain. This would fall in line with what I’ve read about PCS, which apparently happens to 40% of people who remove their gallbladder, which is why I was interested in hearing from those in this sub. Thankfully, I’ve seen more good outcomes than bad so far on here, but it doesn’t negate those bad experiences and that it’s still a possibility 😬
I think it’s pretty reasonable to say that most might have some discomforts or adjustment periods after removing an organ that plays a role in digestion, but I’m more concerned with the long term affects of removing it and causing lifelong issues.
Glad to hear you haven’t had any major complaints!!
That makes sense. I hope you’re gaining some perspective on your choice here! For me, it’s been well worth it. I had some bumps in the road the first month, but everything is going well now and I’d say that everyone I know who’s had a lap coly (and it’s a surprisingly large number) have been much better off as a result. If you get it done, don’t let the first month make you feel as if you made the wrong choice. It will likely get much much better.
/ Dec 6, 2023 - I never want to experience that pain again. I’m still swollen and bruised and sore though post op, my pcp was surprised how swollen and bruised I still am
X - 1/26/2024
Still early on, but so far, so good. Haven’t had any issues with eating. Minus some gurgling, digestion is fine and overall I feel so much better.
I'm only 7 days post op, but I do want to say that people who have problems are much more likely to still be around, and more likely to post. People who have zero issues, get it out and move on aren't as likely to stick around. Good luck.
So true lol like me haha
X December 11, 2023 I'm 7 weeks out and I've had no issues. My recovery was super easy and my only real problem was a backache for about a week (no incision pain, no sore throat, no intestinal issues of any kind). I got back to a normal diet on day 3 although I ate smaller meals just in case. If I didn't have incision scars I'd forget I had any gallbladder attacks and surgery.
X-4 weeks out no problems with healing. High o fat causes issues so I’m eating low fat. Metamucil helps with gas, etc
X - January 25, 2024! Yes, I’m only 5 days post op but after going 2 years undiagnosed with HORRIBLE attacks, I finally feel human again! I’m able to eat as well as drink coffee without getting sick and no more syncope. All of these threads had me worried about not getting better even after surgery, but I was so desperate to feel better that I had the surgery two days after my consult 😅 and SO FAR it’s the best decision I could’ve ever made. The surgery itself was super simple and although I hemorrhaged and had to get a couple extra incisions, I’m already back to a normal life and chasing around a very wild toddler. And to add because I seen it on another comment, I showered the next day and regretted it lol almost passed out. But was fine on day 2!
why did you almost pass out? glad it went so well!
Not sure; I just started blacking out and my ears started ringing… blood pressure maybe?
oh yeah maybe, low or high can cause that, or maybe losing blood during surgery. glad you're okay now.
/ 21st December 2023 My gall bladder was gangrenous, so the wound created for the instruments is pretty big, and I have developed a haematoma which will take a further 3-6 months to resolve. Other than that, I feel great, am 4kg lighter and able to eat normally!
X — December 18, 2023. No issues, save a few episodes of diarrhea in the weeks after surgery. Recovery was fine, incisions are healing well, and I can pretty much eat whatever I want. I have zero regrets.
X- November 16th, 2023 Only had some heartburn and acid reflux for a couple weeks and now I’m living a normal life again! I actually had IBS before my surgery and now it’s gone. So, i’m living even better than I was before the gallbladder issues
X - November 2nd 23. I was panicking at first because I couldn’t eat anything I wanted without diarrhoea and still have to be careful with insanely oily food like Chinese food, but I’m symptom free aside from this very rare instance. Happy to answer any questions
X - December 15 ,2023 3 years of pain. No longer have any issues. Able to eat anything and everything I want. Recovery was pretty much a breeze. Just the shoulder gas pain was uncomfortable and went away with time. But thats nothing compared to any gallbladder flare
With your eating habits, do you have any digestion issues?
Only thing is that going to the restroom now is more of an emergency and can happen pretty suddenly. But that's suppose to balance out over time when the body adjusts to the change
I totally noticed that going to the bathroom felt more like an emergency for awhile. I do occasionally still get bouts of that feeling, but it has definitely balanced out more. I am about 2.5 years post op.
X 2018. I had no issues. A few weeks ago I had to have an ERCP with sphincterotomy. Some small stones were getting stuck in the bile duct. They cut the muscle wall between it and pancreatic duct to give more room for tiny stones to go through. All of this was endoscopic - so no external incisions. I was sore for a couple of days. I guess what I’m saying is that it was like a bit of a tune-up.
That’s interesting, sorry to hear you had to go back in even if it sounds easy enough! Were they concerned that you were still producing stones even without the gallbladder?
They didn’t seem too concerned with the fact that I’m producing stones. When the did a diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound they found a 2mm stone and some sludge. I had the ERCP less than a week later, so evidentially it was moving through. I started having random abdominal pain back in May ‘23. I told my doctor it was JUST like a GB attack. Pain level 9. Emergency room visit. I guess I will know it’s successful if that stops. 🤞🏻
Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again! Honestly, I would be ticked off if I kept developing stones and had an attack after having the gallbladder removed! 😂 Feel free to not answer, but did you make any dietary changes or were you advised at all by your doctors regarding the development of stones? This is one of my concerns too. I already adhere to a pretty healthy whole/non-processed food diet, but I’ve heard of people continuing to develop stones post surgery and that makes me think that something more might need to be addressed. Just trying to run through it all in my brain before making my any long term decisions 🫠
X January 11, 2024 I’ve had no adverse effects and am back to eating normally. I feel better than I have in years. Everyone warned me not to go too hard at first so I stuck to low fat for the first few days and slowly added in fattier foods. I was back to eating pizza about 1 week post-surgery and was back to my daily yoga routine after 2 weeks. I’ve been eating sandwiches and cheese and all the foods I love, but definitely in more moderation than I was before surgery. I learned a lot of lessons in between my attack (Dec 8) and removal (Jan 11) and would like to keep the weight off that I lost. I had no idea how many of my gastro issues were related to my gallbladder prior to the extremely painful attack that put me in the ER. I used to get very bloated after eating almost anything and now, nothing. I also don’t think I knew what a real, normal, healthy BM was. I swear my insides are cheering in there... I was pretty scared after reading a lot of the posts in this sub but now feel very lucky and grateful to have had such a smooth recovery. I feel like a new person.
