Weight gain after gallbladder removal

To make things worse, my friend's gallbladder has been removed by mistake (doctor's misdiagnosis), so the usual explanation for weight gain does not hold water. The current theory goes that since the patient was having problems every time they ate, they would not eat as much. However, after removal, they would make up for it. Well, not in my friend's case...

Since 2000 I have had a lump on the right side of my abdominals. Just above and of to the side of belly button. I have had extreme pain ( hospital going type pain..never went though.No one to watch kids if I was there), bloating, extreme heartburn everyday( I don't even have to eat anything to get heartburn. If I need to urinate And say I hold it for 5 min until I get home..I get heartburn). It sometimes swells up so much when I bend over and tie my shoes . my rib on right side gets stuck into what ever it is and I have to use my hand and push what ever it is off. Before I had the lump (5'4") i weighed 135...now I am at 195 gained at least 30 of it in less than a year. I exercise alot. 5-6 day week. 1.5-2 hrs a day. cardio,toning,weights. Have not worked out to much the past year though due to this lump in my stomach..being more pain ful than before, causing extremely upset stomach, dissiness, heartburn when i work ab's or due total body workout. Now it is to the point when I need to hold abs to work out I can not hold taught. feels like something is blocking. In the paperiods st year have stopped also...So being extremely concerned. I finally decided to see doctor (1st time in 15yrs) about this problem. They checked thyriod(normal) they check for bladder infection(normal). They sent me for CT scan on the 16th of june. The imaging people told me to call Dr the next day for results. I called the next day. they said they had not recieved them yet ..so okay I waited until friday they 20th. After few hours a nurse calls me back and say's that I have gallstones and the dr was waiting to talk to surgeon and they would get back to me. still no call from dr. but recieved call last week from surgeon. saying i need to have gallbladder removed.....so being really confused. i decided to e-mail dr. since not successful by phone and not really clear what was going on. I asked him what the ct scan result were. and if it gallstones is this what would be causing this big lump (about 3-4" diameter lump) ..his reply was that they seen I have a few gallstones. and they do not know if this is causing the lump or not and that the surgeon was would talk to me about the lump...my dr. is an internal med. specialist......i am so confused....so scared.   i don't want to gain anymore weight....went from hourglass to egg on stick....i wonder what other people's insight is or have had similar issues. Plus in the past couple years have been experienceing multiple lumps growing on arms, legs, torsal. they are on joints and tendions.. everywhere....I am only 39. I am not pregnant. .......WQhat is going on with me

what type of smaller meals you are eating did you omit carbs?

wondering if you got your answer, I had the same issue. The Doctor gave me cholestyramine and it helped keep hing solid .. I was on it for 2ys ad now my stomach is somewhat better; I have an episode maybe once a mont but better the every meal> hope this helps

Before any of you had your gall bladders out were you diagnosed after ultrasound with sludge in your GB or did any of you have yellow stool?  This is my case and has been since the birth of my first child 16 years ago.  I gained about 50lbs after his birth and am still over weight.  I am wondering if my body is behaving like I had my gall bladder out, it clearly isn't getting much bile if my stool is the colour it is.  GB is starting to bother me now, I have some stone now a dull ache under my ribs, a lot of shoulder blade pain daily and many head aches.  I think they are going to say it needs to come out.  Do you think I will gain more weight or will I lose cause my digestion will now be able to get bile.  Do you gain weight from too little or too much bile?  Thoughts?

YOU PROBABLY NEED TO TAKE DIGESTIVE ENZYMESRE

I just found this thread online. I was told by the nurses that I would gain weight after gallbladder surgery, the Doctor denied it. I have gained 10 pounds and can't lose it with any diet or exercise. I appreciate your post above. It sounds helpful to relieve a lot of the other symptoms that happen after gallbladder surgery. Why is this treated so casually by the surgeons when we have to live with more problems afterwards?

I had my gallbladder out three months ago. I did the whole diet and exercise thing my whole life. Always been thin. But now I can't seem to stop eating. I feel like I have no full button anymore and have gained a lot of weight just in my belly area. Skinny everywhere else! I've been tested for thyroid and all the other possible things. Negative! So I'd say it has to do with my gallbladder being taken out.

It does not look like the lumps are related to the gall stones... Certainly not if you are getting them on arms and legs. It would be wise to have them checked out, though, biopsy or some sort of scan.

Hi! Your post is encouraging. I just learned today from ultrasound of my gb results that my gb is full of stones and liver is fatty. Doc is recommending removal but it's scary to take an organ out and one that has function of bike storage. How are you feeling now after surgery s year ago?? Thanks for your help!

Hi - I had my gallballder removed last April and believe me I have also put alot of weight on and it's very upsetting. I've never been this fat but I don't even eat fatty food, yes some time I do like a slice of cake but I shouldn't been that much weight on. My face also looks fat. Don't worry it's not only you.

I feel the same way too, never had digestive problems until gallbladder removal because of a single gallstone and was asymptomatic.

Went in to have gall bladder removed only for the surgeon to find my gall bladder shriveled up and stuck to my liver. Also a big stone had rotted through the gall bladder and gall duct, the joy's! I have gained weight around my belly. Oh! and the Hospital staff when I first had a Biliary colic attack said, I was exaggerating the pain.

Wrong my thyroid is completely normal and I'm still gaining weight after my surgery. My favorite is when you go to the dr and explain the uncontrollable weight gain despite healthy diet and they act like you're lying. Getting the gallbladder removed has horrible consequences.

Thank you! I will try everything you suggested. From the time of first having gallstones pain last year too after my surgery, I put on 30 lbs! I exercise regularly, run 5ks, do yoga, and lots of yard work and eat healthy, mainly fish and veggies, yet lose roughly a pound or 2, only to wake up and find it's come back. It does feel like a losing battle and I do take probiotics regularly, but the fish oil is something I have not tried nor the 5 small meals a day.