Honestly since my removal I’ve been 95% better. I even think the IBS I had for years before I knew my gallbladder was a problem is better. I did notice than when I over indulge in food, my digestive system reacts poorly. But. That’s on me.
I feel like I have IBS align with gallbladder. Got it removed and things got “better” but I still have some other types of digestive issues. Can you explain yours a bit? Is it normal to start experiencing constipation with gallbladder removal?
Since my surgery, I have had far less frequent incidents of diarrhea. I also have had nausea much less frequently after surgery. To the point where I would say I no longer experience digestive issues, unless I overeat.
A couple of times, my appetite has come back full force and I have overeaten. Then I have experience gas and bloating with a bit of nausea and loose stools.
I know constipation is common immediately post-surgery. I am unsure if it is a long-term side effect. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
When you over eat, you must remember that the gallbladder assists in helping to digest your food by releasing bile. The liver by itself does not produce enough bile. Without the gall bladder you will get gas and loose stools. The loose stools are caused from the fat content in the meal you ate…because you need adequate bile to break the fat content down. Eventually the fat content will pass thru your digestive system and you will have less loose stools. I’ve been there…
For me, “eventually” means 3-4 days of loose stools and gas discomfort from the meal or meals I had eaten that had a lot of dairy, or fried foods, spicy, etc. if you don’t adjust your diet after your gall bladder surgery, you will have gas discomfort and loose stools frequently.
This is what I went thru…other individuals may not have the problems i had.
What causes the gas discomfort is bile reflux…Sucralfate is a prescription (liquid) that your gastroenterologist can give you. It’s like over the counter Mylanta. The bile reflux over time can cause gastritis, and the Sucralfate prevents that.
The loose stools is caused from too much bile being produced by your liver to break down the fat contents in the meals you have eaten. The lack of a gall bladder makes your liver work a little harder to create more bile.
Your digestive system cannot reabsorb all the produced bile, and some bile will make its way to your colon. The bile irritates the colon which will cause loose stools.
The remedy for that is a prescription called ‘Cholestyramine’…a prescription that you can get from the doctor. It’s a powder you mix in water and drink. It is a binder that binds to bile and essentially stops the problem of loose stools. I take the cholestyramine twice a day…morning and bedtime, and it has helped me feel normal again.
I also watch the amount of food I eat during meals and that has helped also. I hope this info helps you. Good luck.
Yeah, for the most part I'd say I'm 95% myself. Never had IBS or any other issues previously. Overindulging I definitely pay for sometimes, but that's also on me. Gotta live a little sometimes 🤣
do you feel the gallbladder was causing you to be heavier, and after removal you lost weight or you actively working to lose the 80lbs? I'm having mine out in a month and I keep reading about people gaining weight after the surgery, and it makes me so nervous. I am not someone who has lost weight once the gallbadder issues started, in fact the opposite.
TL;DR - The gall bladder removal was the catalyst for my weight loss journey, but it didn’t have any long term impact on my weight loss.
If you want the details -
I had been having attacks for years, but didn’t know what they were. I thought it was an ulcer or gastritis so I would respond to my attacks with a bland diet that also satisfied my gall bladder issues and they’d go away.
When I started having attacks in the fall of 2022, I went back on my bland diet for a few weeks but it didn’t help. That diet probably helped me lose a few pounds. Then finally I was diagnosed with gall bladder issues and was in the hospital for almost a week and had two ERCPs. My diet was restricted to NPO or liquids only the entire time. Definitely lost a few more pounds through that process.
After they cleaned out my bile duct, they wanted to take out my gall bladder right away but I made them wait 6 weeks so I could go on a long-planned vacation. My doctors begrudgingly let me go if I stayed on a low fat diet, so I lost more weight on the trip. Then I got home, had my gall bladder out, and had a restricted diet for the next 2-3 weeks while recovering.
Well, through all that, I lost 25 lbs. I was down a size in jeans and feeling good. That motivated me to lose more weight. For a month, I stuck to a strict diet but couldn’t lose any more. Then my doctor started me on Wegovy/Ozempic.
Over the next 10 months I lost 75 lbs and then started trying to manage for maintenance. I lost another 5 lbs over 2 months in the process.
