Problems since gallbladder removal in 1994

[bioya]

I am a 50 year old male, about 30 pounds overweight but otherwise healthy. In 1994 I had my gallbladder removed. Every since then I have been having spells of this strange illness. First, I start belching a “rotten egg” taste, then I start passing gas. My stomach gets very tight and distended. If I vomit a time or two, it seems to help. When I get these symptoms the illness seems to only last for between 12 and 36 hours.  These episodes may happen every week for two or three weeks, then not happen again for 2 months, then happen every other week for two months, then not happen for 3 months, then every other day for a week, its very strange. I have gone to several doctors and they have me on reglan as I have been diagnosed with delayed gastric emptying. I have tried to see if it is certain food that causes this to occur, but have not been able to come up with anything. Some days I may have eaten Chinese the day before, others a pot roast, others pork, there is just no way of me knowing what will or does set it off. Although I do not have the best diet in the world, I would think if it were my diet, it would happen more frequently than it does. Most recently I was sick on Wed of last week with the belching, etc. I took a phenergan and went to bed. I was okay on Thursday during the day, but got very sick on Thursday night with gas and a very distended stomach. I threw up on Friday morning, and within two hours, I was much better (except for the lack of sleep on Thursday night). I can’t believe that I am the only person that has these symptoms, but being from a small town in West Virginia, my doctor seems to never have seen them. My health insurance would pay for a specialist, and I would like to get a referral to a good internal medicine doctor in Columbus, Ohio. My only problem is with all of the doctors in the Columbus, Ohio area, I don’t know who would be considered the best at these types of problems. Can you help me with what may be causing these issues?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There can be several possibilities.  One can be Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction - which can present with gallbladder-type pain in those after gallbladder surgery.  An ERCP with Sphincter of Oddi manometry can be considered to evaluate this.

Other upper GI disorders, like an ulcer, inflammation of the upper digestive tract, or GERD can also be considered.  This can be evaluated with an upper endoscopy.

Gastroparesis should also be evaluated with a gastric emptying scan.

A GI physician at a major academic medical center should be considered.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_b

[Birdieman]

I read your letter and I'm glad that someone else is having the same problem.I can't stand it anymore the feeling of being sick.
What have you decided to do.I'm at my wits end.

[bioya]

I am not sure what to do. I just want to know "why" the "rotten egg" when belching, and what is causing it. Is it fatty food, is it stress, what is it? I did not get a good answer from this doctor, I guess I wasted $16.00. Honestly, I don't know what to do. What are you symptoms? Do you know what sets them off?

[weebee]

Hi bioya. I read your post. & I would like to tell U about my experience.  I am a 48 year old female. But at age 18 my gallbladder ruptured.  I had been having gallbladder attacks since the age of 16. Believe it or not. I had an appointment to have my gallbladder surgery a week after it ruptured. I guess it couldn't wait. (smile)   The point I'm getting at is this.  Did yours rupture or did U just have a normal gallbladder removal?  See what happened to me was. I had to stay in the hospital for 10 days back then. That's how serious my rupture was. & to think! I even drove myself to the hospital & crawled on hands & knees into the ER.   As U can probably guess. I was completely jaundice by then. Anyhow. Once released from the hospital I felt so much better!  Then about 3 months down the road. I started having gallbladder attacks again!!  This was impossible I told myself. I don't have a gallbladder any longer!  I went from Dr. to Dr. trying to find out what was wrong with me. They never could find anything!  A few even told me it was all in my head. Well I don't think falling on the ground rolling around in pain is in a persons head.   A few doctors I went to even tried to put me on Antidepressants!   Heck! I wasn't depressed! I was in real pain!   Finally 9 months after my surgery & all the tons of new  non-gallbladder attacks I was having. I went back to see the surgeon who preformed  the gallbladder removal on me. & just by luck while in his office. I had one of those awful attacks!   They got me back into the hospital & ran a light down me & there it was!!!  It turns out that they missed 2 of the stones that went their own merry way when my gallbladder ruptured.  & the little stinkers were hiding in a duct in my liver!!!!   The Dr. took a couple of lil tools . One with a basket & dug them both out & brought them back up in the basket!  It's been years  & I have never had an attack since! & this is a very very true story!!! That's why I asked U if your gallbladder ruptured or not. if it did. A couple of the stones could still be floating around in there like mine was.  I can tell U this though. I am so glad I didn't listen to the doctors that tried to tell me it was all in my head!!!  (big grin)   I hope U find help soon. Dont give up! I didn't & I found the cause & had it taken care of.  ~Weebee~

