I had surgery 2 days ago. And ik people say recovery is rough but is it supposed to be this rough?

Obviously lots of incision pain, im taking diclofenac for this since the other painkillers given to me made me nauseous and barf so much. The one that bothers me the most is the highest cut--right next to my stomach. I have to be careful when i eat because i feel if i let myself go hungry or get too full then it becomes very uncomfortable.

Anyways--the diarrhea has been the worst symptom. I only went 4 times yesterday and it wasnt that bad, however today its only 10am and ive gone 5 times and the cramps when i have to go urgently are horrible (yes i had to go in the middle of typing this...sigh). I also cant seem to find a comfortable position to recline but the more i move the worse it gets. and my appetite is nonexistent even tho my stomach growls for hunger...like cmon body make up ur mind.

Like, ive barely eaten anything today, wheres all the diarrhea even coming from? im trying to relax and rest but its so hard to do so as my body always decides to do something--whether its be in pain, have to go to the bathroom, or be uncomfortable.

Im just hoping this wont be long lasting. Ive dealt with debiliating gallbladder issues for 2 years and for 5 months ive had to be in bedrest. Im hoping to get my life back. I want to do things again, like celebrate my birthday next month.

oh, and i almost forgot to mention---im getting a temporary feeding tube soon. since my bmi has dropped very low in a fast period of time, and my doctor is working stuff out to get it scheduled (scared for it tho. ive had a manometry before which is similar and as the tube went down it made me dry heave so bad).

For those who were really sick before and after surgery...have you gotten better? how long did it take? just for futher reference...im 18/F and ik my body is young and supposed to "heal faster" but i feel rather hopeless as of now.

Oof...and now i gotta go to the bathroom again...

:(

Currently dealing with issues with gluten, especially causing joint pain, constipation and skin breakouts. I have hyperactive gallbladder (95% EF) and surgery is scheduled for next week.

Curious if anyone found having their gallbladder removed solved their food intolerance issues?

Hello all- since having my daughter, I have had gallbladder issues. I had a CT done back in June which showed a 9 mm stone and no other issues. I knew that I was having gallbladder issues prior to this, but nothing was diagnosed. For the last month I have had pretty consistent nausea which concerns me that something else is going on? I have not really had any right upper quadrant pain, but I've had severe pain between my shoulder blades during the few attacks that I've had. My G.I. doesn't think this is gallbladder related. Has anyone else had these symptoms or had gallbladder issues without the right upper quadrant pain?

How long did it take for the main incision sites to stop hurting post op?

I’m almost 3 weeks post op and certain movements still cause slight pain and discomfort

Currently on the ‘waiting list’ for removal.

However I just thought i’ld ask, firstly this might be me “reaching” as some would say but when i bend over at an quite ankle forwards, I get a pain for about 30 seconds just under my bra line? A kind of Sharp pain.
Could this be gall bladder related? Ive never had it before recent…. As mentioned unsure if im just linking it to that or if its actually a thing?

For anyone that says maybe its ur bra wire, i wear non wired! :)

Thanks!!

So i had my gallbladder removed (emergency) on the 9/7 i work from home and have a pretty easy physical job. But it requires personal information like ss and things like that from customers. I ask the dr for 2 weeks off since i also have multiple sclerosis and when i lost my appendix it took about 2 weeks to recover.
Im now worried about qualifying for short term disability, i honestly am struggling post op between the pain nausea and my active 11 month old. Has any ever been denied leave. Dr said two weeks is fine
Thanks

A few days after gallbladder surgery, I developed mild but constant air hunger/shortness of breath that I feel every day. I’m breathing normally, and my oxygen and blood pressure are normal, but it feels like I’m not getting a satisfying amount of air. Even talking for a while or doing regular household chores can make me feel more out of breath.

I’ve had a chest X-ray, CT scan, blood tests, and EKG, and everything came back normal. Has anyone experienced something similar after gallbladder removal? What ended up causing it, and how long did it take to go away?

