Gallbladder Removal? - Hayden,ID

I had mine removed 2 years ago. At first they kept missing the problem and telling me I had a virus. Then after being really sick for literally a month (I had gone septic) in the hospital they decided to take it out. Wow! Huge difference in how I felt the very next day. I do still have symptoms...certain foods cause almost uncontrollable diarrhea. But other than that I feel so much better. If the doctor's want to remove it or there is any chance of it making him sick I get it out. I almost died from the other problems it caused me. Good Luck!

I had mine removed over 10 years ago. I have never had a problem with digesting my food. A former coworker had hers removed and she only had a problem when she ate a lot of bread, especially heavy bread. She would have a slightly upset stomach for a short time but it would go away. It was nothing she would be a pain over or anything.

I had my gallbladder taken out in April 2009. I was sick for awhile and they couldn't figure it out as well. By the time I had the function test my gallbladder wasn't functioning at all! I felt so much better instantly when it was out...the recovery was painful cuz my twins were 5 months old at the time.

But everyone I know who has had it taken out usually gains about 20 lbs. So it's good to be out but bad cuz I didn't need that extra weight.

Hi K.,

Have you consulted with an ND? My sister had three surgeons recommend that her gall bladder be removed and the ND said no. He told her that the pain in her gall bladder was referred from the liver. The gall bladder and liver work together and the liver needs the gall bladder to do it's job. He did a liver detox and the gall bladder symptoms went away. It's my understanding that a cyst can be left alone. This is not my area of expertise but I agree with you 1000% that all our body parts are essential.

God bless,

M.

My gallbladder was removed in 2002 and I felt so much better! I startd getting sick alot and just feeling awful and the drs couldnt figure out why, finally they did a gallbaldder function test and my gb had stopped working all together! The dr said it had to come out so they took it out and I have never had any issue since! Get a second opinion and see what they say but most of the women in my family are missing their gb, (cause of a genetic blood disorder) and we are all fine! Good luck!

I had my gallbladder removed when i was 16 (so, 10 years ago) because i had tons of gallstones and was in pain every day. they did it laparoscopically so i only have a couple little scars on my belly. surgery didnt take long, and i was up and running the next week. i did have to watch my fat intake for a while, and sometimes i still have to rush to the bathroom if most of my meals are fatty - but all in all im glad i had the surgery.

After surgery - mine was in '05. I find that I have to watch what I eat. I have to stay away from fatty foods and things high in sugar. If I eat those things, I'll end up with a run to the bathroom in a very short order. It's great for the diet, but really - it's not pleasant.
Other than that, it's all good.
YMMV
LBC

Hi,
I had mine out in 2008 because I would get severe pain after eating. It went misdiagnosed for 2 years. After having it out I have had no problems with digestion and my recovery was very easy. Good luck!

I had my gallbladder removed in 1995after having several gall bladder attacks. It was a day surgery, but since it was sceduled for mid afternoon I did end up staying overnight. It was a laprascopic surgery and I had 4-5 small wounds on my belly. Recovery was uneventful with the usual vicodin for a few days and then ibuprofen for a few. I haven't had any problems at all with digestion since then. Chris P

There are a lot of foods that are hard on our immune systems. When they removed my gallbladder, they found cysts on my liver! I had SEVERE gallbladder attacks. After it (my gallbladder) was removed, I had a hard time digesting dairy, wheat, eggs, and a whole host of other foods including fats and nuts. This was one of the things that also caused me to end up with terrible Chronic Fatigue. I ended up with MAJOR digestive problems. including acid reflux, due to too little digestive enzymes and too little stomach acid. I ended up having the eat less and less, becuase more and more things were bothering me, until I discovered digestive enzymes that I could take by mouth. When my sister started having gallbladder problems, I advised her to go to a Naturopath. She started taking digestive enzymes and taking care of it, and voila! 4 years later she still has her gallbladder, and is now symptom free.

The gallbladder makes your digestive system much more efficient (check out "Bile" in Wikepedia. But because MD's are completely ignorant about our digestive systems, they think removing it is no big deal. Well, guess what. It IS a big deal. Better to go to a Naturopath and find out what could be causing these cysts and change your lifestyle accordingly. You will all be the healthier for it.

