does anyone take ox bile, or digestive enzymes post gallbladder removal ?
I am 5 weeks out after my cholecystectomy and weight loss has stalled, and am feeling bloated at times. Probiotic drink like kefir is proving helpful
Is early days, overall pleased with operation, right side pain and all the other horrible stuff (GERD in my case) has now abated
Dtsfa
hi I’m 10 weeks post opp still have intermittent right upper quadrant pain .
and occasional like sucker punched tummy ache type of feeling that can last all day,
‘not sure if this is a mind gut thing though to be honest.
i do think your question is a very good one and have been wondering the same thing myself.
no one had replied yet !!!
come on fellow gallbladderless folks !!
their must be someone here who is or at least has taken ox bile supplements,we want to know ?
how was it / how is it , does it ? Did it help ?
your response / I put would be very appreciated folks !!
dtsfa.
i did ask my surgeon at my follow up ,what his views were on ox bile supplements,
‘to which he replied !
what on Earth are you talking about !
i said have you not heard of them !
No never !
oh ok just something I read on internet and seen them for sale on eBay ?
reply , no no no forget about that it’s all b*** s***
oh ok silly me !
yes just forget it, your going to be fine !
but I have like you wondered often what this ox bile stuff is all about or if it’s just a fad ?
ANYONE shed some light !!
Lots of people take ox bile and enzymes. However, you should not be trying to lose weight, as you've just had major surgery, regardless of the size of the external incisions. The internal stitches can take more than 8 weeks to heal--some people take months. Your body needs all the good nutrition it can get to heal itself. Probiotics will build your gut bacteria and help with your immune system.
You have this one chance to heal well internally. Please give your body the rest and nutrition it needs. xx
Lynda
thank you so much x
Your a maverick.
mine was gangrene and some,so I figure more healing time in my case anyway.
what do you think probiotics or ox lie and enzymes?
regards.
Sorry meant to write ox bile lol it’s my iPad it writes what it wants
Some people take ox bile and enzymes because they believe it helps their digestion after gallbladder removal. They feel their body produces less bile/enzymes than necessary. However, bile is released into the small intestine by the liver, not the stomach. (If one has too much bile it can back up into the stomach.) Those who need these supplements swear by them. But some people, like me, have too much bile. So taking bile and enzymes would make them more ill. I tried enzymes and that's what happened to me.
Some people will say "everyone" needs them after gallbladder surgery but I think that's untrue.
I just replied to your post. My computer's acting up. I think that everyone needs to let their system settle after surgery. So, 6-8 weeks, eating small meals. Avoiding large amounts of fat, but eating small amounts of good fat when necessary, such as butter from grass fed cows, cooking in coconut or virgin olive oil. Look on line for the fodmap diet. I use lactose free milk, too. It works for me.
I take a probiotic available in the US, that provides bacterial cultures that work in the digestive system and gut (for digestion and immunity) and my vagina to keep my vaginal flora in balance. I take it every day.
What I don't take are products like enzymes or ox bile. If you're curious, I would suggest that you research whether these actually work on the internet. I also don't take stuff said to clean the liver. They're too harsh. And they're heavily marketed, which makes me suspicious. I have taken one supplement said to help the liver gently. If you send me a private message, I'll tell you what I take. xx
thanks for replies so far. Personally speaking I have done well with kefir. Has really seemed to help with my gut dysbiosis
I did take a good well known digestive enzyme today, first time. Had no adverse reaction
will I take regularly, not sure at mo. There are doctors websites that really do recommend supplements after cholecystectomy, and digestive enzymes
I use to take a lot of supplements, but now appreciate healthy whole food eating is best way to get nutrients.
I am having the odd right side twinge of pain, discomfort. But nothing like the pain before the operation
I have also taken sunflower lecithin at times to help emulsify fats
Lynda, I’m not sure why DTFSA is worried about weight loss. Gallbladder removal is not suppose to be done for weight reduction. I agree with you that all these ox bile and enzymes are usually a way for someone to make money from a postop, scared patient. It amazes me that so many people were not given specific, detailed diet instructions. My physician gave me 3 pages of what I could and could not eat. The live is not use to having all the bile produced by the body trying to be processed through it. That is the reaso for a low or no fat diet until the body can adjust to 2 things … an organ with an important function being removed and the fact that he liver has to perform a function it is not use to. I’m so sorry your recovery seems to have been going on for a while. Do feel like you have turned the corner and are on the way to “a more normal life”.
Its been almost 10 weeks since my surgery nad had to ny gastrointestinal doctor last week because I am still having extremely pure liquid diarrhea. All blood work appeared to be almost back to normal but she is worried I have C Dif. We are waiting on a comprehensive stool culture. I had taken antibiotics for a terrible sinus infection several months before my surgery. But since I had anemia due to an iron deficiency and my blood counts were low I would be more susceptible to the C Dif. I never thought I would EVER want to gain weight. LOL. You might want to go on line to WebMD.com if you have questions about any problems you might still be experiencing. It is an unbelievable site with a section for physicians and one for non medical people. It has a wonderful gallbladder diet and will pretty much answer any question anyone could possibly have about any medical disease or issue. Good luck and I hope you continue to heal.