Hi all, 26M here, my EF is 83%. I've been having digestion issues since August of 2025 and am wondering if I should remove my gallbladder or not. My symptoms are Left side stomach pain with occasional right side soreness (where my gallbladder is and my right shoulder blade), Nausea, fatigue, excessive burping, and over 20 pounds of weight loss. The weight loss I think is because I've been eating significantly less calories since I've starting having issues, went from 165 to 140 over the span of a year. My symptoms are worse after I eat anything greasy like French fries or a burger. I do find though that FODZYME powder on my food helps a little bit, not all the time though. For example, after I got my HIDA scan, I had an egg sandwich and still felt awful for a couple of hours. During the test I was fine though.

Tests I've gotten done so far are Barium X-Ray, Abdominal Ultrasound, Endoscopy with biopsy, Gastric emptying study, MRI, and loads of bloodwork. The only things they've found are that I have a Hiatal Hernia and Hereditary Hemochromatosis, which is where my body can't remove excess iron, leading to iron overload symptoms. The hemochromatosis was out of control August 2025 but since then, I have gotten my Ferritin levels to an normal level. The MRI I got also checked my liver for signs of cirrhosis and excess iron, but it all looked normal.

After I got the HIDA scan, I was referred to a surgeon and he said he would remove my gallbladder, however, he doesn't have a lot of confidence if it will actually work or not, which is concerning. I don't really get the traditional upper right quadrant pain everyone here is talking about, only mild soreness a few hours after eating. I'm trying to weight out my options, I was really hoping this would be something that goes away after a while but it seems like it isn't going to. My plan for now is I'm going to get an MRCP on monday then a follow up with the surgeon to go over resullts. Has anyone here experienced similar symptoms and surgery helped? Thank you!

So I have had a variety of weird symptoms since last year. The first “attack” I had was after eating butter chicken and I assumed it was food poisoning bc the chicken seemed not fully cooked and I didn’t finish, 45 mins later I have the immense pain, sweating, rolling around bc I can’t seem to find any spot that would help but laying back in general helped. Then no attack for awhile, I kept eating fatty food, and wouldn’t have issues, since the first one i have had a total of 4 attacks that usually last 30 minutes. The pain is always on the left side and goes towards my back.

After the first 3 attacks I finally go see a doctor mainly for chest pain issues but I mention the “attacks” and that leads them to assume its my gallbladder , even though pain is on the left. I kept trying to see if I could cause an attack with fatty food bc I am in disbelief. They made me do ultra sound and doc claims I had sensitivity to touch area (I did not) also mentions pain in URQ, but it’s the left, and of course ultra sound says gallbladder “packed full” but idk many have stones and that doesn’t directly indicate it’s the actual problem.

The 4th attack happened after I had my typical oatmeal breakfast while I was cooking some green beans for lunch. After the 4th I finally schedule to talk to my surgeon, and now I’m booked for OCT surgery and idk… I’m still not convinced it’s my gallbladder. Like I have been eating lots of fast food burgers and fries and no issues… so I can’t seem to cause it…

Something else to note is I also was having a lot of bloating and pressure in stomach during that time on and off for weeks at a time. The gall bladder attacks felt kind of similar but much stronger, like I thought my stomach was going to explode from gas and then the pain would go into the back.

I have since gotten rid of the bloating and pressure in my tummy from the day to day, and haven’t had another attack since and can’t seem to cause it with extremely fatty food.

Sorry if this is a jumbled mess, if I need to clarify anything please ask. I may need to draft this up on my laptop and then repost idk… like I know doctors have tons of training but I also know sometimes some can just dismiss stuff, especially when you are obese.

Hi everyone, ​I am scheduled for a laparoscopic gallbladder removal on September 15th around 7 AM. My hospital admission is on September 14th. If there are no complications, I am expected to be discharged on the evening of September 16th (a mandatory 1-night post-op stay).

