Gallbladder removal

[Peachi82]

I am on the waiting list to get my gallbladder removed as I have been having frequent attacks since giving birth earlier this year.
Last week I have spent 3 days in A&E as I had jaundice and they did an ultrasound and MRI to check that my bile ducts are not blocked (I must have passed a stone as the bile duct was wider than normal and had a different shape).

Anyway, I'm bricking it with regards to the surgery. You read so often that people suffer from diarrhoea no matter what they eat, that it makes them unable to leave the house. I am only just 40 and I have two young kids, I lead an active life style, I can't have this.

I really don't know what to do. I can't live with the risk of having an attack every now and then (I cannot pinpoint to what exactly is causing them), but I also cannot spend the rest of my life on the loo.
I understand that in the weeks following the surgery it is quite normal and is supposed to get better over time. But what do I do if it doesn't get better?

I was referred to gastro end of April for my gallstones and haven't had an appointment with the consultant as of yet. So I assume if I need to see gastro for diarrhoea following surgery, it'll be also months and months waiting. The thought alone gives me anxiety and depression.

How do I get bumped up the list?

The reason why I only went to A&E once so far was because it's hard to arrange childcare. My boyfriend can't take holidays on end :-(

I'm having mine out on 8 December - I had jaundice, pancreatitis and the scans show the gallbladder is stuck to my liver, so while they're going to try keyhole, I understand it may have to go for open.

I've been on antibiotics since the middle of September, and the side effects from those are (in the early stages) horrible in terms of digestive issues. I'm really concerned about the prospect of endless dashes to the loo, but the consultant said it's less than 1% affected like this.

I'd be very interested to know what the Holland and Barrett medication is, just in case I'm one of the unlucky less than 1%, please @Cranarc?

I had mine out in January 2020. Reading this thread I seem to be one of the 1% who still suffer digestive issues, but they are totally unpredictable. Some days I am fine, some days I have a bout of diahorrea in the afternoon.

If I am going out for lunch or anything I take 2 immodium in the morning.

I can eat anything I like in the evening. All very odd.

I had mine out November last year after 2.5 years on the waiting list and have no digestive issues, I can eat what I want. Please remember that you're more likely to hear horror stories than success stories as they're more 'interesting' to share.

Unfortunately the only way to get the surgery sooner on the NHS is to become really unwell. I was hospitalised with severe complications and even then on the urgent list I still had to wait 9 weeks for the surgery.

I had mine out in late 2020 after suffering mild and infrequent attacks for years (but not really realising what it was) which escalated to severe attacks in the from December 2019.

The only way to get moved up the list is if your bile duct is actually blocked and at risk of rupture. Otherwise you're looking at a very long waiting list. I was lucky enough to have private health cover through work so managed to get it done quickly (although even then it was a bit delayed as many private hospitals were treating NHS patients during covid). The all in cost of my surgery was around £11k, though that included a follow up procedure as a small stone became trapped at the opening of my bile duct and had to be removed.

I could not have gone on as I was. As well as crippling pain during an attack, I would also vomit continuously throughout an attack until I was essentially bringing up bile. It was horrendous and debilitating.

I haven't had any digestive issues post operation which is somewhat miraculous as I previously had sporadic bouts of IBS which have improved remarkably.

While I was waiting for my op, I found a very low fat diet helped enormously to reduce the frequency of attacks. Not absolutely fool proof but did help. I also couldn't tolerate any type of spicy food or most cruciferous veg (cauliflower, broccoli etc. )

I now have a completely normal diet and all is well. Recovery from the op was harder than I anticipated (I don't react well to anaesthesia) but completely worth it.

I had my gallbladder removed about 10 years ago. No problems since at all.

I was initially a bit reluctant to have the surgery but the surgeon persuaded me by telling me there was a significant risk of me contracting pancreatitis which has a 20% mortality rate.

