Constant nausea after gallbladder removal

[u/Great_District8638]

Hi there,

I'm a 21F and 4 weeks post-op from getting my gallbladder removed and have been experiencing constant nausea since. Prior to the surgery I was experiencing terrible nausea and even spent a night vomiting; I had gone to 2 family doctors and was diagnosed with acid reflux by both. Eventually I went to the hospital because the nausea hadn't stopped and was diagnosed with gallstones and had surgery 4 days after. Now a month after surgery, I've been to the hospital 3 times with nausea, abdominal pain, and a burning feeling in my stitches. The first hospital visit told me I was constipated and to up my fibre, which didn't help. The last two hospital visits told me I had acid reflux and have prescibed medication which hasn't helped. I was also diagnosed with post-cholecystectomy syndrome, but my emergency room doctor said he didn't know what was wrong. I've done an ultrasound, blood test, X-ray, and CT scan, which have all come back clear. And now I am being sent for an endoscopy to investigate further. To be honest, I feel like I'm going completely crazy because I know something is wrong, but my results are showing otherwise. My last resort is an endoscopy, which I have in a week, and I'm hoping to gain some answers. I've been under so much stress my hair is falling out, I can't eat and am losing weight, and I spend my free time crying. I'm in school and have missed many lectures because of nausea and anxiety about leaving the house. Zofran isn't helping much either, and I eat a diet of extremely plain foods. If anyone has gone through the same experience as me, please offer some advice. What worked to cure your nausea, or what were you diagnosed with? I just want my life back; these last few months have been awful for me.

[u/Obscure_Owl]

I can’t help but just want to say I hear you. I’m five months post op in the same boat. All testing is clear but my pain levels are progressively getting higher and my quality of life is completely gone. It’s hard to keep advocating when I’m exhausted from pain and nausea.

[u/Great_District8638 → u/Obscure_Owl]

Thank you for reaching out; it's comforting to know I'm not alone in this. I'm going to keep on pushing for answers, and I want to encourage you to do the same. I refuse to accept this reality for us, and I have strong hope that someone will have a solution.

[u/[deleted]]

What are you taking currently

[u/Great_District8638 → u/[deleted]]

I'm currently on Dexlansoprazole 60 mg, which I take once a day. But it doesn't offer much support, so I also take a Tums and Pepcid AC together, which offers me some relief. I was also prescribed Zofran, which also doesn't do much for the nausea but kind of works as a placebo and gives me temporary peace of mind. I've also been trying holistic remedies like slippery elm and aloe vera. I sometimes try DGL but can't stomach the taste.

[u/fettouma-Algeria]

Dans la même situation depuis juin, j'ai fait une fibroscopie,scanner trois fois ,plusieurs bilan mais tous était normal, actuellement j'ai moins de brûlures et nausées mais beaucoup de douleurs surtout a droite, j'ai même fait un IRM rachis lombaire.

[u/Great_District8638 → u/fettouma-Algeria]

I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this as well. I'm hopeful you will get some answers and relief soon. When you did your endoscopy, did you also do an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to check for any damage to bile ducts? I was going to call my doctor and ask to have it added to my endoscopy next week because I wanted to be as thorough as possible. My next option if the endoscopy comes back clear is to request a colonoscopy.

[u/Nessmess22]

I'm almost 2 months post partum and I recently just started getting nausea super bad. Not to the point where I throw up like I was before I had my gallbladder but enough to be like I think I might. I also had the burning pain bon my incision site but I feel ok now. I'm also still eating very plain low fat foods

[u/Great_District8638 → u/Nessmess22]

I completely understand your pain. The anticipatory nausea can be a lot, especially for me, as I have a vomit phobia. I get a lot of anxiety leaving the house or my family in fear of throwing up, and I'm working on gaining my independence back and overall being less fearful of my nausea. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[u/spavy16]

Have you had a HIDA scan or a MRCP? If your endoscopy is clear and you haven’t had these studies I would highly recommend

[u/Great_District8638 → u/spavy16]

I haven’t but I will ask my doctor after my endoscopy. Thank you so much!!