What symptoms went away for you? Did you feel better after doing it?
Surgeon today says to have it removed. Now please, I dont want to hear anything on here thats going to scare the heck out of me!! I just need to know if anyone did get better after having it done or what symptoms did not go away for you.
Im scared but tired of being sick all the time.
Nancy
Posted by monkeyshines (Member # 6406) on :
Nancy,
I had mine removed after it was damaged by rocephin. Having it out stopped the pain I had been having up under the base of my ribcage. It's not a symptom I had before being on rocephin for six months. The surgery didn't change anything about my lyme symptoms.
The surgery really wasn't too bad. I was in and out in one day and back to work the next week. If I weren't otherwise sick, I probably wouldn't have taken that much time off.
I can't tell from your posting if you hope to stop gallbladder pain, or that this will help treat lyme. Why does your surgeon want it out?
monkeyshines
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Helped the mid chest heartburn type pain, the wrap around pain from front to back on that side.
Glad I did it.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
Monkeyshines,
As you have probably read I am having loads of GI problems that I have had from the start with Lyme.
My hida scan shows my GB does not empty properly. Im hoping that having it removed will at least somewhat improve my GI symptoms.
Nancy
Posted by Patrick (Member # 8108) on :
Had mine removed this past January. Like monkeyshines mine was damaged by the Rocephin I was on. Was glad to get rid of it, the pain I was having was terrible. Having it removed had no effect on my Lyme though sorry to say. It was an easy surgery I was back to work in three days
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Just had mine out the very end of June, so I haven't seen the long term results yet.
Thus far, the periodic intense pain in that location is gone, as is the sort of dull ache that never completely went away in that same area.
GI issues seem greatly improved, and more normal.
The best part - I can eat again! Yippee! Now, if I can just practice some self-restraint...
My recovery didn't seem as quick as some (with and w/out Lyme) experience - but all our bodies are different, and my LLMD had warned me it wouldn't be easy on me - I've had a bad, bad couple of years.
Basically, in the weeks immediately following surgery I experienced profound, severe fatigue. You may not experience that part.
Incidentally, mine was removed after 3 mos Rocephin, but the surgeon said I had significant scarring and adhesions in the duct, so it looks like this has been a more long-term problem. So far, it seems to have resolved a long history of abdominal pain, which we believed was due to another condition entirely. So that's a bonus. Plus, it makes me wish I'd had the surgery earlier.
Good luck - I hope this helps resolve some of your issues, if you decide to do it.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
anyone have burning pain with their gallbladder issues?
Nancy
Posted by tickalert (Member # 7033) on :
Nancy,
I was diagnosed with gastritis and my HIDA showed GB not working properly. I had the GB out a year ago and still had problems with gastritis until I went to a very experienced acupunturist/herbalist and my symptoms are gone.
Best of luck with surgery.
Posted by Monica (Member # 224) on :
I had my GB out in 10/02 after 2 1/2 months on rocephin.
Have not had any problems. The surgery was outpatient and I was home the same day. Took about a week to fully recover.
Posted by hopeful4 (Member # 8486) on :
In 2000 I had severe gall bladder attacks, I thought my stomach was on fire, had terrible diarhea, excrutiating pain. I was unable to eat anything, and could barely drink water. Lost 20 lbs. in one month, not the best way to lose weight.
Long story short, after lots of ER visits and tests, found I had a poor ejection fraction of the g.b. Had the laproscopic surgery, which went very well.
I healed well from the surgery. No more gall bladder problems, ever again. That was a huge relief.
However, I was ill for 3 months with gall bladder problems before the surgery. The Dr. said I'd be back to my normal activities in 3 weeks.
He didn't count on me having a "sudden onset" of "CFIDS", which I didn't find out until 2005 was really chronic lyme disease. The stress of the gall bladder illness, and my stressful lifestyle at the time, pushed me over the edge.
I did some thinking and checking before the surgery, and got a second opinion, just to make sure I needed it. I didn't want to give up a body part easily!
I'm glad that I had it done, because the pain and misery were more than I could bear, and I couldn't eat.
With laproscopic surgery the healing is very quick. You go home the same day. The pain is gone.
Best wishes, Hopeful4
Posted by lpkayak (Member # 5230) on :
my chronic nausea went away. very easy surgery for me
Posted by *Daisy* (Member # 9593) on :
I did it too and am glad of it. It took a little while to adjust with eating and running to the bathroom but not too bad. I got over that too after my body adjusted.
The pain was terrible for me and the burning and now that is long gone.
Good luck
Posted by lymefighter7 (Member # 9224) on :
i had mine out after damage by rocephin also. I had tremendous pain when eating (esp. fat) After surgery pain when eating fat was better. No change in lyme symptoms though. Good luck to you Nancy and hope you feel better!!
Posted by Happy Camper (Member # 8995) on :
I am wondering how long you all were on IV rocephin and if you all were taking ursodial.
Tough call. Let us know what you decide Nancy. Good luck to you.
[ 03. August 2006, 08:23 PM: Message edited by: Happy Camper ]
Posted by earthsong15 (Member # 7471) on :
I had my gallbladder removed back in 1984 before they did it with lasers. I was in the hospital for 8 days and was cut way open! You guys are fortunate that it is so easy now.
The thing to be aware of is to avoid heavy fried food. The body without a gallbladder just can't tolerate a heavy oil load. Otherwise I have not had any problems.
Posted by cactus (Member # 7347) on :
Nancy, I had burning pain with the GB "attacks"... It was very severe.
Haven't had a single episode since having the surgery.
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
In 2001 (prior to my Lyme dx), I had intense, searing pains and went to the ER. The first visit, they misdiagnosed me with gastritis.
By the second onslaught of pain, I turned bright yellow and was admitted on the spot. When I saw myself in the mirror, it was definitely eerie to see my yellow skin and eyes.
Anyway, I had the procedure done laproscopically and was in the hospital three days because of some unrelated complications. Recovery was less than a week and the whole thing was pretty easy.
The only complication I've had was the first holiday after the surgery -- someone in the family made a spectacular lobster alfredo. That was a big mistake for me!
Generally, though, I eat pretty well and haven't had any other problems or complications. Shortly after the surgery, though, my Lyme syptoms (which had been light up to then) really kicked in with a vengeance.
Keep us posted!
Andie
Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
I had the proceedure done some years ago. I was out of the hospital the next day. It took about 2 weeks to fully recover.
I had IBS before the proceedure, it went away after the procedure. I have also been told that for some reason the gall bladder is host to a number of persistent bacteria. This may be part of the cause of my IBS, hopefully it will have a bennifical effect for you too.
If you don't deal with the stones, it is possible to get pancreatitis if one of the stones get stuck. This can be rapidly fatal and is an emergency situation....so it sounds like you should do what the Dr. suggests.
Posted by cordor (Member # 9449) on :
Was on Rocephin IV for 1 1/2 months. Had stomach problems the whole time and afterwards also. Hida scan showed galbladder functioning at less than 10% and chronically inflammed. Was removed laproscopic. In and out the same day. After surgey the intense pain after eating was gone and also the constant dull ache was gone. BUT, I developed an unusual side effect of gb being removed. I developed severe constipation...which after 2 years...still have. Only thing that helps constipation is to take extra Magnesium. I was told by the surgeon that most people go the "opposite" way with bowels after gb removed. Go figure.
Posted by Nal (Member # 6801) on :
Thanks guys for all the replies.
I wanted to be clear-I do not have any stones--just a slow moving gallbladder.
I hope this helps with at least some of the symptoms. Im still scared though-have never had major surgery before.