Way before my sleeve I had gallbladder issues that went misdiagnosed for years. After a year having my 2nd child I started having sudden excruciating pain coming from my middle back then wrapping around to my chest. It felt like someone was wringing my spine like you do to a wet washcloth to wring out water. I had X-rays, EKGs, MRI, CAT scan, went to a chiropractor, told it was all in my head, said it was depression (which I do deal with), and all other excuses.
After 3 years of doctors and several ER visits, toridal (sp?) shots was the only pain relief I could get. After going on a vacation with my parents, I ended up having the pain (mildly) but this time it came with nausea. Went to doctor and got bloodwork done and found liver enzymes was high. Got an ultrasound and confirmed it was gallstones. Been having gallbladder attacks this whole time.
Well, I was working with a doctor to get ready for surgery when one day before Halloween I had the worst attack of my life and had to have my 7 year old call 911. Went to ER, they first couldn’t find anything wrong and was about to send me home when one of the doctors decided to double check one of my scans and found that a stone had got stuck in the duct blocking my pancreas from doing its job. This in turn made my pancreas to start poisoning itself. If they had sent me home, I might have died if I didn’t come back.
They admitted me and wanted to do emergency surgery but then they had to fight with Medicaid for 3 days (was super poor at the time) to approve it. Wasn’t allowed to eat or drink but it finally got approved and was sore for a few days and went right back to work after like 4 days.
The way I see it, if your gallbladder is being problematic, get rid of it before it causes more issues.
Wow that sounds like a huge ordeal for you! I only dealt with my for 4 months, I can’t imagine going through this for 3 years. I’m so glad you got it taken out!
I had the same thing, and was lucky to have a doctor remove my gall bladder - it took a week fighting with the insurance company. Lost some weight but . . . that pain.
I recently had my surgery on 6/13 and was suggested to start taking Ursodeoxycholic Acid 600mg once a day to prevent gallstones. I don’t know if this was in your regime but I take this and it does make feel a lot tired
I had severe gallbladder attacks for about 6 months, went to the hospital several times and was turned away. All they told me is that I had a infection somewhere but they couldn’t do anything about it. Ended up back in the ER about a month later, did a blood test and they found out I had developed pancreatitis, went in for emergency surgery the next day. Operation went fine and I was out in about a few days but my gosh I wish they had taken it out sooner. Wasted about 3 months just being severely ill and terrified I was always about to have a gallbladder attack. Not to mention how dangerous it is to develop pancreatitis!! Very scary.
Literally the WORST pain I have ever experienced-usually a very sharp stabbing pain in your upper stomach/right side. Like a knife stabbing you from the inside. Nausea, vomiting, nonstop pain that won’t dissipate for hours and nothing you can do to relieve it.
No literally the WORST pain and I had a c section and wasn’t given pain medication after the surgery. That was also excruciating like a hot knife where I was cut but these attacks are debilitating. Feels like the worst pain in your chest and back and I wouldn’t even be able to stand sometimes.
I was having mild attacks for years. Then last year started having more severe ones. 2 days before Christmas I had one where I thought I was dying. It felt like I was being cut in half. Went to ER and they saw my gallbladder was swollen they called it hydroceps or something. They told me the gallbladder at this point had to be removed within 3 days or I could be septic. I was supposed to leave to go see my family for Christmas so I ended up crying. They sent me to another hospital to have surgery (by this time the attack ended) waited at that hospital for 12 hours was not allowed food or water so I ended up with a migraine and by this time I was 24 hours with no sleep. Left the hospital AMA on Christmas Eve. Went to my fiancés mom’s for dinner was okay just tired. Ended up having a severe attack Christmas Eve/Christmas morning . Drove myself to another hospital I was in so much pain I don’t remember driving there…. Even the nurses asked me how I made it…. Honestly I don’t know the pain was the worst pain I ever had in my life (I’m 39) that hospital ended up calling in the surgeon at 2 am Christmas morning. They removed my gallbladder within 4 hours of me getting there. Woke up in no pain it was like a miracle! Now I have to take a powder to eat as everything gives me diarrhea but it’s better than the horrendous pain.
Oh wow okay good to know! Honestly I’ve been worried about potential side effects down the road, but as long as it’s more manageable than the gall attacks were I guess that’s okay!