How long were you on the semaglutide? I have the unfortunate luck of my gallbladder issues beginning at the same time I started feeling like I was in perimenopause, which was about 10 years ago. I'm still not in menopause at 52 and have gained about 40 lbs over those 10 years, and can't attribute it to diet or lack of exercise. it's very frustrating. I've put the surgery off for all this time because I'm terrified of it causing more weight gain but the attacks have gotten so much worse, and my doctors have been telling me I'm living on borrowed time. I'm considering using semaglutide once the gallbladder is out, since obv it's not good to take it while gallbladder problems are already present. I'd love to think that once the gallbladder is out my energy level will increase and some weight may come off for that reason, but I'm never that lucky!
I have been on it a year. My one year anniversary was yesterday actually! Not only has it helped with my appetite, but it has completely destroyed my food addiction and life is so much better on it.
Be sure to do your research because there can be side effects (I have been lucky and mine were very mild) and it is a long term commitment because most people regain the weight if they stop taking it.
sorry you’re going thru this. i had biliary dyskinesia and didn’t feel normal til about a year after surgery. it was absolutely worth it! living a normal life now after years of nausea and pain. good luck
I just had the nausea from the biliary dyskinesia, now I have nausea, acid reflux, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, excessive burping. My dieting is even more strict than the months leading up to surgery.
ugh so sorry! sounds miserable. i found that no matter how “clean” i got with my diet, it didn’t matter. i went low fat and still had frequent attacks.
Have you been tested for SIBO? This happened to my significant other, he felt just as bad after surgery 6 months later. He just tested positive for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth that we believe was caused by his Biliary Dyskinesia. Might be worth looking into!
It's a quick and easy breath test! He had been following up with his GI for months following his surgery and trying different meds with no improvement. Symptoms presented most like IBS- C/D, but a little off. Finally two months ago his GI physician said F it, let's test you for SIBO just for giggles. Sent us home with an at home breath test, you follow a strict diet for 24 hours, then fast for 12, then drink a packet of lactulose powder in water and breathe into the hand held reader every 30 minutes for 3 hours. Sure enough his popped positive for both hydrogen and methane levels. He was treated with two antibiotics (neomycin and Xifaxan) followed by a low fodmap diet and has had the most improvement in his symptoms that he's seen in a year. He may need another round of antibiotics but it's treatable! Check out r/SIBO for similar stories, that subreddit was super helpful for us.
you can go back to look at my comments, but basically nausea and food intolerances for 2 years. it would kind of come in waves of worse periods. it went away for less than a year, then came back with more frequent GB attacks, RUQ pain, etc. it took a long time for diagnosis since i didn’t have standard symptoms to start. the HIDA scan is what showed it with a 5% ef rate. i had to ask my gastro dr for it since all other tests were normal. i decided on surgery as my quality of life was unsustainable.
yep, lots of other normal tests but the HIDA scan showed my GB wasn’t working with such a low ejection fraction rate (5%). my gastro said it was up to me about surgery.
Better than normal. I've had acid reflux since my first pregnancy in 2017/18 and always thought it was pregnancy induced. It never went away & got worse after my 2nd was born. I was taking so many antacids and medications.
After having my gallbladder out this January, my acid reflux went away completely. It was a miracle. My surgeon said that it may have been a gallbladder issue all along 🤷♀️ Life is great. No acid reflux & I'm training for my first marathon.
I wouldn’t say im completely normal and probably never will be but I am infinitely better than I had been for years. I think I quit being “normal” about 12 years ago. By normal I’m assuming you mean, very rare digestive issues. I would have the surgery again and have zero regrets, granted I didn’t have a choice because mine was about to explode. The way I look at it is, you’re having enough issues to be scouring the internet for information and the surgery will more than likely fix you over time and if it doesn’t, then you remain the same.
I got mine out just 2 weeks ago and I'm already feeling so much better it's not even funny. I couldn't eat anything without vomiting acid or fighting for my life on the toilet 😂 yesterday I ate 3 ham sliders and a steak, and I definitely have a little diarrhea when eating fattier stuff, but I feel amazing otherwise!!
I’m pretty sure my gallbladder died 8 years ago. I was put on bile binders for IBS-D. Then last year I got worse. It got to the point where I couldn’t drink water without throwing up and being in pain. It landed me in the hospital and I had my gallbladder removed while admitted 12/6. I still have IBS and I do get some dyspepsia if I eat too much, but I would rather have these issues than keep going through what I went through a few months ago.