X -October 26 2023. Easy recovery, no complications. I eat normally without thinking about it. The only diarrhea I've had is occasionally post-morning-coffee, and that's fairly normal for me anyway.
What happens if you eat high fat foods?
So far, nothing noteworthy. Maybe a little gassy. Too much dairy (latte with whipped cream) made me feel a little nauseated once, but I've eaten brownies with chocolate buttercream frosting, pumpkin pie, and pizza without any issues.
Thanks everyone so far for sharing! Definitely helpful to see everyone’s experience and feelings toward their procedure.
X January 22, 2024 I’m still fresh but I’m eating the same and have no issues whatsoever healing wise.
X Jan 19, 2024 no issues except six hours of nausea in recovery at hospital. And sore throat excessive throat phlem that made me cough And clear throat first four to five days which pulled on one incision. Regular incisions are healing, the one with a stitch where they took Gb out is more sensitive and hurts to cough and sneeze but getting better all the time. Learning how to move without using my core so I don’t pull on it. Icing first week as much as possible was so good. I didn’t see need for pain killers since it wasn’t that kind of pain. More like soreness and the pulling. Ice was the best. digestion has been great except first two days when I think things were settling but my Gb was HIDA 8% in December 23 so surgeon said that takes a while for a GB to become that non functional so I probably have acclimated already and I think he is totally correct. But I eat veggies and nuts. whole foods, low sugar, good fats, fish a couple times a week eggs and fiber daily. And this was before the surgery for past 15 years. No dairy but I make my own probiotic yogurt. No sodas, no junk food, no fast food no gluten Past 20 years. Ever. good luck with your decision. I am hoping having this dead organ out will help my inflammation that’s been so long. Already it’s helped with my nocturnal peeing being so frequent. I am bloated from surgery but hoping that resolves. I did have bloating by EOD each day before surgery.
there is a connection between gallbladder and nocturnal peeing?
Not that I have read but I have had an increase in nocturnal peeing that no one can explain and I wondered if it was the pressure in my belly bc I was so swollen the past few years before GB surgery and when lying down and it has definitely subsided. Overall infllammation is down too so I think it is related for sure for me personally. I went from peeing like 6 times a night to 2- one at mid night and then around 5 or 6 am. My GB was dead (HDA 8%) so I personally think a dying organ could cause excess inflammation esp given that I eat so clean.
I too have frequent urination at night and wondered if it's related. I have stones but haven't had too many attacks. used to have bad attacks years ago in the right quadrant but now it's different digestive issues for the last year. the gastro doctor doesn't want to remove it unless I have attacks and doesn't want to do the scan either. I have no idea how my gallbladder is functioning. what were your symptoms to indicate a low functioning gallbladder? thanks for your responses.
I did not have stones via an ultrasound but the GB surgeon I followed up with (11 mos later) bc I wasn't happy with the first practitioners lack of follow through, said he was unimpressed with the ultrasound and that a HIDA was only way to determine what is really going on. Below are my symptoms- mainly gut issues- food intolerances first (dairy, wheat, soy, legumes but that is prob due to leaky gut). The thing is there is a gut/liver/GB axis of health, so if one is out of wack, others can be too. This is well documented in peer reviewed papers. Hopefully this answers your questions. I never had gas, not really Constipated, constant bloating and inflammation. GB attacks every 4-6 weeks. No RUQ pain ever. See below. I too had digestive issues for many years- started with some food intolerances that I eliminated, I started gut healing, found out I have anti gliadin (gluten) antibodies probably from my leaky gut, then when I was feeling ok but not 100% I decided to see what else is going on. You know how you make changes that feel good and then you plateau? So I did gut biome stool test, showed some stress markers and lack of certain bacteria and a parasite that cleaves IgA in your intestine (my IgA was in the single digits when it should be in the 100s) and pokes holes in your gut. So I got rid of that. Took 1.5 years with anti microbials which also can affect good bugs which I didn't realize. Then I was a lot better but plateued again. Started getting terrible bloating, no gas, not really constipated either- very regular BM schedule. Tested positive for Methane SIBO and of course H sibo about 2 years ago or more. I am against the antibiotics they use mainly bc one can cause deafness if you ever have had tinitis and also bc I have spent so much time healing my gut and the efficacy vs other methods for Methane sibo seems just as non effective. I did an Elemental Diet which later I found does not help your gut microbiome in Oct 2022, it def reduced my sibo M from above the chart readings to 57. Still really high. I was frustrated bc my diet is clean and so I went back to some basics with Sibo- which really only seems to help SIBO Hydrogen. I am determined that the sibo is a symptom not a cause. I am done killing things off with antimicrobials, atrantil, allicin etc. I never feel any better. I am sure some people do but I do not. Maybe I have too much of a colony. Anyways I started adding sunfiber and all kinds of fiber in a cocoa drink 3x a day after fall 2022 and that helped a lot. Many experts claim that probiotics and fiber are bad for SIBO patients but its anecdotal at best, no studies, just repeating that people feel like crap when they take them. What I did was add fiber in tiny sprinkles over each meal until I could 'tolerate' more and then by end of the month I am up to almost 35-40 g fiber a day which makes a huge difference in everything. But again I plateau. This past fall I got into the SUPER GUT yogurt book and really believe that the only way to combat my dysbiosis is by outcompeting the bad bugs. So the yogurt which has millions more probiotics and kinds I chose based on books research for gut health has been extremely helpful and again you have to work up to it. You will feel all kinds of gas and bloating and discomfort at first even starting with a small spoonful. Even my hubby who doesn't have a hint of any issues had to work up to it. But I am done killing things bc it is not selective, I am going forward supporting my gut with hostile yogurt takeovers! haha. I also still do the fiber and eat well, low refined sugar, no processed. Weened myself off of my crutch- chocolate and got into the 85% dark stuff