does a low functioning gall bladder get better

Hi,

I have had a Hida scan that showed my ejection rate at 16%. I have a prescription for levsin which helps quite a bit. I am wondering if it is normal for the symptoms of pain and nausea to come and go. They are not as severe as they were a few weeks ago. I am attempting to follow a pretty bland diet which does help.

I am scheduled to have my gall bladder out on Nov. 29th. Is it possible that my gall bladder is getting better on its own and I don't need the surgery?

Thanks

[CalGal]

Studies suggest a malfunctioning gallbladder is unfortunately not able to get better.

[fariasgirl]

I thought the exact same thing camelot. My stomach was better for about a week and a half. then yesterday I was Miserable... I even ate french fries and nothing happened. But the other day i had two butter cookies, which i love. And i was doubled over in pain and hanging onto a trashcan prayin i didnt hurl at work. I chugged a bottle of water and in about 30-45 minutes i felt a little better. But OMG was i burping and burping and burping.... Im pumping 27% i can only imagine the pain caused by 16%. It just seems like it would be so much worse. Im gettin mine out ASAP. My first appointment with my surgeon is on the 28th, idk when the surgery will be yet. But good luck! and let us know how everything goes!

[Photo_Girl]

I had the same problems as you a year and a half ago.  Hida scan (and others) showed a malfunctioning GB but my Dr. was reluctant to remove it.  He said in some cases it helps, and in some it's just the same afterwards.  I wanted to rip it out I was so uncomfortable but I took my reflux meds and waited it out.  All symptoms totally disappeared.  For about 6 months?  Now they're all back, just as bad too ... but my Hida scan this time showed my GB to be working fine.  It wasn't the culprit after all.  I still have all the GB symptoms, but its working perfect.  Your guess is as good as mine.

[TRMB]

i have suffered from abdominal pain for 10 years !! upper right quadrant, i have had numerous ultra-sounds, but they found nothing, finally, i was sent for a hida scan, when i had the injection that simulated eating a fatty meal, and how my gall bladder would react,,,,,,,,, i became horribly ill, i was told this would last aprx 3 to 5 minutes, the nausea, and pain lasted for a few days, it was absolutely horrible, the results of the hida scan showed no stones, but that my gall bladder was functioning at only 12% i was told nothing could be done to "jump start" a low functioning gall bladder,,,,,,,, i am scheduled to have it removed on feb 7th............my parents think i am making a mistake, and that i should try a "gall bladder flush" 3 days of nothing but 100% non sweetened apple juice, and on the end of the 3rd day, a 1/2 cup of olive oil....... from what i have read, looks like that may help get rid of stones ( i have none) but what about the function of my gall bladder ? would there be any effect on that ?

[outspoken1]

Do not do a gall bladder flush! It does not work! It is nothing but "snake oil". I tried this myself except using a lemon juice and distilled water mixture (lemonade no sugar). This was a one day fast where you had 2 slices of whole wheat toast in the morning and then nothing but the "lemonade" the rest of the day. At the end you take an herbal laxative and then you drink straight lemon juice then straight olive oil.The olive oil caused severe pain and the lemon caused severe heartburn.
The next morning you are supposed to pass "stones" in your BM.
What you actually get is a mixture of bile, lemon juice and olive oil in tiny clumps that are soft, green and greasy. These are not stones. Stones are called stones because they are hard like stones.  

[deeaits46]

A gall bladder can be full of sludge and cause pain, because it performs slowly so fat digestion can be a problem. This is my condition some days okay others dull ache last for awhile but  now I take fat grabbers and Hi lipase to digest fat. I drink  lemon water daily does help remove sludge for me but it is a slow process. Lemon is alkaline in the body not acidic, so why it caused acid in the one poster I do not know. That was him or her and everyone is different.

[mynameischarles]

One class of drugs that's proven to cause this are opioids. So if you've taken them when you started having GB problems then this could well be the cause. In 2006 I was using an opioid to treat a problem and I began to have GB pain. My hida revealed my GB function was 5%. I didn't have the surgery and made a full recovery in a year and a half with a 60% function on another hida. I never knew it was opioids that caused this until recently, when I started taking opioids again for a problem and now my GB symptoms have all returned.

Also, due to the nature of opioids, it's possible to have your GB out and still not have resolution because they can also affect the oddi as well. This can cause you to have a well functioning GB on HIDA but still have GB type symptoms.

If you have this type of GB problem, it might be a good idea to avoid opioids.

[minda213]

Some good info here...  I have been having horrible pain off and on for a few months now; no gallstones, but my gallbladder is functioning at 23%.  Spoke with a surgeon this week who said he would only be willing to bet $20 on making me feel better by taking it out!  So, I've decided to not have the surgery for now and see what I can change to make it feel better.  Bland foods don't help, ironically that makes it happen most times, spicy foods, fatty foods, etc., don't normally tend to cause the problem.  Stress definitely increases it though.  Figured I'd get on here and see if anyone else had any thoughts/suggestions.  

[coldnhot45]

I wanted to tell you that about15 years ago my gallbladder went bad- I started throwing up everytime I ate. I was in my late 20's so it took them a while to figure out what was wrong but once they did  I had it removed  by laproscopic surgery. There was nothing to it. It was one day surgery with about a one inch incision and within a week I couldn't even tell that I had had surgery. I felt great after.
I'm now about to turn 44 and life without a gallbladder is a cinch.  I don't miss it in anyway.
If your surgeon is talking about anything other than this type of surgery, you may want to look elsewhere. It can be done.
I have had laproscopic surgery for gall bladder, endometreosis (several times), a vaginal hysterectomy. But I hear and know of a lot of people who have major surgery for the same things and I've never undersstood why. It's either related to surgeons, hospitals making more money with major surgery or lack of knowledge or skill of the surgeon. It does take one that has this kind of training.
I don't think it's because my problems were any worse than so many others. My hysterectomy included removing everything- including ovaries, tubes and uterus.
And my GB was in bad shape.  I don't know why major ones are still performed so much. I don't know how it is with Gb surgery.
A lot of surgery can be done this way. For me the only major I had don't that couldn't be done this way was with 2 severe bowl obstructions where a lot of my intestines were removed and my C-section, of course that'd be a little hard to do by laser!
Anyway, I hope this helps, I know how sick your GB or stones can make you.

