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Pain after Gall Bladder removal !!

I had my gallbladder removed in October 2006. I had excellent surgery and the keyhole was much appreciated due to the fact i thought i was going to die from the ridiculously exruitiating pain of Gall Stones. I had lots of stones within my Gall Bladder and was assured that everything had been removed successfully. My healing process was quick and trouble free, back at work within 3 days.

However 14 months later and i am feeling like i am having phantom pains again from my non existant Gall Bladder!!! What is going on?? The pain is exactly the same as before. Ok, it is not AS painful but in the same place, the same feelings of someone jumping on your chest, the same feeling of a knife in your shoulder blade, the same feeling of something not being right after eating and that same growling noise of the food trying to find somewhere to go!!!. I am very upset and cannot handle the fact that this seems to be the norm after a Gall Bladder removal op. Although this was never explained to me at the time of consultation. No surprises there then. Im truely gutted that these symptoms will not improve with time. I assumed i was just healing and that it would reside in a few months. Not the case.

Have i really got years of this to look forward to? Has no one found a solution to at least ease the discomfort? I have found nothing helps and have literally started to face the fact that this feeling is normal for me and that i will be in some sort of pain and discomfort for the rest of my short lived life. I am 28 years old. I surely cannot be expected to just live with this problem. Has anyone had any sound advice or practical solution from a GP or any other source? I am prepared to try anything. I prepared myself for the physical scarring of the keyhole, but never prepared myself for a lifetime of digestion problems and pain.
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Avatar universal
I had my gall bladder removed in June of 2005 after terrible gall attacks, the surgeon told me how quick and easy it would be, ha!  I have never fully gotten over the bouts with constipation and diarrhea and gas and nagging pain.  Then just this past weekend I was awakened in the night with a terrible pain that felt like a gall attack, but with no gall bladder I thought I was crazy!  It happened again on Tuesday afternoon, pain so intense in my upper abdomen and sides that I really thought I was going to pass out, I sent my 5 year old to get a neighbor friend to drive me to the ER.  I had an ultrasound of the belly that showed a clear duct, but after following up with my primary doc. am going to have a CT done.  Can't eat hardly anything, miserable feeling, and apparently based on what the doc says, this isn't uncommon and the duct can start mimicking the gall bladders function!  Fantastic!  29 year old mom of 5
Helpful - 0
286776 tn?1268874332
Yes i too get pains, mine will have been out a yr in the end of jan. I usually get pains when i dont eat..its like a tightening in my chest that radiates through my sides and back. Of course it doesnt hurt as bad as an actual attack but its still very uncomfortable.
Helpful - 0
228936 tn?1249094248
I feel slight pains in that area but they never turn into anything serious like before surgery. I don't seem to have any problems with digestion now about 6 weeks later. I hope you feel better.
Helpful - 0
359937 tn?1220983851
I too have the same Probs and was never told the side effects. I am only 25. They say give it time. I just had the surgery this past May. How long does it take to get normal again?
Helpful - 0
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