B12 deficiency post cholecystectomy

[B12life]

I’m curious if there is any link to cholecystectomies and B12 deficiency.

I had my gallbladder out and then 8 years later, b12 deficient.

Have any of you had your gallbladder out and then had B12 deficiency occur afterwards?

[Gambit62 Administrator]

gallbladder surgery can cause problems with B12 absorption.think this may be because of the part the gallbladder plays in regulating bile, which is a key part of the process that is normally used to release stores of B12 from the liver to regulate serum B12 levels.

It is also possible (though not common) for gallstones to have damaged the terminal ileum - which is where B12 is absorbed - which would lead to a B12 deficiency.

[HeartyGilly]

Yes, me.

[Fine]

Yes I had mine out before B12 deficiencies started

[Hidden in reply to Fine]

Me too.

[lambuth_eagle]

I don't know for sure that this is what caused my B12 deficiency but I certainly have considered it as a possibility. I had my gallbladder removed in 2006 when I was 28 years old. Fast forward 3 years later and I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. 15 months ago we discovered my B12 deficiency and once I had been doing regular injections for several months my IC pain became very infrequent and I was able to eat and drink things I haven't been able to do so in years. I asked my GI doctor if he thought the gallbladder removal could have led to the B12 deficiency and his response was "I am not used to thinking about cholecystectomy leading to B12 deficiency, so I will need to do some research. There seems to be a compelling temporal relationship with your operation, so I am open minded." He actually did the research and discussed with me. He said he found one other case in the materials/websites he used to research that pointed towards a correlation. He said while he can't say this is what has happened in my case, he said that he also isn't discounting it.

[Hedgehogs15]

I had my gallbladder removed over 40 years ago and the then surgeon told me because of intrinsic factor I would have pernicious anaemia and B12 deficiency and need injections for life. I’m not good at explaining things like a lot of clever people on here but that’s the gist of it I think. Good luck

[ULCERAPROCTIwillDie]

Then mostly you have some potassium deficiency. They go hand in hand. I have developed Hypocalemia as a result of both my ulcerative colitis & Ulcerative proctitis. Having the right amount of Potassium(the most important Electrolyte) then the need for insulin goes down. So low potassium =diabetes.