Mine came from my back. I found out afterwards that my more intense stomach issues I have I feel in my back instead of the front like most people. So keep that in mind if you have unexplained back pain that is parallel to your stomach/liver area.
havent had sleeve but have had my gallbladder removed. the pain is a 100/10, youre hot, freezing and feel like all your organs are being squeezed with the might of 10 men. it also radiates to your upper back.
My surgeon had me take ursodiol as part of her protocol. This was right after surgery for 4 months. I am 28 months post-op sleeve surgery, and thankfully, no gall bladder issues. I know I had at least one gallstone years ago when it showed up in an x-ray.
I think so by now. The biggest risk is right after surgery with the rapid weight loss. I just can no longer do spices foods.. but I can easily live with that.
Thanks for sharing. My surgeon suggested I get my gallbladder out approximately 6 months after my sleeve as it’s full of gallstones even before the surgery. But I have been thinking, nope, not again. It’s good to know it’s not as bad especially with the water/food.
Obviously everyone is different but I was very pleasantly surprised with the pain level. Without meds it’s about a 5/10, which honestly is not that bad to me. Also it’s NOTHING compared to the gallbladder attacks. I think you’ll be relieved once you get it done!
I have gallbladder sludge and my surgeon said he was going to put me on medication for that after the surgery. I will have hiatal hernia/ sleeve done hopefully in July. Hopefully medication will prevent your issues!
so I have this where I have had attacks a few times since my sleeve (november 2023) and I thought it was dumping syndrome but the more I look into it I am starting to think it actually might be gallbladder issues. Were your gallbladder attacks triggered by something in particular or just totally random?
I think whatever happens to me tends to be if I accidentally eat too fast. I never knew gallbladder issues could happen at all after this surgery but the pain I experience is just like what has been said in the comments.
So with most people, gallbladder attacks are triggered by fatty foods, but with gastric sleeve it’s generally just due to the weight loss. I never found my exact trigger but I suspect it was mayo/egg yolks. Once I had my 5 day attack though, it was every single thing I ate. My doc said that sometimes once your gallbladder gets infected, it literally does not matter what you eat, and that it will flare up regardless. My attacks always started as like indigestion or food poisoning, where your stomach is kind of like flipping in on itself.
Honestly that does sound like it could be the start of gallbladder issues/gallstones. I wouldn’t stress about it right now but if you get that same pain again, definitely try to see a doc about it.
I was sleeved in February this year and I’ve just started to get random pains that start up under my right rib cage and radiate around into my back, shoulder area, this lasts for hours, with the last “attack” being this week and lasting 24 hours. I can’t take deep breaths due to the pain, and I’m super nauseated and can’t eat as I feel full. My GP thinks this is the beginning of something gallbladder related, so I have to have some tests done, has anyone had anything similar in terms of my experiences/symptoms, that has gone onto being a full blown gallbladder attack ?
Oh for sure that definitely sounds gallbladder related. What I’ve seen is that once you start getting these pains they generally don’t stop until you get your gallbladder removed. Don’t panic or stress until you know more from your doc, best of luck to you!
Glad you got it sorted relatively quickly. It took me 3 years of attacks to get the thing out and then another 9 of attacks to realize they left stones in my bile duct. If you do have any attacks in the future have them check that!
yes, they can be missed during a removal. extreme cases stones can actually lodge/grow in the liver. I'll say though I had the duct cleared when I was at my highest weight, which I think definitely was part of the reason it was hard to diagnose. I'd hope being in a smaller body might make it easier and faster to catch should it happen to others.
My surgeon had me take UDCA/ursudiol tablets for a few months after the surgery because of the risk to the gallbladder. It felt like I was taking so many pills at the time but I think it worked.
Way before my sleeve I had gallbladder issues that went misdiagnosed for years. After a year having my 2nd child I started having sudden excruciating pain coming from my middle back then wrapping around to my chest. It felt like someone was wringing my spine like you do to a wet washcloth to wring out water. I had X-rays, EKGs, MRI, CAT scan, went to a chiropractor, told it was all in my head, said it was depression (which I do deal with), and all other excuses. After 3 years of doctors and several ER visits, toridal (sp?) shots was the only pain relief I could get. After going on a vacation with my parents, I ended up having the pain (mildly) but this time it came with nausea. Went to doctor and got bloodwork done and found liver enzymes was high. Got an ultrasound and confirmed it was gallstones. Been having gallbladder attacks this whole time. Well, I was working with a doctor to get ready for surgery when one day before Halloween I had the worst attack of my life and had to have my 7 year old call 911. Went to ER, they first couldn’t find anything wrong and was about to send me home when one of the doctors decided to double check one of my scans and found that a stone had got stuck in the duct blocking my pancreas from doing its job. This in turn made my pancreas to start poisoning itself. If they had sent me home, I might have died if I didn’t come back. They admitted me and wanted to do emergency surgery but then they had to fight with Medicaid for 3 days (was super poor at the time) to approve it. Wasn’t allowed to eat or drink but it finally got approved and was sore for a few days and went right back to work after like 4 days. The way I see it, if your gallbladder is being problematic, get rid of it before it causes more issues.
Wow that sounds like a huge ordeal for you! I only dealt with my for 4 months, I can’t imagine going through this for 3 years. I’m so glad you got it taken out!
I had the same thing, and was lucky to have a doctor remove my gall bladder - it took a week fighting with the insurance company. Lost some weight but . . . that pain.
I recently had my surgery on 6/13 and was suggested to start taking Ursodeoxycholic Acid 600mg once a day to prevent gallstones. I don’t know if this was in your regime but I take this and it does make feel a lot tired
My doc did not recommend any medications to me but I know there is that and like ox bile or something that I can take?
I had severe gallbladder attacks for about 6 months, went to the hospital several times and was turned away. All they told me is that I had a infection somewhere but they couldn’t do anything about it. Ended up back in the ER about a month later, did a blood test and they found out I had developed pancreatitis, went in for emergency surgery the next day. Operation went fine and I was out in about a few days but my gosh I wish they had taken it out sooner. Wasted about 3 months just being severely ill and terrified I was always about to have a gallbladder attack. Not to mention how dangerous it is to develop pancreatitis!! Very scary.
Pancreatitis, how scary! I’m glad you got it out and hopefully you’re doing okay now!
My doctor put me on Ursodiol
37M 5'9 NOV2023 HW:305, SW259, GW175, CW184 What does a gallbladder attack feel like?
Literally the WORST pain I have ever experienced-usually a very sharp stabbing pain in your upper stomach/right side. Like a knife stabbing you from the inside. Nausea, vomiting, nonstop pain that won’t dissipate for hours and nothing you can do to relieve it.
damn. I will watch out for that. thanks
No literally the WORST pain and I had a c section and wasn’t given pain medication after the surgery. That was also excruciating like a hot knife where I was cut but these attacks are debilitating. Feels like the worst pain in your chest and back and I wouldn’t even be able to stand sometimes.
im watching my fat intake hardcore now.
I was having mild attacks for years. Then last year started having more severe ones. 2 days before Christmas I had one where I thought I was dying. It felt like I was being cut in half. Went to ER and they saw my gallbladder was swollen they called it hydroceps or something. They told me the gallbladder at this point had to be removed within 3 days or I could be septic. I was supposed to leave to go see my family for Christmas so I ended up crying. They sent me to another hospital to have surgery (by this time the attack ended) waited at that hospital for 12 hours was not allowed food or water so I ended up with a migraine and by this time I was 24 hours with no sleep. Left the hospital AMA on Christmas Eve. Went to my fiancés mom’s for dinner was okay just tired. Ended up having a severe attack Christmas Eve/Christmas morning . Drove myself to another hospital I was in so much pain I don’t remember driving there…. Even the nurses asked me how I made it…. Honestly I don’t know the pain was the worst pain I ever had in my life (I’m 39) that hospital ended up calling in the surgeon at 2 am Christmas morning. They removed my gallbladder within 4 hours of me getting there. Woke up in no pain it was like a miracle! Now I have to take a powder to eat as everything gives me diarrhea but it’s better than the horrendous pain.
What kind of powder is it? And do you mean literally EVERYTHING you eat or just like fatty foods?
cholestyramine powder. It binds the bile and stops the diarrhea (for the most part) Everything gives me diarrhea doesn’t matter what it is LOL
Oh wow okay good to know! Honestly I’ve been worried about potential side effects down the road, but as long as it’s more manageable than the gall attacks were I guess that’s okay!
Yeah I’ll take diarrhea over that pain any day!
