I'm 4 weeks post op and I'm still struggling
With bad stomach cramps and diarhea. I'm hardly eating
but I'm having bowel movements everyday , 4 times today so far (Tmi) I'm worn out with it as my diet is so restricted and hardly eating. Anyone got any idea what's going on ?
I feel like I've had my gallbladder removed for nothing !!
You haven't had your gallbladder removed for nothing. Are you needing to go urgently after each meal? Are the stools surrounded by yellow liquid? There is no such thing as tmi on this site! . xx
did your doctor prescribed colestipol? it stops diarrhea on 6th day after taking it.
Hi Linda! The same thing happened to me, I had surgery last July and had abdominal cramps followed by diarrhea( my main symptom before surgery) until 3 weeks ago, and all of a sudden it just stopped, my Gastro told me that it could take several month for my body to adapt without the gallbladder and that the diarrhea could take as long as 6 month so don’t lose hope! I’m still eating a fat free diet and probably will be eating clean for a very long time bc I do not want to have those horrible cramps again, take probiotic , cut gluten from your diet and you may feel better, that’s what I did and it worked! Good luck to you ❤️
Hi Lynda, Yes I have to go urgently after eating .
It's sometimes surrounded by yellow bile , not every time.
It's the cramps I struggle with, they're so painful.
My doctor said to wait and see if it settles by itself .
Because you have no gallbladder, the bile is dripping into your small intestine constantly, especially over night. That can cause nausea and acid reflux. That's why it's worse during the morning and settles down by the afternoon. If you're trying to take enzymes and ox bile, I suggest you stop. They won't help--no matter what anyone says.
For the cramping, you can try enteric coated peppermint oil in capsules. The capsules won't dissolve till they reach your small intestine, which should help with the cramping.
If at 6 weeks, you're still going through this, go back to your doctor and ask for a medication to absorb the excess bile. Sometimes it takes longer than usual for everything to calm down. Each person is different. But taking meds to absorb the excess bile won't hurt you--and you shouldn't have to struggle to heal. xx
Hi, Thanks for replying, you have given me some hope .
I'm eating as little fat as possible and I take probiotic s every day .
It's the cramps that are the worst of it , though it's awful having to keep
rushing to the loo after eating anything . It's easier to cope if you know
It's going to end at some stage !
Hi Linda, I’m now 3 months post-op and still get pretty bad stomach cramps and nausea. My GP prescribed me the high strength lansoprazole to make sure it wasn’t gastritis as apparently common with gallbladder removal as well. I’d started to take buscopan cramps tablets and found that helped with the stomach cramping. And take cyclizine when I’m feeling sick as well. Luckily haven’t had the diarrhoea much. Think it just takes a good while for things to settle down and your body to get used to functioning without a gallbladder. I still don’t eat much fat though. Eat quite a lot of chicken based things and pastas and stir fry’s. And sandwiches or toast with ham or just some jam. I know it’s not easy and seems like this will never end but honestly as time goes on I’ve been feeling a bit better so hopefully it’s the same for you 😘 xx
Hi Scottie, Sorry you are still suffering too.
I take pantoprazole every day and even though I take mebeverine
I've just started taking buscopan today. The diarhea is so bad , it happens
minutes after eating. Yesterday I only had a small amount of sweet potato mash
and a few minutes later I was in the bathroom where it went straight through me!
I'm not getting enough food. It's just sweet potato , toast and crackers and
I can't keep that in ! Guess I need to see the doctor to find out what's going on.