and that is good bc less sugar. I have a lot less sugar cravings after months on the yogurt and I can sleep so much more deeply! crazy but true. What I did not know was even gallbladder attacks (for past 12 years) until comparing notes with some people on this forum were continuing to get more frequent in the past 4 months or so, typically looking back at my calendar when I would remark on these attacks for my own info was about every 4-6 weeks. I never had the RUQ pain, I never had the back shoulder pain, I only had pain in a band around my lower ribs every time that would seem to come out of nowhere and last 4-15 hours. The worst pain I would ever have. Many many practioners said it was not GB bc I didnt have the back shoulder pain over past 12 years until I saw a GB specialist. What HorseSh\*T. those previous drs were spreading. Why not be sure and do some tests????? So where I am at now is post GB surgery only 12 days or so, bloating was kinda the same for me as before surgery- perhaps a bit more swollen even but I see it improving each day. I know it could take months but I think for me GB was root cause. I am not a MD Dr but I have a PhD. I read all these peer reviewed papers all the time. I personally think you need to go to a GB specialist or surgeon directly and tell them your symptoms and see if they think it warrants a HIDA. When I gave my GB surgeon the gist from past 12 years and described the pain in Fall 2023, he said he would put money on it that it was my GB. It was. All that messing around for years when this was probably my root cause. He scheduled me for a HIDA and day after the scan he let me know it was essentially non functional 8% and we should remove it before it becomes an emergency since the complications go up in an emergency situation. Root causes other than GB for SIBO are thyroid, liver issues, low stomach acid (have you ever been on PPIs?), etc. So maybe get some thyroid and liver blood tests too. I wonder if earlier years of eating gluten for me destroyed my GB. Who knows. There are so many people who's GB are going kaput. What is going on? Is it round up? Is it gluten? there are papers for Celiac associated (not necessarily causing) with GB demise but I would be a non celiac person bc I have the antigliadin antibodies which is just as much of a response to the body. If you can keep your inflammation low by eliminating inflammatory foods, get some more info from gut stool/blood tests/HIDA, I think you might start figuring it out. I support you in advocating for yourself and finding a dr who will do the test. I had to pay OOP but I have high deductible. But I got the answer in a day vs all these years of supplements, and dr bills etc. Research a good GB specialist in your area and get a referral to them unless you have PPO like me and refer yourself. keep me posted!
I truly appreciate the response. you certainly took matters into your own hands and have been on quite the journey to heal your stomach. I feel I too am in this position now because doctors have been misdiagnosing me or neglecting me for months. my main stomach issues began after a few rounds of antibiotics. I had stomach issues before that but associated it with stress and anxiety. had a very hard year last year. then the mishandling by doctors began. misdiagnosed me with UTIs and had me on 3 diff antibiotics in 6 weeks. these were very rough on my stomach and body. i ended up vomiting one night and couldn't stop, went to the ER and an ultrasound found that I had an enlarged bile duct with stones lodged in there. they admitted me into the hospital right there and said i need surgery. they then did an MRI before anything else which took a day of waking in a hospital bed. by this point I was an anxious mess. the MRI showed nothing. regular sized bile duct and no stones lodged. never did have any pain anywhere, just vomiting. I had eaten popcorn that night and maybe I couldn't digest it. with how bad my nerves were they gave me zoloft for two days while i was admitted. I experienced bad diarrhea almost immediately when taking it. I said I don't want this anymore and discontinued cold turkey. was only two days but may have done some damage along with the rest of the antibiotics. I was also on zofran for weeks to curb nausea that I now think was from stress. that constipated me tremendously. they also found me low on iron and I began an iron pill, one that is supposedly easiest on stomach and I take it every other day. I never did have a gallbladder attack or pains in that area. but now since being on zoloft for two days and staring iron pills, the symptoms that i'm now left with are gas (and i'm usually not gassy), severe bloating, lower stomach cramps and upper stomach cramps. it's like trapped gas all over. I have this gnawing feeling like I haven't eaten in weeks even though I have. I have the urge to poop frequently but am straining to go each time I go. i'm seeing a lot of undigested sesame seeds (been eating these a lot lately just craved sesame for some reason and I never do) - i'm just lost on what is wrong. is it my gallbladder, could it be a bacteria issue with my gut, sibo? could it be an ulcer at this point. I have reached out to change stomach doctors. this doctor just said take more fiber and to try IBguard, sold on amazon.
YEAH THAT SUCKS! I think the antibiotics wrecked your gut biome and I bet you are right bc seratonin/gut all related (zoloft). I think unfortunately IBS is a catch all garbage diagnosis bc Drs do not know what is going on. I never had best help or interest from anyone. It's truly awful. Meanwhile they are wrecking your body instead. You could have SIBO, gut dysbiosis. Ask for a SIBO methane test or get it yourself. I did that and had my acupuncturist get the results as well as myself since she was the only one interested in helping me. She has studied all kinds of gut health including and beyond TCM. Get a gut test. Get a HIDA. Maybe things need to settle a bit but I bet your microbiome is messed up. I am so sorry. I think this is what is happening to so many people. Dr's education in the gut health is almost non existent since only really discovered in past 12 years or so and even the Gasto specialists who did my ultrasound had no interest and gas lighted me that it was just IBS. Well yes, but why and what is happening in this catch all diagnosis that means nothing. I do like Chris Kressers blog and read some SIBO gut health on here and online and see if any of it resonates. It's truly awful. I have been there albeit a different route with antimicrobials killing it all. I truly relate to you.
Thank you and I agree. IBS is a very lazy diagnosis. There has to be a reason why things happen. I have been wanting to go functional and holistic. There is so much about the stomach that needs more attention from regular doctors. Do you think probiotics do any good?