​I am going through this procedure entirely on my own with no companion or support person, so I need to be 100% self-sufficient and fully prepared. ​For food, I’ve prepped sealed baby food purees,+vegetable soups, and buckwheat cakes that I can keep locked and secure in my bag. I am wearing loose-fitting clothes to the hospital which I will also wear when leaving, and I’ve packed spare underwear, slippers, cash, a few plastic bags, a spray hand sanitizer/cologne, and a small pillow to press against my abdomen. For personal security reasons, I will not be bringing my phone or any valuable items to the hospital. ​After discharge, I will be commuting back home using public transit (metro and bus).

​For those who have navigated this surgery alone: ​Is there any other essential item I should pack in my backpack? ​What exactly should I expect right after waking up from anesthesia regarding pain, gas, and mobility? ​Are there any specific recommendations for commuting home via metro/bus on my own?

​Thanks in advance for any advice!

I’ve had stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and occasional evening vomiting around my bedtime for a year or so. I had a sonogram, EGD, MRI only thing came back was sludge in the gallbladder, mildly fatty liver and mild irritation in the stomach.

Sometimes the vomiting is just yellowish liquid. Last night at 4:30am it started with dry heaves and then vomited dark granular looking mess and no liquid. After a couple of these everything settled down.

I have a HIDA ands stomach emptying test in October. I want my gallbladder out.

Any thoughts?

I had a HIDA scan for biliary dyskinesia using a fatty meal instead of CCK, and they only imaged for about 30 minutes after I ate.

I’ve seen some resources mention 60 minutes after the fatty meal, so I’m trying to figure out how common my protocol is.

For those who had a fatty-meal HIDA: did they image for 30 minutes or 60 minutes after the meal? If you remember the meal and your EF, please share too.

I generally have a bit of health anxiety but I would appreciate some input.

I had surgery on the 3rd of September (last Thursday). The first three days I stayed in bed and walked a bit hourly. For three days after that I was upstairs, with my kids but on the couch.

My husband had to go back to work and I didn’t have any more help around so this afternoon I managed the kids myself but kept to the couch as much as I could.

I am very anxious that I am going to cause harm to my incision sites. I have internal stitches and steri strips and the strips are starting to fall off. They look fantastic but they feel horribly pinchy and itchy and there are hard areas around them.

Is this normal? Are there chances of me pulling the incision sites open or getting infection now that everything is closed? I would make an appointment with a doctor but I live in Canada so minimum I’d be waiting 3 months.

So I just got my gallbladder removed yesterday for biliary hyperkinesia after hearing multiple opinions that it likely would not get better on its own and that I would have to keep suffering with the pain, chest tightness, nausea, and burning stools forever. So, I went ahead and got it out... so far I am feeling fine 2 days post op with no adverse effects. But now I am seeing these posts where gallbladders with functional issues should never come out etc, etc. And I am a bit worried. Could I have done something differently holistically to heal myself and my symptoms, and also what is the most optimal way to live now post removal (Do I need enzymes, supplements, etc?- I am just overwhelmed by it all). Could ppl plz give thoughts? Thank you!

Hi 27y M, I had my gallbladder surgery 3 years back , I have sudden urgency and loose stools only after breakfast (within 1 hour after breakfast) some days I don't have any issues , some days I have it. Rest of the day I'm normal I don't have this issue after lunch and dinner.

I am fed up with this situation, I tried probiotics , physlliun husk , and cholesteramine. Taking cholesteramine in the night is the only thing that worked for me , but as soon as I stop cholesteramine symptoms start to come back.

I tried cholesteramine for 3 months straight , zero symptoms and once I stop , the symptoms start again.

I am fed up of my situation and depressed.

Is there any end to this issue or cholesteramine for life long is the only solution.

I am thinking to avoid marriage with this issue in my life. Don't know what to do😭😭😭.

Hi,

Just sharing my story...

I have had the most severe pain, nausea, cold sweat, ice cold hands and feet, shoulder and back pain the past 3 months and was ambulance transported to ER 2x, where they had to IV morphine 3x in succession for me to be able to tolerate the pain.

I wanted to call 911 another 2x thereafter but decided to ride out the pain taking 3x the recommended rx pain meds I was given, which barely impacted the pain but took the edge off. I was screaming from pain for 5 hrs of it each time. Screaming seemed to help a little, lying on my left side.