[bioya]

No, mine did not rupture. I think I may ask to have a test to see if I have any stones somewhere undetected..... Good point. Thanks

[alana miller]

I am a 28-yr-old female and had my gallbladder removed in january of 2006. I also experience pain in the upper midline of the abdomen and nausea, with an excessive amount of gas or air trapped in my stomach. I also get chest pains at times and the pain can also be felt in between my shoulders. I have noticed that if I eat chinese food or something fatty or greasy I get the pain worse and get rotten egg smelling flatulence. I guess we have to watch what we eat because the gallbladder stored bile to aid in the digestion process and now we may not be able to digest foods as well. I also notice that I have soft, frequent bowel movements on a daily basis since surgery. I also burp alot and do have acid reflux. I am about fed up with it all b/c the doctors say that they can't find anything wrong with me other than acid reflux and IBS. Please let me know if you experience the same symptoms as I do and let me know if you find any help. I will do the same. Take care!

[jjs3]

Hi all, I'm a 28 year old mother of 3 and I take care of 2. I had my gallbladder out in May of 2002. About a year after that I started having symptoms like the rest of you. dirrhea, vomiting, nausea, weight loss and pain. I was tired of dealing with it myself so I finally saw my dr and he sent me to the GI. I went through every test imaginable! endoscopy, colonoscopy, gastric emptying exam, MRI, CT, x-rays you name it I had it. They found nothing. I went back to my dr and he put me on pills to stop the dirrea. it didn't work. I went on paxil so that the anxiety of going out of the house wouldn't be so bad. I can actually go to a party as long as I know that it's ok to leave. My husband is beyond supportive of me, but now we have a new problem. I can't have sex with out pain. We're talking labor pains, not just a little cramping. I saw the GYN and just had a laparoscopy done to rule out endometriosis. They found nothing again> i just broke down and cried for 3 days. Now I think we're going to just look at the inside of the uterus and see if maybe it's adenomyosis. I'm so tired of being poked and proded at this point, but what can I do? All I want to do is sleep! I'm sorry if I sound like I'm whining. I would just like some answers. It's getting more and more difficult to get through the days lately. I hope everyone can feel better soon. Thank you for listening.jj

[mygalfriday]