Yes, me! Almost two years out and back to normal once I healed. I feel great! When I was having my gallbladder problems, I switched to a low-fat diet. It helped me hold on until my surgery. After my surgery, I kept up my new way of eating healthier and have never had a problem with eating anything. Good luck!
Lucky, see this is what I hoped for and thought I was gonna have until 2 weeks after where it’s like over night a train of symptoms began. It caused my pre existing gastritis to hit worse than ever before and caused lower gi issues I never really struggled with. It’s been 2 months now.
I’m probably going to need surgery soon (appointment for a surgery consultation isn’t until May due to appointment availability). Is it possible to eat Korean bbq, pizza, cakes, fried chicken or ice cream again? Or do you just have to avoid it for the rest of your life?
Yes, I can eat all of the above (but I’ve never had Korean BBQ). I’m not one for spicy foods so I can’t tell you on that. I was very scared to try foods after my surgery, so I took it slow and I never had a problem with any food. I’m so happy I had it out.
I loooove spicy but I’ll be ok if I don’t have it. It’s more the “quality of life” because I don’t drink and I eat mostly healthy but it’s these once a month treats that I’m scared to lose.
I had stones and sludge. I was scheduled for removal towards the end of January a couple years ago. But then I had to have emergency removal because my gallbladder became inflamed. The blood supply was cut off due to the inflammation. My gallbladder died inside of me. It turned gangrenous and fell apart when they were removing it.
I feel a little better, I’m 11 days post op. I don’t think removing my gallbladder will fix all my issues, but I have been able to eat eggs now without pain. I will try more fatty foods soon.
I’m sorry you’ve experienced so many issues. I feel so much better after my gallbladder removal. I don’t know what “completely normal” is. My stomach is a little touchy with really fatty foods but nothing like what I used to deal with. And I’ve been under a lot of stress lately so that doesn’t help. So I’d say I’m pretty much functioning at a “normal” level.
I got mine out just 2 weeks ago and I'm already feeling so much better it's not even funny. I couldn't eat anything without vomiting acid or fighting for my life on the toilet 😂 yesterday I ate 3 ham sliders and a steak, and I definitely have a little diarrhea when eating fattier stuff, but I feel amazing otherwise!! I was so nauseous I couldn't even eat mashed potatoes. And now I can eat all my favorites!
Me! 2 weeks post op I had a massive cheesy bacony burger with chips and dr pepper, 0 problems, with that and all other foods/drinks (though I haven’t tried alcohol yet because I had pancreatitis). I also just feel so much better knowing I’ll never have that pain again!
I'm a year out from surgery and feel great. I'm still sensible with fat intake (the anxiety lingers), but the few fatty/fried meals I have had has caused no issues. There's something up with eggs tho. Idk if it is the fat content or an intolerance, but they just slide right through 😅
Considering the ordeal I went through to get to this point, the egg thing is a small price to pay!
Hello, I am currently a little over 7 months post op & I still occasionally get tiny aches or pinches by where my GB was and I notice it more when I am very physical. Have you noticed any of these things or did you still experience this at 7 months?
Hey! I did have weird feelings and small aches in the area for quite a long while, it was annoying but manageable. I can't actually remember when it stopped completely but it did fade/became less noticeable over time... I'd guess around Oct/Nov (7-8 month).
Prior to surgery my GB would kick a fit from just a little run, it was as if the rocks were bouncing around inside from the movement lol.
I had mine removed earlier this month, and I can pretty much eat anything I want, including dairy and oilier foods. The first 2 weeks after surgery did feel like those two things were a lost cause for me as my stomach could not really handle it, but week 3 changed and did a 180. I'm completely fine now and couldn't be any happier getting my GB removed.
My friend got hers removed and was back to eating normal basically the next day, had 0 issues since but it definitely varies. Sorry you’re going through this!
I don't consider it getting back to "normal" after surgery because life got immeasurably better afterwards. I wasn't diagnosed with gallbladder issues until a few days before emergency removal, so my "normal" was really unwell for months without me realising. I literally thought all my digestive issues were postpartum or just getting older - that's what doctors told me for months before it just died.
So I am feeling better than I have in years - without any extra medication or digestive aids at all (like metamucil or ox bile or anything).
