Do I need surgery on my stomach and digestive system?

[mobuckner7192]

I had my gallbladder removed 2 months ago and i'm still having the same symptoms as before. The burning in my stomach isn't as bad though. I can't seem to eat a normal amount of food three times a day. I need to gain at least 6 pounds back. The symptoms slowly started happening around early march and really got bad in june/july. The burning sensation started the last week of june when I was in Belgium. I ate a lot of chocolate and ice cream. I was diagnosed with mild stomach irritation in august when I had endoscopy done and has been on omeprazole 20 mg twice a day since the middle of october. I was put on sucralfate before and I had bad burning with that medicine. I still have most of the same symptoms. I need a way to cure everything. i also had a mild sludge in my gallbladder and it was functioning at 34%. It was enlarged with a cholesterol ring around it. i was on prevacid for 2 1/2 weeks in july. I'm 5'6 1/2 and weigh only 104. i used to be 115. I was also diagnosed with GERD. I get bloating and gas a lot and I sometimes eat frozen yogurt and take digestive enzymes with no relief. I drink a couple glasses of almond milk a day and eat low fat foods like oatmeal, sandwhiches, sometimes coconut milk, and bread products, I also eat grilled chicken and salads. I don't get hungry until about six hours or longer after I have eaten a small amount of food. I get nausea usually after I eat but sometimes it's before. I used to get hungry every two hours unless I eat a really high fat meal. It it worth trying to get a test done to see if my stomach isn't emptying right? Do I need surgery for GERD? The symptoms are worse when I am in school and stressed. Is there a medicine that will help food digest quickly through me without any discomfort? I need to gain weight asap. Is there a way to speed up this recovery? I have avoided chocolate, caffeine, high fat foods, and spicy foods for a long time now. Is this really because of the gallbladder or is it another problem?

[Ghetto157]

Dear kokil mathur and how are you doing? Please I will kindly seek your assistance in helping me with an issue I am currently facing as I am very worried and feeling so sad about my health. I am 30years of age. I had of recent felt itching body and my foot get hot and I had stomach cramp before which has settle down finally after some medication. I check my previous medical exams result which was taken some time last year February 2013 and I did find out that my alt count was normal on it but my ast was 84. However I went back for blood check and they did a Liver function test for me On ALT, bilobrun and blood sugar and it was withing normal range but I was not tested for AST.Please I am asking for any knowledge about this and or advice plz help me.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!

I am sorry to hear that you are still suffering from symptoms despite a gall bladder removal surgery. So, as of now, gall bladder is not the cause of your symptoms. This leaves three four options.

First: It could be a liver problem so get a liver function test and a lipid profile.

Second: It could be a pancreatic problem so get pancreatic enzymes.

Third: It could be an inflammatory bowel condition such as IBS, Crohn’s, celiac etc. It could also be lactose intolerance or intolerance to some other food type. This would need detailed investigations.

Fourth: It could be GERD with H pylori infection and hence you are not responding to treatment. So, get a carbon urea breath test or a blood test to rule out H pylori infection.

Excess of gas, reflux and acidity can be due to your diet habits: what you eat, timing etc. It can also be due to gastric ulcers and excess acid production. So eat frequent small meals. Keep a food log and avoid foods that cause maximum heartburn and bloating.

Also you need to make some life style changes such as taking a late night snack, drinking cold milk, avoiding heavy meals and eating frequent small meals, avoiding too much of caffeine, tea, smoking, fried food and drinks both alcoholic and non alcoholic fuzzy ones, avoiding heavy exercises within 4 hours of a heavy meal, raising the head end of the bed by pillows to 30 degrees, and avoiding lying down for least 2 hours after food.

And to really answer your question, no you may not need surgery. Many of the conditions mentioned above can be managed by conservative methods like medicines and diet changes. However, yes, sometimes you may need surgery for specific conditions.  

Please discuss with your doctor and ask for requisite investigations. Hope you get well soon! Good Luck and take care!