wow, your story sound almost exactly like mine. I had my surgery on 3/10/06, and was told I would be back to "normal." since then, I have every symptom you have. I have 5 children, and I haven't been able to take care of them for 2 months now, because i've been in and out of the hospital. The dr's couldn't find anything. Finally, I got so frustrated and was in so much pain that I drove myself to the er and the doc in the er diagnosed me. Since my surgery, I have been nauseated/vomiting/weak/. You said it so clear when you said that you feel like you have a chronic illness that runs your life. It is really depressing. I am getting paranoid that everyone thinks I am a hypochondriac. Believe me, no one wants to feel the way you and I do. I went to my surgeon today and he started me on bentyl. I had a bad reaction to it, so I can't take that. Also, during my hospital stay, I had an allergic reaction to pain medicine and almost stopped breathing. The surgeon said if I continue to have problems i'll be referred to a gi doc. Just what I need, another doctor who will probably not be able to help me. I am getting really depressed and I feel useless to everyone. You sound so much like me, and I just had to reply to your post. I hope you are doing better. Please email me and let me know how you are doing. Any advice would be great. Thanks for listening!!

I've just been taking it day by day....I have no real reason as to why my body has been so unhappy since the gallbladder was removed. I'm terrified as to when the next pain will come. I see my gi on the 6th but don't think i'll be any closer to getting answers.No, I don't think anyone wants to feel this way and it's unbelievable how looking back thru my medical, that other then having kids, I didn't go to the Dr.S. For anything.
It has taken a huge strain on my family and would give just about anything to be me again! Just be very careful about what you eat. No red meat or foods that take a lot to process. Even lettuce can be a trigger. My diet is extremely bland but find if I stray from it then I get the pain or I have days where my stomach feels sick.Sorry for you also! I'm not giving up and am going to push for answers!

Thanks for your reply. Please let me know what you find out from your gi appt. I'm sorry someone else is suffering like this. I understand completely about the strain on your family. We have been under so much stress from my sickness for months. I have always been the strong one and took care of everyone else, so it is really depressing to be so sick. I wish you the best, and please keep me posted. You and your family will be in my prayers.

I'm so sick of doctors saying that there are no possible symptoms or pain after gallbladder removal. It has been almost 2 years after my gallbladder has been removed and I still experience mild to moderate pain after I eat steak or heavy meats. My husband doesn't believe me because the doctor said I should be fine. He is a big meat lover and so was I but now i'm scared to eat large quantities of meat, especially beef. We have an argument every time we go to the store. As for fatty foods, I can eat small quantities without too much pain but find myself having to have a bowel movement (mostly regular sometimes runny) not too long after I eat.... About an hour at the most. Not only is this annoying but on occassion it can get very painful, not as painful as when I had the gallbladder but painful. I have actually considered becoming vegetarian because of the discomfort but my husband just says i'm being silly, if the doctor hadn't been so wrong maybe my husband would be more supportive!!!!!!!! I am in shape and don't fit the mold for a typical gallbladder disease patient and apparently am crazy for having pain after surgery!!!!

I am in total agreement with this post!! Since my gallbladder removal, I continually, almost everyday are so nauseated that I have to take dramamine, or phenergan, which makes me feel awful, but it's better than throwing up. I am really starting to get down about this, because all the Dr.S say I should be back to "normal." my husband doesn't understand either, so it's very frustrating. I also haven't felt like myself since the surgery. I just really don't know how to explain it, but I don't feel "good" anymore. I'm glad I found this forum, because it's great to be able to relate to others that go through the same thing, and can understand each other. I will keep you in my prayers. Hopefully we can find a Dr. To actually help us one day.

I too am so glad to hear i'm not crazy! I can actually print these and show them to people! I went to my gi Dr. This week and she says that this has a name but basically they've heard of these symptoms but don't know what exactly causes it. She says that there's no way they can "test" or "see" how the nerves and muscles work so they have no answers. She's putting me on a med that is only for two weeks and it will either work or won't. I cannot believe how Dr.S act so confused and disregard what we are telling them! Sure had a lot of enthusiasm when I was paying their house payment for the month by having the surgery and now they seem annoyed that i'm sick and keep coming back for help or answers. As far as family support, my mom is the only one who seems to believe me. My husband still seems to have a hard time understanding that I just can't eat like I used to. He wants to cook steak and spicy stuff and when I point out that it's a no go he gets upset. The Dr. Assures that this will get better and can be controlled.We need our gallbladders, but we can live if it's removed. Just because it's not a life or death organ doesn't mean it doesn't have a function! I know there are those who are having a better life and are grateful for it gone and some people really needed to have it removed. I'm just saying that it can have affects that aren't as wonderful and any Dr. Who says "no worries" you're taking that 50/50 chance that you'll have some sort of digestive change.There are herbal treatments available but it isn't a cure, just an option. I just want people to look for as much information and Dr.S to listen. Sorry I write such long replys! I just feel the need to say it all I guess :)