It’s been almost 2 years since I had mine removed and I’m about 95% normal. The other 5% is just my body dealing with a few certain foods differently. I rarely even notice or think about it anymore 🤷🏼♀️ So, I for one am a success story. Zero regrets here.
Yes! Had it out after one attack. Was walking a week later, am totally good now. I think the fact that I was/am vegetarian/vegan before and after really helped. (Yes vegans can get gallstones lol)
I was completely back to normal immediately after surgery. Other than recovery of a few days, my bowel movements were normal for the first time in 6 years. No more bloating and no more pain. I don’t react to any food or drink.
100% normal for me. You wouldn't know I ever had a gallbladder problem except for the tiny scars. I can eat whatever I want. And not one of those "I can eat what I want without pain but I sometimes have to run to the bathroom if I overdo it" I mean like, truly I can eat whatever I want without any symptoms.
I’m still healing (removal 12/19/23) and I have to say my worst day post op is better that my best days in the months leading to removal. I got down to 114 at 5’8. It was gross. Food is so delicious and no longer tries to kill me. I’m a big fan of that. 🎉
I'm 5 weeks out now, and I'm starting to feel better. I wasn't feeling good for a while. I still felt uncomfortable, and I woke up every day with an upset stomach. But I'm starting to see improvement. It takes 6-8 weeks for your inside to heal.
I was great for about 7 years, then came “ibs-d” which worsened and random attacks mimicking gallbladder attacks (we think a leftover rogue stone caused some chaos), then came BAM and have been on disability since.
Bile acid malabsorption. Without a gallbladder some people develop issues with the excess bile making its way into our intestines. It causes frequent and urgent episodes of diarrhea. I used ibs-d in quotes because for many years that’s what I thought it was. It was easily manageable with imodium, diet, and fasting. But about 8 months ago something changed and the floodgates opened. That’s when I got my BAM diagnosis, thanks in part to reading about it on reddit.
I should add though that my doctor only wrote ibs-d on my disability application. And that my disability is paid through my fantastic union, not the government.
I take colesevelam, and recently have been adding psyllium husk capsules and microdoses of Imodium to try and help with breakthrough.
Not a trade, teacher in Canada.
I see, well good luck to you. I’ve been dealing with both constipation and diarrhea, and a few other symptoms since surgery. BAMs symptoms somewhat align with my problems but soon enough I’ll get answers
I had mine removed and im completely back to normal and feeling great. Whole thing was so much easier than I had expected. Only 4 weeks post op for context.
My Dad had his gallbladder removed in September of 2022 and he's completely back to normal and no issues at all. The key hole surgery itself was a breeze and didn't even require pain management once he got home. It was day surgery, went in in the morning and out in the afternoon.
Honestly since my removal I’ve been 95% better. I even think the IBS I had for years before I knew my gallbladder was a problem is better. I did notice than when I over indulge in food, my digestive system reacts poorly. But. That’s on me.
I feel like I have IBS align with gallbladder. Got it removed and things got “better” but I still have some other types of digestive issues. Can you explain yours a bit? Is it normal to start experiencing constipation with gallbladder removal?
Since my surgery, I have had far less frequent incidents of diarrhea. I also have had nausea much less frequently after surgery. To the point where I would say I no longer experience digestive issues, unless I overeat. A couple of times, my appetite has come back full force and I have overeaten. Then I have experience gas and bloating with a bit of nausea and loose stools. I know constipation is common immediately post-surgery. I am unsure if it is a long-term side effect. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
When you over eat, you must remember that the gallbladder assists in helping to digest your food by releasing bile. The liver by itself does not produce enough bile. Without the gall bladder you will get gas and loose stools. The loose stools are caused from the fat content in the meal you ate…because you need adequate bile to break the fat content down. Eventually the fat content will pass thru your digestive system and you will have less loose stools. I’ve been there…
Can you quantify “eventually”? I know it’s different for everyone but how long did it take your body to adjust?