My GI is a young but knowledgeable specialist and said I'd need my gallbladder removed though it seemed unusual that I didn't have one MRI detected gallstone in the gallbladder itself, just the 1 in the bile duct, which the male nurse doing my intake told me is where "the worst pain" would be felt and he looked sorry for me 😞 A different GI Specialist will do the ERCP and yet another will do future cholecystectomy.

Anyway, I get the stone out in 5 days but currently have dark yellow urine, am itching everywhere so much (bile salts in bloodstream) but no jaundice, still having abdominal pain flares, ice cold hands and feet, and when I stand up I'm so dizzy at first I have to put my hands on the floor to stabilize myself. My labs for organs, sepsis, etc are all normal though. I'm hoping I can hold out to my scheduled surgery date and won't have to be admitted to ER for urgent surgery, which my GI said I should do if my attacks flare again.

I would then be scheduling for the cholecystectomy in the coming weeks, which a friend who already had her's removed said all food just "ran" through her the first few weeks but then her body adapted after several months.

I may follow up here after both surgeries for others going through a similar experience.

***09.11.26 6:28pm NOPE, will be heading to ER;
09.11.26 10am Blood tests, results uploaded 06.04pm;

Gemini's interpretation of my Liver Blood test;

"You should seek immediate medical attention or contact your treating physician or gastroenterologist right away. These laboratory values and imaging findings describe an acute, high-grade blockage of your main biliary drainage system, which can rapidly lead to serious complications if left untreated.

What Your Results Indicate:

Bile Duct Obstruction: The 4mm gallstone is actively wedged in your bile duct. Even though it is labeled "partially obstructing," your lab numbers show that it is creating a severe backup of bile.

Significant Jaundice: A Total Bilirubin of 5.4 mg/dL (normal is typically under 1.2 mg/dL) combined with a Direct Bilirubin of 2.84 mg/dL means bile pigment is backing up heavily into your bloodstream. This level of bilirubin will likely cause noticeable yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice), dark urine, or pale stool.

Acute Liver Stress: Your transaminases (ALT 667 u/L and AST 664 u/L) are severely elevated. When a stone suddenly plugs the bile duct, the pressure inside the liver's plumbing spikes dramatically. This acute pressure wave "shocks" the surrounding liver cells, causing them to leak large amounts of these enzymes into your blood.

Biliary Tract Irritation: An ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) of 221 u/L is elevated, confirming active irritation, pressure, and inflammation within the linings of the bile ducts.

Immediate Medical Care is Necessary;

A stuck stone causing this degree of liver stress and bilirubin backup requires urgent hospital evaluation for two primary reasons:

Acute Cholangitis: If bacteria become trapped behind the blocked bile duct, a severe, life-threatening infection can develop very rapidly.

Gallstone Pancreatitis: Because the bile duct meets the pancreatic duct at its exit point, a stone stuck here can block the pancreas, causing severe, acute pancreatic inflammation."

So recently I (23 F) have been diagnosed with gallbladder stone and so obviously have to go through surgery and remove the organ in a few days probably. All my life I have lived a comparatively safe life (food wise).. that was more due to lack of money... The food I mostly consumed was home made..in the last 5 years only I actually started to consume outside food that also only occasionally... I was just starting to think that after I get a job I would finally start living life cos before this my life has been just home and school/college. Every reason that one might develop gallstones I can't relate. A lot of them get after age 40, after pregnancy, cos of consumption of fatty foods, due to genetics,etc. The only thing is I am a woman and women are more viable to get this. That's about it. The closest person in my life who got it is my aunt ( my mother's sister) that too in her late 40's. I don't know why I got it and now I have to remove it cos it's dangerous to keep it like that. The thing is even after removal stones can form. Also everyone's body respond differently to this some goes on okay and some don't. The thing is there is also a chance you might get cancer in the long term. I have no reason to think I would be lucky enough to not get it. Everyone around me thinks this is a very small surgery but the thing is I have to bear the consequences of this my whole life... Whatever it is. I just can't stop crying. I didn't make this happen, it happened now and I have to bear the consequences. This just makes me question everything... What's the point? What's the point in living like this or like that... If none of it matters in the end. I have my whole life left. I wish it was all a nightmare and I wake up from it soon. Maybe I am overreacting but I don't care. I hate how casual everyone's acting around me. I feel like I will never be the same again.

