Greetings,My real name is Martha. I am a 43 year old woman that just found out she was not alone.Maybe I should not be posting yet as I just found out what Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) was. I went to my doctor (a referred one about 150 miles away from my home) today thinking we were going to set up a surgical appointment to fix my Hiatial Hernia.Ever since I had my gullbladder removed, I have had CONSTANT dirriha, (pardon me, I am the worst speller by the way), pain and bloating. It is so intense when I go to releave myself that I am almost in tears. On bad days, it feels like I live in the bathroom.I also have alot of nausea, pain in the upper stomach, and what the doc called reflux with gurd or something like that. I THOUGHT all these symptoms were from the herina and could be fixed with surgery. To my surprize the doc told me I had 4 different things. 1)IBS 2)reflux with gurd 3)(a name ten miles long so I'll describe it) because of no gallbladder the bile goes directly to the intestine. Very few people have adverse effects. I am one of the lucky ones that causes severe problems with the bile going directly to the intestine, which causes diarriha even more. and 4)the hernia.You know, after I got home from the docs, I got right on the computer to find out exactly what the IBS was. That's what led me here. It was such a releife to see that I was not alone. I still am scared because this disease keeps me near my ladies room constantly. It seems that I am a prisoner to my home.The doc did prescribe 2 things for me. One for the bile stuff that causes the runs... it's a mix that you drink. The second is pills. I can't read his writing on the prescription but one looks like it starts with a Q, and definatley can't read what the other is. He says it may or may not work. I go see him back in August.Anyway, back to reading again and learing more about how I can learn to live with this nasty disease.
Just found out (new to the boards)
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welcome to the board - sorry you have to be here.You should read around the board about IBS related to gallbladder removal. you'll find that you're definitely not alone. I'm not in tha category but I read an awful lot from people who are. I am sure you find a lot of help from them. In any case, you're sure to find a lot of support from people here, even if it's just to say - we hear you sister!!take carenancy
Did you have the IBS symptoms before your gallbladder was taken out? Of course it may be difficult to tell the difference between gallbladder pain and "IBS" symptoms. If not I just don't feel comfortable labeling those symptoms which occur only after the gallbladder is taken out IBS. However Doctors seem to label this IBS. Maybe the Rome II criteria should be updated to include if symptoms occur after gallbladder surgery. The questran should help you. Also you can try calcium. Look for specifics in the D forum. Or maybe Linda will see this and post info on it. Not all calciums are the same so they don't all work.
Sorry to hear you are having a tough time. I think the medication your doctor prescribed is Questran. This is a quote from Heather Von Vorous' book on IBS.: " Had your gallbladder out?If your IBS symptoms are diarrhea-predominant and began after you had your gallbladder or ileum (the last portion of the small intestine) removed, you are likely suffering from a malabsorption of bile acids secreted by the liver. These acids, which are normally stored in the gallbladder, are instead being dumped directly into the small intestines, causing chronic irritation and diarrhea. The prescription drug Questran(cholestyramine), which binds the bile acids in the intestines and prevents them from reaching the colon, can help this problem and should cure your "IBS". The bad news is you'll probably have to take Questran for the rest of your life. The good news is you don't need this book." This book is very informative. If this medication does not help you, you may want to read it. IBS The First Year by Heather Von Vorous Good Luck, Artist
I had some problems which hospilized me on several occations, them thinking it was my appendix. However, I did not have the D (hehe just figured out what D and C stood for)like it is now. It was just on occation. I also had an ulcer. It was that last hospital stay back in Feb 2001 that they found a huge gallstone. I refused the surgery at first untill that night when a gal came in with a gallbladder attack. After that, I agreed to the surgery. I also need to mention that I had diverticulitus on one occation that hospilized me for several days.Of course before the gallbladder surgery, they scoped me up and down. That's when they found the hiatil hernia. The doc says that he didn't want to do surgery on that because 80% of the time it rips again. He says that, that is the most likley reason for the reflux and gurd stuff.I have been on calcium for years because of a total historectomy. But oyster shell calcium.But to answer your question, I did not have symptoms for gallbladder at all. That was found by accident on an xray. Yes, normal xray. The stone that was in my gallbladder was very huge. It was 5.3 centemeters. The pain that I was haveing durring that hospital stay was not in the right area for gallbladder, and the blood test results did not resemble gallbladder or gallstones.So I would have to come to the conclusion that the pain must have been caused by the IBM. However, at that time I was not haveing severe D as I am now. That only happened after the gallbladder removal. I have been takeing zantac for years for the ulcer, and just recently takeing previcid for the gurd. Now I will be takeing these other 2 meds on top of those.I'm just gald that there is FINALLY a place where other people understand what I am going through. My friends, when they ask me to go with them antique shopping, or other trips, 99.9% of the time I have to make excuses not to go. That is pretty hard as my husband retired from the Army this last December. He was a Brigade Command Sergeants Major. And him being in that position made for ALOT of functions for me. On alot of occations when at a luncheon, I found myself in the ladies room for most of the dinner or luch. It was just too imbarrasing to go any more at all. They either thought I was stuck up and didn't want to hang with them, or I was too shy, or my husband was very dominateing and refused me to go anywhere.You know one time one of the commanders wives came right out and asked if my husband beat me.. ROFL can you believe that???Anyway, I can ramble on forever. I was never able to talk freely about this to anyone before. It is such a realife. Thank you for welcomeing me.P.S. Artist. I just saw your post after posing mine. Yes. That is the name he told me it was. (one of them anyway). One is a drink mix, the other is a pill. He said that the mix one should help alot with the D caused from the bile. He also said it may not
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