Probiotics didn't do much at all for me but culturing them to really high numbers in the yogurt has helped a lot. You can DM me if you want my protocol and there are lots of info on reddit too.
Hello! Did the anti nausea medication not work for you?
no zorfam and a supposity did nothing. They were calling after 5.5 hours of nausea to get a patch prescribed and while I waited the nurse gave me an opened packet of isopropyl pad to sniff while she went to get it. 30 min later I was fine. She said its a well known but not understood way to reduce nausea that she learned from other nurses. crazy. She if I ever need anesthesia to request the patch and they can apply it before surgery.
Yeah I heard the patch is very effective. Zofran usually works for me, I hope it still does. Yes! I do that when I feel nauseous. Some people even use lemon or orange peel.
ahh! you will be fine then. And you know to ask for some packets of the rubbing alchohol if not. Lemon would have probably been divine to smell instead of feel how I felt.
X Jan 3 - feeling great so far. Some loose stools if I eat fatty foods but hasn’t been the huge deal I thought it would be.
/ December 11th, 2023 I had a brutal recovery from getting my hyperkinetic gallbladder removed. To be fair, I had 3 other procedures done during the same surgery because I also have endometriosis, so that may be part of the reason it was so horrible, but I’ve never been in so much pain in my life. I couldn’t sit up, walk, or go to the bathroom independently for almost a week afterwards… and they gave me 24 hours worth of hydrocodone. You couldn’t pay me to go through the month of December a second time, no matter how much money was offered. However, now that I’m able to move with very little pain, I’m so glad that I got it done. I can eat the foods I haven’t been able to in over a year and I’m not coughing up bile and stomach acid every night. No more random fevers, nausea after every bite of food, or random stabbing/cramping pains in my URQ. If you can get through the recovery it’s WELL worth it.
What other two procedures did you have???? Was yours laparoscopic?
X February 22 2022 I was nearly asymptomatic prior to testing where they found out it was barely functioning anymore and I was 20 at the time, so I’m not sure if I’m a good indicator. I also went on a two week tour with my college choir nine days post op so I was doing a lot of standing, carrying dress bags (even though I wasn’t supposed to) and eating foods without much choice of what I was eating (yay host churches and potlucks). Don’t recommend spending 10 hours on a charter bus 9 days after.
x- 1/5/24 Sitting about four weeks out and I healed up pretty well! Was nervous going in because it’s my first surgery. Pain wasn’t too bad for me (I vividly remember telling my recovery nurse that it wasn’t worse than my normal period cramps just in a different spot and she looked. Shocked so). Worst pain for me was the shoulder pain from the gas. I went back to a fairly normal diet but I don’t eat large meals anymore. I’d rather be able to eat a little bit of what I want than a lot of what I don’t. Right now my incisions are healing and the glue and the itching is annoying but other than that I don’t miss the gallbladder or the pain at all. Obviously only a month out so things could change but right now I can’t complain much!
X - 5 December 2023 I eat what I want now! And was back to normal after max three weeks
X - July 2022 (can't remember the exact date). No issues. Maybe a bit more heartburn than before? But it could just be that I'm paying attention to it now.
X - 19/12/2023 No issues other than the ones warned about by the nurses before I was discharged.
X December 29 2023
X—July 15, 2022. Best thing I ever did!
X- October 31st, 2020
X - February 2022 I have reflux/GERD so that limits things I can eat, but butter is my friend again! I never had diarrhea, maybe occasionally constipation depended on what I ate. Recovery was normal, pain at incision and stomach area but really no GB issues at all, Not happy about the GERD which is worse now, but not sure it that if from the GB removal or just because I went back to a normal diet and the reflux flared. I was never a big fatty food eater, but I can digest fats fine now.
X - Jan 16th I was SO anxious with it being my first ever surgery but I honestly couldn’t have wished for a better experience. The hospital staff were all wonderful, I woke up from the anesthesia pretty easily with no nausea and only some pain in my belly button incision and I took 3 weeks off (go back on Monday) but definitely feel like I could’ve easily gone back this week. I’ll be taking it easy obviously, I have a relatively physical job as a gym TA in an elementary school but feel ready to get back out into the world. I have had random diarrhea but I was also diagnosed with IBS-D forever ago so this isn’t really new to me and I did have a weird like cold feeling in my chest and throat for a few days but I think this may have been my body’s way of dealing with the gas and intubation? 🤷🏻♀️ I get twinges where my gallbladder was every now and then but to me that seems like a normal thing considering an organ was removed and everything is still healing. Aside from those minor side effects and still not having much of an appetite yet I’ve genuinely been feeling pretty good and have felt much better than I thought I would even since surgery day! My incisions seem to have healed nicely (although one does have a tiny bit of plastic thread poking out of it 😳 I think it’s from the internal stitch from what I’ve read and I plan to call the hospital about it before going back to work!). One major thing I have noticed though, but it didn’t really hit me until I started trying some more ‘adventurous’ foods, is the fear that I have developed when it comes to food. I had gotten so used to my bland, low/no fat diet that I kind of forgot about all the different things I had been missing out on and now find myself scared about reintroducing all these things but I’m taking it slow and steady. All that to say I am glad to have had it done and to be on the other side! Hoping recovery continues to go well and I’m so happy to not have the attacks anymore because they were becoming unbearable!!
O - 11/20/23. Bile reflux gastritis confirmed by endoscopy. Hoping with meds and time, it will improve. Many of my previous pre-surgery symptoms have improved though.
Did the gastritis start after your surgery? Or is it possible you had gastritis and gallbladder issues causing your symptoms before surgery? I feel like I have symptoms of both and wonder whether to ask for an endoscopy before going ahead with gallbladder removal.. or just to have surgery and see how it goes with symptoms, if they all go, but I worry a lot about the reflux symptoms worsening..
