Two and a half years without a gallbladder
2 days ago
- The author had emergency gallbladder removal in 2024 after years of misdiagnosed digestive issues like IBS, eventually diagnosed via ultrasound showing gallbladder sludge.
- After gallbladder removal, bile flows continuously instead of being stored; the author manages digestion with digestive enzyme pills containing ox bile before fatty meals.
- Problematic post-surgery foods include leafy salads, raw vegetables, cooked broccoli, peanut butter, spicy dishes, coffee cake, whole milk, and dark chocolate.
- Surprisingly tolerable foods are ice cream, milkshakes, whole fat Greek yogurt, beans, lentils, oatmeal, apples, carrots, and most nuts.
- New eating habits involve three meals plus two snacks to avoid overeating; ginger chews help with indigestion due to medication restrictions.
- IBS symptoms improved post-surgery, suggesting gallbladder was the root cause; occasional bloating and phantom pain occur, but back pain lessened.
- Gallstones may have been caused by long-term birth control pill use (since 2008) and rapid weight loss from appetite-suppressing medications in 2021.