possible gallbladder surgery
#317539 - 10/27/07 06:42 AM
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Hi! I'm not sure that this is the right place to post this so if not please let me know. I was diagnosed with IBS at 19 and have had problems off and on since. The past year and a half have been particulary difficult. Although I don't have the typical D ( I am more on the C side these days) the docs still say I have IBS. My main issue, though, is epigastric pain and nausea, to the point of waking me at night and vomiting and being miserable for hours. I don't have gallstones, but just had a HIDA scan done that showed that my gallbladder is functioning at 1/3 the normal rate. I was relieved that I finally had an answer (or so I thought) but my family doc and GI doc are less than enthused. Because the test did NOT recreate the same symptoms of an attack, they are saying it may not be my gallbladder, even though it's not functioning properly. Usually, after the injection of a hormone to "cause" a gallbladder attack a person feels the pain and nausea similar to their usual symptoms. I had some pain but nothing close to what I normally have. So now I'm confused and don't know what to do. I can't go on like this - I can hardly eat and it doesn't even matter what I eat anymore. I never know when an attack will hit and I've lost weight from not eating. I'm getting depressed. Has anyone else out there had a similar experience? I'd hate to have the surgery only to find out it didn't help, but how will I know if it will help if I don't? Thanks for your input, and sorry this is so long.
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HI, I had the same problem as you.
The 24 hour nausea and the pain. I had lost 45 lbs in 3 months from not being able to eat.
I had my gallbladder removed and the nausea and pain stopped. I still have IBS, but with the help of AD's it has become manageable.
I also did not have any stones, but my gallbladder had become pretty much useless and was infected.
The surgery was simple (was my first surgery ever) and the recovery was a breeze.
Good luck
Colby
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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
--Bern Williams
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Thanks, Colby. I appreciate your response. I'm kind of at wits end and will probably go ahead with the surgery. How else will I know? I realize I will still have "issues" with IBS, but the constant nausea and pain have really gotten to me. Thanks again!
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I've never had my gallbladder tested, but I've been wondering if mine is working properly too. I have pain-predominant IBS-D with no C or nausea.
Can you tell me how much is the test? I have no health insurance.
~nelly~ 
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I don't know how much the HIDA scan costs since I have insurance. I haven't gotten a statement from the insurance company yet either. When I do I'll let you know. It could cost different amounts depending on where you live, but you'll have a ball park figure once I find out and let you know. Good luck!
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Hello,
I am 23 and just went through gallbladder surgery, after countelss doctors told me I was "just stressed" or that "it's just IBS". My question for you is whether you have had an ultrasound of your gallbladder. My HIDA scan also showed an ejection fraction of 21%, as well as "no visual or other response to the CCK" The CCK is that substance they inject. My experience was that I didn't notice when they injected it, but I did notice when they flushed it out of my system- there was a very uncomfortable, crampy pain. Apparently this is a typical reaction to the CCK, but my gallbladder wasn't functioning normally anyway. I decided to go through with the surgery only when I also had two separate ultrasounds. One showed "biliary sludge" which nobody seemed to know what to make of (i think it is gravel in the gallbladder but not real stones). The other ultrasound showed an inflamed lining to the gallbladder. These 3 pieces of evidence allowed me to feel ok going through the surgery, though the doctors were wishy-washy about it up to the end!
Now it is almost 2 weeks after my surgery. The constant nausea is gone, but I still have quite a bit of indigestion/burping/gas/D as well as some shoulder and back pain as my system adjusts to not having a gallbladder. The doctor says it takes about a month for these things to resolve completely. I am glad I had the surgery but am not sure if there will still be some IBS symptoms remaining afterwards.
If I were you, I would do a lot of research before going through it, but if you are anything like me, the nausea has become unbearable and you would like to do anything to get rid of it! I feel your pain. I would warn you though, that some doctors who give you this surgery may not be great about following up on the symptoms that linger afterwards. Mine is telling me to "give it time". That said, I do feel better than before the surgery, and I can eat more types of food than I was eating before without worrying about the repercussions. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I would be happy to talk about my experience with you, since I know how hard it is when doctors tell you you're being a hypochondriac!
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Thanks for your response, Chitowngirl. I am going through with the surgery on Friday (two days from now). Although I am starting to get a little nervous, I'm hoping that it will help with the nausea, fullness, and not being able to eat a lot of different foods. I realize that I will probably always have GI "issues", especially if I do truly have IBS, but I'm hoping some of the problems will be resolved. My surgeon told me during my consultation that it takes the body about 6 weeks to compensate for not having the gallbladder anymore. I've also been told to add back foods higher in fat, and fats in general, slowly after surgery to see how the body will react. Since I can't eat much right now anyway, that shouldn't be too much of a problem for me. Just more of the same for a while. It will be difficult, though, with the holidays coming up.
I hope you are feeling better soon. A co-worker of mine said that after her gallbladder surgery all of her GERD symptoms dissapeared, so hopefully yours will, too. Hang in there and I'll let you know how things go for me!
