Bowel problems after gall bladder surgery

[Beeepie]

I've been having this same bathroom problem for the past seven years since my gall bladder was removed.  Unfortunately, the gastro guy treating me has done so more or less by trial and error.  First, he thought my "lactose intolerance" symptoms were caused by giardia, a parasite.  After three antibiotics, that was ruled out.  Then, he hit upon what was actually the problem.  A condition that can develop after gall bladder removal where the body can't absorb fat from the diet.  What happens, he explained, is that the fat actually crosses over into the large intestine where it combines with chemicals there to produce a strong laxative.  The solution was a cholesterol drug that binds with the fat in the digestive tract and keeps it from being absorbed so that it passes straight through the body.  I was put on Welchol, and it really helped.  It also has no side effects because Welchol is not absorbed in the body.  It just passes on through along with the fat.  

Unfortunately, since I was being treated solely by trial and error, I was taken off this treatment later on when I developed some colitis and rectal bleeding, apparently from some other cause.  Now I'm with a new doctor, and he has confirmed that the original problem was caused by this fat problem after gall bladder surgery, and the Welchol treatment was the best one.  I'm going back on it, because I'm tired of visiting every bathroom across town and having to meet people for lunch instead of riding in the same car.  Good luck to the rest of you, and make sure you're with a really good gastroenterologist!


This discussion is related to Bowel Problems After Gallbladder Surgery.