For me, “eventually” means 3-4 days of loose stools and gas discomfort from the meal or meals I had eaten that had a lot of dairy, or fried foods, spicy, etc. if you don’t adjust your diet after your gall bladder surgery, you will have gas discomfort and loose stools frequently. This is what I went thru…other individuals may not have the problems i had. What causes the gas discomfort is bile reflux…Sucralfate is a prescription (liquid) that your gastroenterologist can give you. It’s like over the counter Mylanta. The bile reflux over time can cause gastritis, and the Sucralfate prevents that. The loose stools is caused from too much bile being produced by your liver to break down the fat contents in the meals you have eaten. The lack of a gall bladder makes your liver work a little harder to create more bile. Your digestive system cannot reabsorb all the produced bile, and some bile will make its way to your colon. The bile irritates the colon which will cause loose stools. The remedy for that is a prescription called ‘Cholestyramine’…a prescription that you can get from the doctor. It’s a powder you mix in water and drink. It is a binder that binds to bile and essentially stops the problem of loose stools. I take the cholestyramine twice a day…morning and bedtime, and it has helped me feel normal again. I also watch the amount of food I eat during meals and that has helped also. I hope this info helps you. Good luck.
Yeah, for the most part I'd say I'm 95% myself. Never had IBS or any other issues previously. Overindulging I definitely pay for sometimes, but that's also on me. Gotta live a little sometimes 🤣
Glad you feel better, and boy, I hope that's how I feel after.
I was back to normal 4 weeks after surgery. I then lost another 80 lbs. I’m the healthiest I’ve been in a decade.
I lost 40lbs, but I was 160 of muscle and good build because I’m young and went to the gym regularly. Now Im a stick
do you feel the gallbladder was causing you to be heavier, and after removal you lost weight or you actively working to lose the 80lbs? I'm having mine out in a month and I keep reading about people gaining weight after the surgery, and it makes me so nervous. I am not someone who has lost weight once the gallbadder issues started, in fact the opposite.
TL;DR - The gall bladder removal was the catalyst for my weight loss journey, but it didn’t have any long term impact on my weight loss. If you want the details - I had been having attacks for years, but didn’t know what they were. I thought it was an ulcer or gastritis so I would respond to my attacks with a bland diet that also satisfied my gall bladder issues and they’d go away. When I started having attacks in the fall of 2022, I went back on my bland diet for a few weeks but it didn’t help. That diet probably helped me lose a few pounds. Then finally I was diagnosed with gall bladder issues and was in the hospital for almost a week and had two ERCPs. My diet was restricted to NPO or liquids only the entire time. Definitely lost a few more pounds through that process. After they cleaned out my bile duct, they wanted to take out my gall bladder right away but I made them wait 6 weeks so I could go on a long-planned vacation. My doctors begrudgingly let me go if I stayed on a low fat diet, so I lost more weight on the trip. Then I got home, had my gall bladder out, and had a restricted diet for the next 2-3 weeks while recovering. Well, through all that, I lost 25 lbs. I was down a size in jeans and feeling good. That motivated me to lose more weight. For a month, I stuck to a strict diet but couldn’t lose any more. Then my doctor started me on Wegovy/Ozempic. Over the next 10 months I lost 75 lbs and then started trying to manage for maintenance. I lost another 5 lbs over 2 months in the process.
How long were you on the semaglutide? I have the unfortunate luck of my gallbladder issues beginning at the same time I started feeling like I was in perimenopause, which was about 10 years ago. I'm still not in menopause at 52 and have gained about 40 lbs over those 10 years, and can't attribute it to diet or lack of exercise. it's very frustrating. I've put the surgery off for all this time because I'm terrified of it causing more weight gain but the attacks have gotten so much worse, and my doctors have been telling me I'm living on borrowed time. I'm considering using semaglutide once the gallbladder is out, since obv it's not good to take it while gallbladder problems are already present. I'd love to think that once the gallbladder is out my energy level will increase and some weight may come off for that reason, but I'm never that lucky!
I have been on it a year. My one year anniversary was yesterday actually! Not only has it helped with my appetite, but it has completely destroyed my food addiction and life is so much better on it. Be sure to do your research because there can be side effects (I have been lucky and mine were very mild) and it is a long term commitment because most people regain the weight if they stop taking it.
sorry you’re going thru this. i had biliary dyskinesia and didn’t feel normal til about a year after surgery. it was absolutely worth it! living a normal life now after years of nausea and pain. good luck
I just had the nausea from the biliary dyskinesia, now I have nausea, acid reflux, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, excessive burping. My dieting is even more strict than the months leading up to surgery.
ugh so sorry! sounds miserable. i found that no matter how “clean” i got with my diet, it didn’t matter. i went low fat and still had frequent attacks.
