HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Gallstone pain despite gallbladder being removed!!!

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/20/2010 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone else who has had their gallbladder removed still experienced gallstone like attacks?  I have been getting woken in the night again with painful "attacks" and my gallbladder was removed in June this year.  What happens now?
Posted 9/20/2010 7:13 PM (GMT 0)
Are you sure it's gallstones? Sounds like it could be GERD or a heart problem or just about anything else. I'd make an appointment with my family doctor.
Posted 9/20/2010 10:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Alcie thanks for replying I'm feeling pretty down and need to talk about it. I read that it's quite common to get Phantom attacks after your gallbladder is removed so I'm presuming that's what I'm having because they feel exactly the same as what was happening before I got pancreatitis and had to have my gallbladder removed. The pain is too low down to be GERD and it throbs through into my back just like the orginal attacks did too. To be honest I don't have much faith in the medical profession. They really stuffed up with me over the whole gallstones thing and I e-mailed my surgeon the other day to ask about these Phantom attacks and he told me he can't help me anymore which I was not impressed with. I feel like doctors treat symptoms only and never focus on what the underlying problem is. I'm currently seeing a naturopath and chiropractor to try and deal with this problem and both of them say I probably need a serious liver detox. I don't know I'm so frustrated with my body it's been a very teary couple of days just past.
Posted 9/20/2010 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Moo's Mum,
Personally, I did not experience this, as I still have my gallbladder. However, a very close friend of mine has had that trouble for many years. Her doctor tried lots of things, and finally sent her to another surgeon who specialized in such things.

He put a stint in the duct (twice) in hopes that it would open it up and stop the backup problem. (I believe that's what she said was happening).

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings...the stints didn't help (they often do, though, so don't assume it wouldn't work on you), and she's still having the same problem.

So...she has determined that she'll have to control it via diet, because she's sick of looking for a medical answer, because the docs seem clueless.

If you'd like me to have her write a first person explanation of what happened, let me know. I can write her an email and request more information. It might take a while, but I'd be glad to do it.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer. Thought you might be interested in my friend's situation. Actually it always amazed me that she could have gall bladder problems when it had been removed. Come to find out, it's a common problem!

Good luck finding a cure!
Denise turn
Posted 9/21/2010 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Denise
Thanks so much for this info. I'd love to hear how your friend is getting on controlling it with diet. What sort of things is she avoiding or eating?
Reading up on the Internet it seems that the problem with gallstones is not the gallbladder but the quality of your bile. If you are consuming a crappy diet your liver produces sludgy bile which then forms into stones in the gallbladder. To me this is another example of the medical profession's blindness to treating causes rather than symptoms. I probably didn't need to have my gallbladder out if I had following a liver detox and focused on producing good bile instead. But ah well such is life it's gone now so will make the best of it. Thanks for replying and I'd love an update on how your friend is getting on.
Cheers
MM
Posted 9/21/2010 2:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hi MM,
I'll email her and see what she has to say.
No guarantees about how fast she'll reply...she travels a lot to be with family.
When I get a response, I'll post it here.
Hang in there!
Denise
Posted 9/21/2010 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Denise
That's awesome. Nice to know I'm not alone. Have read lots of other blogs of others experiencing it too. Wonder why doctors never tell you about this?? :-)
Posted 9/22/2010 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi MM,
I emailed my friend, and she responded that she'll write her story ASAP. She's traveling at the moment, so it'll take a bit. As soon as I get it, I'll post it for you.
Hope you're getting some relief today!
Denise
Posted 9/22/2010 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Good Afternoon,

I am sorry to read you are having pain.  I  can appreciate your concerns as it is scary to continue to experience pain after thinking the surgery performed will get rid of all your pain. You should consult your treating doctor for an assessment of your symptoms, to out rule any other possible underlying medical condition. However, to answer your  question, once the gallbladder is removed, one cannot have, in most cases, gallstones anymore.  I have read of people that develop stones in their liver. 

If you think of your problem as a biliary (bile) problem as opposed to a "gallbladder" problem you are more on the right track to understanding how to take care of it. Removing the gallbladder does not always address the problem in the body that is causing these symptoms. In order to break down and digest fats, your body must produce bile, which is done in the liver. Your gallbladder is merely a sac for holding some of the bile that the liver produces. Whether or not you have had your gallbladder removed, your liver is still producing bile in order to digest fats. Without the gallbladder, however, the bile is not as readily secreted in the body, and the liver can become overwhelmed when faced with large amounts of any fats, especially saturated fats and hydrogenated fats. And for some people even small amounts of fats can cause discomfort.

I will be anxious to read Denise's friend' experience.

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt

 

 

Posted 9/23/2010 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Kitt you are so on the money. I went to my family doctor yesterday and she told me the same thing you did. I was sent for a blood test and have an appointment for an ultrasound to check if there are some residule stones lurking around. My naturopath has recommended a liver detox to try and clean up the quality of the bile it is producing. So I'm drinking this horrible bitter tea and sprinkling tumeric on everything I eat to help my liver. My husband came up with an interesting theory last night. I used to be a hairdresser and had bad allergies to permanent colour and perming solution. Eventually they became so bad I couldn't work anymore so had to leave. He wonders if my liver may have become very stressed from dealing with those toxins and then I had 3 children all in a row to add to the burden. Wonder if he's got a point?
I googled Phantom gallbladder pain and I am definately not alone it seems quite a high number of people experience this too. I too will be very interested to hear back from Denise's friend. I'm pretty sure cheese is a big cause of pain for me so that's off the menu.
Thanks for replying I really appreciate it.
Posted 9/23/2010 1:50 PM (GMT 0)
MM,

Good Morning.  I am glad to read you saw your Doctor yesterday.  :)

 

Your husband makes a good point with his theory.  The things that you eat, drink, breathe and take in through your skin all get filtered through your liver. It’s also where you body stores vitamins, releasing them during the day as you need them. In all, your liver performs hundreds of tasks throughout a day.

Some of the processed chemicals in popular dyes (which are also found in nail polish) have been shown to block bile ducts which interferes with the liver's ability to process toxins properly. 

I will be waiting to here how your blood tests and ultra sound turn out.

Gentle Hugs,

Kitt

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply