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GallBladder Removal - Was it worth it?

I am a very frustrated 28 yr old female.  I originally went to the doctor almost 2 yrs ago due to excruciating painful attacks, usually after fatty meals and/or alcohol. These attacks were so painful they would cause me to haunch over, hyperventilate and would be at there worst pain just below the breastbone, over to the right. Then the pain would generate into my back, up to my sholders and sometimes down my arms. I would usually have someone take me to the ER. After a ultrasound, the doctors found about 7-8 stones in my gallbladder & I had it removed about 1 1/2 yrs ago. About 3-4 weeks after surgery, I had another attack. Very much like the gallbladder attacks I had before surgery. I am still having them periodically as of today. Just had another on 1/7. Again, precipitated by fatty foods and/or alcohol. In addition, stomach is usally tender & sore.I have had ultrasounds, bloodwork, 2 endoscopies. Test show no signs of gallstones in the ducts. Endoscopies did show that I developed bile gastritis. I was treated w/ sucralfate and Prilosec about a year ago. Months after meds stopped, developed burning pain (almost constant, sometimes worse when hungry) in the pit of stomach below the breastbone. No mention of uclers from doctors and there were no signs during prior endoscopies. Doc now says have acid reflux, although haven't had chestpains or heartburn a day in my life. Doc says LES valve is not closing/relaxed, but nothing comes up my throat. Am now back on sucralfate and prevacid. It's been a pretty painful process since my gallbladder was removed. Not only am I still have attacks, which is why the gallbladder was removed in the 1st place, but because it's gone, the bile that trickles has caused bile gastritis. I was pretty much told that bile gastritis can be treated, but not cured & I will take meds for the rest of my life. How will this affect me when I choose to get pregnant? Why am I still having gallstone attacks w/ no gallbladder? What is the constant burning in the pit? Life on a daily basis consist of pain & discomfort. Some days better than others. What else can I do? All these diagnoses & meds, yet the burning & attacks still exist???  Thank you for your time.
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what can be done with cancer of the esophages.  Can the esophages be replaced?  Are there alternative treatments.
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Avatar universal
Hi: Well, I'm back again. The last time I had written was June 1, 2000 and I was complaining about having elevated liver enzymes. About three weeks ago I went to my doctor and had another blood test done to check to see if I still had elevated liver enzymes because the doctors were thinking of having a liver biopsy done on me. To my relief, my blood tests came back normal. The doctors feel that my losing about 10 pounds is what did the trick. They felt I had fatty liver and needed to lose some weight. I still feel it had something to do with having my gall bladder removed. Well, whatever the case is, I'm relieved that my blood test came back normal. I also was taking milk thistle, hopefully that also helped. For all of you out there with these same problems, check the Internet and read and learn as much as you can about your medical problems and keep the faith. I really feel that learning what I could on the Internet helped me in making a decision as to not rush into having a liver biopsy done until I felt it was absolutely necessary and at this time did not feel that was the case. I'm glad I stuck to my guns and pushed off having the liver biopsy done immediately because it obviously wasn't needed. Good luck to everyone.
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Avatar universal
You people that are having elevated liver functions, listen up! Your doctor is not going to tell you this, but your problem could be that you bile duct was injured during your laproscopic surgery.  It happened to me and I was lucky that I REFUSED to leave the hospital after surgery, due to the pain.  My case was severe (complete disection) but you could have a leak which will cause liver damage if not corrected.
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sue
Just a note of encouragement - I had my gall bladder removed on May 1, 2000, and have never felt better in my life.  Gone is my pain, indigestion, etc.  I can now live in peace - knowing that I don't have to live in fear of another gallbladder attack.  I understand that many people encounter problems even after their gall bladder was removed, but I just thought that some people might want to know that many people get their's removed and feel great.  Thank you!
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17568 tn?1424973559
I too had my gallbladder out and am experiencing some pain again in the same area, including the pressure on my ribs which I had due to the blockage of bile.  Now I seem to have developed anal leakage.  Is this related to the surgery?
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Avatar universal
Hello: It's been two years since my gallbladder operation. It took me about a year to finally get completely well. I was nauseous for about 6 weeks before the operation and three months after the operation. I thought I would never feel better again. I only wish I had seen this message board while I was sick. It would have made me feel better knowing that it wasn't all in my mind. I remember my stomach being so sore and tender and how I couldn't eat very much at all, I had lost a total of 18 pounds. I would get well and then relapse within a few days as soon as I started to eat normally again. As I said this went on for three months and then my internist prescribed Prevocid for me and within two weeks I was better. She thought that I had developed Gastritis after the Gallbladder was removed. I think she was right, because I did start to get better after taking that medication. The problem was that none of the doctors could understand why I was still having the same symptoms I had before the operation. I wish they would start reading up on the Internet and realize that everyone's body is not what the textbooks say they are.

The other thing that has happened is that just before the surgery, I had bloodwork done and everything was fine, no elevated liver enzymes which I would get now and then, which the doctors felt were attributed to my gallbladder. Then two weeks after the surgery I had this intense pain in the gallbladder region and almost passed out in the drug store awaiting a pain killer prescription. After being rushed to the emergency room and bloodwork being done, I was told that my liver enzymes were elevated, but that it was probably due to the surgery, that there was really no reason for concern and that I could go home. Well eventually everything did seem to go back to normal and a year later, I went back to my doctor for a cold and my doctor suggested my taking a bloodtest. Well, surprisingly, the bloodtest results showed that I still had elevated liver enzymes. Now she was puzzled and thought maybe I had been taking some sort of vitamins or medication that created this problem. She had a liver function test done and everything came back fine. She then told me to have another bloodtest done 2 mos. later and same thing again, elevated liver enzymes. She then sent me to an Gastroenterologist and he had me go for an ultrasound. Ultrasound showed normal liver, pancreas, everything checked out fine. It seems I'm a mystery to the doctors and now he's thinking of having me go for a Liver Biopsy, which I'm not too anxious to do, because I understand that is not always conclusive. I feel that the liver enzymes has something to do with the gallbladder being removed. My Gastoenterologist thinks I may have Fatty Liver, which I find hard to believe being that I'm just about 5 pounds overweight. Has anyone else had this happen to them?
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