Since the removal of my gall bladder 18months ago my ibs seems to but much worse and more frequent Is this a common problem

[lagrossa]

[browny40]

I think this can be a problem. I've had much the same, I had mine out 7 years ago and never had any major stomach problems. A few months after my gall bladder was taken out, I started to get loads of IBS symptoms which are still ongoing. It seems a bit of a coincidence to me.

[kiwimiwi]

One of my best friends has had her gallbladder removed a few years ago and she suffers with worse symptoms, mainly severe pain and cramps.

[myIBSmk]

Mine started at age 44 when I had my gall bladder taken out. Took one year to stablize the 'D' and use Questron as needed now 12 yrs later. Flare ups come and go, mostly diet related or Stress.

[Deb7]

I had my gall bladder removed almost 2 years ago and have never felt the same since. My doctor has told me I have IBS and I never had any symptoms before my surgery. My flare-ups have no pattern or cause that I can identify.

[lagrossa in reply to Deb7]

Thanks for your replies Very helpful but unfortunately do not solve the problem Looks as if I will just have to live with it I sometimes wonder if it was all worth it then I think back at the pain I was in before I had my gall bladder removed

[jsc2012]

I had exactly the same experience as you, and what was frustrating was that the doctors at the time wouldn't recognize the condition as related to the gall bladder removal. I found out that the new symptoms were due to bile acid malabsorbtion (BAM). Luckily I've found a solution for my condition which is working perfectly for me.

Very soon after my surgery, I found that I would have extremely loose bowel movements after the first meal of the day. Sometimes this would happen after the first cup of tea or coffee or whatever. I did notice that the volumes I consumed would affect the urgency. i.e. more volume consumed meant more urgency immediately thereafter. This condition lasted for years. I was able to mitigate the condition somewhat by modifying my diet somewhat, such as eating a lot of non-soluble plant matter, eating very small breakfasts, low oils and fats, though at best these ended up working as half measures for me. I also tried a number of binders, enzymes etc.

Eventually what I've found works perfectly for me, though dosing might need to be adjusted. Basically I start by taking 250mg ursodeoxycholic acid (this is strange since it is another bile salt and you would think this would make it worse?) and 2 mg loperamide three times a day. It usually takes three or four days for the morning urgency to subside. Eventually it does. Once I get into a routine where the urgency is gone, and I have a movement only once a day or even once every two days, I cease taking the medication. Eventually, some time later I will have a loose but not too urgent bowel movement, at which point I immediately take 500mg of ursodeoxycholic acid and 4mg of loperamide. This generally returns me to a regular schedule. If it doesn't and the urgency continues, I start again by taking 250mgx2mg three times a day etc.

I've been doing this for over a year now and it's made things much much easier.

Generally, the lower fat/oil and more fresh fiber in my diet the longer the periods of stability last. Hope this helps you and others.