After having gall bladder removed?

Question

Have you had a problem eating certain foods? I had mine out 3 years ago and haven't been able to eat real eggs since.

Also I know the gall bladder is what filters the fat out of your foods, I found that out a little too late after I got fat, what are some good foods to eat now.

Answer 1

You are getting a lot of BAD ANSWERS!

The gallbladder is not a filter. It is a storage organ. The liver, among its other jobs, manufactures a substance called "bile," which is used to help mix together the oily things you eat along with the water based foods. Bile acts a lot like soap, which helps lift oil off of your hands and off of dishes by wrapping tiny oil droplets in water soluble material.

The liver makes bile and puts it into a duct system which drains from the liver into what is termed the "common bile duct". Connected off to the side of the bile duct just under the liver lies the gallbladder. This is connected to the bile duct through a small connection termed the "cystic duct".

The liver makes bile, all day every day. However, it is only needed in the intestine just after a meal (especially one with some fatty food). Between meals the flow of bile is preferentially into the gallbladder where the bile is stored. The gallbladder actually has the ability to concentrate the bile, by reabsorbing some of the water back out of it, making it thicker and more potent. Just after a meal, though, in response to gut hormone release, the gallbladder contracts and bile is released into the intestine to mix with food.

In about 20% of the population (by the time we reach age 65), the gallbladder will form solids called gallstones. In the majority of people this is not a problem, but for some it begins to cause pain as these stones get pinched with gallbladder contraction, and in some people it will cause illness, as the gallbladder becomes inflamed or even dies as a result of impeded flow. Gallstones can be released from the gallbladder into the duct where they can block flow and injure the liver, and they can cause pancreatitis, which is usually mild, but sometimes life-threatening.

The operation to remove the gallbladder is safe and well tolerated. For this reason, we recommend to remove it for anyone who has symptoms. We cannot predict who will or will not become dangerously ill because of the gallstones, and there is no reason to wait in order to find out. Removing a gallbladder when it is only mildly inflammed is easy, but waiting until an emergency makes it tremendously more difficult, and much more risky. The complication rate goes from less than a percent to somewhere between 30 and 50%.

Removing the gallbladder is curative for this problem because the gallbladder is the only part of this system which has the ability to reabsorb water, concentrate the bile, and precipitate stones. Once it is gone, the process is over.

After the gallbladder is removed, the bile, instead of being released intermittantly with meals, is released continuously. There is usually an adjustment period for a few weeks in which the patient's appetite is down, and the relative amount of food and bile is abnormal. This is experienced as loose stool or even diarrhea. However, the process normalizes because the bile output hasn't actually changed!

Intolerance of specific foods like egg doesn't sound like a gallbladder or bile related problem. When people complain about eggs, one of the more common complaints is that it makes them pass foul gas. Eggs have sulfur, and depending on the behavior of your gut and its microorganisms, this may be more or less noticable.

I hear a lot of people talk about problems that they associate to different kinds of surgery for the digestive system. Sometimes the problems cannot possibly relate, because the physiology of the surgery and the physiology of the problem are completely unrelated. My conclusion is that in many cases, people have multiple minor digestive problems but they only notice the big one - that subsequently leads to surgery! After that, the other problems which were lesser and hidden before, become noticable. Because of the time relationship, i.e., the patient notices the "new" problem shortly after clearing the time of surgery, the suggestion would naturally be that the problem resulted from the surgery.

Diet recommendations are best made by trying things and seeing what people don't care for. As far as what is healthy, the most important things are to eat a balanced variety of food types and to moderate portions. On average, we eat meals that are much larger than we need in the industrialized world. To a large degree, this contributes to what people can "tolerate" and what they cannot.

If you have any further questions about this, and I suspect that you will! ... feel free to contact me.

Answer 2

Interesting .... I had my gall bladder out just over a year ago now. I can eat just about everything, including pork and somewhat spicy foods with no ill effects. Everyone is different I guess.

My doc told me to eat everything when I got home, cracked up when I said I was craving a pork roast after having surgery. Said well you will know afterwards if it causes you any problems.

I'd discuss it with your family doc. It may not be your gall bladder removal at all, just that you've developed an allergy to eggs.

Answer 3

I had mine removed last year. I was not fat, never have been, so it had nothing to with weight. Mine simply stopped working.

Eat foods low in fat content, limited or no greasy food. If you cannot eat a certain food because it makes you rush to the restroom try taking an immodium or fibercon an hour prior to eating. That is what my doc reccommended. I still have burgers and fries, just not as often. Eat what you like.

If you are worried about weight gain just remember, you can not just alter your eating habits and take a pill to lose the weight. You HAVE to exercise ( nothing extreme) , eat healthier in smaller portions and change your mental outlook on what you are doing. There is no magic pill to melt fat. It takes time and energy.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

Your diet will change when your gall bladder comes out. as far as weight gain. It depends on your medications, your lifestyle and what you eat, how much and how often. The best way to eat is 5 times a day ...very small portions. Three meals and two snacks. This will also raise your metabolism. Exercise, cardio is the best way to go to drop those pounds, weight training to help build those mussels. and yes you are still getting cardio in while weight training

Answer 5

Anything that is greasy is going to cause you problems (I had mine out in 2003) I can no longer drink more than a little alcohol (a glass of wine is my limit). I can do eggs but only in small quantities. Your best bets are steamed and baked foods, nothing fried if you can help it and lots of fruits and veggies. Meats are harder to digest since my gall bladder was removed and highly acidic stuff can cause problems if I eat too nuch of them.

Hope that helps.

Answer 6

as someone above mentioned, it should have been explained to you at the time of the surgery that you cannot take in a lot of cholesterol any more. High fat, high cholesterol foods are OUT for you pretty much forever now.

Answer 7

Join the club..............after the gall bladder discomfort will keep you slim and trim. It's all the fatty foods that tip the scales..........so enjoy a healthy diet!

Answer 8

Strictly avoid fatty food and spices. Abstain from fast food. Eat vegetables and fruits and drink water as much as you can.

Answer 9

Lots of fruit and vegetables.

I am surprised this was not explained to you when you had your operation. Go and see your doctor for advice on diet.

Answer 10

Thanks bellydoc you've been a great help i'm getting mines removed next week but I have one concern
I've had three c-sections, is it safe for me to have my gallbladder removed by laposcopic surgery although I've had three c-sections before?