DTSFA,
I was put on welchol which has truly helped me with digestion issues.
Hi, Wanda,
Thanks for your post. You had a great MD, so I am wondering if you are in the US? In the UK, people usually see a gp and then a surgeon. Both of them are usually clueless about digestion. I am lucky to have a gastro guy, too. I sure hope you don't have C Diff. You might want to try probiotics to rebuild your gut bacteria.
I visit the site you mentioned all the time.
I am on medication because I produce too much bile, and it appears that my body has stopped making the hormone to allow it to be reabsorbed at the end of digestion. It's not fun.
If you have bile acid malabsorption, your stools will be surrounded by yellow bile. You can get a prescription for this. xx
Hi Lynda, yes I am in the US. I saw my internist on a Friday, he ordered an U/S for Monday, saw the General Surgeon on Friday and surgery following Wednesday. I saw the surgeon one week later and was discharged to either my internist or my gastro dr. Fortunately I don’t have C Dif but she wants a CAT scan and possibly a pill cam (which is really weird). You swallow a capsule with a teeny tiny camera inside and it takes pictures from when you swallow it til it comes out it’s journeys end! She says it is extremely helpful in diagnosing severe diarrhea and excessive weight loss. Maybe she’ll give me some copies of the pictures like she did a couple of years ago when I had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, in color no less. I can have a separate photo album of just my insides. LOL 😂 she ordered Welchol today to take 3 times a day but my insurance has decided not to cover payment for it so I can pay about $300 for 30 days or I can wait another week and have it shipped from the UK for about $200 for 3 months.
I hope you are doing better and continuing to improve. May I’ll write Santa 🎅 to bring me a cork if this hasn’t stopped. Wanda
I had my gallbladder taken out more than a decade ago in my early 20s. I didn't fit the description at all. My surgeon never informed me of any difficulty I may experience after surgery. I have regrets about having it removed, though the pain was intense and I knew the risk of pancreatitis. Recently I came across digestive enzymes. But here's how I came to experimenting with them.
A couple years after surgery my gi doctor prescribed my hycosamine, I may not have spelled that correctly.
It has helped. I use it as a prn. Its prescribed to be of use while experiencing pain post eating. I use it as a preventative. So if I'm having a special meal or I'm traveling then I pop one before a meal. It helps alot.
My gp told me that hycosamine can cause arrhythmia so I don't want to rely on this medication permanently.
Over the course of the last year I had a bad bout of norovirus, a dose of antibiotics for a sinus infection, and another bout of norovirus. This weakened my already sensitive stomach. I also have a family history of stomach issues but no ibs that I know of. I've recently started having a lot of digestion problems but I didn't put it together with these events. Neither did my gi doctor.
Since moving I needed a new gi doctor and he felt i may be heading toward ibs and honestly that doesn't seem right. So after realizing my gut bacteria may not be balanced I tried a probiotic and I think I've found the one for me! It keeps me on a schedule and after of few days of starting it the minor discomfort of taking it disappeared. Honestly after a lot of research I think a lot of people can benefit from them. I only do 15 billion. I read quite a number of reviews connected to gallbladder removal and success. I also came across digestive enzymes. I didn't want ox bile. I actually found a vegetarian version that is gluten free soy free and dairy free. I recently started using them with success. But also I think it's because if the probiotics which helped with bloating issues. I've heard of using bile salts but if you are experiencing diarrhea as opposed to constipation I think it can make it worse. I won't try them. I find it frustrating that doctors dont discuss these as after care options and brushes them off when asked.
Side note my plan is not to rely on the digestive enzymes completely. I plan to use them once a day and not every day until I've been on the probiotic for a few months. I also dont do a lot of dairy. No icecream, cream in my coffee, no cooking with butter. I use almond milk instead. I do eat cheese though. And not large quantities. It took a while to find the combination that worked for me and honestly I'm still adjusting it. I hope this helps even if it's just a bit. Good luck!
Just buy a yogurt maker. You can get tons of live culture into you then. Eat fruit (apple, banana, strawberries, blueberries) and your home made yogurt at least once a day. dont pay shedloads of cash for your yog maker. We paid GB£ 10 for ours. look in the supermarket for live yogurt to use as the starter. We (UK again, sorry) use yeo valley. I also eat activia probiotic yog to vary the bugs i am eating, and yakult.
i am on antibiotics just now and the above stops me getting diarrhoea.
Hi, Ken, thanks for your suggestions. Unfortunately, due to digestive problems, they won't work for me. The supplement I use is the only one that doesn't make me ill. Thanks again, though.
this reckons you can make yogurt from lactose free milk
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