After Gallbladder Removal

[NYSue]

About two weeks after my gallbladder was removed, I have been suffering from increasing symptoms.
I have a constant headache, it goes away, I assume when I sleep, only to return once I have been awake for a few moments. I can hardly drive myself anywhere anymore, and in fact I get dizzy, lightheaded, my right hand was shaking badly, but in the past few days or so it is improving. I feel like I have the flu, without the flu. My appetite comes and goes. And I am so fatigued. Disorientation and slight memory loss are also affecting me.
When I walk, I have shortness of breath, slight memory loss. It is hard to concentrate, and when I do the headache gets worse.
I have had numerous blood test done, MRIs, and now my Dr is recommending a sleep study. I have an appointment with a sleep specialist on the 30th.
Also, recently I am getting a sharb jabbing pain in the left of my ribcage, under my heart. Not constant, but why sitting in a reclined position.
Could this be related to the anesthesia?? Or possibly, could they have clipped a nerve, or possible infection. Before my gallbladder was taken out, I had turned jaundice. I had been in severe pain for one week before I broke down and went to the Dr.
I have been to the Drs so much, and they have taken so much blood from me, I told the nurse I was going to start charging her. It is my blood afterall.
Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
NYSue

[Jordaronni]

I'm only 15 yrs old and i just had my gallbladder removed 4 days ago do to large gallstones and roughly 35 stones total.  As of the 2nd day around the time i went to sleep i began to have a serious migraine and after i woke up the next day it just got worse then faded a bit thoughout the day.  But then the next morning, or whenever i woke up the migraine got worse than the previous day.  I tried taking a asprin to help it, which i had pre-approved with my pharmacist, and it didn't work.  Although i did go outside for a hour or so and that seemed to help some but still didn't make the migraine go away wholy.  Also once in a while i'll get naucous and I'm dizzy everytime i move my head or eyes to quikly.  Like others i also suffer from continuous fatigue and loss and/or non-exsistant appitite.  Was wondering if anyone else had these simptoms and if anyone would know if i should go to the doctor sooner rather than wait till my check-in on the 23rd of July, in 6 days?  Thank you!  And one more thing i don't know how long others opperations are but mine took 45 minutes.  Is that normal?  Or could it be from the excessive amount of gallstones i had?

[bludogwa]

I too continued to have tons of symptoms after my gallbladder was removed and was told by my doctors to be patient.  I was afraid to eat because of the pain.  Right at about the 2 month mark, I did note that I was no longer afraid to eat and that the symptoms did seem to have decreased.  At the 3 month mark, I again could tell that there was continued decrease in symptoms.  I am now nearing the 4 month mark and can actually identify the symptoms in the right quadrant rather than in the referred areas (under the sternum, between the shoulder blades and on the left side).  I can now also note that they do happen after eating certain food.  So, be patient and give it time; but keep checking in with your doctors.  I have found that small, healthier meals are easier on the body.  Good luck!

[pattik12]

Any chance you are taking a statin? I was put on Lipitor after my gallbladder was removed and fell into a new kind of hell on earth, much like you described. My liver function test showed trouble so I was taken off the drug and it helped with many of the symptoms.

[sjb1968]

HI I HAD MY GALL BLADDER REMOVED 3 1/2 WEEKS AGO AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING SIMILAR PROBS, DIZZINESS, EXTREME FATIGUE, DIARRHEA AND LOSS OF APETITE (CAN ONLY EAT ABOUT 1/2 A MEAL A DAY BEFORE FEELING SICK), OH YEAH AND THE HEADACHE, TO BE HONEST MY HEAD FEELS LIKE ITS NOT ATTACHED TO MY BODY AT TIMES. I HAD NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS BEFORE THE OP AND THEY WERE NEVER MENTIONED AS A SIDE EFFECT OF THE OP. IT SEEMS IVE SWAPPED ONE LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR ANOTHER AND DOCS JUST DONT HELP. I MEAN COME ON ALL THESE PEOPLE ON HERE WITH SAME SYMPTOMS AND HUNDREDS ON OTHER SITES IVE BEEN ON, SURELY DOCTORS SHOULD SEE THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM HERE AFTER HAVING THE GALL BLADDER REMOVED. DOCTORS WE NEED ANSWERS NOT FOB OFFS !!!!!!!