I just recently found this site. I was relieved to find that I am not the only person out there who feels the way that I do,although I am deeply sorry that each of you are sufferring with your dis-eases. I am a 32 year old female. I had my gallbladder removed about 5 years ago. Then around 4 years ago after my 3rd child, I became violently ill after eating a fish dinner. Vomiting, diarhea (diarrhea) with severe cramping, heart palpitations, sweating, weakness, dizzy fainting, I literally wanted to die. At first I thouhgt I had bad fish. But then it happened every day after every meal for a while. I made countless trips to the ER. Other than a heart rate of 130+, there didn't seem to be any thing wrong according to the doctors. It wasn't until one doctor prescribed my Lexapro for mild depression that I started seeing some relief from these horrible symptoms. It has been 4 years now and I have had tons of testing done, including a rather embarrassing thorough examination of my colon. I have been diagnosed with IBS. I have alternating IBS between constipation and diarhea (diarrhea). The medications that I have been given have not worked well for me. They either make me very woozy or give me a feeling of unrealness that I can not handle. The doctors tell me that there is no cure, and I just have to learn to live with it. Luckily for me the anti-depression meds have seemed to help somewhat. But I don't plan on staying on those for the rest of my life. I don't personally know any one else who has this and the people who know me don't understand it. I will not traveloutside my home neighborhood for fear that I will not be near a restroom. I avoid going to restaurants to eat, this seems to bring on attacks as well. If I want food, I normally have to request it to be delivered or pick it up. I feel trapped like a prisoner in my own home. It has had a huge impact on my social life as well as my job. I see things occasionally advertised that can help or "eliminate" the IBS, but of course there are substantial fees involved. My doctor recently prescribed Regaln for me to take prior to my meals. My only concern is that it says it is supposed to aid with contractions of the stomach and small intestine. Well I am trying to avoid the "spasms" that I have now because they are very painful. Has anyone personally taken Reglan? Did it make cramping worse? Any side effects, good or bad? I can only imagine how each of you feel and what you are going through, I will pray for each of you to fell better. I hope that we will put more researcn and funding into finding out what causes and more importantly what cures IBS. It does not seem to be at the top of anyone's priority list. I realize that it is not life threatening, however with such quality of life, what's the point?? Does any one have any good news or positive perspective on this?

[tinawildtree]

I posted a problem with "post" gallbladder surgery on 2/17/06, if you want to look back and read it.  Anyway, to date the doctors still don't know what is wrong with my friend.  And, they won't do any further testing because they say none of the tests show anything.  The Spinchter of Oddity test that was suggested from Dr. Kevin, they won't do, because they say she would be in "severe" pain if she had this.  She doesn't have "severe" pain, just alot of discomfort from being so "bloated". She still has tenderness where they had the drainage tube and her surgery was June, 2005!  It seems like the doctors have given up on her, because they don't know what to do.  If anyone has any suggestions they would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[bioya]

Ok, one question. Does anyone else have the belching of a rotten egg type of smell? I can clear out a room with one belch. Is that something others have had?

[Birdieman]

I do not have the egg problem.Belching yes.Gas that smells bad yes.I've tried every over the counter pill and nothing seems to work.I'm bloated,belching,thinking I have to go just plain miserable.The only solution is to lie down and sleep.When I wake up it's not so bad but could start at anytime and I never know what causes it even after keeping track of what I eat.
Have you found anything else out.

[bioya]

No, I have nothing to help me so far. I just had another spell last week that lasted on and off for three days. And I am with you on going to bed and being better the next morning. Most of the time if and when I get to sleep, I feel much better the next day. My email is ***@**** if you wish to write.

[wildflower4ever1961]

I had my gallbladder removed (laproscopic (sp?)) several years ago. My experience:

There was NO pain whatsuever. I went right back to work the very next week ... and I had a job where I had to move around a lot. Actually, I remember telling a co-worker that the most pain I had experienced was when I removed the bandage that had stuck to my skin! There was no tenderness - - not even from day one. The incisions healed very quickly.

Now, as to the bowel problems and weight gain issues ... WHEW! I have never visited the bathroom so much inmy life! To this day ... 6 years later, I have to RUN RUN RUN to the bathroom with diarhhea every morning immediately after I take my first sip/bite of anything ... water, tea, toast, it don't matter: it comes out faster than it went in! My stomach cramps severely whenever I eat or drink anything. This continues until about 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon ... at which time I am free to eat or drink whatever I like (which is good, because I can pour down some spicy stuff!) In the evenings, I seem to have a cast iron stomach! Weird, huh???

I have been gaining weight since I had the surgery. I am now at somewhere around 230-240. What's really strange is that because of the diarrhea, I hardly eat a thing. My stomach has shrunk to the point where a kids burger fills me to the point where I feel like I will explode. I hardly consume any calories every day... but I am blowing up like a whale! I have never been able to get a doctor to listen to me ... I don't think they believe I hardly eat, even when my husband tells them! I have gotten to where I have no energy whatsoever and do not even feel like taking a short walk, much less excercise! I started out a size 10 at surgery, now I am a 20!