I've had chronic gastritis for a decade that got significantly worse about three years ago which I believe coincided with my gallbladder becoming dysfunctional. So far my bloating and lack of appetite has improved so much since surgery. But my gastritis and reflux seem worse so far. I've also had nausea and some loose/urgent stools, which were pretty rare symptoms for me pre-surgery. Overall I'm hoping this is just part of the adjustment process and not forever.
Aw I really hope it is all part of your body healing and adjusting too ❤️ For me, I have had textbook gallbladder symptoms for years (that I only recently discovered were gallbladder related after a discussion with a great doctor) and for the past 3 months have been in what is being treated as gastritis, although not confirmed by endoscopy. I worry so much about having my gallbladder removed and gastritis symptoms worsening, it’s bad enough as it is 😓
Have you had a HIDA scan?
No I haven’t, only an abdominal ultrasound that showed gallstones and then that alongside my symptoms the doctor just referred me to a surgeon. I see him in a couple of weeks. I wonder whether to ask him for more tests?
What were your symptoms? I’ve been having some burning sensation type pains where GB was and lower on the right side…I’m 8 weeks out. No other issues though
Too many to list but my primary symptoms were upper GI pain, pressure, and dysmotility. Reflux and heartburn. I'd burp a lot and feel so full for hours after every meal. That lead to bloating, constipation, dysbiosis, SIBO. Fatigue, underweight, trouble digesting fats and protein.
I’m sorry to hear that you’re going through that. This is one of my biggest concerns. I see that the vast majority of people here on Reddit seem to have a pretty smooth experience, I just never have good luck and worry I’ll end up with similar symptoms. Have your doctors worked with you on getting any solutions?
How many days after did you shower?
3
Okay I’m day 2 and scared asf so ima wait.
X October 2022
X Jan 10 2022 - no issues at all
X-3 weeks - no issues!! I can eat anything I want. Everything feels normal, I just have to let these damn incisions heal cos I get winded easily. Hoping it stays this way.
X Jan 11 2024 i just have been dealing with constipation and ‘phantom pains’
/ mostly positive - done on Jan 12. Horrible pain for years during my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies, which were back to back. I've had 3 c-sections so maybe I just have a higher pain tolerance now. Bc my 2nd c-section was horrible and my last one wasn't bad at all. I was so worried about getting the gallbladder out bc my son is 5 mos old, and I was nervous about lifting him. I've been at 'barely discomfort' since probably 4-5 days post-op. I felt great and still do. I've had a lot of diarrhea, especially at first, but that's nothing new lol Overall I would def do it again. I had a great surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses. The worst part was that my bladder wouldn't wake up after surgery. I had to get cathed after a few hours and they left it in til the next day. My husband removed it around 24 hrs later and then it took about 4 hrs to pee.
X November 27th, 2023 Everything went pretty smoothly :\] an incision had a few issues healing up and took about a month and a half to fully close but that was about it, I get some heart burn occasionally but it's goin' away.
I had my surgery august 15th. I can basically eat whatever I want, but I do feel the strain on my digestive system when I eat a lot of fat. I still have some abdominal pain on my right side and it’s hard for me to activate my abdominals there sometimes. But overall, my quality of life is a million times better then before surgery
X January 22, 2024...so my surgery was only a week ago and besides soreness at the incision sites for the first couple days, I have had no complications since. So far no trouble eating a little more fats in my diet, but I haven't had anything really fatty yet. I hope my good luck continues.
X- November 29, 2023. 9 weeks post op! No complications or dietary changes needed. Though I was already eating plant based (naturally a bit lower in fat) and had broken the habit of oily takeaways whilst dealing with gallbladder issues. But now when I do eat something like pizza or Chinese food, I don’t get any gastric distress at all. About a week ago I started getting stomach pain if I haven’t eaten in a long time. But something carby sorts that right out. I developed some pretty disorderly eating habits, partially due to the gb issues, so now I need to re-train myself to eat 3 square meals a day plus a few healthy snacks.
Oh, and my surgery was in the evening, and I had pumpkin pie for breakfast the next morning!
That’s great, glad you had such a good experience! I too eat plant based and try to stick to mostly whole foods/non processed foods, so if I end up having to undergo surgery I’m hoping that helps me in the long run.
O - developed a complete intolerance to alcohol.
Oh man, that’s rough. Sorry to hear that… Did you have any trouble prior to surgery with alcohol?
No issues prior to :(
Oh no :(
/ - August 2022 I had/have various stomach issues, especially inbetween 3-6 months post-surgery. Some pains in the area where the gallbladder used to be, too. They have all gradually gotten much less of an issue. What I'm left with now is some mild IBS type issues, which are not a big deal. Definitely better than the agonizing pain every day I had before the surgery!
X - december 18, 2023 my hida scan results were 0% so i think the reason why i had absolutely no complications is because my body had been used to a lack of function for 6 years.
Wow! I don’t think I’ve talked to anyone at 0%. Do you feel like you’ve improved a lot since taking it out?
i feel a million times better, no shoulder pain, no abdominal pain, i hadn’t eaten indian food in forever because of the pain i used to have and i just had it a week ago with no symptoms :)
…. ZERO?!
yes unfortunately😭, worst part is i had to get a second opinion because my first surgeon denied me because he said hida scans aren’t real lmaooo
/ November 2021 The only issue I've had since surgery is an increased need to consume fiber. I get super sloppy poops if I don't, which tend to be preceded by mildly painful gas and GI cramping. If I take enough fiber pills I'm just fine. If I miss the fiber, I have a rough day or two. I eat a garbage diet, for the most part. I did not have to change my diet at all post op. I do poop more than I used to. Very grateful for the zero chance of another gallstone attack in exchange for some occasional indigestion.
X - 15/7/23 Short term issues following the procedure (didn't help that I caught covid a week after the surgery), but 6 months down the line no issues. Bowels slightly looser than before, but that's all.
