after affects of gall bladder removal

I've had my gall bladder removed about six months ago. And now after I've had something to eat I need to RUN to the toilet. But that's not everything. Sometimes my belly is swelling so much that I look like I'm pregnant. And I'm in great pain around my liver area and on the right side of my back ( the same when I had my pains before gall bladder surgery). Is that normal? What should I do? My doctor doesn't know why that's happening. Please help me.

[Banned1]

Hi Marcelka:

I'm so sorry you are suffering.  I'm not a doctor and don't know anything about medicine but it doesn't sound "normal" to me.  There are many people who have diarrhea after they have their gallbladder removed and there are medications for this.  

Your symptoms could be SO many things including sludge/stones in the common bile duct, Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction, Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth, toxic-metabolic, idiopathic, genetic, autoimmune, recurrent and severe acute or obstructive pancreatitis, etc.  

There are some less invasive tests such as the Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and MRCP-S (Secretin) which can image the pancreas and ductal system.  The EUS does require sedation and is similar to an upper endoscopy.  If you have a Gastroenterologist, they might be willing to try an EUS or MRCP-S to determine what is causing your symptoms.   Right now, EPISOD studies are being conducted in the United States which might be a way to get to the bottom of your symptoms without the cost if you qualify and can't afford health care.  

Metamucil or a similar daily fibre product is a great help for MANY people with abdominal pain.   It does not make you go, it makes you regular by adding fibre to the watery stools, making them firm.  

Many people have great success with digestive enzymes and pancreatic enzymes.  This is something you need to talk to your primary Doc about before starting.  I'm told that they won't do any harm so really - unless you have side effects - there's not a downside to trying them.  Your Doc might even have samples.  This is something you can do now and it reduces the amount of work the pancreas has to do which will also reduce any damage to the pancreas.  You can get them at the health food store, too, but make sure they only have proteases, amlyase and lipase.

A low-fat, fibre-rich diet can make a BIG difference.  Eliminating fried foods from your diet and starting with bland foods, you may get to a point where you have no pain.  Then you can add new items to see how you feel.  Less than 30 grams of fat per day is a great starting point.  Of course, alcohol is a bad idea but when you're sick, you're probably not drinking.

It helps to keep a journal or a blog and your welcome to read my first entry if you want but I write a lot (can you tell).  :)  Medhelp.org has a free journal on everyone's profile page.  It's a great resource and it helps you review your situation objectively and identify patterns in your foods, symptoms, medications, bowel habits and pain level.  

You are not alone!  Try to stay positive and reach out for support when you need it.  Talk to your Doctor, family, friends, co-workers, church or social service volunteers or anyone you feel safe with.  

Search yahoo! groups for "pancreatitis", you will find quite a few groups.  Both Maddi's (Pancreatitis_sphincterofoddi) and Michele's (Sphincterofoddi_pancreatitis) are well worth joining.  There is a lot of great information there that might help you.  Since many of us are relatively house-bound or bedridden, this also provides a much-needed social outlet.

When you do find answers, it would be wonderful if you could update us on your condition.  It gives people on this site hope to hear success stories.

Take care of yourself.  Good luck and Godspeed.  All the best,

Sam