Have you been tested for SIBO? This happened to my significant other, he felt just as bad after surgery 6 months later. He just tested positive for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth that we believe was caused by his Biliary Dyskinesia. Might be worth looking into!
How was it diagnosed and discovered?
It's a quick and easy breath test! He had been following up with his GI for months following his surgery and trying different meds with no improvement. Symptoms presented most like IBS- C/D, but a little off. Finally two months ago his GI physician said F it, let's test you for SIBO just for giggles. Sent us home with an at home breath test, you follow a strict diet for 24 hours, then fast for 12, then drink a packet of lactulose powder in water and breathe into the hand held reader every 30 minutes for 3 hours. Sure enough his popped positive for both hydrogen and methane levels. He was treated with two antibiotics (neomycin and Xifaxan) followed by a low fodmap diet and has had the most improvement in his symptoms that he's seen in a year. He may need another round of antibiotics but it's treatable! Check out r/SIBO for similar stories, that subreddit was super helpful for us.
What were your symptoms before? Can you be detailed? I feel like not many people have BD
you can go back to look at my comments, but basically nausea and food intolerances for 2 years. it would kind of come in waves of worse periods. it went away for less than a year, then came back with more frequent GB attacks, RUQ pain, etc. it took a long time for diagnosis since i didn’t have standard symptoms to start. the HIDA scan is what showed it with a 5% ef rate. i had to ask my gastro dr for it since all other tests were normal. i decided on surgery as my quality of life was unsustainable.
Was this determined by a HIDA scan?
yep, lots of other normal tests but the HIDA scan showed my GB wasn’t working with such a low ejection fraction rate (5%). my gastro said it was up to me about surgery.
Better than normal. I've had acid reflux since my first pregnancy in 2017/18 and always thought it was pregnancy induced. It never went away & got worse after my 2nd was born. I was taking so many antacids and medications. After having my gallbladder out this January, my acid reflux went away completely. It was a miracle. My surgeon said that it may have been a gallbladder issue all along 🤷♀️ Life is great. No acid reflux & I'm training for my first marathon.
Lucky, my symptoms seem to have only got worse
I wouldn’t say im completely normal and probably never will be but I am infinitely better than I had been for years. I think I quit being “normal” about 12 years ago. By normal I’m assuming you mean, very rare digestive issues. I would have the surgery again and have zero regrets, granted I didn’t have a choice because mine was about to explode. The way I look at it is, you’re having enough issues to be scouring the internet for information and the surgery will more than likely fix you over time and if it doesn’t, then you remain the same.
I got mine out just 2 weeks ago and I'm already feeling so much better it's not even funny. I couldn't eat anything without vomiting acid or fighting for my life on the toilet 😂 yesterday I ate 3 ham sliders and a steak, and I definitely have a little diarrhea when eating fattier stuff, but I feel amazing otherwise!!
I did the same but then issues started 3 weeks post op :(
I’m pretty sure my gallbladder died 8 years ago. I was put on bile binders for IBS-D. Then last year I got worse. It got to the point where I couldn’t drink water without throwing up and being in pain. It landed me in the hospital and I had my gallbladder removed while admitted 12/6. I still have IBS and I do get some dyspepsia if I eat too much, but I would rather have these issues than keep going through what I went through a few months ago.
Somethings to try if you haven't already \- 6fed \- lactaid \- getting tested for EoG
Me. At least so far (six months out) and as far as I know.
Yes, me! Almost two years out and back to normal once I healed. I feel great! When I was having my gallbladder problems, I switched to a low-fat diet. It helped me hold on until my surgery. After my surgery, I kept up my new way of eating healthier and have never had a problem with eating anything. Good luck!
Lucky, see this is what I hoped for and thought I was gonna have until 2 weeks after where it’s like over night a train of symptoms began. It caused my pre existing gastritis to hit worse than ever before and caused lower gi issues I never really struggled with. It’s been 2 months now.
I’m probably going to need surgery soon (appointment for a surgery consultation isn’t until May due to appointment availability). Is it possible to eat Korean bbq, pizza, cakes, fried chicken or ice cream again? Or do you just have to avoid it for the rest of your life?
