Gallbladder Issues

[Giants83]

I'm starting this thread to see if any other members have any experience with gallbladder issues or for some input from our medically experienced members. I have zero background in the medical field and only know what I read online. We know that can't always be reliable.

I started getting abdominal pain not too long ago and went to get checked out. Not severe but enough to be alarmed. A CT scan revealed my bile duct was dilated to 2.5x the size it should be. Further testing with an MRI showed a gallstone stuck in the bile duct. The doctor wanted to remove my gallbladder. I know this is a fairly common procedure and many live without theirs but I can't help to wonder how this would effect my life style. Without a gallbladder you know longer can absorb omega 3, vitamin A, Vitamin K or anything else fat soluble. So I'm having the stone removed this week only and I started taking Ox bile to hopefully prevent this from happening on the future.

Now my questions are have any of you guys had your gallbladder removed and how has effected your lifestyle? Also I can't help but wonder if I did this to myself. This is a common problem amongst women due to high estrogen for whatever reason. The inability to get blood work in NY I'm sure my estrogen has risen above acceptable ranges a time or two. Not so much anymore now that I have a grasp of where I should be and feel. Also the likely type of stone is a cholesterol stone. I'm not sure at all if my cholesterol levels play a role in this but my HDL has tanked once before. Guess I'm just looking to see if anyone has been in the same boat and what they did to avoid the issue if it's avoidable at all. So far ox bile and TUDCA seem to be the best supplements to take. All I know is I can't wait to get this thing out of me because while it's not all that painful it's just very uncomfortable at times. Lucky for me I eat a pretty clean diet.

 

[BEASTZ6]

I feel for you Giants. Eight years ago the doc wanted to remove my gallbladder because there was sludge (not stones) in my bile duct. I told the doc no. TUDCA has worked for me to alleviate the situation. I never heard of ox bile. Where do you get it?

 

[Giants83]

I feel for you Giants. Eight years ago the doc wanted to remove my gallbladder because there was sludge (not stones) in my bile duct. I told the doc no. TUDCA has worked for me to alleviate the situation. I never heard of ox bile. Where do you get it?

Glad to hear you made it though okay. I ordered the ox bile off Amazon. I started with the lower dose caps to see how it goes. I take it 3x a day with a meal.

 

[Bio]

I had mine removed about two and a half years ago. I've never had an issue but that doesn't mean anything...everyone is different and for some it's a real issue. I am going to check out that Super Enzyme by NOW and see if there's any difference in digestion.

 

[MR. BMJ]

Had mine removed this past july and they also fixed a ventral hernia - all done lapriscopically. I have to be a little careful with high greasy foods and spicy foods (chile), but nothing too bad. Every person is different afterward. If you eat lower fat already, you probably will not have any issues. I haven't ate all that great since having it and still have not had any real issues. The gallbladder just assists the liver with digestion, but usually the liver is competent on it's own to fulfill the job. Absorption takes place further down in the intestinal tracts. If you need it out, I'd have the surgery, I'd not rely on TUDCA....my personal opinion. I wish I would have had mine taken out sooner, as I put up with it for 3-4+ years getting attacks 2-3x/year...and those sucked major ass. I always made sure to have vicodin around my house in case I got an attack. The surgery is a cinch, especially if done lapriscopically. That said, I didn't have a stone dislodged in my ducts, but a good surgeon will explain what is needed based on your situation. I didn't have any stones or sludge, my gallbladder just wasn't functioning up to par. I had a low ejection fraction when they did a HIDA scan.

 

[saudades]

I had the same kind of thing as MR. BMJ, gallbladder was just sporadically working, and I was experiencing pain/major heartburn. Had it removed about 3.5 years ago. As long as I don't have high fats in a meal (or take pancreatic enzymes with a high fat meal), I haven't really had much trouble. Had it done laparoscopically. The terrible heartburn went away afterwards. I was unaware that there were supplements like ox bile or TUDCA when I had it taken out. I'll definitely check out the Super Enzymes by NOW. Looks to be better than just the pancreatic enzymes by themselves.