IBS?

[KeyD]

SInce having my gallbladder removed in oct 2007 I have been dealing with diarrhea after eating during the first half of the day. About 60% of the time that I eat breakfast or lunch I find myself confined to the bathroom with cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. This rarely happens after eating later in the day. I have been to 2 doctors....one says IBS and has tried unsuccessfully to control it, the other says this is normal, to just ignore it. Any ideas on what I could try?

[Joalbert]

Oh I forgot to mention that I'm 24 now so I had issues for 10yrs.

[Joalbert]

I've had my gallblader removed when I was 14 and ever since I been having a lot of gastro issues. I don't digest food the same as I did when I was younger. Just stay away from fatty food, meat in general, and pay attention what veggie or fruit makes you sick. Like I can't have raw carrots.....so if you can have a food diary would be great and small meals is a must.I also take Imoduim almost on a daily basis.....it's the only thing that will slow down my BM and take the time to bulk up. Also some psylium fiber is also good for that. But start with one dose per day for your body gets use to it. Well I hope I helped. Good Luck.

[deni55]

I answered your post about Questran first.  After reading this, I think you'd be a good candidate for trying Questran.

Secondly, you asked for any ideas.  I have one.  Don't go back to that second doctor!!!!! "Normal, just ignore it"!! LOL  What a quacky thing to say to someone that is suffering with these symptoms!!!!!!

It's true that after GB removal, that it may take up to a year for your GI system to re-learn how to work correctly without the gallbladder to 'hold' the bile until it is needed.  And it has not yet been a year according to your surgery date in 2007.

For a small minority of people that have had their GB removed, they can have chronic bile salt diarrhea.  Chronic means it doesn't go away on it's own...ever.  This is where regimens like Questran are life savers.  Some people have also found that taking calcium supplements (look for any posts by lnape) do somewhat the same thing.  It really is an individual thing...as to what works, and what doesn't.

Hopefully your body is just not yet adjusted, and your symptoms will abate on their own with time...but talking to your MD about Questran now is not a bad idea, especially if its negatively affecting your quality of life, and restricting you from things that you normally would have been able to do prior to the surgery.

Did you have any IBS /GI issues before your GB was removed?