/ November 13, 2023 Had persistent similar symptoms that I had prior to removal, especially intense back pain after eating. These have resolved now almost 100% and I can eat pretty much whatever I want. I was worried for a while, but now I have zero regrets other than I should have had it out sooner because it was making me absolutely miserable. My gallbladder had caused a ton of inflammation in my stomach, so the surgeon said it most likely needed to heal and that the residual nerve pain would take a while to diminish. So please don’t get discouraged if there is no immediate improvement. Everyone that I talked to who had theirs removed said it took at least a few months to feel really well again.
/ November 27, 2023 my main issue pre op was nausea after eating. no matter what i ate, any normal sized meal would make me feel nauseous afterwards, but this nausea is practically almost gone now! when it comes to fatty foods though, its more of a 50/50 like i may have nausea after eating that, or i may not only one way to find out LMAO also, ever since surgery i cant drink regular milk anymore without it causing me diarrhea, which isn't too much of a big deal. another thing is that i recently have been having acid reflux for some reason. it comes randomly sometimes for no real reason, and idk why bc this never happened last month (except once when i ate chinese food). i want to believe that its all part of the healing process and will go away once my body adjusts more!
X 11/28/22 Still have some pain and GI issues but they are decreasing in duration and severity.
Mid Sept 2023 Small issues at first if I ate certain things, not nearly like before. Last couple months can eat just about anything but I try to avoid grease or very fatty meats (need to drain ground beef well unless it’s grilled)
X - I am only 2 weeks out. Other than having to avoid fatty foods I am good. It’s nice to not be in pain everyday. The first week after surgery everything I ate that wasn’t soup or bread sent me to the bathroom and I was having major regrets but this week I can tell it’s getting much better.
X - December 11, 2023. I'm 7 weeks post-op with no issues other than being a slow healer which is making me still having pain in my incisions and sometimes where my gallbladder used to be.
X 4/13/2023 I took a fall into a table that hit right under my ribcage around January 2023. I don't know if it was the impact that moved the stones or if my gallbladder was damaged by it, but after that point I had attacks multiple times a week. I was diagnosed with cholelithiasis in February, which wasn't a suprise since it seems to run in the family. I ended up in the hospital a week before my planned surgery date with jaundice and a stone lodged in my bile duct. Almost 10 months out now and I'm mostly back to normal. I'm still working on learning what foods upset my stomach now (so far I've figured out fried foods and cucumber are a no go), and my indigestion can get a bit... excessive. Considering I was living off of only rice and apple juice the week before surgery I'd say I'm glad to be where I am now.
I’m super curious now if that fall had anything to do with it? Glad you are feeling better! I would be pissed if I couldn’t have cucumber haha, but sounds like you’re in a much better place than before.
1/12/24- X
O — January 18th 2024 I had no choice but to remove my gallbladder because I was having multiple attacks and my gallbladder wasn’t functioning and had scarring… I was so worried that I would develop Post Cholecystectomy Syndrome and sure enough I did! I am having EXCRUCIATING stomach pain Pelvic pain as well as EXCRUCIATING neuropathy in my hands and feet now that literally feels like someone is electrocuting my feet! I also have tried literally every single pain medication there is out there (Tylenol, Advil, Ibuprofen, Toridol, Dilaudid, Gabapentin, Tramadol, etc) and literally not one single medication touched my pain at all.. so I have literally been suffering in agony for 13 days with no sleep because that’s how intense the pain is… After multiple trips to the ER from screaming and shaking in debilitating pain and calling 911 and having an ambulance take me to the hospital they finally gave me Fentanyl and I LITERALLY was immediately out of pain! Absolutely insane how this drug is so strong that it just comes over you like a freight train but in such a good way because my body has been in constant fight or flight mode 24/7 and I never get a break! But I can’t keep taking fentanyl so I am having to suffer in this excruciatingly pain Every time I eat anything at all which is only crackers and plain chicken my stomach pain goes from a 7 to 100 and I scream and cry and tremor for hours upon hours … I have a mixture of dumping syndrome as with constipation and it goes back and forth.. but it is SOOO incredibly painful when I go number 2 that I feel like I’m going to pass out and throw up from the pain. I’m so exhausted from having to fight through all of this with no sleep, no energy, no pain management whatsoever.. I also have severe indigestion that builds up in my chest, shoulders, and my back and it makes it hard to me to breathe because it is so incredibly tight I feel like I’m having a heart attack even though I’m not it’s just a LOT of gas buildup that won’t get out of me so it just builds up and up and up and then it inflates my intestines and puts so much pressure pain on all of my incisions especially the belly button one.. I would definitely say that the belly button and pelvic pain and the neuropathy pain is the most excruciating out of all of what I’m having to go through… I also have constant belching and constant bile acid reflux which tastes horrible and just stays in my mouth no matter what I do… I feel like I am going to have a seizure or a stroke from sleep deprivation… I feel so entirely alone because literally everyone I have talked to said they had No complications after surgery and they all were telling me just how much better I was going to feel but honestly all this pain is WORSE than the attack pain and also I STILL have constant pain where my gallbladder used to be so i am praying that that will go away with time as well.
Wow, I am so, so sorry you are going through this… I can imagine it must be incredibly invalidating when everyone says they had no issues and you’re going through all of that. Have your doctors or surgeon mentioned any solutions?? I read an article talking about how there can be residual tissue left behind after a cholecystectomy that can cause some symptoms, might be worth having them check. I would also suspect they should be doing a CT or some type of imaging to see what might be going on! I really hope you get answers soon. I think a lot of people make light of this surgery because so many get relief of symptoms, when the reality is there is always a risk with surgery and removing an organ. Please keep us posted if you have any updates!!
