Severe Abdominal Pain and other problems after Gallbladder Removal

07-05-2007, 08:02 AM

I had my gallbladder removed about 4 years ago and my post op problems just seem to be getting worse and worse.

First, I have severe diarrhea 20-30 minutes after any meal, regardless of what it is for the most part, ever since my surgery. I don't mean to be disgusting or anything, but it's very painful and explosive. This is the most embarrassing and inconvenient thing. I can never go out to eat unless I know I have access to a bathroom. Then it always takes me at least 15 minutes of pain and discomfort practically to tears in the bathroom. Then there are always jokes when I come back to the table because I take so long. It just makes me not want to go out or to eat with friends.

Second, the pain. I get the worst pain in the area where my gallbladder was and in my stomach in general. The pain most always happens in the morning. This morning it happened as well. Right before this post as a matter of fact. The pain ranges from moderate to severe. It has had me on the floor doubled over in pain. I have even vomited because the pain in my stomach was so severe.

The pain feels like my stomach is on fire. I drink pepto like its water and take Zantac every day but nothing is really working. Sometimes I find that if I eat a cracker or a piece of bread the pain will subside enough for me to ride through the duration.

My doctor is going to send me to a GI specialist to see what is going on, but for the past 4 years he has just been prescribing me pain killers and Zantac.

I also belch all the time now and I hate it. I don't feel like a lady anymore. I feel like a disgusting burping, farting, diarrhea having freak with massive uncontrollable stomach pains. And I thought the gallbladder surgery was supposed to help.

07-05-2007, 10:33 AM

I'm so sorry you're going through all of this pain and discomfort. I have no advice but I certainly hope that you can find some relief when you see the dr. It seems to me like 4 years of suffering is a very long time for your doctor to not do any further testing.

Good luck!

07-05-2007, 03:28 PM

LR909,

I "feel" your pain. My response to food isn't always negative and painful, but it is sometimes and it is unpredictable (i.e. not limited to this or that food). I am over 2 years removed now from gallbladder surgery and it sure doesn't seem like the solution that was originally presented - in fact, like you - I actually feel worse.

My bouts with pain range from unpleasant to extreme as well. I now have constant right-quadrant abdominal pain and my bile duct is 3x the normal size so I'm finally giving in to an ERCP. It may or may not be related to the midline pain I get that can be very severe (the whole doubled-over, vomiting type) and I am skeptical about it fixing the digestive issues, but it's the last test the GI specialist has and can be therapeutic (though it has its risks and shouldn't be taken lightly).

Your specialist should be able to run a few tests that hopefully will help you more than they have helped me thus far - MRCP, Upper GI, Upper Endoscopy. All of these are diagnostic and may point to something. After those, if they are still confounded, they may recommend an EUS (Upper Endoscopic Ultrasound) or ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography). At least the specialist should have lots of tools at their disposal. After 4 years, speaking from experience, I just recommend your doing your own share of research as the patient so you fully understand everything being proposed and that you are picky in selecting a specialist you trust and really seems to understand your problems from both medical and social standpoints because it's all important. I have found GI specialists to be a little uncaring or not understanding of the pain experienced and the social ramifications. Hopefully you find otherwise!

Best of luck.

MNF

07-10-2007, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LyndaRay909

I had my gallbladder removed about 4 years ago and my post op problems just seem to be getting worse and worse.

First, I have severe diarrhea 20-30 minutes after any meal, regardless of what it is for the most part, ever since my surgery. I don't mean to be disgusting or anything, but it's very painful and explosive. This is the most embarrassing and inconvenient thing. I can never go out to eat unless I know I have access to a bathroom. Then it always takes me at least 15 minutes of pain and discomfort practically to tears in the bathroom. Then there are always jokes when I come back to the table because I take so long. It just makes me not want to go out or to eat with friends.

Second, the pain. I get the worst pain in the area where my gallbladder was and in my stomach in general. The pain most always happens in the morning. This morning it happened as well. Right before this post as a matter of fact. The pain ranges from moderate to severe. It has had me on the floor doubled over in pain. I have even vomited because the pain in my stomach was so severe.

The pain feels like my stomach is on fire. I drink pepto like its water and take Zantac every day but nothing is really working. Sometimes I find that if I eat a cracker or a piece of bread the pain will subside enough for me to ride through the duration.

My doctor is going to send me to a GI specialist to see what is going on, but for the past 4 years he has just been prescribing me pain killers and Zantac.

I also belch all the time now and I hate it. I don't feel like a lady anymore. I feel like a disgusting burping, farting, diarrhea having freak with massive uncontrollable stomach pains. And I thought the gallbladder surgery was supposed to help.

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It's possible you're not on a strict low fat diet. But am not sure if you are or not. If I eat regular to high fat foods, boy am in that bathroom just like you. Everything I buy for food now is zero grams of fat or very low in fat. For instance, buy skim milk, not the others. Buy the lowest fat gram in margarine. Do not eat skin of chicken. Sometimes I wonder just eating the lowest fat foods possible can cause what I read online EFA deficiency. EFA= Essential Fatty Acid. My strict diet I been getting low blood sugar and wonder if I should eat regular and just take the meds the doctors offer to stop diahrea which is called Questran. Digestion doctors offer that to stop the diahrea but I haven't asked enough questions about it. You can look up Questran online and EFA etc.

Severe Abdominal Pain and other problems after Gallbladder Removal

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