44 male had my gb out about 5 months ago I am still sick all the time
bad pains in my uppper stomach pains in my throat. Dr says its gerd. I have been on every acid h2 blocker and almost every ppi drug. All of them make me worst. Feeling sick almost every day is really getting depressing.

Hi.. Im new here.. I had 2-cat scans, sonagrams, 1 recent hida-scan which the results im getting tommorow.. An old friend to my surprise told me im having the same symptoms as her.. Pain in front radiating to the back. At times the back hurts more then the front, I have an acid - reflux feeling in my upper right side , when I had gone to get my hida-scan.. The technician said to me to my surprise.. That doesnt sound like a gallbladder to me.. Actually, I got the impression that he didnt want me to take the hida-scan, then the next statement bothered me.. He said: "ive seen alot people.. No one ever said there pain radiated to the side and back! Nice! Wanna know what you all think? Im worried ..As ive been toe several emergency rooms /etc/drs/no one knows!

The hida scan should be the one to tell you if it's the gallbladder. How long have you had the pain? Is it worse after eatting? Let us know what your test showed! For now the only thing I can recommened is change your diet. In fact an accupuncturist friend of mine says chicken liver is really good for the gallbladder. Not fried though! Hope you get an answer! Good luck!

Hi all - I had my gb out on 2/2/06. This was after suffering 2 pretty major gb attacks. I have previously been diagnosed with gerd/heartburn/stomach irritation, but looking back over the last 2 years or so, I think it was more related to my gb. Anyway, surgery on 2/2 went fine, no complications. After about 7 days of recovery, I checked out fine with surgeon and have been doing great...No diarriah, no pain, can eat whatever with no probs. That was until yesterday when I had what seemed like the worst gb attack ever. I was in total agony. I went back to er and was treated with pain meds and anti-nausea meds. Their theory was that a stone was left in duct or formed in duct after the surgery. I also had an ultrasound and there wasn't any evidence of stones. They did however find a 'mass' of some sort right next to the duct that was clamped during sugery, tho' they didn't think it had anything to do with my attack. I'm wondering if anyone has had an attack after having their gb removed. This attack was horrible, much worse than anything I had prior to my surgery. I am supposed to call my surgeon's office on monday to schedule a cat scan. Are their any hints/tips/questions anyone can offer me to ask my doctors at that time? Tia for your help. Deb in colorado

in 1996 , I had had my gallbladder removed, becasue is was thought to cause ido-pathic pancreatities. Pathlogy came back normal and healthy.
Immediatly after surgery, I developed ibs irritial bowel synmdrome.
Basically it effects you in 2 formats, one is when you eat, you have some difficulity swallowing, and you can feel the squeezing of the osphugus all the way thru the bowel. Doctors don't know what has caused it, other than it is found in high incedents of women who have had gallbladder surgery. My mother had the same thing happen to her. Male gi doctors, tend to blame anything and everything femal on stress. Who doesn't have stress. My attacks of ibs- are as follows (don't read if you are grossed out) I may have a very healthy meal of spinach salad and 2 ounce portion of meat, with in 5 min to 2 hours after. I start experiencing sever pressure in the intestines and a lower back ache, I become very light sensitive. I sit on toilet and let the first part of the gas go thru and them the constipated stool is litterally forced out of my body. I get up and walk around and then the soft stuff starts, (while this is going on, I have sever chills and need to be in the dark), once I feel thats done, I get up and walk around, about 2 laps around my living room and back to the loo I go and then all the liquid comes out and the attack is done.( they pain of the bowel effects from, intestines, kidneys to the bottom of my lungs) my lower and middle back pain is so sever that I am bed ridden. When it 1st started, I stopped eating and lost a lot of weight, I didn't want to go thru the pain. They say you should eat lots of fiber, but that doesn't work for everyone. For me if I going some where, I eat in advance and have the attack and then try and go on living.. But its next to impossible ans ibs can be "triggered", for me its paint, perfume, cleaning chemicals.. If you have found a diet let me know as no one has a diffinitive answer about ibs. I too can use all the help that I can get. I have been on enzymes to help me eat, domperdome, maxeran (for nausea) and zelnorm (which helps regulate bowel movemnts good luck wp
i would do lots of surfing before you go also soooo important, reflux, heartburn, gerd, all can lead to a vcd (vocal cord dysfunction) the acids burn your vocal cords and only breathing exercises, change the vocal cord reaction. You feel like you are being strangled, I would keep takeing any acid reducers, you may save your self from an awfull nitemare that i'm going thru.. There is no cure, so ba proactive about it.
I took my nexum 2 times aday and had such a bad fit I ended up in the hospital with everyone looking dazed and confused. Let me know how it went take care wanda priesemann