Some people may not think this gallbladder surgery is to blame, but through the years I haved met several women who have had the same exact problems as me. Both the diarrhea and the wieght. To be exact, I personaly know four other women who had the surgery, and three of them are just like me. Coincidence? Maybe, but I don't think so. I just wish I could get a doctor to listen/help!

Teresa

[adrucf]

Hi everyone, I just wanted too say that I had problems with my gallbladder for a while. I mean really bad attacks that made me very nauseous and very sick. There are so many factors on why the gallbladder needs to come out. It think it has so much to do with our diet/lifestyle in the west. I say this because it is when we have surgery on certain parts within our body that we want to have to make very serious changes.

Now I go for surgery on 5-24-06. I had "dumping", gas and severe diarreah that makes me literally "push people out of the way to go the bathroom. Some times tmy bowel movements end up on my clothes and the bathroom floor now that's embrassing. LOL

So i have been experincing these same problems for years. I was mis-diagnoesed i was told i had to take "Nexium"??? that was 4 years ago. Then when i had a body scan done. My gallbladder would never show up. I did the liver cleasnse and it helped for a while but I had maybe over 50 gallstones. Ouch. I am so nervous about my surgery.

Now I spoken to two people who had their gallbladder removed
"david" who refuse to seek treatment, got his gallbladder removed and he was better and he has no problems. Now another perosn named "Tracey", had her gallbladder removed when she was get this five monthes pregnaunt. If the gallbladder is not working properly and making major problems for people for 5% of the population beacause my two friends had No diareah. I do not understand why do we not have other alternatives to treatment. I hope and pray my surguery will be a breeze. Thank you all for reading God bless.

I am having diraheah even before my surgery? I have 50 stones that is why it is comming out. I have attacks that are moderate and last for 6 hours.

[adrucf]

Hi everyone, I just wanted too say that I had problems with my gallbladder for a while. I mean really bad attacks that made me very nauseous and very sick. There are so many factors on why the gallbladder needs to come out. It think it has so much to do with our diet/lifestyle in the west. I say this because it is when we have surgery on certain parts within our body that we want to have to make very serious changes.

Now I go for surgery on 5-24-06. I had "dumping", gas and severe diarreah that makes me literally "push people out of the way to go the bathroom. Some times tmy bowel movements end up on my clothes and the bathroom floor now that's embrassing. LOL

So i have been experincing these same problems for years. I was mis-diagnoesed i was told i had to take "Nexium"??? that was 4 years ago. Then when i had a body scan done. My gallbladder would never show up. I did the liver cleasnse and it helped for a while but I had maybe over 50 gallstones. Ouch. I am so nervous about my surgery.

Now I spoken to two people who had their gallbladder removed
"david" who refuse to seek treatment, got his gallbladder removed and he was better and he has no problems. Now another perosn named "Tracey", had her gallbladder removed when she was get this five monthes pregnaunt. If the gallbladder is not working properly and making major problems for people for 5% of the population beacause my two friends had No diareah. I do not understand why do we not have other alternatives to treatment. I hope and pray my surguery will be a breeze. Thank you all for reading God bless.

I am having diraheah even before my surgery? I have 50 stones that is why it is comming out. I have attacks that are moderate and last for 6 hours.

[carolecc]

I just had mine removed yesterday..now the dr said you dont have to change your diet..but all the symptoms you are talking about are if you do eat things your body will now challenge...any kind of fatty foods. beef, hamburger, french fries milk products, ice cream butter etc.............will cause diarahrea and gas pain worse..your body will just send it out that way and cause discomfort ..even though some dr. dont believe in natural remedies..I went all over reading about how your diet should change..and it must change if you no longer have a gallbladder!

[Heidi719]

Hello,

I just had my gallbladder removed on May 29, 2006 and since then I have not been able to hold anything down other than soup and crackers, I have tried eating a plain bake potato and get deathly ill, (vomitting, and severe pains) that last anywhere from 8-10 hours.  I am returning to the doctor on Thursday for my post-op but would like to know if anyone else has expirenced these problems and how long will this last until I can eat something else.

