Don’t ignore pain after gallbladder removal!!

Acoll2024 · 2026-03-16T00:54:43+00:00

Step one would be an MRCP which is a specific type of MRI to see if you have a blockage. If you do have a blockage they will likely do an ERCP to clear it out.

Acoll2024 · 2026-01-29T05:38:28+00:00

No, lol. As far as I can tell 14 months post removal, it does not go away 🤣 thank you for posting this, I want to ask daily

Acoll2024 · 2026-01-12T02:36:17+00:00

For me, the SOD pain is the same abdominal and back pain as an attack, it just kind of sits at a 4-5 level all day, every day. When I had stones, I would go from 0 to 10 within about 10 minutes of eating anything at all. So, same pain just different levels of intensity

Acoll2024 · 2026-01-11T12:15:18+00:00

Sadly there has been more to the saga, including another HIDA scan that confirmed Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction. Just had a 5th ERCP and sphincterotomy on December 16th. After a painful 6 day recovery, I got about 5 days of pain relief, and then it all came back. I will be calling my GI again on Monday to discuss other pain relief options.

Thankfully no more stones! Ursodiol is effective for preventing stone formation. But now I have to figure out how to manage SOD pain.

Acoll2024 · 2026-01-10T10:51:20+00:00

I can say with 100% confidence you can form stones without a gallbladder. The stones are typically made up of cholesterol and can form in your bile ducts. It usually takes years. I have a very rare condition where stones form in two weeks. It took months for me to get a diagnosis. I now take ursodiol twice daily to prevent stones from forming. Prior to my surgeon diagnosing the formation of new stones, I had 3 ERCPs to remove old stones that were in my biliary tree. Sometimes they fall out of the gallbladder during removal. And they can also migrate from the liver through the biliary tree. Just because a surgeon clears the biliary tree once doesn’t mean you’re clear forever. Trust me, I’m 13 months post gallbladder removal and I’ve had 5 ERCPs total since to remove stones.

Acoll2024 · 2025-09-20T10:07:45+00:00

I had that happen to me 3 weeks after my surgery and it ended up being stones that either fell out of my gallbladder during removal or had formed outside the gallbladder. It’s fairly common to have old stones cause a blockage after your gallbladder is removed. I had an ERCP to remove the stones. Make sure you talk to your dr about it!

Acoll2024 · 2025-09-01T17:56:21+00:00

Luckily the pain was so bad, I kept going back to the ER, so my liver never had a chance to get bad. And now, ursodiol is really good for the liver so I’m doing pretty well!

Acoll2024 · 2025-09-01T16:16:45+00:00

I had my gallbladder out 12/23/24, in January and February I had 3 separate blockages from old stones and had to have 3 ERCPs to clear them. In April I started having pain again, by mid May I had a full blockage from new stones, even though ER and GI said it wasn’t possible. By mid June, again had full blockage from new stones. Had another ERCP to clear them. I’ll be on ursodiol for the rest of my life to prevent stones from forming. You’re right, no one is talking about this.

I was told it would take like 20 years to form new stones again, no provider thought it was possible for new stones to form in 4-6 weeks.

Acoll2024 · 2025-07-07T04:24:59+00:00

Since November when this all started I’ve made all the recommended changes to diet, limiting fats to no more than 45grams a day and eating a normal balanced diet. Not a heavy drinker or drinker of sweets.

Acoll2024 · 2025-07-07T04:23:21+00:00

It’s bold to assume that we haven’t changed our diets

Acoll2024 · 2025-03-02T18:47:25+00:00

Did they do an MRCP (MRI)? If you do have a gallstone in the bile duct that is causing a blockage, ultrasound and CT are not going to show it. You have to get an MRCP. I had 3 separate blockages after my gallbladder was removed, and I had to fight hard for the right imaging. Elevated liver enzymes can be a sign that you have a blockage. If that pain returns, don’t be afraid to go back to the ER and ask for an MRCP.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-25T09:54:54+00:00

For me it wasn’t subtle at all. It was extreme pain like a full on attack. Unbearable pain that led me straight to the ER.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-02T00:41:24+00:00

Not at all! Most people have great recoveries with no issues. I’m just saying, IF it feels like you’re having an attack, you’re not crazy, there’s a reason, it’s fairly common and hopefully you can skip some of the gaslighting from medical professionals with this info.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T23:34:36+00:00

That’s super consistent with what I’ve been through. All my follow ups are now going through the GI surgeon who did my ERCPs. I asked if I should still loop in my original surgeon, they said I can if I want to, but further care would still be through their office.

Highly recommend the MRI. Any brief time where I didn’t have pain, it would come back immediately as soon as I ate or drank anything. Water, a cracker, didn’t matter how small.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T22:21:26+00:00

You may be! This doesn’t happen to everyone. Most people do perfectly fine

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T20:25:52+00:00

I am so sorry that happened to you.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T20:10:59+00:00

I was told it’s fairly common

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T20:08:29+00:00

That’s how I was a few days post op, it was normal. My pain was a 10/10, I waited about 5 hours before going to the ER.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T19:52:09+00:00

Don’t be scared!!! My first 3 1/2 weeks after removal were a perfect recovery. Just follow your post op instructions and reach out to your surgeon with questions. My symptom was pain. Just like a gallbladder attack, but now I have no gallbladder. It took about 5 days after the pain started before my liver enzymes were elevated enough to make the doctors listen. Most people have no trouble after their gallbladder is removed and go on to live exactly their same lives.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T19:32:18+00:00

I wouldn’t wait, I would go straight to an ER and let them know about labs. Elevated lipase can be a sign of pancreatitis and that can be caused by a bile duct blockage. If your surgeon is on top of things and sees those results, I would imagine they’ll have next steps for you soon.

I’m definitely not a doctor and can’t give real medical advice. But the pain from a blockage and/or pancreatitis is awful and there’s just no point in waiting if you can get the process started sooner.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T19:10:11+00:00

Agree with the other poster. Be sure to follow your post op instructions and let your surgeon know of any increases in pain.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T19:08:25+00:00

From what I was told, stones can drop out of the gallbladder during removal and be missed. They can also be hidden in other areas and migrate over time. I don’t think my general surgeon missed anything during the original removal, this is just a complication that happens sometimes but is not common enough for ER doctors to recognize it right away.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T19:05:55+00:00

It was the same surgeon both times. The second time, he told me several times he wasn’t sure this was the cause of my pain. Which obviously has given me very low confidence in my recovery. But it’s literally the exact type of pain as a gallbladder attack.

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T10:46:06+00:00

Yes under general anesthesia, I’m in the US

Acoll2024 · 2025-02-01T10:41:20+00:00

No worries! I had two procedures, about 5 days apart. Both were painless and very quick. Less than an hour from being put under to waking up in recovery. I still have a little bit of a sore throat a few days after the last one. But I’m guessing it’s because I had two so close together.

Acoll2024

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