Hi. I'm new to posting but been reading for a while. I'm 37, married , mother of two(no cf), diagnosed at 3 months. I recently had a colonoscopy,upper gi scope and ultrasound done which now I have to have my gall bladder removed. It started about 1 1/2 to 2 years ago with my stomach bloating. The more I ate throughout the day the bigger my stomach would get until I looked pregnant before going to bed. My other symptoms are filling full quickly. nausea after eating (not always), constipation. I've also had 5 or 6 episodes were I throw up and have to visit the toilet . The last episode I had red stool once when I went to the bathroom (tons of pain and vomitted twice) Of course I have the right pain under my rib cage that radiates to my back. I've lost 6 lbs. since November. I'm 5'3 and usually weigh 116 to 117 now I can barely keep 110 on. I did have two polyps remove during the colonoscopy which were benign. The gi doc thinks that was where the blood came from. I did have other pains(and very gassy) also but they seemed to subside with adjusting enzymes and going dairy free. GI doc suggested that since I have family members that are lactose intolerant. I would like to know your experiences with gall bladder issues and surgery. Also wondering about the bloating whether will go away after surgery. I read on the forum that it could be an absorption issue. Did anyone loss weight and did you gain it back after surgery. Thanks for any info.
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GI Issues, Gallbladder
- Thread starter Emer76
- Start date
LittleLab4CF
Super Moderator
I am so sorry to hear of your misery. Welcome to the club! Before the barrage of stories hit, mine was similar in terms of my pesky gall bladder. We don’t fit the massive demographic that is typically FFF (Fat, Female, Fifty (the AMA’s term not mine)). I was convinced for years that the intense pain between my scapulas was from a compression fracture. Duh? A 34 year old slender, healthy man is not a prime candidate for a gall bladder full of stones. I was nearly 37 when my hot gallbaldder was discovered.
In my case it started with super high triglycerides and very high cholesterol figures in general. Odd since fat and I weren’t on speaking terms exactly. After a gallbladder attack and I coincided with being in town, they found it. Imagine my red faced doctor reading my ERCP report aloud, recounting the estimated sizes of the marbles under my ribs.
That ERCP triggered an acute pancreatic attack of epic proportion. This in turn caused what they termed an "acute abdomen". Acute abdomen is brought on by an infection, blockage or invasive procedure that discovers either, or it disturbs acute inflammation. The latter may be discovered during or after a procedure like a colonoscopy. As long as a few days in fact. When I have any invasive tests like a colonoscopy two additional doctors are on the team. One keeps me from waking during the procedure and treats any breakthrough pain afterwards and the other is on call in case my body revolts from the procedure. Both have been added because they have been needed in the past. This might be a siren for you as well.
“Better out than in” seems to apply to gall bladders, tonsils and wisdom teeth. I’m sure your doctor has said that once your gallbladder is removed, the bile will just flow through your bile ducts ad hoc. The gall bladder stores bile and when fats are sensed in the duodenum it spasms, sending a blob out to tackle the fats. Having your gall bladder removed is certainly better in terms of ending pointless gall bladder attacks. As pain goes, you’ve had kids and I’ve had kidney stones. According to a nurse who had both they are comparable. We both have suffered gall bladder attacks and possibly we share more than one acute pancreatic attack and generally what goes with an unresolved gall stone blockage can pile pain up to a new scale that mere child birth is a mid number. A couple of nerve bundles, the celiac plexus and splanacic plexus connect to just about everything in the abdomen. Like a sore neck muscle can affect a person's gait, when the large bowel is irritated for a prolonged period or for a short time with extreme pain it can inflame the entire nerve plexus causing secondary issues with the other organs served by this nerve bundle. So yes a colonoscopy can reveal a hot gallbladder and an upset stomach can cause the scoots. For CFers who have GI issues the term "flare" seems to fit well because of the nerve wiring of the gut. When one organ like the gall bladder acts up it sends intense signals to nerve central. Nerve Central gets hot and soon the bowels are paralized or the pancreas is shut down or over acting, the stomach churns away all the protective mucus and everything goes into a pissed off mode. Nothing cooporates and everybody irritates everybody else.
I couldn’t determine if you are diagnosed with CF but the longer I read this forum the more I am convinced that a fair number of CF carriers are clinically diagnosed with CF. We more often seem to avoid rapid decline because GI symptoms are dominant over pulmonary. But like other CFers, our decline is in fits and jerks, a person can have a totally manageable GI tract and within a couple of years it is more demanding than anyone would expect. This will resolve your gall bladder attacks and hopefully you will have no problems with the remaining ducts since they can't be removed. Beware that if you make really nasty bile, you could still have blockages in the future. The good news is that bile stones need a place to be cultured and the gallbladder that was so cozy will soon be gone.
Best of luck
LL
In my case it started with super high triglycerides and very high cholesterol figures in general. Odd since fat and I weren’t on speaking terms exactly. After a gallbladder attack and I coincided with being in town, they found it. Imagine my red faced doctor reading my ERCP report aloud, recounting the estimated sizes of the marbles under my ribs.