Thanks

[cindysue]

Hi everyone - I can't tell you what a relief it is to find a sit like this.  I'm a 49 year old female who had my gallbladder removed in 1993.  For the past 3 to 4 years I've been having pain (sometimes severe) in my chest, upper stomach area.  My liver enzymes were elevated for over a year and I was sent to several doctors who finally decided that I was in a depressed state of mind and needed anxiety med's.  I have not vomited in over 15 years until about 1 month ago after taking an Ultram for back pain.  Then last saturday I started having severe pain in my abdomen which rotated into my back.  It was almost unbearable.  I started vomiting over and over and some of the pain relieved, just in time for it to come back about a half hour later.  This pain and vomiting continued to the point I had no strength left and my daughter called an ambulance.  I was so worn down and dehydrated that the paramedic couldn't get a blood pressure reading in my left arm.  Rushed to the hospital and clothes cut off of me, they finally decided I had food poisoning.  After several hours of fluids being put back into my body the doc on staff said my liver enzymes were elevated and I might want to see my physician.  Now the doc is saying today that he thinks I might have SOD and that I could go to Ann Arbor, MI to have some kind of stent put in and then removed???  Does anyone know anything about this?  I can't hardly take the pain I'm in sometimes and nobody seems to understand.  PLEASE HELP?? - Cindy

[Dusklover]

Hello All...I'm not a doctor but 2 weeks ago I ended up in the hospital following a bout with pain like many of you seem to have.  It was diagnosed as pancreatitis.  I don't know if it was acute or chronic...but it was maybe my 2nd attack.  I saw my regular doctor Monday and she discussed my case with her GI friend at the PolyClinic here in Seattle.  After reviewing recent blood work and her relaying my symptoms to him, he thinks it is a Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, considering my gallbladder is gone.  This dysfunction can lead to attacks of the pancreas!  There is an invasive surgery they can do to MAYBE relieve the problem, but I'm told it's a bad diagnosis and a bad surgery.  My doctor told me today the idea is to prevent it from coming back.  They believe this can be done via frequent, small, low fat meals.  She suggested I see a nutrionist to assist in my diet.  She left me with the comment that "you will want to be very, very good."  When there is a problem with this organ it is extremely difficult for it to digest fat.  If the sphincter is malfunctioning, the digestive enzymes from the pancreas will back up into the pancreas and it will digest it self.  None of this is good!  If I have another attack, I will be referred to one of two doctors in the Seattle area who deal with a possible Sphincter of Oddi issue.  I'm scared so I will definitely stick to whatever diet I am told to stick to.  So far, so good...I am eating low fat on my own, smaller, more frequent meals and I'm doing pretty good.  I hope all of you find answers to the cause of your pain.  You may want to mention Oddi to your doctors.  I did on Monday and when my doctor called me today she started out by saying, "I wish I'd said what you said on Monday...it would make me look a lot smarter".....Good luck everyone.

[madenmo]

Hi
I am sorry this does not find everyone feeling better..I had my gall bladder out on 6/19/06. I had been sick with an upset stomach and dizziness for awhile and then when I could no longer take it, I went to our towns Urgent Care on 6/2/06. I was told it was a bladder infection, given some antibiotics (sp) and sent home. An hour later, my mother was driving me back, as I felt like my chest was being crushed, I could not breath and I was throwing up. The ambulance was called and I was taken to the closest hospital (34miles). They said that they thought it was my gallbladder, but not sure. Long story short, two shots of pheneragon(sp) and a GI cocktail and sent home. Follow up with my Dr on 6/6/06. Then an Ultrasound, more test, etc etc etc.. During all of this I kept throwing up and losing weight.. Finally I threw a fit and got a hydrascan..They called me on 6/14/06 and said that I needed to see a surgeon. Saw her on 6/16/06. Spent the weekend throwing up and having going to the bathroom nonstop.. Showed up monday, 6/19/06 for surgery.. Had the surgery and was told once I went to the bathroom I could go home.. 2 supersized diet cokes and 6 glasses of water later, I still had not gone to the bathroom!! Finally the catherized me and only got 300 cc..They sent me home. This was on Monday. I woke up on Tuesday night to find myself back in the hospital.. My sodium was 118 and I had no potassium and no magnisum (sp). The Dr standing there said that I was dangerously low on sodium and that I had come VERY close to dying. He asked me basic questions, such as my name, where I was, how I got there who brought me, etc and I COULD NOT answer them... He said this was normal since my numbers were so low.. I spent the rest of the week in the hospital and was sent home and told to resume a regular diet, etc..