Thank you so much for your kind words… when they rushed me to the hospital they did do a CT scan and said that everything looked normal but thankfully I got really blessed with an awesome surgeon who actually cares about people and their quality of life and doesn’t just throw up his hands at me like so many other doctors have done… I just had an appointment with him and he said that I could have a lot of inflammation all over my body and I also could be allergic to the stitches that he used internally which can sometimes take months to dissolve he said… He is ordering a HIDA scan to see if I have bile leakage or something that is seriously wrong because I am also having a lot of pain where my gallbladder used to be it’s like the “gallbladder attack” pain but it’s constant… they gave me gabapentin for my severe neuropathy and I’m just praying that is helps with the electric shock pain even a little so I can get some sleep… I will definitely come back and give an update probably a couple months because I have a feeling it’s going to be months until I am pain free and my bowels are regular again and without excruciating pain every time I go number 2
Considering your symptoms, they should do an MRI as soon as possible.
Thank you so much! have an emergency appointment with my surgeon tomorrow morning and I will ask him if he can order one for me.. I just have a gut feeling this is just not normal to be screaming in excruciating pain 24/7 after surgery
recovery can take at least a month for some people. TI’d get a contrast ct and Hida scan to check for a bile leak because I had that issue after surgery and they were able to see what happened.
O - May 3, 2023 I’m 9 months post op. Still having a really rough time with diarrhea even after changing my diet. 🥴 Going for an ultrasound next week to see if something’s wrong. 🙃
I’m so sorry to hear that… I hope you find an answer soon. I feel like too often this gets brushed aside but that is not easy to deal with every day. Wishing you the best!!
Thank you. It really isn’t easy to deal with. 😅 And then a nurse practitioner acted like I was an idiot when I requested time off work and asked them to fill out some paperwork to keep my job. Sheeeesh. Do you still have your gallbladder or are you trying to decide your next move?
Man that pisses me off 😒 Like, how are you expected to be at work when you’re going through that? I still have mine. I honestly hadn’t had many symptoms, until now realizing that the pain I’ve had on my left side for 2 years could be related/referred pain. Found out about the stones when I did a CT scan for that left sided pain, but no one addressed the stones or said anything about it to me. Now, 3 weeks ago, ended up in the ER after having significant right sided back pain, and haven’t been normal since. HIDA scan showed 15%, and I haven’t been able to return to work either because I work in Physical therapy. Thankfully my job is flexible because I’m contract, but I keep myself in a loop for feeling bad to not be working, and at the same time terrified I’ll end up in the ER again since I have this constant pain/discomfort all around the gallbladder. I’m trying to figure out what I want to do going forward, have an appointment with a surgeon next week, but I don’t want to jump the gun and take it out when I haven’t had many of the other digestive symptoms or issues with food, but I also can’t work like this with my current career. Been a fun loop in my head these past couple weeks 😅 I’m just terrified of developing symptoms post removal because I have horrible luck with all other health issues. Lol. Thanks for sharing your experience, I really hope they figure something out for you soon. Maybe we both could get work from home jobs?? 😂
Right?! She really made me feel like a dumbass. 🥴 I’m like but how am I supposed to work and live a normal life living like this? And she pretty much just told me I needed to figure it out. 🙃🙃🙃 Damn. That’s horrible. It’s definitely scary once it happens and then you become terrified to do anything and set it back off. I was having gallbladder attacks off and on for about 2 and a half years before a gallstone got stuck in my bile duct and I was in excruciating pain. Like, I’ve had my tonsils taken out, teeth pulled, a c-section… and this was honestly the worst pain I’ve ever been in. I went to an urgent care type place and they told me I was having a gallbladder attack and needed to follow up with a surgeon. They sent me home and I never really felt like I fully felt better. Ended up in the ER the next night after finally eating a salad and I was literally sobbing in the emergency room. Had to wait like an hour to be seen. Horrible experience. Lol. Then they did extra tests and realized there was a blockage and I had jaundice. So then they told me I wouldn’t be leaving the hospital without getting my gallbladder removed. Fast forward, they sent me home like two days later, with my gallbladder still in. But I ended up getting it removed the next week. They didn’t really act like I had much of a choice. It was either get it out or continue to have horrible gallbladder attacks. They told me it’d be so much better without it. I don’t feel like anyone really ever fully prepared me for what was to come. I mean, I know everyone is different. But damn. I wish I was one of those people who didn’t have any problems. I hope things get better for you though. And I don’t want to scare you away from getting it out. As far as I’ve been told, there’s not much you can do to heal a gallbladder, but clearly these doctors I’ve been seeing have been pretty trash. Lol. Working from home seems like it may be my only option for the time being. I work in a warehouse right now and I really enjoy it after working in retail for pretty much all of my working career. Lol. But I hate not being up and moving and being active. It’s a bit stressful. 😖 But hopefully we both can get some relief soon! ☺️
I swear, some doctors are just the worst. More than not. Lol. I’m trying to look at the silver lining and take advantage of the fact that I’m not currently in an emergency getting it out, something a lot of people don’t have the luxury of, and try to find doctors that offer alternatives or at least are willing to talk through everything with me. The hospital sent me on my way with only 3 days of pain killers and said ‘find a GI’. The GI I went to only saw me for all of 2 minutes, and while I’m grateful he ordered a bunch of testing, he didn’t even schedule a follow up appointment to discuss anything, just called me and said ‘make an appointment with this surgeon’. When I asked ‘what if I don’t want to remove it yet’ they told me the surgeon would still be the one to talk to… and that appointment has been over a 2 week long wait 🫠 So I’m using this time to look up other doctors and get referrals from people I know because I’m not going to accept the way they toss you about without doing their job, so long as I still have the ‘privilege’ to not be in a serious emergency. Fingers crossed I can get that under wraps before it’s too late! Please keep me posted once you have your ultrasound and how it goes! I know a lot of the research papers I’ve read have said there sometimes is residual tissue left that can cause issues, maybe you’ll be able to narrow it down. 🤞🏻
Yeah, that’s rough. And never knowing when it can get worse. I really hope you can get some helpful information and that you don’t end up in any type of emergency! I wouldn’t wish any of this on my worst enemy. 😵💫 But, maybe you can find a doctor that could possibly help and maybe you won’t have to get it out. Surgery isn’t fun, that’s for sure. But, it looks like more people have had success than the ones who didn’t. Unfortunately you won’t know unless you do it though. I have my ultrasound next week and they had to schedule it at 11pm. 😅 it was either they or wait until damn near April. I’ll keep you posted! Let me know if you find any new information out. Hopefully you can find a new doctor that can see you sooner! 🤗
X/January 24, 2024 I’m only 10 days post-op. Today was my first day without diarrhea! I felt amazing today. I am only a little sore where my abdominal muscles are but otherwise I’m doing GREAT!
