Digestive Disorders Community

I too am experiencing problems after having my gallbladder removed 5 months ago. Never in my life had I had heartburn until a month after the surgery. Last week I had an upper endoscopy and apparently have been having reflux for awhile as I apparently have a spot of Barrett's esophagus. Never thought I had reflux before but he said I must've been having it for a while. I'm having issues with my back aching, chest discomfort, right side tightness, burping, and lot of hiccups. Tried Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid and things didn't get better at all. In fact, seemed even worse especially when taking Nexium. I had heartburn more while taking the medications though I'm having it more frequently. Now my doctor thinks I may not have acid reflux but bile reflux. Maybe you are as well? I've been taking Ursodiol 3 times a day, for the last 5 days, to see if that will help if it is bile reflux. If not, he is going to refer me to a gastroenterologist. I've been seeing the surgeon that removed my gallbladder. I know what you are going through and I'm tired of it as well. This is so frustrating. I just want to feel good again but am afraid it's not going to happen. Why couldn't we be one of the fortunate people that have no issues with not having a gallbladder? I wish I could offer you some advice but I'm in the same situation. Keep me posted on how you are doing or if you find out anything. Hope you feel better soon. Take care!

Well, I am havingmy gallbladder removed this week and I certainly hope that I don't have the complications that some people seem to experience. Recently, I have spoken to several who have had a gallbladder removed and they are tolerating it well. I can hope that you via your doctor will find some relief very soon. Take care and update when you can.

Hello , i had my gall bladder out 4 days ago and today i got quite nervous when a nausea attack came across me . It was just like the feeling before i had it taken out but without the horrible pain . It lasted on and off for like 3 or 4 minutes . Have you gotten this also???? I am freaking out afraid that the nausea i had will come back

Yes- I had the same pain up to a month after the gallbladder came out. They thought a stone was stuck in the duct but then changed that theory... i think the issue is for us people who maybe generate more bile than others- the gallbladder, which used to store the bile is no longer there so it goes into the intestine. I have LPR (laryngeo...... reflux). Its similar to GERD but a but worse...

Oh Man- this sounds just like me... I have LPR - coughing phlegm all the time though and the getting sick when i'm hungry. I don't have heartburn but when i get hungry i start to burp alot (very feminine indeed).. LOL- then throw up. It's driving me crazy..

I too have issues with burping when I'm hungry. Just to clarify, in the above post I said I had Barrett's - I don't (thank goodness) - I misunderstood my doctor. What I have is esophagitis. Guess that is responsible for the chest and back aches. While I've had the typical heartburn symptoms a few times I think the chest/back aches are probably acid reflux happening as well. Lately I'm having a ton of issues with my throat and ears that my doctor thinks are due to my sinuses. Anyway, I'm wondering if all this is connected somehow. Hope you feel better soon!

I'm 34 and I had my gallbladder removed when I was 19. I had the same problems that you are having. I started to keep a food journal and did connect some foods to pain. After a gallbladder removal you can have trouble digesting certain foods. If you can find out which ones to avoid it will save you alot of pain. The hunger thing is strange. I found that when I got hungry it was sudden and extreme. I felt empty and starved and would get so sick. Keep something handy to snack on at all times. Just crackers or something you can pull out quickly. I don't care what the doctors say about recovery your digestion will never be the same. You just have to get used to a new way of eating. It took a long time but I don't have pain anymore when I eat certain foods but the nausea is still there when I'm suddenly hungry. If I cut it off as soon as it hits with a small snack I can avoid vomitting. I know it stinks to still have problems when you think surgery will fix something so I hope this helps Good luck hon!

Thank you so much for the reply and the kind words. I've been coming to accept that I'll never be the same again. I hate it. I know this sounds lame but I can't drink alcohol and i miss that. I miss hanging out and dancing or having that good time with the girls. Do the doctors know what caused the throwing up bile when you were hungry? That is hard for me because i'm a consultant and work with people... and can't schedule meetings around lunchtime or i might have an episode (that's what i started calling them)...Arggg..

Again thank you and I will do the food journal. That is a great suggestion.

The docs did tell me something about the bile. I can't remember exactly but if I remember right it is something that naturally coats the lining of your stomach and when you throw it up it's bc it's the only thing there or is more than usual. It does eventually get better but it takes awhile. I don't think missing alcohol is lame at all ! I couldn't drink for a couple of years but I can now without any problems. That really sucks that it disrupts you at work. I used to keep plastic bags in my desk and my purse bc I never knew when it would hit. There are these things that I get now from my mom (she works at a hospital) that are so great. I keep them in my purse and in the car for my kids. They are little plastic bags with a hoop type thing on the opening and they fold up fairly small. Hope you feel better soon.