I had my gall bladder removed and aside from no longer having horrible attacks that would make me wish I was dead, I have not noticed any changes or issues at all. The gall bladder basically is a holding place for bile which helps mostly in digesting fats. The only side effect I have with no gall bladder is that I might have to make a trip to the bathroom if I eat a really fatty meal. Other than that it is no big deal. If they do the surgery laparoscopically it will also be a fairly easy recovery.

A big clue in the responses so far is to look at who is recommending not having it taken out vs who is recommending removal. Those who (apparently) have not had gallbladder issues/severe pain are recommending keeping it. Those who've have gallbladder pain are overwhelmingly in favor of removing it.

Mine was removed approximately 15 years ago after years of attacks. One time I thought I was having a heart attack the pain was so bad. I had it removed (really easy surgery these days!) and went rock climbing a week later. I did have to watch my diet for a while to reduce fat intake (especially animal fats), or else I'd have to visit the bathroom. This gets better over time. Also, if you prime your system a bit first, you can even get away with eating bad foods with no consequences. (Generally this means don't make the first meal of the day bacon and eggs and buttery toast. Save it for later in the day to give your digestive system a little time to get the bile going.) The gallbladder's function is to _store_ bile made by the liver. It doesn't make the bile. Though it is a useful function, it is by no means crucial.

Good luck!

I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago, and know a dozen people who also have had the same procedure...everyone I know is living just fine without it. If it was necessary for survival, then no one would have had it removed...I would say that if a doctor wants to take it out, you can always get a second (and third) opinion, but that the medical professional probably knows what he/she is talking about. The surgery was not a big deal for me (and I don't know anyone who has had complications) - a few little incisions and I was back to my normal self within 2 days - no medications, taking care of a 2 year old, etc. As far as digestion, I have never noticed any issued - even when I eat fattier things like chinese food and ice cream.

I had to be taken to the ER one morning at 2:30am for terrible pain! Turned out I had a lot of gall stones and had to have mine removed right away.

Its such a common surgery and I felt so much better after. And I have had no digestion problems!

Good luck!

I had my gallbladder removed over 15 years ago and have never had a problem. More than half my friends and family have had theirs removed as well with no problems. The procedure was really easy and I was fine in just a couple of days. If your husband tends to eat A LOT of fatty foods he might have some issues since the bile in the gallbladder helps break down fat, but if he eats a normal diet he should be fine. I had mine removed due to gallstones and I would much rather live without a gallbladder than live with the stones.

I had mine removed in '01, exactly 6 weeks to the day my older daughter was born. I was sooo sick, I thought I had food poisoning. However, all tests came back negative so an ultrasound was issued. It turns out that I had over 300 stones, with 3 of them being over an inch in diameter. Apparently, that is a side effect of eating fast food while pregnant (I was a retail manager working 14-15 hr days at that time.) My surgery was a piece of cake: surgery on Sat, back to work on Tues. and immediate relief. The only recurring side effect I have is that even to this day, I'm not able to eat fatty foods, or heavy amounts of sugar without needing to make frequent trips to the bathroom. However, with me being a larger girl by nature, I find that rather helpful in me being able to just say no to those items and help keep my weight under control :)

K. - I agree with you 100%. If there is a way to avoid surgery - please do so. I thought that gallbladders should only really be removed if it is infected. Is your husband having pain? I agree with the person who mentioned an ND. Don't know if this will help - but there are gallstone flushes (involving only olive oil, grapefruit, and epsom salt) that your DH could do with minimal impact to his system. I have done them many times in the past and have gotten rid of gallstones that way. Don't know if they would get rid of a cyst - but it is worth looking into.

we were just talking about the tummy troubles on a post of mine on down,I was asking about the symptoms and how to help keep them quiet after gallbladder surgery like the poster before I have had problems with my stomache when probably eating the wrong things causing upset because the digest does not go so smooth,I also experience cramping as well. I recieved it in 2001 and am trying to get some help on calming things,but do not let this change his mind it would be a smaller price to pay for something really to go wrong you know? if he needs it don't take the chance. look below on what others said about their situations.