That ERCP triggered an acute pancreatic attack of epic proportion. This in turn caused what they termed an "acute abdomen". Acute abdomen is brought on by an infection, blockage or invasive procedure that discovers either, or it disturbs acute inflammation. The latter may be discovered during or after a procedure like a colonoscopy. As long as a few days in fact. When I have any invasive tests like a colonoscopy two additional doctors are on the team. One keeps me from waking during the procedure and treats any breakthrough pain afterwards and the other is on call in case my body revolts from the procedure. Both have been added because they have been needed in the past. This might be a siren for you as well.
“Better out than in” seems to apply to gall bladders, tonsils and wisdom teeth. I’m sure your doctor has said that once your gallbladder is removed, the bile will just flow through your bile ducts ad hoc. The gall bladder stores bile and when fats are sensed in the duodenum it spasms, sending a blob out to tackle the fats. Having your gall bladder removed is certainly better in terms of ending pointless gall bladder attacks. As pain goes, you’ve had kids and I’ve had kidney stones. According to a nurse who had both they are comparable. We both have suffered gall bladder attacks and possibly we share more than one acute pancreatic attack and generally what goes with an unresolved gall stone blockage can pile pain up to a new scale that mere child birth is a mid number. A couple of nerve bundles, the celiac plexus and splanacic plexus connect to just about everything in the abdomen. Like a sore neck muscle can affect a person's gait, when the large bowel is irritated for a prolonged period or for a short time with extreme pain it can inflame the entire nerve plexus causing secondary issues with the other organs served by this nerve bundle. So yes a colonoscopy can reveal a hot gallbladder and an upset stomach can cause the scoots. For CFers who have GI issues the term "flare" seems to fit well because of the nerve wiring of the gut. When one organ like the gall bladder acts up it sends intense signals to nerve central. Nerve Central gets hot and soon the bowels are paralized or the pancreas is shut down or over acting, the stomach churns away all the protective mucus and everything goes into a pissed off mode. Nothing cooporates and everybody irritates everybody else.
I couldn’t determine if you are diagnosed with CF but the longer I read this forum the more I am convinced that a fair number of CF carriers are clinically diagnosed with CF. We more often seem to avoid rapid decline because GI symptoms are dominant over pulmonary. But like other CFers, our decline is in fits and jerks, a person can have a totally manageable GI tract and within a couple of years it is more demanding than anyone would expect. This will resolve your gall bladder attacks and hopefully you will have no problems with the remaining ducts since they can't be removed. Beware that if you make really nasty bile, you could still have blockages in the future. The good news is that bile stones need a place to be cultured and the gallbladder that was so cozy will soon be gone.
Best of luck
LL
LittleLab4CF
Super Moderator
Emer76,
Once again I jumped the gun. My guess is you already know everthing I just posted. Hopefully another CFer is just entering into the GI jamborie will find something new. As a CFer and a mother of two you could really contribute when other CF women are looking at becoming mothers. You probably have seen some posts already. Anyway you will be feeling better soon, even though a surgery looms. Learn what will help you thin your bile. As goofy as it may sound, people who super hydrate or such run smoother operating GI tracts. Sorry I missed your diagnosis. Sorry for your diagnosis.
LL
Once again I jumped the gun. My guess is you already know everthing I just posted. Hopefully another CFer is just entering into the GI jamborie will find something new. As a CFer and a mother of two you could really contribute when other CF women are looking at becoming mothers. You probably have seen some posts already. Anyway you will be feeling better soon, even though a surgery looms. Learn what will help you thin your bile. As goofy as it may sound, people who super hydrate or such run smoother operating GI tracts. Sorry I missed your diagnosis. Sorry for your diagnosis.
LL
running4life
New member
I never have had a weight issue in my adult life. I was 24 when I had my gall bladder out about 18 months ago. I think I lost a few pounds, but nothing major. I have since gained it back. Be careful of the fatty foods still. I ate half a hamburger and fries the other night and had a very upset stomach. I keep away from fatty foods in general and try to stick to healthy fats.
I have always had an issue with bloating and it hasn't really ever gotten better. I, too, am 5'3" and anywhere from 110-120 lbs. Having a small frame, my bloating can look really bad. The surgery was simple and I didn't even have to stay overnight. I was very bloated after surgery since they pump you with gas during surgery. You immediately feel better - it's amazing! I highly recommend the surgery. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
I have always had an issue with bloating and it hasn't really ever gotten better. I, too, am 5'3" and anywhere from 110-120 lbs. Having a small frame, my bloating can look really bad. The surgery was simple and I didn't even have to stay overnight. I was very bloated after surgery since they pump you with gas during surgery. You immediately feel better - it's amazing! I highly recommend the surgery. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
I am concerned that my bloating won't go away after surgery. Do certain foods seem to make your bloating worse? Does eliminating certain foods make it better? How long did the bloating from the surgery last? My consultation with the surgeon was this morning so I have a surgery date. I'm just so ready to be out of pain and to gain weight back.