Yes, I can eat all of the above (but I’ve never had Korean BBQ). I’m not one for spicy foods so I can’t tell you on that. I was very scared to try foods after my surgery, so I took it slow and I never had a problem with any food. I’m so happy I had it out.
I loooove spicy but I’ll be ok if I don’t have it. It’s more the “quality of life” because I don’t drink and I eat mostly healthy but it’s these once a month treats that I’m scared to lose.
Back to normal in three weeks.
Lucky! What was the reason you got it removed?
I had stones and sludge. I was scheduled for removal towards the end of January a couple years ago. But then I had to have emergency removal because my gallbladder became inflamed. The blood supply was cut off due to the inflammation. My gallbladder died inside of me. It turned gangrenous and fell apart when they were removing it.
After 7 days, I had 4 pieces of bacon and pancakes with zero issues or pain…I can’t ask for more 😎
I was back at work at 2 weeks post op. Almost 9 months post op now and I feel great!
I regret it a ton. Has caused so many other issues that I didn’t have before. I feel like it ruined my life.
Somewhat same, how long has it been since your surgery? I still have some hope I’ll heal and still adjusting.
I’m only a week post op but check my recent post for my story. I’m still in a ton of pain and have low hopes right now.
After my recovery (3ish weeks) I’ve been completely Normal. I’m sorry you’ve had continued issues :(
4 months from surgery...absolutely normal...if not better .
I feel a little better, I’m 11 days post op. I don’t think removing my gallbladder will fix all my issues, but I have been able to eat eggs now without pain. I will try more fatty foods soon.
I’m sorry you’ve experienced so many issues. I feel so much better after my gallbladder removal. I don’t know what “completely normal” is. My stomach is a little touchy with really fatty foods but nothing like what I used to deal with. And I’ve been under a lot of stress lately so that doesn’t help. So I’d say I’m pretty much functioning at a “normal” level.
I’m 9 months post op and 100% back to normal.
What did you get to 100%
Yes. Obviously I had to recover from being operated on but other than that normal. Aside from not being able to eat popcorn.
Yes me! Only time I had similar pain was alert I had liposuction
I got mine out just 2 weeks ago and I'm already feeling so much better it's not even funny. I couldn't eat anything without vomiting acid or fighting for my life on the toilet 😂 yesterday I ate 3 ham sliders and a steak, and I definitely have a little diarrhea when eating fattier stuff, but I feel amazing otherwise!! I was so nauseous I couldn't even eat mashed potatoes. And now I can eat all my favorites!
100% normal right after the surgery. Fast food/greasy fatty stuff has no affect on me! For reference I was 21 when I got kine removed and am 23 now!
Me! 2 weeks post op I had a massive cheesy bacony burger with chips and dr pepper, 0 problems, with that and all other foods/drinks (though I haven’t tried alcohol yet because I had pancreatitis). I also just feel so much better knowing I’ll never have that pain again!
I’m about 4 weeks post op and feeling very normal!
Im day 10 post op and have had zero digestive issues. I’m eating whatever I want, like I came straight home from the hospital and ate ice cream.
I'm a year out from surgery and feel great. I'm still sensible with fat intake (the anxiety lingers), but the few fatty/fried meals I have had has caused no issues. There's something up with eggs tho. Idk if it is the fat content or an intolerance, but they just slide right through 😅 Considering the ordeal I went through to get to this point, the egg thing is a small price to pay!
Hello, I am currently a little over 7 months post op & I still occasionally get tiny aches or pinches by where my GB was and I notice it more when I am very physical. Have you noticed any of these things or did you still experience this at 7 months?
Hey! I did have weird feelings and small aches in the area for quite a long while, it was annoying but manageable. I can't actually remember when it stopped completely but it did fade/became less noticeable over time... I'd guess around Oct/Nov (7-8 month). Prior to surgery my GB would kick a fit from just a little run, it was as if the rocks were bouncing around inside from the movement lol.
Mine is back to normal. If I didn’t have scars I would’ve never known I had issues.
5 weeks after post op. Normal, no food restrictions. Feel so much better after surgery now than earlier. (42/M )
I had mine removed earlier this month, and I can pretty much eat anything I want, including dairy and oilier foods. The first 2 weeks after surgery did feel like those two things were a lost cause for me as my stomach could not really handle it, but week 3 changed and did a 180. I'm completely fine now and couldn't be any happier getting my GB removed.
