Too much bile?

In 2005 I had my gallbladder removed, never had stones, just a very diseased gallbladder. This year I was hospitalized with severe pain (they thought it was my gallbladder until I told them I didn’t have one).  Turned out after a week they finally did something I remember them calling it a “Sphynxectomy”, where they cut the muscle that controls the flow of bile through the bile duct. I was told I had billary sludge and may have had a gall stone in there when I first came to the hospital and that this minor surgery would fix that, allowing everything to free-flow through.

In the meantime, over the past year I’ve also had lots of diarrhea, very yellow fluid.  I have heard, and been given the impression, it could be over production of bile, but my doctor quickly dismissed it. He eventually diagnosed me as having IBS (which I hear sometimes can be “I don’t know what’s wrong with your digestive system so let’s call it IBS”.  I’ve tried a pill to stop spasms of my intestine, that didn’t do anything for me. He then prescribed a new pill for the same thing, only for me to find out from the pharmacy that that pill isn’t even made anymore (yes, I’ve lost confidence in my dr.)

I’ve been doing more of my own research into this whole problem, as I’m getting very tired of always having to make sure I know where the nearest bathroom is, and its to the point where I don’t want to eat if I know I have a work meeting after lunch for fear of having to leave the meeting. So I’ve found a few interesting things, like estrogen can reduce the production of bile (is this true, I was on birth control for a while, and I was actually a little better). I’ve also heard there are pills to lower the production of bile, but then I read into it and they are cholesterol reducing pills which reduce the re-absorption of the bile, and reduce diarrhea.  I’m confused.

Any dr’s out there with any information, or any other websites which have info on this specific problem (possibly bile overproduction)?? Thanks!!!!!!

[erikamesh]

Ask your doctor for Questran, its a bile binding resin you mix up and drink before every meal. It will stop the diarrhea and allow you alittle more freedom but you still need to watch what you eat. A low fat diet is key

[vilebile]

Try and get Dr. Oz to answer this.  I have identical symptoms to you. Same situation.  I take colestramine powders which bind the bile but it is What we want is a decent fix.

[marabb]

I have the same symptoms. I get I headache and intestinal pain, the type of headache, where I don't want to communicate with the world. Typing in front of a computer and thinking normally is hard. I have had my gallbladder removed, and my closed bile duct opened. I have dark green poop. I which there was a solution to this problem. I would like to be able to function and work more.

[ppfeuffer]

I to have had my gall bladder removed and I suffer from severe intestinal spasms, which radiates into my shoulder.  I've had the an ERCP and the Sphynxectomy procedure with no relief.  I'm currently on a intestine spasm medicine and that doesn't appear to be working anymore.  It feels like my intestines swell up to the point it feels like there are going to burst through my back.  I was told perhaps too much bile is getting released into the stomach and was told to try the drug Colestid.  I guess that will be my next step.  I just wish I had a good doctor who knows exactly what the issue is.  HELP

[toltec]

Interesting, I have to take Questeran to stop the bile from giving me the yellow diarrhea ( I am diagnosed with crohns). very frustrating not having any answers to why the bile is over producing and making my intestines sore enough to produce diarroheae.  My gallbladder is apparently ok but I wonder if its not working effectively or the duct is stuck open.  No one seems to know!

[toltec]

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/10/11/13697.aspx#comment. this is a link to a new hormone discovered for the production of FGF.  Medical News link suggests that.. When fats are sensed by the intestines FGF regulates the production of bile from the liver.  Maybe there is a deficency in this hormone that leads to to much bile being produced and thus causing problems.  FGF hormone seems to act as 'go between' for  gut and liver.

[Butternut1]

I think were all on the same page with the same problem.  I think getting tested for the FGF hormone (look on wikipedia for Fibroblast_growth_factor).  I took 'Splenda', 10 packs a day for 4 years and have suffered for 8 years of pain, distention, lesions in liver, dirreah, gall bladder constriction, loss of memory, loss of concentration, no hormones in my body, no vitamin D, sleeplessness, etc.  Undiagnosed due to the fact that the medical community does not offer 'chlorine poison' tests, it has been a long hard road.  The article on Wiki fits about FGF hormone.  I just faxed my doctor asking if I could be checked for this hormone because it also effect mucus lining in intestines, repair of tissues, bile, liver, kidneys, etc.  I think this might be the answer to all of our prayers!

[Butternut1]

Also...anyone who has ingested 'Splenda'  (Sucralose) should know it it chlorinated sugar.  It has effected every organ in my body.....liver lesions..constricted bile ducts....lung lesions, distention, lack of hormones, lack of vitamin D, hypothyroidism, sleeplessness, loss of memory, loss of concentration, severe abdomen pain, dirrireah, etc.

[Reola]

I had my gallbladder removed 10 years ago, it' was filled with sludge.  I thought the diarrhea would stop, but it didn't.  I have taken
Questran 1 scoop a day for 10 years but it didn't work all the time.  Then I found Cymbalta 60 mg. once a day and taken with Questran, I have finally found the combination that works for me.  I wouldn't give up my Cymbalta for all the money in China.  
There is still a medicine that I used to take that worked, they took it off the market for awhile, now available only from a Gastro Doctor.  It's called LOTRONEX,  it's a wonder drug.  I used to have diarrhea for more than 25 years when I first found this, but it's back on the market.  Try it, or my Cymbalta it will get you out of the house.

Reola

[DianeMG]

my doctor had put me on Carafate for a few years due to the increae of bile in my system since I too, had my gallbladder removed many years ago at the tender age of 19 and now I am into my early 50's; but then all of a sudden after being on that for a few years, I began breaking out with rashes ALL over my entire body and boy did they itch like crazy.  They could not find out what was causing this and I was put on prednisone for a bit and thought I wanted to kill either myself or someone on that medicine... never again!   Anyway, finally they did patch testing only to discover that I am allergic to almost EVERYTHING!   There are not many foods that I can eat without breaking out, itching or it making me extremely fatigued.   Till this day they still HAVE NOT really indicated what caused this sudden allergic reaction and they also don't seem to care.  I was bounced from one doctore to another.  I tried asking Dr. Oz but also got no response so here I am STILL suffering from Topical and Food Allergies of Many Kinds..way too many to list..  If there is anyone else out there that may have suffered the same systems as me, please write back to me?  Does anyone know what the cause is and also if there is a cure or do I suffer like this for the rest of my life?    Thank you

[sweetgrl]

Many of you sound like you have symptoms of Shincter of Oddi Dysfunction. The treatment u talked about is a "sphincterotomy". I too have SOD.  You may want to google it and see if ur symptoms fit the condition. Also sudden multiple alergies (allergies) can be related to liver issues.