@mazylou I am away so can’t check but I think they’re just called Digestive Enzymes

Had mine out in December last year and adding to the list of people with no complications afterwards.

I had jaundice, had a couple of ERCP's to remove stones/stents and developed pancreatitis as a result - I still wasn't bumped up the NHS list!!

I went private in the end. Took a loan and it cost just over 7k. Worth every bloody penny!

Thank you very much @Cranarc.

I am lucky enough to be covered by my partner's BUPA, and the surgeon is the same as I'd have had with the NHS, but at least this way it's over a bit sooner - but not much, because of the long term infection!

The surgeon in hospital said to me, she would put me down as high priority and I would have the surgery in 6 to 8 weeks.
After all what you said, I doubt this is happening.

I bought some Buscopan today for the next attack.
What's the difference between Buscopan Cramps and Buscopan IBS?

I had my surgery in March after 12 months of trouble. I recovered very quickly and can now eat what I like. You will be fine. 😊

I don't know if @Cranarc takes the same ones as me but I take Solgar Digestive Enzymes (they are called Erbenzym) and they have basically changed my life. I can now eat almost anything within reason. I take one with each meal.
I learned about then on a gallbladder group on FB which has been really informative.
I'm pre-op but so much better than I was 2 yrs ago when diagnosed.
My mum had her GB out about 30 years ago and suffered with morning digestive issues all her life afterwards like a pp. She didn't seem to be aware that digestive trouble can continue after GB removal (and I didn't know at the time either)

Thanks @PAFMO !

Coming to join the crew..

I've had issues for years I think, with significant excruciating "attacks" every couple of months the last 2 years or so. I had a scan in August , definite gall stones but gallbladder looked "ok". Since then I've had two attacks, the most recent last week whilst on holiday. I actually thought I was going to call an ambulance, it lasted 8 hours

I've got an appointment with the GP next Thursday, I'm just hoping she'll take me seriously.

I had mine out just before Christmas last year and I haven’t had any issues at all since.
I had a scan in July and was booked for surgery at the beginning of October but caught covid and it was rescheduled to December as it had to be a certain number of weeks from the PCR.
NHS hospital, not urgent and blood tests and scans all arranged through GP I never made it to a&e when I was having an attack as I literally couldn’t move off the bathroom floor. I read horror stories of people waiting years and taking out loans to go private and stuff but it was all really very quick.
good luck

I had my gallbladder removed alongside gastric sleeve surgery. I didn't know I had gallstones (unbelievably), but there were about 40 marble sized stones in there that now live in my bedside cabinet.

I do very occasionally have diahorrea but it's usually if I drink too much coffee. Because my gallbladder removal was alongside another surgery I've never really attributed any symptoms to the gallbladder. I also recovered really quickly, felt like death for 2 days post surgery but 4 days post op I travelled home, 2 flights and a 3 hour drive alone and I was right as rain.

I had surgery yesterday: luckily I had a fantastic surgeon do the op who managed it laparoscopically. The gallbladder was disintegrating, stuck to the liver and full of sludge, which basically looks like cat biscuits once the cat has puked them up again. I'm amazed he didn't have to go for open, it was three hours in theatre. Home with some really very nice drugs which are taking the edge off the pain, but I do feel as though a team of rugby players have taken it in turns to thump me on my upper right side. Having said that, I'm so glad it's done. My partner is being utterly wonderful and waiting on me hand and foot.

get well soon Mazylou!

I had my gallbladder out about 16 years ago. I'm afraid I'm one of the ones who's problems got worse but like others said I'm in the minority. I still had pain and rushing to the toilet in the mornings particularly or mid way a meal etc. It got worse. Took me about 10 years to get diagnosed as it's not very heard of but I've got Bile Acid Malabsorption. You can google it to get a better understanding of what it is had the symptoms.
Avoid fatty,spicy foods,also acidic foods.

Thanks @DPotter, just about to have my first post-op shower which will be lovely!