You poor thing, I know that's rough. I had my gallbladder out last year (August), and the only problem I had at first was being "overly gassy". There are some things I don't tolerate as well now as I used to, but I've not come across anything that I can't eat, if I do it in moderation. I am taking Zegerid for acid reflux, but I was taking that for awhile before, so that's not related. I do find that if I eat a big meal, or if I eat too fast, I am sick- nauseous, hurting and miserable. I developed chest pains about 2 months after the surgery, and was back and forth to the doctor more often than not (at one point I actually thought I was having a heart attack), but that is now controlled by a very low dose of antidepressants. On occasion, when I start to get hungry, I get mildly nauseous, but that's it. I keep some crackers in my desk drawer and in my purse. You just have to hit the right combination of treatment for what works for you. It took me a while to get to the point where I felt good, but I am fine. My brother in law, on the other hand, had his out about 3 years ago, and he has terrible gas - belching and the other - diarrhea, and all sorts of problems, but I expect he may have another issue there. Good luck to you. I hope it gets better soon. Be proactive with your doctor and tell him you are tired of this and he needs to fix it! That's what I had to do with mine.

I've been having problems with diarrhea for the past 4 years. During the onset, my doctor then had a bunch of tests done, including a ultrasound of my upper abdomen....it showed that I do have gallstones. He wanted me to get my gallbladder removed, even though I wasn't having an attack or anything.

I knew better not to rush to that--I did research and for the most part, having gallstones do not lead to diarrhea. In fact, I saw diarrhea as a problem AFTER surgery, not before. So I am now glad to still have my gallbladder, because I wouldn't like having your problems in addition to the diarrhea!

I have been getting into the habit of monitoring what foods I eat because of the diarrhea, so if I ever have a gallbladder attack and have to get it removed, adjusting to a new diet won't be as difficult.

Take Care!!!!!!

I had my gallbladder removed 15 years ago and almost immediately had bouts of spasms and diahrhea. I could never narrow it down to any one type of food or drink, even a glass of water would set it off. I found a great doctor, an OB/GYN who cared enough to do a little research for me and he contacted a GI friend who recommended cholestyramine (Questran is the brand name). He said it would bind with the bile acids and quiet the intestinal track down as apparently my intestines were very sensitive to the bile. IT WORKED! I take 1/2 a dose one time a day and it alleviates all those spasms and pains. Questran can make me a bit constipated, which is how I came up with the dose that worked for me, and I make sure I have plenty of fiber and water in my daily routine. Ask your doctor about this, I don't know why it seems to be such a secret. Good luck.

I had mine removed a little over a year ago, and didn't have many problems (other than slight shoulder pain all the time, which I can deal with). But last week, I ate some Hot Pockets Burger Shots (which I ate 3 days before my surgery with no problems, and throughout the past year with no problem). After dinner, my fiance and I went on a "munchies run" to the local convenience store (about a 2-5 minute walk), and when we got home, I had to run for the bathroom. It seemed like everything I had eaten in the past 3 days came out, along with the Burger Shots. This has only happened twice before. Once when I had Chinese food 2 months after surgery, and a couple weeks later after having dinner at my cousins' the day my dad died. Thankfully I have not had the reflux or anything else. Every once in a while I get pains like I had when they found out I had a stone (which the hospital then proceeded to make me wait 3 months to have surgery, and doped me up on vicodin, because I didn't have insurance). That pain usually goes away in a few minutes, but I always get scared it's my appendix (which they said can become weak after gallbladder removal). For a tiny, almost not there organ (it took docs an hour to find mine on an ultrasound) it sure does cause a lot of problems.

I had gallbladder removal in 1980, the large incision kind, with attached bile bag to make sure no stones were left, as I had so many. Because of this, I was in the hospital for 10 days with that 'draining bag',but after that I never had any postop. problems that are mentioned on this board. I can eat anything and have no symptoms at all
If anyone has had the small incision kind, that could be the cause. It's best to have the surgeon see everything inside. One wonders why Jim Hensen died just going in for gallbladder surgery. Of course, there are problems with any kind of surgery, but it's best to do research yourself and make the decision yourself. Make sure the surgeon has had many many years of gallbladder surgery experience. My heart goes out to all of you who mention these agonizing symptoms.
Do LOTS of checking on line to see what causes these problems you are having. Even look under "surgical errors gallbladder surgery".