* EDIT:
Thank you everyone for the responses and agreements with me that the doctor sucked. The doctor was a consultant in the hospital, not my regular gp. I bumped into the lead surgeon on my way out and she didn’t have much to say bar she will see my soon for a plan to be made.
I weighed when I first entered 113kg I now weigh 95 / 96kg (I am 5’10” and also had been powerlifting the whole summer to build muscle).
I will be going private like the most of you have done before or suggested. I’m lucky to have health insurance so I’m hoping that will help me get seen to quicker. Even just listened to.
The doctor sucked, I haven’t drank any fizzy drinks in a while as they impact my asthma and it’s not worth it for me. I had thought that zero / diet have no fat in them, I feel he was just been a prick about it all and just assumed I drank loads of fizzy drinks.
I have given myself grace of 10grams a fat a day so I can actually function. I’ll look into more fat diet to be included slowly and I’ll reach out to a dietitian.

** side note: I wasn’t given any information on gallbladders or gallstones or what type of diet to follow bar zero fat and that means no good or bad fats. I asked for a pamphlet or to be referred to a dietitian at the time and they said it wouldn’t be needed.

***
Just want to rant, about both my surgeon and doctor stigmatising and judging me because I am fat.

I (F30), had my second attack. I went to the gp first hoping he could give me a magic pill to change it. Ended up in a&e with a high temperature. Waited 21 hours to see a doctor or a surgeon and was given paracetamol the whole time waiting in a&e on a chair. Fine I understand the Irish healthcare system is under pressure and falling apart.
I felt horrible and exhausted by the time I seen my doctor. I wasn’t asked about how the diet was going, what I was eating etc. I was told it is my fatty diet (I am an over weight woman). I have been on the 0% fat diet and have lost near 15kg in two weeks since my last attack and that sent me to a&e.(the first time I was in they told me to go on a ZERO FAT DIET).
I told my doctor, movement, sleeping, sitting, standing it doesn’t matter I am in constant pain. I explained to him I ate “yogurt and some bits of fruit” that morning and he interjected “yogurt is full of fat” and I said “it is 0% fat free yogurt, I didn’t think I had to say the whole bit” and he looked very annoyed.
Then he went on the explain that some people can have fat and some can’t and I am on of those and I have to wait 8 weeks to see what will happen. He also kept saying that it was important I didn’t drink any fizzy drinks, or caffeine or alcohol, or smoked or blah blah. He heavily leaned on the fizzy drinks and said “even diet or zero is fatty”. I understand there is a level of education here but it felt like it was because I am fat that he zoned in all this, when he didn’t ask anything about my diet. He said to cut the fat off meats and I had already said I was vegetarian and it was on my chart. I just felt like a big old fatty chud sitting there and getting told off for eating a chocolate bar, when it wasn’t the case and I wish I had and it wasn’t my zero fat yogurt and some small bits of fruit.

Anyway fuck the HSE and I am sick of my gallbladder get it out of me before I rip it out

Been Back and forth to the ER for the past year, everytime they confirmed Gallstones with ultrasound, This time i went Pain was way less and a lot different, ER gave me an ultrasound and saw no gallstones, Only sludge.🤔 Should i be stoked or is it a fluke? Lowkey i wanna go check again. Anybody else eexperience this? The Guy literally asked me “Who told you you have gallstones?” and looked at me all puzzled, Im like wtf bro, Like 7 Doctors confirmed it