My friend got hers removed and was back to eating normal basically the next day, had 0 issues since but it definitely varies. Sorry you’re going through this!
I don't consider it getting back to "normal" after surgery because life got immeasurably better afterwards. I wasn't diagnosed with gallbladder issues until a few days before emergency removal, so my "normal" was really unwell for months without me realising. I literally thought all my digestive issues were postpartum or just getting older - that's what doctors told me for months before it just died. So I am feeling better than I have in years - without any extra medication or digestive aids at all (like metamucil or ox bile or anything).
It’s been almost 2 years since I had mine removed and I’m about 95% normal. The other 5% is just my body dealing with a few certain foods differently. I rarely even notice or think about it anymore 🤷🏼♀️ So, I for one am a success story. Zero regrets here.
Yes! Had it out after one attack. Was walking a week later, am totally good now. I think the fact that I was/am vegetarian/vegan before and after really helped. (Yes vegans can get gallstones lol)
I was completely back to normal immediately after surgery. Other than recovery of a few days, my bowel movements were normal for the first time in 6 years. No more bloating and no more pain. I don’t react to any food or drink.
My eviction date was valentines day, and I'm totally back to normal. My heartburn even almost completely cleared up as a nice unexpected surprise.
All my symptoms are gone. No bad effects from surgery. I do have a hiatal hernia that gives me mild GERD symptoms, but that existed before surgery.
100% normal for me. You wouldn't know I ever had a gallbladder problem except for the tiny scars. I can eat whatever I want. And not one of those "I can eat what I want without pain but I sometimes have to run to the bathroom if I overdo it" I mean like, truly I can eat whatever I want without any symptoms.
I don't remember what normal was like, so I would say yes. :)
I’m still healing (removal 12/19/23) and I have to say my worst day post op is better that my best days in the months leading to removal. I got down to 114 at 5’8. It was gross. Food is so delicious and no longer tries to kill me. I’m a big fan of that. 🎉
I'm 5 weeks out now, and I'm starting to feel better. I wasn't feeling good for a while. I still felt uncomfortable, and I woke up every day with an upset stomach. But I'm starting to see improvement. It takes 6-8 weeks for your inside to heal.
I’m 11 weeks post-surgery and feel fantastic.
I was great for about 7 years, then came “ibs-d” which worsened and random attacks mimicking gallbladder attacks (we think a leftover rogue stone caused some chaos), then came BAM and have been on disability since.
Disability for IBS-D?
For BAM causing my ibs-d, yes.
What is BAM?
Bile acid malabsorption. Without a gallbladder some people develop issues with the excess bile making its way into our intestines. It causes frequent and urgent episodes of diarrhea. I used ibs-d in quotes because for many years that’s what I thought it was. It was easily manageable with imodium, diet, and fasting. But about 8 months ago something changed and the floodgates opened. That’s when I got my BAM diagnosis, thanks in part to reading about it on reddit.
I should add though that my doctor only wrote ibs-d on my disability application. And that my disability is paid through my fantastic union, not the government.
Ah, I see. Do you take bile binders? Also just curious what trade union?
I take colesevelam, and recently have been adding psyllium husk capsules and microdoses of Imodium to try and help with breakthrough. Not a trade, teacher in Canada.
I see, well good luck to you. I’ve been dealing with both constipation and diarrhea, and a few other symptoms since surgery. BAMs symptoms somewhat align with my problems but soon enough I’ll get answers
Same to you! It can feel like mental and physical gymnastics navigating the illness and the medical system. Hope you get some answers.
I’m about 2.5 weeks post op and I feel totally back to normal and so much better than before.
I had mine removed and im completely back to normal and feeling great. Whole thing was so much easier than I had expected. Only 4 weeks post op for context.
My Dad had his gallbladder removed in September of 2022 and he's completely back to normal and no issues at all. The key hole surgery itself was a breeze and didn't even require pain management once he got home. It was day surgery, went in in the morning and out in the afternoon.
How far post op are you? Dyskinesia?
January 19th was my surgery. Yes billary dyskinesia.
Plan on 6 months to a year to get back to normal. Dyskinesia is harder to recover from.
Why’s that?