“Is diarrhea and pain after a surgery normal?”
I am having severe pain and diarrhea after my gall bladder surgery. Is it normal or should I be concerned?
13 Answers
Diarrhea after Surgery can be C.diff infection. See your Doctor and keep hydrated.
The first 3 post-operative days could be in the frame of post-operative pain and possible effects of antibiotics. If the symptoms persist. they should be reviewed by the doctor.
Loose stools and pain for a few days following gallbladder surgery is not unusual. If the loose stools contain noticeable mucus or bright red blood, you should contact your surgeon or go to the emergency room to be evaluated for possible antibiotic-induced colitis. Otherwise, the loose stools usually resolve with resumption of normal diet. Using a heating pad on you abdomen can help alleviate the pain.
Joseph E. Ronaghan, MD, FACS, FICS
Joseph E. Ronaghan, MD, FACS, FICS
Some pain after surgery is expected and can be considered "normal." Diarrhea is not uncommon for a number of reasons after surgery, but is not the norm. Antibiotics, bowel preps, some poor absorption after surgery may all contribute to diarrhea, and although most are short-lived and self-limiting, the patient should be monitored very closely. Pain, in this day and age, can very easily be managed with a variety of modalities and medication, the last resort being narcotics.
Sharon Zisman
Sharon Zisman
Diarrhea is not uncommon and may require treatment. Pain is not; was the surgery laparoscopic? You should see your surgeon about the pain, call them and set up an appointment. IF IT IS SEVERE, GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
Pain for a couple days is normal. Diarrhea is not normal. Some causes can be concerning such as one caused by Clostridium difficile (c-diff). Discuss with your surgeon.
It is not uncommon to have diarrhea and abdominal pain after surgery to remove the gallbladder. These symptoms are usually improved with a low fat diet. The body requires a period of time to compensate for the lack of the gallbladder. It could take 1 to 3 months to adjust. In the meantime, the best way to prevent the symptoms is to avoid fried and fatty foods like pizza, fries, burgers, fried chicken, fried fish, etc.
No it is not normal to have severe pain an diarrhea after a cholecystectomy. You need to let your surgeon know about to proceed and find the cause of it and treat it properly.
It is very unusual to have severe pain and diarrhea after gallbladder surgery. What type of surgery was done and how many days back? Consult your surgeon if you prefer not to answer me.
Should resolve with time
It is normal for some people. You just need to stay in touch with your Doctor.
You should be concerned. Antibiotic associated colitis could be the cause. Where is your pain, upper or lower?
Post-cholecystectomy dumping can occur in about 1/3 of patients after having their gallbladder removed. The function of the gallbladder is to store bile; bile helps us digest fatty foods in our diet. Without a gallbladder to store the bile, there is a larger amount of bile within the intestinal tract. This leads to irritation of the colon and thus diarrhea. Over time, your body will produce less bile and will become more efficient at absorbing extra bile. The dumping typically resolves within 3 months in 99% of patients. Very rarely, a medication called cholestyramine (Questran) can be prescribed to absorb bile and decrease the diarrhea.