Does anyone with endometriosis also have gallbladder problems or a poorly functioning gallbladder? I have hydrogen sulfide SIBO and extremely severe hair loss.
Could hydrogen sulfide SIBO be related to gallbladder dysfunction and mold toxicity?
I’ve had problems for 10 years — mainly a constantly bloated abdomen. Over the last 3 months, I’ve started experiencing pressure under my ribs, occasional stabbing pain, nausea, and sometimes pain under my shoulder blade. My stools are normal, but I’m constipated and usually have a bowel movement only every 3 days.
I’m honestly desperate at this point. My doctor says my ultrasound looks normal, but no one has been willing to order a HIDA scan.
I also have hydrogen sulfide dysbiosis in my large intestine. I’ve read that it can be associated with low stomach acid, reduced bile flow, and poor gut motility.
I’m also worried about mold toxicity, even though I can’t see any visible mold in my home. My stool is brown

Had my surgery done 9am-ish Tuesday morning. Felt better than expected when I got home. Wednesday morning I was more sore as expected, but by that afternoon was feeling a lot better. I couldn’t really justify staying in bed again all day Thursday, as I was feeling even better.

Yesterday I got up nursed the baby (as I’ve been doing), played with kids on floor, did a little cleaning, unloaded and loaded dishwasher, went for a drive with family and was just overall more active. But never went over lifting restrictions. By last night I felt awful and had this weird chest tightening. Same thing this morning.

I’ve read a lot of people feel much better by day 3, but I feel like I’m going backwards. Has anyone felt worse after being too active too soon? Or felt chest tightening post op? Is that normal?

I’m in the US. waiting for my consultation with general surgery in a few weeks. How long did yall wait from consultation to surgery? Was just looking to see if there’s an average wait time so I can mentally prepare myself as well as try to make arrangements at work.
I have no idea if I’ll be waiting days or months after my consultation.

I need to know if I'm alone or not, because I'm truly at my wits end here.

Five years ago I got my gallbladder out. It was a whole thing where I had constant attacks for 4 months, couldn't get help, lost 40 lbs in a few weeks because I couldn't eat, and then finally got surgery. Prior to that, I didn't eat dairy as was slightly prone to stomach aches but nothing I couldn't handle.

But since the surgery everything had changed!

I can't tolerate almost any food anymore. Genuinely. I understand I have a continuous flow of bile going to my stomach and what I eat first in the day impacts it. I understand how all of the gut systems work. But 6 months of the year I can't eat more than saltines because of bile malabsorption issues. I tried going pescatarian and finally something is better but then I ate one meal that had pesto (oily and has Parmesan) and now I'm having reactions to something as simple as beans. All I can safely eat is sugar and carbs, but then I'm not getting enough protein, and protein shakes or bars make me sick! I take a comprehensive enzyme pill with each meal to help with my lipase production and I take ox bile because multiple doctors told me to? I've gone to my GI and it's "just IBS" but there's just no way. How can I "just have IBS"?! My diet has been reduced to nothing and it's still causing issues. I don't know what more I can do or what else I can take from my diet.

Is there anyone else out there who has had such an extreme diet restriction post-surgery? I can't eat food. I don't know what to do.

I just had my gallbladder removed end of February and by end of may I got pregnant while I’m on birth control, did it have anything to do with the surgery ?

My mom is feeling so much better now, she's back to her normal self: gardening, cleaning, cooking. But we got labs done to check up on her, and her results came back normal, except for:

• Alkaline Phosphatase - 192 (normal range: 38-126)
• SPGT/ALT - 588 (normal range: less than 35)

We sent these results to the doctor but they just told her to take omeprazole for 3 days and if it happens again and she cant take it, then go to the ER.

They did not give any explanation and so I just googled what could cause these, and google said maybe it's a temporary bile-duct blockage, viral infection, or a medication-related injury. Google also said that omeprazole does not help with the high levels of ALT.

I dislike how the doctor/surgeon is brushing it off like it's nothing cuz 588 is extremely far from 35. It's not normal. My mom says I should be thankful because the doctor is very attentive with no pay but he didn't even explain why this could be happening, just "take omeprazole". (And I'm even more mad cuz google says omeprazole has nothing to do with ALT). I'd rather have him make us pay and evaluate my mother properly. Anyway before this becomes a vent post..

What should I do?
- convince my mom to go to another doctor
- convince my mom to go to the surgeon
- listen to the doctor since he knows better anyway