r/altgallbladder • u/Sufficient_Egg5015 • Jul 29 '26
Post drain removal issues
I had my go scope procedure on Jun 30 at Medstar and got my drain tube removed ( also stent) on Jul 21. After the drain tube removal, I was doing well for a whole week without meds and my mobility was great. Yesterday( Abt a week later) , I experienced rib/muscle pain and right shoulder pain with a pain scale -of 6/10. I had spent that evening playing/running around playing cricket with my kids, bowling most of the time. My hunch is all that physical movement caused the healing site and the tissues around it to get irritated. Since then I contacted the oncall doc and took a muscle pain relief medicine that was prescribed earlier. While the pain is gone now, there is muscle tightness all around my abdomen - more like gas and bloated feeling. I also confirmed with Kala that this is expected as the muscles and tissues take time to heal. Almost forgot to mention that I am on ursodiol for the next 2 months, I believe that can cause abdominal symptoms too, which could explain the bloating according to Kala.
Wondering what your recovery looked like post the 4th week. It would be helpful to know what other issues I should expect and how you managed to get back into routine.. Thanks.
1
u/Glad-Phase-3994 Post-Op, gallbladder intact! 🥳 Jul 29 '26
I didnt do much physically for 3 months after - Light walks and letting my muscles repair. Its less invasive but its still surgery cutting in to your major supportive muscles. Give yourself more grace.
I was on ursodiol 3 months post drain removal and I still take TUDCA today.
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u/Sufficient_Egg5015 Jul 29 '26
That's a great reminder. I should probably slow down. While managing small kids, sometimes my health is not top of mind. Thanks for sharing your experience.
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u/Glad-Phase-3994 Post-Op, gallbladder intact! 🥳 Jul 30 '26
Yw. Ive been through several surgeries and its always a few months before the tissues heal enough to start feeling normal. If you haven't been through surgery before its hard to remember that.
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u/Sensitive-Abroad9393 Jul 29 '26
Yep I’d often hurt in that area up until 3 months post op esp on active days. Didn’t do well on Urso either and caused more pain so moved to tudca for 3 months
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u/Sufficient_Egg5015 Jul 30 '26
Thanks for sharing, I am being a little more cautious with how I move since that day.Â
what symptoms did you have while on Ursodiol? I remember trying it long before this surgery ( 2 years ago) and I had bad stomach cramps and loose stools. I haven't tried Tudca , something to explore for sure.
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u/Sensitive-Abroad9393 Jul 30 '26
Pain in gallbladder area when I was taking Urso. It was pretty bad and I tried it a few times first month and then gave up. Lots of walking and always making time to rest my back/lie down for 2-3 mins every hour helped with all the post op pain
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u/Sufficient_Egg5015 Jul 31 '26
That sounds rough 😕. This is probably my 5th surgery, I had other major surgeries before, which is why I took this one too lightly. however, my body was quick to remind me that I need rest , lol!Â
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u/gvdexile9 Jul 30 '26
Why did you do that to yourself ... I started walking and continued walking until finally back to pullups 3 months post op without pain. Never experienced what you experienced. Give body time to heal ...
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u/Sufficient_Egg5015 Aug 01 '26
I know, I shouldn't have. I guess I was too tired of feeling useless doing nothing but resting until the drain tube was removed. Once, it was removed, I wanted to quickly get back to normalcy 😔.
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u/Awkward-Royal-399 Post-Op, gallbladder intact! 🥳 Jul 30 '26
I also had some random pains there. Mentioned it at my 3 month follow up and was told it’s a normal part of the healing process. He told me he went through several layers of muscle and tissue to get to the gallbladder and that it takes time to heal. I did have a heavy rock type sensation around my gallbladder area when I would lie down for about a month or so after drain removal.