gallbladder distress
#214013 - 09/17/05 08:43 AM
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Aly
Reged: 08/16/04
Posts: 669
Loc: Columbus, Ohio
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Hi everyone--I really enjoy reading all of your posts. It's so nice to know that people are going through similar problems. Here's my quick story. Bad stomach for 7 years (I'm 22) and many diagnosis that changed often-- first IBS, then celiac disease...I didn't get too much better on the diet, so I figured I still had IBS. Now they checked my gallbladder. It's only functioning at 6%. 35% and up in normal, under 10 means its useless. Thus, I need surgery. I'm stressed about missing work, and I am just nervous. Has anyone gone through the surgery? I want to know exactly what to expect. Also, people tell me I might not have celiac or IBS and it all might be gallbladder related. Any thuoghts? It's nice having a diagnosis that might make me feel better, but at the same time it's tough. I just graduated college in June, moved in with my boyfriend and started 2 great jobs...I want to keep all of this and have a decent life, you know? So any thoughts and comments would help!!!
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IBS-A
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Aly are you a C, D, or A? And how was your Celiac dignosed? If you had an endoscopy that showed flattened villi, you still have Celiac Disease despite your gallbladder test.
I have a similar story to yours. I tested postive for gluten antibodies so I went on the GF diet. No improvement, so figured I had Gluten intolerance (not celiac) and IBS. I still hurt all the time.
I also had a gallbladder Hida Scan done and my gallbladder is only functioning at 4%  . However , 3 different doctors have told me not to remove the gallbladder. It can result in permanent diarrhea. I did go to a surgeon for a consultation and he told me he would remove the gallbladder if I wanted it removed, but so far, I have been going on the faith of my 3 doctor recommendations. I don't know what to do...I'm still not doing well.
I have returned to eating some gluten too..tiny amount of wheat, but some oats and barley. I figured since the GF diet hasn't worked, I might as well see how I do eating gluten.
Who advised you to get the gallbladder taken out? Did they warn you about the diarrhea?
Finally, have you ever suffered an eating disorder? I'm only asking because one of my doctors told me that anorexia can cause a slow functioning gallbladder, but when the weight returns to normal, the gallbladder will begin functioning properly again.
I have started drinking Dandelion Tea, as it is suppose to help the liver release the bile. Ours is delayed since the gallbladder is what triggers the release. Dandelion Tea
Are you going to get your GB removed for sure???
Finally, what type of Gluten Free bread do you eat? I haven't found one that is safe for tummy and tasty.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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...while I was sitting in the surgeons waiting room, waiting for my consultation, I was speaking to a lady who already had her Gallbladder removed. She told me she still has digestive problems and IBS. 
I don't know what to think of all this!
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Well, similar story as well! My celiac was diagnosed only with bloodwork. I went on a gluten free diet right away, and then a month or 2 later I had the endoscopy, which showed nothing. I have an apointment with the surgeon in a week to discuss it all. But, my family doc who was the one to finally order this scan, told me I need it out. I've read a lot about this chronic D and as much as that makes me nervous, I was always very C. Zelnorm only made the pain worse. Miralax has helped significantly. My main symptom now is pain and nausea and cramps after eating. I can't live with those symptoms. It doens't matter what I eat, I always feel terrible. However, I get hungry and eat. No anorexia at all--I was actually always overweight until the past yr. Even now I am still probably 10 lbs overweight, but I eat very healthy. So I will see what my surgeon says--chronic D would be OK with me if it meant eating without nausea, so we will see...
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IBS-A
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Wow, Beth! Your gallbladder is only functioning at 4%? Did the doctors say not to remove it only because of the permanent diarrhea? And what bad effects do you have because it IS still in there? I mean, I guess I thought that GB symptoms were D and vomiting ... it's not contributing to your C, is it? I wouldn't remove it either unless I knew for sure there was a benefit! I thought I read somewhere in Heather's info that you could take some drug, I think Questran? that would stop post-GB removal D.
So how did your villi look on the endoscopy?
(Haha, I never thought I'd be chattily inquiring about the state of someone else's villi.)
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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The surgery itself is very easy. I had very little pain in the days after the surgery. I think it depends on whether they make the main incision above or below the navel. Below causes more pain than above.
As for the D after surgery, yep, I had it big time! I did take the questran for a while, but eventually was able to go off of it after about a month or so. I took it mainly so that I would be able to return to work. I lost quite a bit of weight (55lbs) during all the problems over the last 9 months (started having gallbladder attacks in Dec.) but I'm very overweight, so that is not a big deal for me. Whether you decide to have yours taken out is a choice only you and your dr. can make based on the information you have available. I'm an IBS A, so I knew that the D was going to probably be a big problem for me. Several other friends have had the surgery and had the same type of problems. I think it's just more pronounced if you already have digestive problems to begin with, but the questran helped for me in the short term. I still have bouts of severe D (been having that the last couple of weeks) but now it really isn't any different than it was before the surgery. I'm back to my own personal version of "normal." lol 
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Have you heard of a Gallbladder/Liver flush?
It's not pleasant, I'm not a doctor, but it helped get my immune system going again. www.curezone.com has all the info.
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Yep, only 4%
#214105 - 09/18/05 08:29 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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I think there are 2 reasons the doctor does not want to remove it. One is the potential likelyhood of chonic D since my body is so GI compromised! The other is the fact that I am underweight. I did have anorexia for a very long time and the doctor is hoping if I gained weight to a normal body weight for my height, the GB would start working again. (Apparently, gallbladder dyskinesia can be caused by anorexia). If I gain weight and it still isn't working, then he might look more into taking it out. Plus, as someone mentioned, you can lose weight after the removal because of the D...which I don't need!
