Anyone had their gallbladder out - share your stories

wantnomoneyworries

marrowgirl wrote: »

Me too. At first they said I had a tummy bug, indigestion, gastroenteritis and/or food poisoning.... I didn't get any of the usual syptoms such as heart burn after eating and my diet was good so I wasn't eating fatty foods. It was only that I had a blood test a few hours after an attack and the GP rang me because my tests were so bad he thought i was having liver failure! Anyhoo, gallbladder gone now and all is wonderful! x

Thanks again your symptoms are very similar to mine - I don't get indigestion and also the doctor kept asking did I get acid reflux - I kept saying no, but he kept asking the same question so I wondered if that was something important? Also my diet is much improved this year (less fat etc). Anyway the ultrasound found the stones so I guess that's why I was referred.

Ellejmorgan

I was told when I went for mine that a 15 year old had to have hers out I was shocked...

wondercollie

I remember my first attack. My GP wrote it off due to stress, then it was a bug, then it was food poisoning, rinse and repeat. Never had the classic symptoms, more of just a few horrific bouts of heartburn followed up the trots that lasted for about ten days.

Flash forward 10 years, yes, I said years. New GP, sent me for anultrasound and the bladder was full. Surgery was fine. Recovery not bad.

18 months later, I got the trots again. Turns out my trots were related to bile dumping and they put me on a high cholesterol drug who's alternate use is sucking up the bile and stopping the trots. Life is good.

Still have four of the stones in a jar on the book shelf.

annie_d

I had gallstones removed via keyhole surgery. 2 stones, each as big as a golf ball.
I went back to work 6 days later, 2 days later I got an umbilical hernia as the stitches popped out through my navel. Had that fixed but it ruptured again a fortnight later. STILL, anything is better than the pain from the gallstones.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

The main problem I have had since having my gallbladder removed is I can't lose weight. In fact, since I had it removed, I've put on weight & no amount of diet & exercise is helping. I already eat a healthy diet & am also a veggie. I have never been able to eat fatty foods or anything with cream in.

My friend's sister also has the same problem. I think it may have something to do with the bile being less concentrated so the body has less ability to digest fats.

Ellejmorgan

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

The main problem I have had since having my gallbladder removed is I can't lose weight. In fact, since I had it removed, I've put on weight & no amount of diet & exercise is helping. I already eat a healthy diet & am also a veggie. I have never been able to eat fatty foods or anything with cream in.

My friend's sister also has the same problem. I think it may have something to do with the bile being less concentrated so the body has less ability to digest fats.

I can't either, I have to avoid fat...

Ellejmorgan

annie_d wrote: »

I had gallstones removed via keyhole surgery. 2 stones, each as big as a golf ball.
I went back to work 6 days later, 2 days later I got an umbilical hernia as the stitches popped out through my navel. Had that fixed but it ruptured again a fortnight later. STILL, anything is better than the pain from the gallstones.

Apparently it doesn't matter how big or small they are, the opening of the gall bladder is tiny and even the smallest of stones can be excrutiating....

Wow was mine painful, i've had five babies, four by C-Section, even childbirth isn't as painful as gallstones..
This sounds bad, but during an attact I would try to think of quick ways of ending my life just to stop the pain..

I bet i'm not the only one here either that felt that way..

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

I can't either, I have to avoid fat...

I have never been able to eat fatty or creamy foods since I was little so that hasn't changed.

It's a case of you don't know what you've lost until it's gone.

The consultant made out that the gall bladder isn't important, however, I tend to disagree. It stores & thus concentrates the bile, so that fats can easily be emulsified. Without a gall bladder, the liver has to work harder & the bile is no where near as concentrated, therefore fats are not emulsified properly.

dandy-candy

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

The consultant made out that the gall bladder isn't important, however, I tend to disagree. It stores & thus concentrates the bile, so that fats can easily be emulsified. Without a gall bladder, the liver has to work harder & the bile is no where near as concentrated, therefore fats are not emulsified properly.

I definately agree with that. My consultant was completely dismissive about what a gallbladder does, but it is part of your working system (unlike the appendix).
I had to have my gallbladder out because I had polyps growing on it, nothing to do with gallstones. Otherwise I would have rather tried alternative options and hoped to keep it.