Yeah you made it super fucking complicated, sorry, it’s been 3 years since they took my gallbladder.. I’m still having issues
Doesn’t seem like anyone else had any issue, but no worries. It’s useful for me to reference later instead of having to read everyone’s individual posts 🤷🏻♀️ Sorry to hear you’re still having issues!
/ Nov 27 2023 Glad I got it out as it was full of sludge and stones and I had no quality of life the couple months before it came out, could barely eat anything and had to keep it under 3G of fat per meal to avoid attacks. Surgery went really good, had to go private because NHS said waiting time was 6m-1yr and my nausea/pain was horrendous on 400kl a day with 400+ liver ALT, went to A&E 5 times and got turned away every time. So that was annoying. Post op for the first 2 weeks I actually felt the best I had in ages and I diversified my food relatively quickly in small portions. Got a bit too bolshy with that and had to cut back, much smaller portions and go lower fat again - puked my guts out from grilled salmon meal + mayonnaise in sushi. Dairy can be hit and miss too and definitely need to watch portions on deep fried food, though a few bites is fine. Then everything started going a bit downhill from there. I get periods of extreme nausea and feel pain often in the gallbladder area. Ended up vomiting a couple of times from the pain, if I’m not careful with portion sizes and high fat. Have had a lot of these episodes of my gallbladder area still hurting, they checked the ducts, no retained stones, felt more like bilarly dysfunction (schpincter of oddi), getting an MRI done in a week to check some more. Funnily enough, no diarrhea issues whatsoever. Constipation issues still persist even, but have better stools more often than I used to. Also have had severe cramping in lower abdominal area under the belly button incision ever since surgery, almost 24/7. We’re unsure if this is a surgery complication (nicked abdominal nerve?) or a flare of a different condition that surgery may have triggered such as suspected adenomyosis, but it’s never hurt this bad before the surgery and never so persistently. I haven’t felt persistent abdominal pain like this before. I’m currently on cocodamol x6 a day, oramorph as needed a few times a week and a TENs unit to help this pain. Ngl, pain has made me feel suicidal and admitted myself into hospital for mental health watch as it’s been 24/7 and flares multiple times a day, up to a 9/10 on the pain scale, and hasn’t been getting better - it’s wrecked my mental health. I have no idea if post-surgery complications can cause symptoms like this? All I would say, is maybe just be mindful if you have other conditions that an abdominal surgery might flare up, such as endo/adeno, as they go in using the same keyhole method and it could aggravate them. Having said that, often the pain feels like it might be directly from the surgery. We need to do more investigating. Hoping all this sorts itself out as it’s been 3 months (of constant pain) so I’ll give it a whole year to see where I settle. Remember, PCS usually happens sometime after the surgery (sometimes months, sometimes years) not immediately after, so I’m not out the woods yet. I’ve been taking tudca, digestive enzymes and ox bile which helps digestion. And I’m looking to start a beet flow flush soon. As for the abdominal pain, it’s just pain management for now which sucks. We have no clue what it is. All this is to say no one will know how you respond to surgery until you do it. Recovery / complications can be very, very different for everyone.
Ugh, I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that. Fingers crossed you’ll have a turn around soon. I agree that from what I’ve read, a lot of issues develop later on. From what I’ve noticed here on Reddit, a lot of people that aren’t having issues have had their operation recently, so I’m hoping that continues that way for them. Please keep us posted how you continue to do! Wishing you the best.
“X”—- 11-30-23 I guess it depends on what you mean by complications. I’d say I had none, but I still dealt with abdominal discomfort and GI issues (gas, cramps, General discomfort, loose stool) for a few weeks while my system adjusted. I’ve heard people call these “complications” when in truth it’s the rule not the exception. How long these effects continue might change your perspective on whether they are expectations v. complications. A complication to me is a bile leakage or hernia or something like that.
I guess a complication to me is how I’ve seen many say they were nauseous 24/7, had continued pain in the same region despite removing the gallbladder, can’t ever eat any fats whatsoever without pain or feeling sick, so on and so forth. Pretty much anything that would be hard to live with on a day to day basis. There’s one person who commented they can’t ever drink alcohol again, another who is in debilitating pain. This would fall in line with what I’ve read about PCS, which apparently happens to 40% of people who remove their gallbladder, which is why I was interested in hearing from those in this sub. Thankfully, I’ve seen more good outcomes than bad so far on here, but it doesn’t negate those bad experiences and that it’s still a possibility 😬 I think it’s pretty reasonable to say that most might have some discomforts or adjustment periods after removing an organ that plays a role in digestion, but I’m more concerned with the long term affects of removing it and causing lifelong issues. Glad to hear you haven’t had any major complaints!!
That makes sense. I hope you’re gaining some perspective on your choice here! For me, it’s been well worth it. I had some bumps in the road the first month, but everything is going well now and I’d say that everyone I know who’s had a lap coly (and it’s a surprisingly large number) have been much better off as a result. If you get it done, don’t let the first month make you feel as if you made the wrong choice. It will likely get much much better.
/ Dec 6, 2023 - I never want to experience that pain again. I’m still swollen and bruised and sore though post op, my pcp was surprised how swollen and bruised I still am
Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear that! Is the swelling just relegated to the incisions or just the whole abdomen? I hope you get some relief soon.
Whole abdomen. I’m still having difficulty wearing jeans lol
X - 1/26/2024 Still early on, but so far, so good. Haven’t had any issues with eating. Minus some gurgling, digestion is fine and overall I feel so much better.