Having my gallbladder removed

Man, things just are not improving for me at all.  Im still having really bad burning pain in my abdomin, cramping, nausea, etc.
 
Im trying to wean off of the PPI's but not having any luck.  Then, I had a hida scan done of my gallbladder.  It showed that my GB is not working properly at all.  No gallstones, but not working well.  So , I am having it out the end of this month.
 
I hope this surgery will at least help a little?  Anyone have their GB out and did you notice a difference in how you felt?
 
Nancy
I have not had my gall bladder out yet, but I am tentatively scheduled to have it out next week. The HIDA scan showed that mine is not working either. No stines-- just chest and back pain and shortness of breath They are waiting to see if the prevacid allevicates some of the pain for a week before taking the gall bladder out sometime next week.

Hopefully, we'll both experience relief once its out-- especially if that is the true source of our discomfort.

All the best!

Steve
Have you been checked for celiacs?
Thanks guys.  First off Steve, I am form CO too-cool!  What kind of gallbladder symptoms are you having if you don't mind me asking?  I hope the surgery brings you some relief as well.
 
Jennifer,  sorry it didn't help with the GERD.  Did you have stones?  What about the rest of your digestion, is it ok?
 
I have been tested for celiacs and it was normal although I still follow a gluten free diet as much as I can.
 
I just want relief and to have a lot of pain go away.  If this doesn't help, at least I can say I tried right?
 
Nancy
I had non-stop acid reflux, pain, nausea before the figured out that my gallbladder wasn't working right. I couldn't hardly sleep or eat or drink anything. In fact I ended up in the ER several times for dehydration because of it. I didn't have stones either so after they did a ultra sound and ruled out stones they kept trying to treat my GERD that I had already had for years. I did fell better after mine came out. I still ended up having the nissan fundoplication 6 months later which only lasted for 1 year. But at least after the gallbladder was out the pain and nausea was gone and some of the heartburn. I mean I had it round the clock for 3 months. I ended up getting asthma from all that heartburn. I hope you feel better after yours is taken out. BARB


My laundry list of diseases include IBS, UC, GERD, Asthma, Alergies, CAD, Fibromyalgia, TMJ and a deteriorating disk in lower back. 
 
Meds Nexium, Carafate, Singulair, Advair, Proventil inhaler, Plavix, Benadryl, Natural progesterone cream, Optimal digest, Chloridiazepoxide/clidinium caps
 
Proud Mother of a US Marine Seargent & a future fire fighter!
 
Proud grandma of Isabella Rose, and furry grandson's Kayu, Gizmo & Stewie!

PANDACRAZY-

I noticed in your list of meds (in the green at the bottom of your posts), it says you take ADVAIR, i take it too, and im wondering if you take the discus, or the arisol inhailor. I used to take the discus, but i started recently useing the arisol instead, and i notice i have quite a bit of build up at the back of my throat , that i didnt really have when i used the discus. do you take the arisol and if so, do you notice abuild up?
thx
I only have ever used the diskus. I always rinse my mouth after and then drink some water so maybe that's why I don't have any problems with it. Do you take the singulair also? I was just put on that in June when my asthma was really bad. I'm afraid it may be the cause of some of my heartburn and stomach problems. Maybe the doc will have to find something else to go with the advair. Barb


My laundry list of diseases include IBS, UC, GERD, Asthma, Alergies, CAD, Fibromyalgia, TMJ and a deteriorating disk in lower back. 
 
Meds Nexium, Carafate, Singulair, Advair, Proventil inhaler, Plavix, Benadryl, Natural progesterone cream, Optimal digest, Chloridiazepoxide/clidinium caps
 
Proud Mother of a US Marine Seargent & a future fire fighter!
 
Proud grandma of Isabella Rose, and furry grandson's Kayu, Gizmo & Stewie!

Yes, i always rinse my mouth out after i use it, (well,95% of the time) but im wondering because i used the Discus for about a year, and i just recently changed to the arisol spray inhailor, and i have noticed my asthma is WAY worse, so im thinking of changeing back, wel, acctuley,i am going to change back, but im just wondering if anyone has had this from a spray one. Thanks alot for the info.
And no, i dont take singulair as well, i went through many different inhailors , but couldnt find one for a while that i could stand due to all these nad reactions i had to them.Most of the reactions were a severe heart racing feeling that lasted over an hour and kept me out,
that was until i finally found this one so i think i was lucky.
 
OH-
as well i just noticed you said as well you used a Natural Progesterone, i am just wondering what this is, because i have Endometriosis and my doc is going to start me on large doses of progesterone through an IUD combined with some progesterone pills, and ive heard it can be kind of harsh, so maybe i could try natural progesterone,what is it, what does it do, and where do you get it??
 
thanks alot :)

Post Edited (josey) : 8/11/2006 12:53:56 AM (GMT-6)

I use a natural cream from Arbonne international and I know my sister has had people that it has helped with what you have. I would try natural first if I were you. I am very pleased with how it has helped with my fibromyalgia. I mean my shoulder was so bad that my arm was useless on the left side. I am having problems with my asthma today. I also think I have a sinus infection so will have to call doc and probably take those nasty steroids again that tear my stomach up. But I learned from waiting in June that it is not worth it because I ended up in the ER 2x with asthma attacks. Barb


My laundry list of diseases include IBS, UC, GERD, Asthma, Alergies, CAD, Fibromyalgia, TMJ and a deteriorating disk in lower back. 
 