I just started taking digestive advantage ibs tablets you can get over the counter in most drug stores. It has helped me alot with my ibs problems my stomach is more relaxed it also has helped with the gas pressure in my upper stomach and bloating. Dr says I have gerd but no acid h2 blocker or ppi drugs helps at all. In fact both h2 blockers and ppis make me worst so I cant have to much acid in my stomach. Also I am trying to change my diet its hard. Alot of foods I am not eating no more. I am getting better. But living here in nyc the stress here is so high I know that is affecting my digestion.

yes, I have burning pain in my navel, too. I had laproscopic gb surgery on feb. 23rd and I still feel tender at all the incision sites. I can't wear anything that is binding or the navel pain gets worse. I, too, have trouble rolling from side to side in bed. In addition, I had an attack yesterday that was as bad as before I had the surgery...I was in shock! I can't believe that I am now going to continue to experience gb attacks. After reading forums such as this, I guess it is not that uncommon...Had I know, I might not have had the gb removed!

I just had gallbladder surgery tuesday and I can't seem to find anything to eat. Before the surgery I was constipated, so I tried eating lettuce and tomatoes to help with fiber. I stopped taking the pain pills to help too. I'm now having diahrrea but at least its a bowel movement. (my body still feels constipated though) I have coffee just to aid in digestion. Crackers and broth are about all I can handle and I still feel horrible from eating that.
Now i'm constantly bloated and gassy. I feel worse than before the surgery. A nurse told me to eat a bunch of small meals, but I have no desire to eat. I don't feel weak, but this stresses me out which just makes my stomach worse. I could understand if I was eating fatty foods, but I haven't had those in 3 weeks. I feel like I would have been better staying the way I was before surgery!!!!!!! Help!?!?!??!

For 8 months I had severe gb attacks almost once a week. I had to cut my fat intake to around 2 grams per meal but the attacks started to happen anyway. Sometimes the trigger seemed to be stress. Last july a stone got stuck in the common bile duct and I was admitted to the hospital where they removed the stone and the gb. Spent four nights and five days in the hospital while we waited for pancreatic enzymes to return to a suitable level. I was 42, healthy but a couch potato. It took several months before I felt normal again. For at least a week I could not lift myself out of bed - had to roll out - and this was not open ab surgery. For at least two months I did not have full energy. Perhaps the slow recovery was due to being so ill with the blocked duct. I'm not sure. But i'm glad the gb is gone because I suffered unbelievable pain. I used to roll around on my bed and sometimes try to sleep sitting up but bent over forward in order to get relief.
After the surgery, bloated stomach for almost 2 weeks. Not a little bloated, but very pregnant bloated. For months had terrible gas, which was not only painful but embarrassing. I began to take laxatives to control the gas but started experiencing back pain which a doctor attributed to the laxatives. Stopped the laxatives and added fiber to my diet - to around 30 grams a day. This has helped with the gas & constipation/diarrhea but it's hard to keep up with such fiber intake so some days are bad and I can tell the difference when fiber intake is too low. I still have unexplained back pain which seems to be related to bowel movements. Sometimes there is phantom gb pain - but not unbearable. Sometimes I feel pulling - I don't know how else to describe it - inside, where the surgery was done. Sometimes the incision scars itch (they are getting smaller). I can't blame any specific foods for any of the discomfort I have now. I don't eat any meat so can't comment on that.
They found my gb full of stones. The one that passed through and got stuck in my duct almost killed me. I ask those considering surgery to think also of the risks of not having their gb removed.
Also, to all having trouble with their bowels after surgery, try adding fiber to your diet. Not too much - that causes painful bloating. But please try it because it's an easy and cheap remedy if it works for you!
I realize this message is very long, but hopefully it may have some helpful info for someone. Best wishes to all.