I do think it greatly contributes to my C. The fact that the bile is not being released effectively just means my food sits inside me even longer before it is able to start to digest properly. I get full very easily and feel yucky after eating too much....usually by night time when I'm full from eating all day.
Lots of times I just want them to yank the stupid GB out though, and I'll take the risk! The C is horrible, so maybe the D would even me out??? This post has inspired me to call a doctor and reiterate my concern...not that a phone call will get me past the receptionist though. They tend to "protect" their doctors from being "bugged"!  Especially since he told me to follow up with someone else.
I think if I were having "attacke" or gallstones, it would come out for sure. But when it doesn't function properly, they aren't so quick to remove it. I don't understand why.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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So, your D and IBS symptoms are no different than before you had it taken out? You were A before, and you're A now?
And the severe D, when you needed Questran, only lasted for a month?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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One thing that concerned me was when you said:
Quote:
I went on a gluten free diet right away, and then a month or 2 later I had the endoscopy, which showed nothing.
If you were on a gluten free diet before you had the endoscopy, your endoscopy results are not valid. You need to still be eating gluten...otherwise, your villi have the time to heal from being off gluten and it will look normal when they do the procedure. I made the mistake of going on a GF diet before my Endoscopy, so I had to go back to eating gluten again and they had to redo the endoscopy...but it still showed normal villi.
Are you still eating Gluten Free? I don't know if I should eat gluten or not since I have antibodies, but not flattened villi. But I didn't feel better on a GF diet...but then again, it could be the IBS meaning I still need to eat GF, but also deal with the IBS.
What are you thoughts on this? And can you recommend a safe, tasty GF bread????
Thanks
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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...after the Gallbladder is removed. Please!
What kind of pain do you have after eating? Do you take a soluble fiber supplement in addition to the Miralax?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I have always had IBS A, but more prominent with D, so I may have had more trouble than most with the D after surgery. I stopped the questran because it causes C, which for me starts a really bad cycle. My IBS tends to start with C, backs up with D, then....well....all h*ll breaks loose!! Then I end up with D for a while. I have to be careful with stuff like immodium because it works for me in the short term, but in the end, a couple of days later, I end up with another attack. Sometimes, it's just better for me to just wait it out. My way of controlling things right now is to pretty much stick with the diet found here and I eat no dairy (it's a miracle that I haven't had any ice cream since last Christmas!) I also eat very little meat. I also take some herbs and things from a naturopath. I'm still trying to stay one step ahead of things, but sometimes it just all falls apart and I end up with an attack anyway. I think that not as much of it is caused by the gallbladder surgery as it was in the beginning. Now it's just back to my regular old IBS problems, just a little bit worse than usual right now because of some work/personal stresses. Sorry, I know that's not much help. Everyone's system is different and will react differently, but everyone that I know who has had the surgery (about 8 friends) had a few months of digestive problems while their system readjusted. All but 2 can eat anything they want now. The two who can't are like me, they had other digestive problems to begin with, so those problems have remained or worsened a bit.
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gluten free bread...oh how many terrible ones I have tried!!! The only one I like now is Gluten Free Pantry favorite sandwich bread--you need a breadmaker, but I think you can do it in the oven as well. It's very tasty! Other than that, I stick to crackers--no bread made with rice or bean flour will ever taste the same!
also, my endoscopy of course showed nothing since anything that could have been hurt had time to heal! Stupid doctors!!
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IBS-A
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Aly?????
#214360 - 09/19/05 01:42 PM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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do you still follow the gluten free diet even though you don't feel better and even though you don't have celiac?
I just don't know what to do about this gluten conflict.  I eat GF and don't feel better. But, like you, I have the antibodies. How did you decide how to eat? Do you think you will stay eating gluten free forever?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Re: Aly?????
#214377 - 09/19/05 02:14 PM
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Aly
Reged: 08/16/04
Posts: 669
Loc: Columbus, Ohio
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Well, I was so sick at the time that I decided there was NO way I would eat gluten. I switched everything and after a year, I am just use4d to it. Even though I don't feel much better, I had a good month or two after the initial so called 'detox' of gluten. Now it's more of a fear to add it back in. Because I am so sickk all of the time, my gluten free diet allows me to have control, you know? I don't know if it helps...but after this stupid gallbladder comes out, I will be tested again. There is a genetic test that can test for the actualy gene that brings celiac disease. This way I will know for sure. It's really hard--but with a very supportive family and boyfriend, being gluten free is just a part of my life and even adds some great laughs. Hope that helps a bit!
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IBS-A
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I'm new here, but I wanted to add something about gallbladder surgery since I've been through it.
I suffered severe gallbladder attacks with no apparent trigger. These attacks were VERY severe. I was doubled over in excruciating pain with vomiting and diarrhea. It happened one when I was in college and I ended up in the ER due to severe dehydration (I was stupid and let it go too far).
I thought the first attack was food poisoning. The seocnd attack occurred 6 months later and I thought it was a virus. When the third attack began I immediately went to my doc for suppositories to take before things got really out of hand.
My doc sent me for an ultrasound, which came back negative. After I told him about my mom's GB problems with no stones, he sent me for the GB function test. I was functioning at 17% at the age of 23.
My surgeon told me I could wait to have my GB out. However, we couldn't determine what was bringing on the attacks. I had no trouble on a daily bassis, only the severe bouts every few months.
I opted for the surgery and I don't regret it. I don't live in fear of having a severe, debilitating GB while on a business trip. However, I have developed the chronic diarrhea as a side affect of GB removal.
Fiber and diet changes seem to have helped a lot. I'm going to give the Caltrate-D a try as well before pursuing Questran.
I just wanted to post my story since my GB disease experience was more acute than chronic...
Thanks to Heather for the wonderful website. Even if you don't have IBS, the diet and guidelines can work wonders on an unbalanced digestive system.
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