Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
168348 tn?1379357075

After Gallbladder Surgery ~ irregularity ... how long does it take to get back to normal?

My 17yr old had GB removed 10days ago and now suffers from constipation that then goes into very loose stools and after done with it leaves her with tremendous gurgling and cramping .. she took some Pepto Bismol last night and that helped a tad.  She did eat pretty normal foods yesterday so I guess it is a time-game waiting for things to settle down after surgery.

The good news is that no GB type pain or the same type of abdominal pain she had prior to the surgery.

Poor kid.  It hurts so much along the quardrant where she had surgery when she gets like this .. post-op soreness which is diff. than orig. GB pain.

Any thoughts from anybody BTDT or comments?  I am assuming something small to keep to her regular even if thru diet for awhile but have to be careful bcz it may trigger loose stools and this gurgling as I fear this is what happened as I gave her some Miralax which liquified that which was behind the constipated matter. (sorry, gross I know).

Cheryl
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
168348 tn?1379357075
Thank you .. I hope you feel better and soon ... open surgery is so hard to heal from .... I hope you do well, too.

Cheryl
Helpful - 0
414152 tn?1202515031
Hi,I had my GB removed after an attack (no warnings) on 1/28 - so I feel your daughter's pain. It was not pulled through the belly, but I had to have an open surgery. My doctor told me no driving for 2 weeks, no exercising for 6, and then almost as an after thought he added "Oh, and don't expect your bowels to be perfect for quite some time. You have to control that when you learn your body all over again."  By that he meant that we made and distribute our bile differently. We'll have to experiment with the fatty content (low please) and all the rest. However, the best medicine is always good sound judgment.  Drink lots of water, eat bland foods, and don't eat a lot at once.  Just take it easy - take it slowly.  The kid should bounce back.  (Not medical advise, just good advise)
Helpful - 0
168348 tn?1379357075
thanks so much for your reply.  She is off the pain meds 8 days and only taking Tylenol here or there.  I put a call into the surgeon to see what he recommends as we have a followup appt on 2/11 with our GI group who is going to follow the inflammation of her ileium which was diagnosed on CT Scan when she was admitted.  It covered the appendix .. this was 1/12.  But since they figured out it was GB they said 95% of her pain would go away and the 5% left would be GI related and warned us about the fats and stools taking up to 3 mos to adjust to!  But seems odd she is constipated 4 days w/o going and needs intervention.

I wonder if they will do a repeat CT Scan or move up her appt and do the scopes they were hoping to avoid if she remained totally asymtpomatic.  

The good news:  Gastro Reflux is GONE since GB is gone!!! YEAAH!!!!

However, the surgeon said that the outside looked normal, healthy but dont' know about inside.  

Helpful - 0
377306 tn?1203434503
It could be several things.  But if you search on this forum, you will see that diarrhea is a common symptom after GB removal.  It is caused by the body not having enought bile to help in digestion of fat, which is the role that the GB plays in digestion.  It normally can clear up over time as your body gets used to not having a gall bladder, but not always.  Also, I would assume that your daughter was or still is taking pain medication.  If it was Vicodin or the like, these type of drugs can cause constipation.  I can see the combination of these two factors causing symptoms that you desribe.

Other can chime in here with advice learned from experience, but I would see if going with low fat and high fiber foods helps.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Gastroenterology Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem