After Gall Bladder Surgery

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2004
After Gall Bladder Surgery
16
Fri, 02-11-2005 - 7:09am
My husband had his gall bladder removed about ten months ago and ever since he has had diahrea, or times when he has to rush to the bathroom. We are slowly figuring out what foods are the worst - anything greasy, some meats, etc. - but it does affect the quality of his life. Have any of you experienced this after having your gall bladder removed and what are some of the things you have done to help? Thank you so much.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Fri, 02-11-2005 - 11:32am

This is what has helped me for more than 6 years with almost daily attacks of urgent diarrhea after having my Gall Bladder removed. Calcium is known to be constipating so if you are that IBS type do not take it. All calcium is not the same. Here is the what and how to take the calcium information if you suffer from diarrhea.

Calcium is an OTC supplement we all do not usually get enough of. No Rx is needed to purchase this.

When you take calcium about 40% of the dose gets to the bones the rest is eliminated in our waste. The calcium goes to the intestines and soaks up excess fluids and binds them together and they are gotten rid of in our waste.

This is a process that can be continued by taking the calcium carbonate on a daily basis thus giving a more formed BM.

There is calcium carbonate which helps us with diarrhea and there is calcium citrate which is more easily absorbed by the body and gets to the bones but is not as helpful in controlling diarrhea.

A lot of the calcium supplements contain a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium. Magnesium is not helpful for us with diarrhea only causing more in most cases. So, do not purchase this combination. It will only make things worse. Also if you are taking a multi vitamin with magnesium this may be a source of some of the problem if you are having diarrhea. Also for me vitamin C and E seemed to cause me stomach upset.

The dose to take is different for everyone. I must take 3 a day one at each meal and it does not make a difference if I take it before during or after just take it regularly. Taking them at least 4 or 5 hours apart is also necessary so the calcium has time to go through the system and soak up excess bile and water. Sometimes, because of the long number of hours between dinner and breakfast it may be necessary to adjust your timing to taking one at bedtime with a small snack to get better results if you are a person who usually suffers from diarrhea in the mornings.

The most success has come from using any formula of calcium supplement that is like Caltrate 600 Plus with Vitamin D and Minerals in the purple and white box. This information is from the many users that have sent me emails and of the posters on the web site. I hope this will help anyone wishing to try it and I am always here to answer any questions for you. I have a lot of feed back form many users.

You must also have some testing done to be sure you are not dealing with anything more serious. This is most important.

There are other things to consider. If you take any other meds check the side effects and also check with the Doctor or Pharmacist to see if taking calcium will interfere with your other medications and how you might take them. I know if you take thyroid meds it is important not to take the calcium at the same time but maybe 4 hours apart. The calcium will soak up the thyroid medication and you will not be getting the benefit from it. You should also look at the side effects of any other meds you may be on this can contribute to the success or failure of using calcium to help to control your diarrhea. You may also consider if you are constipated and taking calcium this may be the reason for your constipation. You can most likely switch to another form of calcium to relieve this also.

The only side effect is at the beginning of taking the calcium, you may have some gas or indigestion but this usually goes away soon after taking a regular dose for a few days as your body adjusts to the added calcium.

Starting with 1/2 tablet doses with each meal will lessen this problem and it may be enough to control the diarrhea attacks without making you constipated.

Constipation can be a problem so be careful not to take too much. It is safe for most of us to take 1800 mg a day as long as your body processes calcium correctly and you do not have some underlying problem. Check with your Doctor.

I had my gall bladder removed in 1976 and from that time on I had suffered urgent attacks of diarrhea. Went through a lot of test but nothing else could be found. I took many of the meds for bowel spasms and cramps over the years but nothing ever seemed to help. I started to take a calcium supplement to help prevent bone loss in later years and from the first day I felt relief. I was pretty much a prisoner to the bathroom or had to go without eating to be able to leave the house.

I must take 1 tablet with each meal and the diarrhea does not come back if I miss taking it I get diarrhea. It is a trial and error situation to find the right amount that may help you.

The way it works is the calcium carbonate it a binder and when you take it only about 40% of the calcium gets to the bones and the rest is gotten rid of in our waste. During that process it gets to the intestines and soaks up excess bile and water and helps give a more solid BM. Now that you have no gall bladder the bile fluid goes directly into the intestines and causes irritation and diarrhea. The calcium carbonate soaks this up and no more diarrhea. It works great for a lot of us and you just have to take the calcium regularly and do not miss.

I started with Caltrate 600 Plus with vitamin D and minerals and it does seem to make a difference in the ingredients of calcium... This one seems to do the best job for most. You can buy other store brands of calcium with the same ingredients that work just as well but they need to have the same ingredients. I get Member's Mark Brand from Sam's Club you get 300 tablets for 8.99. Let me know if you need more help. You won't be sorry if you try it.

I suggest starting with 1/2 tablet with each meal at first this may be enough to control the diarrhea if not in a few days up the dose to 1 tablet with each meal or any combination there of. The side effect is constipation so if you feel it coming on just cut the dose. It is important to use a calcium that is as much alike as the Caltrate brand from the feedback I have gotten.

Let me list the ingredients:

Vitamin D 200 IU (The sunshine vitamin needed to help the body absorb calcium)

Calcium 500 or 600 MG (This should be calcium carbonate form) (Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is essential for maintaining strong bones and teeth. Calcium is vital to muscle and nerve function, blood clotting and metabolism.)

Magnesium 40 MG (No more than this amount because magnesium will cause you to have diarrhea but because calcium is constipating the magnesium helps to counter act that effect) (Magnesium is essential to build bones and is needed for muscle function, energy metabolism, trans-mission of nerve impulses and to make genetic material and protein.)

Zinc 7.5 MG (Zinc is necessary for some metabolic processes, normal growth and sexual development, and proper immune system functions.)

Copper 1 MG (Copper promotes iron absorption and is essential to red blood cells, connective tissue, fibers and skin pigmentation.)

Manganese 1.8 MG (Maganese plays an important role in metabolism and is also needed to build bones and tendons.)

Boron 250 MCG. (Improves calcium and magnesium retention. Similar improvements can also be seen in Vitamin D deficient post-menopausal females.)

There are other brands with the same ingredients so get something as close as you can. Then start with 1/2 tablet with each meal and in a few days if this is not enough to control your diarrhea then up the dose to 1 tablet with each meal. If you feel you are becoming constipated then cut back on the dose. You may have to stop the calcium completely then start back after you have a BM at a lower dose.

It has been working since the first day I started taking it July 1998 and as long as I take 3 a day (this is the amount I must take it may be different for you) I remain diarrhea free. No cramps, bloating or diarrhea.
The dose you take with each meal is not the dose that is helping you at that meal it is the prior ones that have time to works their way through you system to soak up excess bile and water in the intestines.

It also works for those of you who still have the gall bladder.

Take Care,

Linda

LNAPENTS@netscape.net

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Fri, 02-11-2005 - 11:34am

Hi and Welcome to iVillage dor4,


Well Our Jo is the one who usually talks about this subject on gallbladders

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Fri, 02-11-2005 - 11:40am

Hi and Welcome to iVillage

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2004
Fri, 02-11-2005 - 1:14pm
Oh Linda, thank you so very, very much for your information and your advice. We are definitely going to try this. I need calcium for my osteopenia and now he can take it too for his problems. Thank you, thank you! Dor
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 02-12-2005 - 12:06am

Hi Dor - Linda gave you some great information.


I eliminated a lot of food groups from my diet prior to having my GB out - and when I treid to eat them after the surgery ended up with problems of one type or another. I have just adjusted my eating habits to exclude foods that cause problems.


I've done both a food journal and an elimination diet - and found that while the elimination diet was more difficult from a practical stand point - it was more helpful in determining what foods cause problems for me. Once elminating one food group for several weeks then reintroducing it - I would have an immediate unpleasant reaction. ie. one food group being dairy, another eggs, etc.


Things that I avoid because they cause problems are meat, dairy, and eggs. That pretty much excludes processed foods (things that come in boxes, mixes, or from the deli). I don't honestly know about fried foods - I don't care for them and can't remember when I last ate something fried - but I doubt I'd be able to consome them without some sort of discomfort after.


Best of luck - and please post again to let us know what works,


Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sat, 02-12-2005 - 2:01pm

Jo,

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Sat, 02-12-2005 - 3:14pm

Wren,

I have been a member for a long time I just come over once in a while and when I see a post like dor wrote I try to pass along the info I have found to help on diarrhea after having the GB removed. This happens a lot and it is actually called bile salts diarrhea. I tried all the medications the doctors had to offer and tried to find what foods might set it off but was not successful at all. Then at 48 I started to take calcium to help prevent bone loss and the most unexpedted side effects were more firm BM. It took some research and with trial and error I found the best way to take the calcium and get the relief from the diarrhea I had almost daily after having the GB removed. I do very well now since 1998 taking 3 tablets a day with food and rarely have a problem and if I do it is a one time incident and it is done without all the pain. It really does work well and I am glad to pass the info along when I can. Email me if anyone would like me to send it to you. It is best to try to follow as close as possible and always see if taking calcium will interfer with any other meds you may be on like thyroid meds. The calcium has the ability to soak up fluid and it can also soak up some med and you will not get the benefits from them. Be sure if yow try it to get the right form of calcium (calcium carbonate) and very little magnesium is also a key the magnesium will add to the diarrhea problem. Start slow or you will get some indigestion and gas but this goes away after about 3 days of adjusting.

Linda

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Sat, 02-12-2005 - 3:19pm

I eat pretty much what I want now since the calcium. I avoid lettuce when I eat out usually a problem and too much tomato sauce.(the acid) I do eat it in small amounts and seem not to have a problem. No vitamins because of the C E A and magnesium add to my diarrhea. But now I can eat better so really don't need the vitamin supplement.

Linda

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 02-12-2005 - 3:27pm

I Wren - I guess I'm very close to being a vegan who doesn't eat fried foods.

Breakfast options: fruit, fruit smoothie, rice cereals with or without soy milk. I sometimes mix a spoon of natural peanut butter & honey into a bowl of dry cereal - mix it up and it's almost like rice krispie cake.

Lunch: usually lunch is a smaller serving of left over dinner with a side serving of one or more of the following: fruit, veggies, dried fruit, nuts, trail mix

Dinner: okay - I'll try to remember what I ate this week
Monday - lentil vegtable soup (my soups are more like a stew)
Tues - LO soup, broccolli, wild rice (dh had a pork chop)
Wed: Tomato & red pepper soup with couscous (I know they are not gluten free - but too lazy to make rice)
Thurs: roast beef for dh - I had the side dishes (potatoes, carrots, green beans). Also ate some chickpeas with seasonings.
Friday: vegetarian chilli
Saturday: It's all ready mid afternoon & I haven't decided - so likely LO chilli with a green salad. I have some frozen mixed berries so I'll make a home made dressing with berries, honey and raspberry vinegar.
Sunday: Roast turkey breast with cranberry sauce. . apple & celery salad - and not sure what else just yet.

I like to think in terms of 'what I've chosen to eat' rather than 'what I can't eat'. What does Dr Phil say "in choosing the behavior you are choosing the consequences" I don't think that my food choices are a good example of how most post-op GB people experience.

I can eat sweats without experiencing discomfort after - but I really try to avoid them as they hurt my teeth/gums. Soft drinks and fruit juices don't cause problems - but because of the sugar content I just don't consider soft drinks healthy and think fruit juice is better in moderation.

There are a lot of things that I can eat without consequences - it just took a bit of getting used to. Someone on this board told me about the magazine Cooking Light and it has been very helpful in providing me with inspiration for low fat meals.

Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Sat, 02-12-2005 - 6:24pm

Thanks for the info

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

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