Gallstones, surgery, very confused

[geux]

I know gallstones have been talked about ad nasuem in these forums, yet I cannot find the answer to my dilemma. I was diagnosed with multiple gallstones in April of this year ('08). I was told today by a Gastroenterologist that I should have my gallbladder removed ASAP.

I had a virus in Jan with diarrhea. Then after that, every 7-10 days, I had frequent bowel movements (up to three) in the morning, each one coming within one to two hours of the one before. Each one progressively looser than the one before. Over the weeks and months since the original problem, my stools have varied in color from yellow to dark brown; from firm to very soft; and have exhibited various shapes and sizes. I had terribly bloating at one point but that has since subsided. Two sets of blood tests have come back negative for IBD, Celiac, and a variety of other things. All other levels in the blood work are normal. Two stool tests for blood, parasites, difficile. etc, have come back negative.

For the most part I have had no symptoms of "classic" gallbladder problems as I know it. No severe pain in the upper right quadrant under the ribs radiating to the shoulder and back; no vomiting or nausea. There has been pain starting on the left side adjacent to my bellybutton; and on both my far right and left sides, and in my front abdominal region from just below my breastbone all the way down past my bellybutton. These pains come and go on their own accord and do not seem to correlate with food intake.

As an addendum, I have experienced a lot of anxiety from the condition itself and have experienced a heavy load of emotional upheaval and anxiety related issues this year - one right after the other, with little break in between.

The Gastro said he correlated the need to have my gallbladder out with my symptoms of frequent stools in the morning within a short time frame, change in stool color, the abdominal pain, and the bloating. At this point the bloating is not an issue and the abdominal pain has subsided. I have scoured the internet and cannot find any correlation with episodic frequent bowel movements in the morning and gallstones. The closest thing I have found relates to Gallbladder dysfunction, which is apparently caused by gallstones.

Anyone care to comment? I figure I'll have to have the thing out eventually, but don't want surgery unless I absolutely have to have it. Thanks for your time.

[geux]

Ok, update and another question, if I may.

Got a second opinion about having GB surgery. The second doc said the first doc was wrong, and that I wasn't showing convincing signs of GB problems. He wants a HIDA scan and I'm assuming that's with CCK or equivalent. I know this scan can cause pain and nausea in some people. The question I have is - with an ultrasound that indicates "multiple gallstones" and the first doc saying they were the small variety, is there a chance the HIDA/CCK scan could actually cause one of these stones to be squeezed into the biliary tract and give me a full blown GB attack?

I'll obviously be asking the techs that preform the procedure this question also.

[geux]

Thank you very much for your input on this issue. You have been of great help.

With that comes another question:

Does the presence of gallstones automatically mean the gallbladder is diseased?

[CalGal]

Could you use another term for the diarrhea and cramping that accompanies bile problems or eating fatty foods and have more frequent bowel movements, than the word colitis? Colitis is a term that indicates inflammation of the large intestine which usually leads to abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea with blood and mucus. I know colitis used to be commonly used to denote a 'touchy gut' or whatever people would like to call it, but the term colitis does mean an inflammatory condition, and the fact that someone has more frequent bowel habits or outright diarrhea does not mean they have colitis.

Colitis means conditions along the line of Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, etc.

[Sheilathatsme]

Bile induced diarrhea doesn't always cause colitis but if it occurs chronically it can lead to it. When it began with me it was most noticeable on my left side and abdomen was tender and it was very difficult and painful to pass a stool or even gas. I eventually had swollen lymph glands in my abdomen. The pain is also pretty constant and becomes worse with passing of a stool. Most of my colitis problems began after the removal of my Gallbladder. But when a Gallbladder begins mis functioning your bowel movements will go from brown to yellow because sometimes it puts out not enough bile and then all of a sudden it puts out way to much. This is where sudden diarrhea occurs that are greasy and discolored with a lot of cramping and then you may go to constipation. I wish you good luck with your digestive health.  Sheila

[AlanPi]

geux, I have symptoms similar to yours, with frequent and varying loose stools in the morning, frequent color changes, and from some constipation to more often diarrhea/steatorrhea.  I have no found stones in the gallbladder, but a low gallbladder function.  I am still considering Cholecysectomy, and possibly delaying it as long as possible.  Here is a thread on the dilemma: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/556247?post_id=post_3097181

Sheila, isn't yellowish stools indicative of high concentration of undigested fat, therefore lack of bile?  I didn't know it could be the other way around?  Does bile induced diarrhea always cause colitis?

[Sheilathatsme]

Gallbladder problems present differently with everyone. And it does sound as if your gallbladder is mis functioning by releasing too much bile into your digestive tract. When this happens it can cause greasy, loose, yellow colored stools. Also, if your liver continues to produce large amounts of bile after the removal of your Gallbladder you may start experiencing a chronic condition called Colitis. Which it sounds like, to me, you've already been experiencing with the pain to your right and left abdomen. If you continue to suffer with the L and R abdominal pain you may need to start taking a drug called Cholestyramine which binds bile and protects the colon from being burned by the excess bile. In a normal functioning digestive tract bile is absorbed in the small intestine thus protecting the colon from being scorched by the acidity of the bile. Also, if you continue to have Colitis problems I would suggest, speaking with a Gastroenterologist about regular Colonoscopy (doctors like to do this for patients with chronic colitis every two to three years). Chronic Colitis can lead to Polyps in the colon. I tell you all of this to prepare you for the worst but hopefully, with the removal of your Gallbladder all of these problems could very well completely disappear. They didn't in my case and that's why I wanted to arm you with as much information as possible.  Good luck and God bless!  

Sheila