Before the surgery I belched rotten eggs and then it stopped.
Now, a week and two days later, I am in terrible pain again and belching the rotten egg taste again.. not to mention always in the bathroom...I ate Baked Ziti yesterday, ( too much acid in the sauce?) and am terrified to eat for fear of throwing up and not being able to keep anything down and winding up in the hospital again.. Did anyone else have all these problems with there gallbladder? Any ideas? I am sorry this is so long.. I just don't know what to do.. I am a single mom with three boys and no child support, so I had to come back to work Monday, June 26.. By the end of the day, I am dead on my feet and have no energy for my kids, which is not fair to them..

[madenmo]

Hi
I am sorry this does not find everyone feeling better..I had my gall bladder out on 6/19/06. I had been sick with an upset stomach and dizziness for awhile and then when I could no longer take it, I went to our towns Urgent Care on 6/2/06. I was told it was a bladder infection, given some antibiotics (sp) and sent home. An hour later, my mother was driving me back, as I felt like my chest was being crushed, I could not breath and I was throwing up. The ambulance was called and I was taken to the closest hospital (34miles). They said that they thought it was my gallbladder, but not sure. Long story short, two shots of pheneragon(sp) and a GI cocktail and sent home. Follow up with my Dr on 6/6/06. Then an Ultrasound, more test, etc etc etc.. During all of this I kept throwing up and losing weight.. Finally I threw a fit and got a hydrascan..They called me on 6/14/06 and said that I needed to see a surgeon. Saw her on 6/16/06. Spent the weekend throwing up and having going to the bathroom nonstop.. Showed up monday, 6/19/06 for surgery.. Had the surgery and was told once I went to the bathroom I could go home.. 2 supersized diet cokes and 6 glasses of water later, I still had not gone to the bathroom!! Finally the catherized me and only got 300 cc..They sent me home. This was on Monday. I woke up on Tuesday night to find myself back in the hospital.. My sodium was 118 and I had no potassium and no magnisum (sp). The Dr standing there said that I was dangerously low on sodium and that I had come VERY close to dying. He asked me basic questions, such as my name, where I was, how I got there who brought me, etc and I COULD NOT answer them... He said this was normal since my numbers were so low.. I spent the rest of the week in the hospital and was sent home and told to resume a regular diet, etc..

Before the surgery I belched rotten eggs and then it stopped.
Now, a week and two days later, I am in terrible pain again and belching the rotten egg taste again.. not to mention always in the bathroom...I ate Baked Ziti yesterday, ( too much acid in the sauce?) and am terrified to eat for fear of throwing up and not being able to keep anything down and winding up in the hospital again.. Did anyone else have all these problems with there gallbladder? Any ideas? I am sorry this is so long.. I just don't know what to do.. I am a single mom with three boys and no child support, so I had to come back to work Monday, June 26.. By the end of the day, I am dead on my feet and have no energy for my kids, which is not fair to them..

[ildi]

Hi everyone, It seems we all have the same problem's i had my gallbladder removed 2 months ago and i'm still sick with the same symtoms although i've been diagnosed with crohn's I'm so sick os being sick all the time. There's gotta be some hope?
Am i always gona be sick......I hope not. Thanks for listening