Recovery From Gallbladder Surgery

[MTS1009]

I had my gallbladder out 7 months ago - after 3 years of symptoms ruling everything else out. I did not have stones however it ws inflamed. I initially had digestive issues, nauseau, diareaha, etc which is normal. However, I am now in bad shape. I can hardly eat anything without having to run to the bathroom, even bland food. I also have extreme abdominal pain and cold sweats. The Dr. thinks I need to take a bile inhibitor , which I have , however it causes constipation, and pain and nausea and lots of other things.... I am starting to think I have something else however it seems odd this was all onset since my surgery...maybe IBS??? Anyone else have these issues, starting to feel like I am 80 !
Best Regards - M

[ohiogirl]

Hey there,
I consider IBS a "blanket" diagnosis.  You might be experiencing IBS, but what is causing it?  You may consider doing some research on Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction or SOD.  Some people post-GB removal will experience similar pains of gall bladder attacks and symptoms which can be SOD.
There are meds out there that may also help, Levbid is an antispasmodic which can help smooth muscles to relax, which is what we have in our digestive region.  Also, Elavil is an antidepressant that has an effect on pain by numbing all of the nerve endings in your body, in turn elevating your body's pain tolerance level.

I'm so sorry you are experiencing these problems - digestive issues are the worst to diagnose.  The docs just can't "see" anything without us needing to go through some sort of major test or procedure it seems.

Good luck - keep us posted.

[beentrying2quit]

I too had my gall blader removed in 2006.  I was fine for a little over 1 year then noticed that I would feel bad after eating.  After a few months I thought dairy was giving me the problem.  That worked for a while then the symptoms returned.  I then thought gluten was my problem and quit eating anything with wheat, barley and rye in it.  This did seem to help with some other issues I was having like inflamation in my feet and tingling in both hands and feet.

Try eliminating gluten from your diet.  I have read several articles saying people without gall bladers will begin to have difficulty with gluten.  There are many other symptoms that go along with gluten intollerance such as cold sweats and abdominal pain.  Let me know what you think.