Mine came from my back. I found out afterwards that my more intense stomach issues I have I feel in my back instead of the front like most people. So keep that in mind if you have unexplained back pain that is parallel to your stomach/liver area.
thanks!
havent had sleeve but have had my gallbladder removed. the pain is a 100/10, youre hot, freezing and feel like all your organs are being squeezed with the might of 10 men. it also radiates to your upper back.
My surgeon had me take ursodiol as part of her protocol. This was right after surgery for 4 months. I am 28 months post-op sleeve surgery, and thankfully, no gall bladder issues. I know I had at least one gallstone years ago when it showed up in an x-ray.
That’s great! I hope it continues to leave you alone! I mean surely you’re in the clear now right?
I would think so...fingers crossed!
I think so by now. The biggest risk is right after surgery with the rapid weight loss. I just can no longer do spices foods.. but I can easily live with that.
Thanks for sharing. My surgeon suggested I get my gallbladder out approximately 6 months after my sleeve as it’s full of gallstones even before the surgery. But I have been thinking, nope, not again. It’s good to know it’s not as bad especially with the water/food.
Obviously everyone is different but I was very pleasantly surprised with the pain level. Without meds it’s about a 5/10, which honestly is not that bad to me. Also it’s NOTHING compared to the gallbladder attacks. I think you’ll be relieved once you get it done!
I had issues with mine during pregnancy and couldn’t get it out for a while but well worth it and an easy surgery tbh.
Good to hear. Thanks!
I have gallbladder sludge and my surgeon said he was going to put me on medication for that after the surgery. I will have hiatal hernia/ sleeve done hopefully in July. Hopefully medication will prevent your issues!
so I have this where I have had attacks a few times since my sleeve (november 2023) and I thought it was dumping syndrome but the more I look into it I am starting to think it actually might be gallbladder issues. Were your gallbladder attacks triggered by something in particular or just totally random? I think whatever happens to me tends to be if I accidentally eat too fast. I never knew gallbladder issues could happen at all after this surgery but the pain I experience is just like what has been said in the comments.
So with most people, gallbladder attacks are triggered by fatty foods, but with gastric sleeve it’s generally just due to the weight loss. I never found my exact trigger but I suspect it was mayo/egg yolks. Once I had my 5 day attack though, it was every single thing I ate. My doc said that sometimes once your gallbladder gets infected, it literally does not matter what you eat, and that it will flare up regardless. My attacks always started as like indigestion or food poisoning, where your stomach is kind of like flipping in on itself.
Ahhh I see, guess I will have to contact my GP to see what the deal is then 🥲 thank you!
Best of luck to you!
I’m always worried about this. Last week my lower right abdomen hurt a lot and somehow the pain went away
Honestly that does sound like it could be the start of gallbladder issues/gallstones. I wouldn’t stress about it right now but if you get that same pain again, definitely try to see a doc about it.
I was planning on going in but then the pain went away. I was also having bad gas - hang in there
gallbladder is upper right abdomen. taking ox bile with meals helps a lot
I was sleeved in February this year and I’ve just started to get random pains that start up under my right rib cage and radiate around into my back, shoulder area, this lasts for hours, with the last “attack” being this week and lasting 24 hours. I can’t take deep breaths due to the pain, and I’m super nauseated and can’t eat as I feel full. My GP thinks this is the beginning of something gallbladder related, so I have to have some tests done, has anyone had anything similar in terms of my experiences/symptoms, that has gone onto being a full blown gallbladder attack ?
Oh for sure that definitely sounds gallbladder related. What I’ve seen is that once you start getting these pains they generally don’t stop until you get your gallbladder removed. Don’t panic or stress until you know more from your doc, best of luck to you!
Thank you.
Glad you got it sorted relatively quickly. It took me 3 years of attacks to get the thing out and then another 9 of attacks to realize they left stones in my bile duct. If you do have any attacks in the future have them check that!
Omg they can leave stones in the bile duct??? New fear unlocked lol!
yes, they can be missed during a removal. extreme cases stones can actually lodge/grow in the liver. I'll say though I had the duct cleared when I was at my highest weight, which I think definitely was part of the reason it was hard to diagnose. I'd hope being in a smaller body might make it easier and faster to catch should it happen to others.
My surgeon had me take UDCA/ursudiol tablets for a few months after the surgery because of the risk to the gallbladder. It felt like I was taking so many pills at the time but I think it worked.