[Cindy111]

I had my gallbladder removed 10 days ago, and I have been having headaches everyday along with diarrhea, nausea and severe dizziness. I went to my family dr. and they said i had alot of fluid in my ears, so they gave me a allergy med to dry them out, but the other drs say it could be a virus, or its normal in some people. I feel horrible and dont think its normal to feel this bad.

[liv16]

HI im only 16 years old and i just had my gallbladder removed 3-4 weeks ago due to a large gallstone. I am now having horrible severe headaches and i will even wake up in the night with them and i never have a had a headahe before surgery. I also have a weird throbbing type of pain in my upper left side by the bottom of my ribcage when i eat sometimes. Could this all be related to the surgery..?

[Janie119]

My mother has recently had her gallbladder removed, but before she had surgery she started with a headache,  she still has this headache its now a month later,  she still feels nauseus as before and her appetite is non existant.  She is not getting much sleep,  due to the nausea,  which is at its worst in the morning.  
We are now getting quite concerned about the headache,  does anybody know if this could be related to the Gallbladder surgery or is it something completly different.  We have made an appointment for her to have accupuncture next week.  Is anybody else suffering or suffered with these symptoms?

[reddawg]

Sue, These problems your having, should have been dx with all the MRI's, blood tests. A sleep study?   Had my gallbladder taken out  (3 yrs ago) and haven't been the same since. But my underying problems are the cause. Did your Dr. say anything about your pancreas? You seem to have extreme symptoms and since several diseases have similar symptoms ask him about the tests below.
I can tell you that your on going symptoms are similar to mine, but I already knew of my underlying causes. My conditions take years to manifest HepC, cirrhosis, chronic pancreaititis.
MedMissionary had a very good avenue for some of your pain.
All your blood tests should have included Liver Enzymes and function, Pancreatic function. Alt, Ast, Alk Pho., Bilirubin total,  Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL
I hope your recovery is nothing more than the result of your gallbladder.

[NYSue]

Thank you so much for your reviews. I went to see my Dr. again, the dizziness is getting better, kind of. But, either way, they sent me to a sleep clinic, which diagnosed me with narcolepsy and I am scheduled for a sleep study on Wed. night. I don't see really how this is going to help, other than the fact that the headache is better until the "alert" medicine wears off (about 6pm). Anyways, I might look into the hyperectension neck gallbladder surgery. Thank you so much for the information

[MedMissionary]

My father-in-law had gallbladder surgery about a month ago.  He started getting severe headaches and pains in other areas starting the next day.  The doctors did all kinds of test and found nothing.  The only answer they had was to give him pain pills, which did not help much.  We visited with a anesthesiologist-in-training yesterday.  He asked when the pains started.  We told him the day after surgery.  He said they my have hyper-extended his neck during surgery.  Dad went to a chiropractor with this information in hand, and after a single session with him today, has been off his pain medication and no more severe headache.  The shoulder blade pain, headaches and other pains could all be related to this type of injury.   I did a little surfing on the net with "hyperextension neck gallbladder surgery" and it seems to confirm all of this.  

[mr.lucky66]

Jaybay is the resident expert here on gall bladder and other things G I.. The shoulder blade pain can be a symptom of biliary problems or gall stones. I am well on the road to full recovery and am eating more. all the best

[constatlyinpain]

I am having some of those symptoms as well.  I'm only a week and a half out of surgery, and I'm wondering if I'm "normal" or if there is something else wrong.  I didn't/don't get jaundiced at all, but my referred pain (between shoulder blades) is worse now than before surgery.  Wondering if pancreas is the problem???  If you find anything out, let me know...I'll do the same for you.

[mr.lucky66]

I'm sorry, I just had mine removed 3 weeks ago and none of this is familiar or anything I've heard about. I've just heard about digestive problems and some r. side pain. Hope you find out what it is>