Meds Nexium, Carafate, Singulair, Advair, Proventil inhaler, Plavix, Benadryl, Natural progesterone cream, Optimal digest, Chloridiazepoxide/clidinium caps
 
Proud Mother of a US Marine Seargent & a future fire fighter!
 
Proud grandma of Isabella Rose, and furry grandson's Kayu, Gizmo & Stewie!

I would still like to hear from others on this board that have had their gallbladders removed please.
 
Nancy
Nancy:
I will reply again next week. My gall bladder is scheduled to come out tyhis Friday (8/18). They discovered the need for its removal after diagnosing me with GERD. My symptoms were chest and back pain, abdominal discomfort, terrible indigestion, loss of appetite and bloating. SInce having the GERD treated with Prevacid, I no longer have the abdominal problems or the indigestion. I've changed my eating habits-- healthy, smallwer portions and less snacking. All of that seems to have helped the GERD in a great way.
I still have the back ache and the chest discomfort, which may be partly related to GERD but it may also be the gall bladder. When the gall bladder comes out this week, we'll see what happens. If I still have the chest and back pains, then I may go back to the cardiologist and have take another look at my heart, even though several tests indicate that it is functioning just fine (I have to keep telling myself that, because my chest discomfort and shoulder and back pain are very annoying at the present time).

Take care-- I'll post again later.

Steve

Steve,

First off, I will keep you in my prayers this week as you enter into this surgery.

Secondly, do you have gallstones or a dysfunctional gallbladder?  I pray it makes your GERD a lot better as well.

Where are you having the surgery done at if you don't mind me asking?  Im having mine out at the Air Force Academy.

 

Nancy

Have had my gallbladder out for almost a year. Had the Hidascan prior to the surgery & I was one point from "bad", so they proceeded. I never had diarrhea problems before like I do now. On top of that I was "diagnosed" with IBS last week, which I won't take for an answer. I was put on Aciphex yesterday for 2 bouts of what I thought was either a gall bladder attack (from the ducts still being in there) or acid reflux, which is what my doc thought it was. I have never ever had any reflux issues before ever in my life. I have terrible abdominal pain that has never faded & the gallbladder removal did nothing for. The actual surgery was a breeze, as was recovery (laproscopic).

Good luck to you!
I'm having my gallbladder removed also. It will be on Tuesday, Aug. 22. I don't have any stones but my ejection fraction on the HIDA scan was only 9%. So I guess it does not function. I have off and on chest pain, nausea, pain on my right side. I am hoping it will help but I'm pretty scared to have it done since my doctor is pretty sure I have fibro on top of everything else. I'm afraid I'll have a hard time recovering or that it will not do anything for the pain I am already experiencing.
Hopes,
 
You and I are in the same boat right now.  I was up last night just crying in pain-horrible burning pain and right sided pain.  It doesn't help when you know there are people out there who have ther GB out and they get worse.  I don't want to get worse!!!
 
Doesn't ANYONE get better when they have their Gallbladders out?  I don't know what else I am supposed to do.  Tried supplements to help the gallbladder and they made things worse.  Im at a complete loss and feel I have no other alternative but to have it taken out. 
 
Then again, I probably feel the very worse that I can right now so I cant imagine how it can get any more horrible.
 
Nancy
When I talked to the surgeon about this, he said , "Well this will be just one more thing that your doctor can mark off the list that it isn't." He really didn't hold out much hope that it would solve all my problems but he said it wouldn't make things worse. I am kinda holding on to that hope and want to believe that it will help some. I really can't live with the pain and some people who don't get their gb removed end up in emergency surgery later. I don't want that! So I guess I'll do it. It is set anyway.
I think you and I have to remember also that everyone is different.  I know someone who had their Gallbladder out and things improved a lot.  I guess its like having GERD-for some medications work, for others, it doesn't and yet for others it makes things worse.
 
I don't want to not have it removed and then find out there were stones in there not found on ultrasound, and infection in there that was undetectable or have the gallbladder problems turn into something worse down the road.
 
one question:  did you start having gallbladder problems before or after starting PPI's?
 
Nancy
I'm not sure. This all started with a cardiologist appointment because of chest pains over 5yrs ago. I just had the HIDA scan in April or May. (Yes, I've been putting things off that long.) The cardiologist diagnosed GERDS about 2-3yrs ago when all the heart tests came back good. The meds seemed to work for awhile but then started causing problems. I went off of them. Chests pains increased and got more persistent. Cardiologist thought I had coronary artery spasms. I am on meds for that. Chest pains did not get better. So the cardiologist sent me to a GI who did a scope and found 'little problems'-some GERDS but very minor. That was when the cardiologist ordered the HIDA scan and then almost did not look at the results when they came in. I had a press to get the results read. Then he says,"Oh, found the problem." I want that to be true. This whole time my GP kept trying to diagnosis me with depression and/or anxiety. (HAHA) I now have a new GP. It was my cardiologist who was persistent and found the problem but after 5yrs it is kinda hard to believe things are going to change. In that time frame, they have come to believe I also suffer from fibromyalgia. So that kinda complicates things more for me.

Post Edited (Hopes) : 8/15/2006 1:43:18 PM (GMT-6)

I also suffer from Lyme disease so believe me, I know all about the complications.
 
Im like you, I just want this to work!!!
 
Nancy
Hi ladies. Hopes, nice to see you around. i would really LOVE to know if these problems got worse after starting the ppi's. my back and stomach hurt all the time too, and so far they are saying my gallbladder is not the cause, so i am thankful for that, i will be waiting to see how everyone does after their surgeries. like someone said, we are all so different, Steve being male might do better, we just do not know.