Gluten Intolerance and Diet After Gall Bladder Removal

Digestive health
1

I am a 49 year old female and had my gall bladder removed last year.  Prior to removal I had a very poor diet with high fat, high carbs, sweets, junk food, fast food, greasy, spicy and definitely too much food.  I was somewhat overweight at 200 lbs with large frame at 5'7" so I don't "look" that overweight but I see it on the scale.  I had 3 big attacks prior to surgery and several really small ones.  Went to the ER 3 times before I was finally diagnosed with stones and leakage and booked for surgery.  Prior to surgery I went onto a restricted diet of about 1,000 calories a day, low fat, no junk whatsoever, and several small meals.  I lost 40 lbs overall!  I was ecstatic!  

Also prior to surgery I had lots of health problems, I was anemic and needed iron infusions, had bad hand eczema, thin, brittle nails, my hair was in bad condition, fatigued, mood swings, depressed.  Plus the stomach issues, very bad pain, indigestion, GERD, etc.  

With my new diet all these problems went away!  Well except the anemia, but overall I felt great.  I had the surgery and stayed on the diet for another couple months.  The only thing I could not eat after surgery was lettuce, which gave me diarrhea.  But then that went away too and I could eat whatever I wanted.  I swore I would stay on the diet, but as I recovered my appetite came back and I began to crave all the same stuff again. 

So gradually over this last year I have gone back to eating terrible, gained back all my weight and then some, I am bloated, my clothes are all super tight.  I am having horrible heartburn, daily diarrhea, pain where my gb was, excema is back, nails and hair are terrible.  I am exhausted most of the time, the mood swings are back, depression and anxiety are back.  I now also have an itchy rash on both sides of my neck. 

I am thinking I may have some kind of gluten intolerance, since all of this went away when I was eating healthily.  The symptoms have all come back but they are even worse than before.  So I am going back on the diet I was on before, I am going to try Gluten free bread rather then the whole wheat I've been eating, plus eat organically.  What has everyone else's experience been??  All my friends who had their GB's out told me they can eat anything they want with no problems.  I don't get why I'm the odd one out!  

2

I can understand your frustration, but I doubt that going gluten free will help much.  There is a blood test that can reveal whether or not you are gluten intolerant. I suggest that you find out. Eating healthy is always a good choice.  It might be better to go back to the diet you were following, and see what happens.   

Most people do extremely well after gallbladder surgery--some don't.  

3

So it seems your root cause is not gallbladder...but the diet. I have all the problems you mentioned. Gallstones and non working gb, gastritis. Not yet removed my gb,but still having all the problems you mentioned.so wondering is it worth to lose my gb

4

It is definatly worth getting rid of the gallbladder if you have regular painful attacks with it. Mine was actually infected by the time it was taken out. Giving up fried food/fizzy drinks/cheese/cheese/pastry/spicy foods is a small price to pay . The diet could be causing OP some problems due to inability to process certain foods after surgery. I think this is pretty common - I know two others who recently had theirs out too and same as me.

5

I already have severe bloating and burping even with bland food. I also have gastritis and gallstones. I don't have pain or attack. If removing gallbladder , one cannot go back to normal eating then wondering why I should remove it, instead continue with diet restrictions as that's what need to be done even after removing gallbladder.

6

I had my gallbladder out 10 years ago and suffered with pain ever since i have changed my eating happens I don’t eat prossed food no sausage basically turkey,fish,chicken stay away fromed fried foods eat out randomly I take peppermint pills from the health food store and the pain is only so often my pain before tjis had sent me to the ER