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Just wanted to offer you {{{{{HUGS}}}} and I'll be thinking about you on Friday. I have heard of terrific, life changing results from this particular surgery and wish them all for you. Post back and let us know how everything went~
~nelly~
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Pixiegoddess-
Had mine removed today. Sugery went well and lasted about an hour. I'm home now ane resting with my Vicodin. They did say to keep a liquid diet for the day or until I feel up to trying something else. Keep the no to low-fat diet for about a month. I do have upper back and shoulder pain. It's from the gas they pump in. The incisions themselves are tender but not painful. Also, be prepared for that bile taste in your mouth. Just can't get rid of it. Good luck tomorrow!
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Well, it's over! I had my surgery on friday and I am doing well. I had to stay overnight which is how the docs do things here but went home Saturday morning. I'm a little sore but not bad. I still don't have much of an appetite but I guess that's ok since you should start slowly anyway. The worst thing for me was that trapped gas/air that is pumped into the abdomen. That was somewhat uncomfortable, but I've been trying to walk around to get it moving! The doc said he could tell from looking at the gallbladder that I had been having attacks so it's a good thing I had the surgery since it probably would've gotten worse. Glad to hear you're doing well and here's hoping we feel better!
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Glad to hear you're home and starting to feel better. I think Sat. was the worst for me. I couldn't hold anything down and nothing like vomiting after having surgery on your stomach. Thinking it was from the meds. I'm feeling a lot better today. Eating toast and my cream of rice cereal and broth. Here's to some mashed tators and stuffing on Thursday. 
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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Hello -- glad I found this thread. I'm scheduled for gallbladdery surgery on Dec. 18. No gallstones on tests, but they ruled out everything else and my very respected surgeon (who did major abdominal surgery on a good friend, but only after trying everything else to avoid it) feels strongly the middle-of-the-night pain attacks, nausea, etc. are classic symptoms. My GP agrees.
I do have IBS pretty bad too, so I'm no stranger to having bad cramps & diarrhea if I eat very fat food. I find I can have a little chocolate or whatever, a modest portion, but that's about it.
So I'm wondering about you who were contributing on this thread -- how are you all doing post-surgery? Any tips on dealing with the post-surgery pain, diarrhea and other problems? What about getting ready for the surgery in the days leading up to it?
Any tips would be most helpful. Thanks!!
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woops -- one other thing.
part of my IBS issue is that when I've had a bad attack of the runs, it's really hard to eat the healthiest food of all -- vegetables and fruit, unless it's the sort with very little fiber and it's cooked. Heather's recipes and tips really help on this score.
did any of you who had gallbladder surgery find your IBS symptoms getting any better in this respect? I hope to eventually resume eating lean chicken and low-fat dairy, etc., but I also would love to eat more vegetables, more consistently!! Thanks again
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I finally got a statement from my insurance company - my HIDA scan was just under $1,000.00. It may cost different amounts depending on where you go, but this will give you an idea of how much it would be. Pretty expensive if you don't have insurance, I'm afraid.
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Leading up to my surgery I tried to walk a lot to keep my respiratory system in good shape - it helps with recovery and effects from anesthesia. After surgery I was uncomfortable for about a week until the gas/air that is pumped into the abdominal area during the surgery dissipates. It's nothing that can't be dealt with, especially if you've had lots of pain already with IBS and gallbladder related problems. I'm slowly getting my appetite back and haven't tried too much yet but overall I'm feeling much better. I've had a couple of days with nausea, but nothing like before. I may have overdone it a little those days. It's hard for me to remember that I had surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago! I've had a couple days with D right after surgery mostly, but for the most part my BM's are fairly normal, although I have been taking acacia all along. So that probably helps. The constant pain and nausea that I had before is gone, though, and I'm not totally scared to eat anymore. Before I didn't know what would trigger my ill feelings, so I was hardly eating at all. Now I can even eat chocolate (small amounts) and not worry! Life is good! My doc said it takes up to 6 weeks for the body to adjust to not having a gallbladder and to add fats back in slowly. He said if I overdid the fats it could "go right through you". So be aware of that afterwards. I still have some GI issues and probably always will, but I feel so much better and am so glad I had the surgery. Good luck - hope this helps!
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Did you get the HIDA scan already? you said you were afraid. Well I had it done 2005 and it wasnt that big of a deal. Heck I was scared as hell my hubby even came in room. The nurse/atendee was nice. Basically, they give you the radio active solution and then you have to just lay there very still on a table and this machine comes down to take pictures. Basically they are just trying to see how your gallblatter dumps foods or if they can see anything else. Good test to rule out nothing else is going one.Good luck and try not to be scared it wasnt really that bad. But my anxiety of the unknown made me more scared.
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IBS-C gas, bloating and acid reflux
Babies is the plan for 2008!!Hope this IBS cooperates.
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