[kjmteach45]

I have had two HIDA Scans, two years apart. The first one showed an ejection fraction of 87% and the second one was at 45%. I know the 45% is still considered normal. I do have occasional gallbladder symptoms after large meals or fatty foods, but no stones or sludge. My family doctor believes my gallbladder should be removed. I have an appointment the first week of January to see a surgeon. Would a surgeon likely recommend surgery since the results have declined by 42% or refuse because the results are not yet below 35%? Does anyone know if the ejection fraction is likely to continue decreasing?

[rona8769]

hi iam at 35% and there scheduling me for removal of gall bladder my doctor says ideally it should be at 50% or more if that helps     hope it works out for you i dont have stones either or sludge good luck .what does your doctor say about percentage

[dragonflykisses]

I just found out that my gall bladder is putting out at 23%, I'm in a lot of pain when I don't take pain meds and I throw up every time I try and eat meat of any type. I had Gastric Bypass 7 months ago, so my diet consist of high protein. I do however eat low-fat meats, but can't tolerate that either. I'm currently living on yogurt, fortunately the greek yogurt is high in protein and fat free, but, I'd like to be able to eat more than yogurt. Will surgery fix my problems, where I can go back to eating normal?

[Debb41]

I had yellow stools and pain in my upper right abdomen and a 19 pound weight loss. After 4 months, a HIDA scan was finally done and found to be 15%. The surgeon said my symptoms were not typical and that it would probably not help to have it removed. The GI doc would only refer me back to the surgeon. I got no help so I turned to a naturopath. I figured what have I got to loose. I was told that through nutrition it was possible to get my gallbladder functioning again. I was, also, told that I had to follow exactly what was recommended to have success. It took six months of following what the naturopath told me to do, but I have succeeded in getting my gallbladder to begin functioning again. I still have a ways to go to strengthen it, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now where before I started down this path I had no hope. The doctors wouldn't remove it and they didn't have any suggestions for what I could do. The naturopath said I would have some ups and downs while the gallbladder is still healing but I am willing to wait it out. A naturopath isn't for everyone, but if you are willing to take the time to let your gallbladder heal, you can have success with getting it to function again. There's no guarantees that this will work for everyone but if you have no other options you might try it. Don't do the flush. My naturopath says it's too harsh.

[kbt1962]

My hida scan showed 21% and I have been in pain off and on for 6 months...more on than off.  My question is, my pain seems to be generally on the left side and I know the gall bladder is on the right.  Is it really my gall bladder?  I have had negative cat scan, ultrasound, colonoscopy, endoscopy, pill endoscopy, etc.  My GI doctor said irritable bowel but that is under control and still the pain.  I just want to feel better, have lost 13 pounds.  Do I get my gall bladder out?  I don't want to try to treat one problem only to get another.

[chrisiemae]

Last year, I finally asked the doctor to run some tests since I've been having gallbladder-like attacks for years.  After a series of tests, my gallbladder is at 0% and I have GERD.  Of course the family doctor wanted to remove it right away but the Gastroenterologist said I could keep it.  So I'm trying to eat better to avoid the attacks and daily pain.  Its tough.  I'm also doing a lot of research on the side effect of removing my gallbladder.  I'm concerned about SOD or possibly continuing to have similar pain even after removing the gallbladder.  I've been told that I will continue to have GERD as long as I keep my gallbladder.  So I've been taking my GERD medication for a year now but I don't want to take it my whole life either.
I'd love to get my gallbladder function again.  Can you tell me which program you followed?  I've started to follow a diet from the gallbladderattack.com site.

[NewMe1970]

Did you ever get a answer to your question or what did you decide.  I am exactly the same, left flank pain, shoulder and chest pain.  I do have pain on my right side but it is lower in my back.  Gallbladder functioning at 22%, was asked to go to the surgery by my pcp, getting a GI 2nd opinion tomorrow, I not have symptoms of gallbladder problems, no nausea, vomiting etc....  Just don't want to go through surgery and still have the same pain.

[windskyair]

My symptoms have been all over the place. Unable to swallow, heartburn, headaches, nausea, pain on the right side, pain in the upper abdomen, pain between the shoulder blades, and pain in my right lower back.
I went to a GI Dr. They put me through all kinds of tests looking for acid reflux, GERD, cancer, etc. Everything came back normal. And I do mena everything. I typed in my symptoms into the internet and EVERYTHING that came up suggested gallbladder. I went to my family DR. Told him everything. He ordered bloodwork, an ultrasound, and a hida scan. The blood work and ultrasound came back normal (with the exception of some scar tissue on the gallbladder). The hida scan however, showed alow functioning gallbladder (16%).
I was referred to a surgeon who explain everything to me. Why I was feeling the different pains, had the uncomfortability, and the constant belching. We are taking it out on Friday. I would suggest that maybe seeing the GI is a waste of money if you have already been informed of a low functioning gallbladder. Get it out and in a few days- you should be great.

[natsroses31]

So, how did it go?

Did you get it removed? Feeling any better?