What I have been reading sounds a lot like what I have been suffering, almost daily stomach aches, weight loss (30 pounds since a year ago), ability to eat with assurance only broth, mashed potatoes, and the like, and a very puzzled gp. The gb came out feb. 20, and for several weeks I ate quite normally, having a problem once or twice after rich food. (i started to cut back) I have also had shoulder pain but that is probably arthritis (unable to take aleve as I am on coumadin for blood clot in r leg detected last november). At 76 things catch up.
In march there were a couple of episodes, and I either toughed it out or forced the stomach to empty ala a boulemic person. Since easter the pain has been almost daily, even after a light meal. Have tried all kinds of antacids, prescribed and otherwise, but the pain can persist four to six hours.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 the worst, the pain I had prior to gb surgery was a 10. Now it is often a five, and today was no more than a 2. Gone after 5 hours. That's a good day.
Stones were not found during the laproscopic surgery, nor during an endoscopy next morning. And again last week during another ultra-sound locally. (the first was in fl before the surgery took place, on vacation of course). Next I will see a local surgeon may 8 re a colonoscopy. Some days I feel I can't wait that long. Had plenty of tests and diabetes has not been indicated. Solids simply do not digest. Most people I met said "piece of cake" about current gb surgery. They didn't mention what happens next in some cases.

I actually came across another forum (now closed) last night and there was about 60 pages or entries with people expressing the same things. There seems to be no answers and no relief from what we are going thru.
I went back a week ago to the gi specialist because of the discomfort I feel daily. She did a local numbing shot which did nothing. I think she thought if I thought it was working I would feel better. She "thinks" it's nerve damage or could be something involving the pelvis region, but after all these months of having the same symptoms in the same area I really can't understand why more tests aren't done! I call it discomfort now because the pain is less then the "gallbladder attacks" I had before. I ended up with shingles in march and have discovered I was also pregnant. (i too have "good" days haha) now I am unable to do certain tests and pray that it does'nt get bad enough to require pain pills. I try and eat as well as possible but understand the bulemia moments! I know i'm going to pay for certain things I eat but with the pregnancy I can't help it!
I also have been able to do research on my blood and urine tests- they keep saying everything is normal but from what I see some elements are either close to high or low and wonder how they consider it normal. I also find myself studying the human anatomy so maybe I can find something to suggest to the Dr. Until they think about gallbladder transplants this is where i'm at in all this-still no answers!

Hello, I have had a bloating feeling where my gallbladder was removed since they took it out. I can not sit to long with out this irritating feeling. It nags at me all the time. I had a ct scan a couple months ago, finally the gi dr agreed. Thats another thing the dr's I have seen always say scare tissue/ nothing wrong/ blood test fine/ take actigall medication and now say its in my head. Everyone I talk to says get a 2nd opinion. I think something was damaged during the insitions or during the removal of 2 stones in the bile duct which was done through the mouth. The gi dr says the bile tube could have been damaged during that surgery but changed the story the next visit. Anyone else going through this same crap i'm going through.

Wondering if any of you are feeling better? Any new ideas? I still spend every day constantly feeling my stomach. Some days are really bad and all I do is sleep to get through it. Gets to be too much some days and just don't ever think i'll be normal again.I totally understand the "bloating" pressure under the rib! Can drive me to the brink of insanity! Wish I could just open it up. Still paying for the times I eat something that doesn't agree.That's a real fun guessing game! Hope you all are doing better........

At 22, 119 lbs. Vegetarian, gallstone blocking bio duct. Gall bladder removed. Pancreatitis, gi bleed from surgery. Blood transfusion, passing out (blood sugar level 300), kidney infection, belly button - white liquid(especially after lifting or moving something). 2 long years of adominal pain - right side, nausea, ulcer, gastritis, heartburn. Had ct scans, hyda, mri's, ekg's, tons of blood work. Tons of tests, doctor's visit, er visits and hospital stays. No answers. Recently difficulty breathing, middle chest pain, elevated heart rate, er visit - pulmonary embolism. But do not know why as of yet. 1 month later still have mid chest pain, occassional pain in right lung area, elevated heart rate (not as bad as before) but no answers why and according to doctors shouldn't have chest pain anymore. Might have a lifetime of warafin - what long term effects will that have? Still have adominal pain. I don't understand why so many people have to be in pain for so long without any answers.