Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome Related Conditions What to Do About IBS After Gallbladder Removal By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Scott Sundick, MD on November 11, 2019 linkedin Scott Sundick, MD, is board-certified in general surgery and vascular surgery. Since 2012, he has practiced with The Cardiovascular Care Group in New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Review Board Scott Sundick, MD on November 11, 2019 Print Table of Contents View All Life After Removal Complications IBS After Removal When to See Your Doctor Managing Symptoms With Diet Some people who have had their gallbladders removed—a procedure known as a cholecystectomy—find themselves dealing with ongoing digestive problems. Typically, these symptoms include pain or the urgent need to run to the bathroom after eating. Here you will find out why that might be happening and what you can do about it. Verywell / Cindy Chung Life With and Without a Gallbladder It is safe to live without a gallbladder, which is one of the reasons gallbladder removal is typically the recommended treatment for gallbladder problems. Your gallbladder's main job is to store bile (a substance needed for digesting fats) and to secrete bile into your small intestine in response to ingesting foods containing fat. Without your gallbladder, your liver continues to produce bile, but instead of it being sent to the gallbladder for storage the bile is sent into your common bile duct and then makes its way into your small intestine. Complications of Gallbladder Removal Most of the time, the body adapts to the loss of the gallbladder. However, there are a few possible problems that people may experience following gallbladder removal. Postcholecystectomy Diarrhea Approximately 20% of people who have had their gallbladders removed will experience recurrent problems with diarrhea, a condition known as postcholecystectomy diarrhea. This problem results from the fact that without the gallbladder, there is nothing to regulate the amount of bile that passes into the small intestine and the higher amount of bile can create stools that are watery and more frequent. Luckily, for most of these individuals, this problem will resolve itself slowly over time. Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction If you are experiencing ongoing upper abdominal pain following gallbladder removal, you may want to speak with your doctor about a possible problem with your sphincter of Oddi (SO). The sphincter of Oddi is a valve found within the small intestine that regulates the flow of bile and pancreatic juices. A very small number of people may experience sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD), a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGD). In SOD, the sphincter does not relax as it should, preventing the bile and pancreatic juices from entering the small intestine. The Rome III criteria for SOD describes its symptoms as "episodes of moderate to severe steady pain" in the central and upper right regions of the abdomen that lasts for at least 30 minutes. This type of pain generally occurs a short time after eating. Some people report nausea and vomiting. The pain symptoms of SOD are thought to be the result of the excess accumulation of the juices in the ducts. SOD is most often seen in postcholecystectomy patients or in those who have pancreatitis. Although up to 20% of postcholecystectomy patients will report ongoing upper abdominal pain, only a small percentage will actually have SOD. SOD can be treated with medication or a procedure known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). What to Expect From an ERCP IBS Following Gallbladder Removal Although anecdotally numerous people with IBS report that their IBS showed up following removal of their gallbladder, there is not a lot of clinical research on the subject. However, researchers have begun looking into a condition called bile acid malabsorption (BAM) and its relationship to chronic diarrhea difficulties. People who have had their gallbladders removed may be at risk for BAM, a condition in which there is dysfunction as to how bile acids are processed within the body. Research on this topic is still light, so it's best to work with your doctor to diagnose and resolve this issue. When to See Your Doctor If you are experiencing ongoing problems with abdominal pain and/or diarrhea, you should work with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis. The range of possibilities for your ongoing problems is fairly varied: Common bile duct stonesChronic pancreatitisDyspepsiaIBSPancreatic cancerSOD If you are experiencing fever, chills, or signs of dehydration, you should contact your physician immediately. An accurate diagnosis can lead to an optimal treatment plan. In some cases, ongoing diarrhea following gallbladder removal is helped by a class of medications known as bile acid-binding agents, including: Cholestyramine (Questran)Colesevelam (Welchol)Colestipol (Colestid) Managing Symptoms With Diet Without your gallbladder participating in the process of digestion, you may need to change your eating habits. If your gallbladder was only removed very recently, you may want to eat a bland diet until your diarrhea symptoms start to ease. For ongoing problems, there are certain foods that you can eat and others that you should avoid when you don't have a gallbladder. What to Eat After Having Your Gallbladder Removed Although there isn't necessarily hard science behind these recommendations, you might find the following tips to be helpful: Eat small meals frequently throughout your dayTry a probioticTry a digestive enzyme Remember, although coping with symptoms is no fun, there are a few factors (such as your diet) that are in your control. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Arora D, Kaushik R, Kaur R, Sachdev A. Post-cholecystectomy syndrome: A new look at an old problem. J Minim Access Surg. 2018;14(3):202–207. doi:10.4103/jmas.JMAS_92_17 McNally MA, Locke GR, Zinsmeister AR, Schleck CD, Peterson J, Talley NJ. Biliary events and an increased risk of new onset irritable bowel syndrome: a population-based cohort study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2008;28(3):334–343. Afghani E, Lo SK, Covington PS, Cash BD, Pandol SJ. Sphincter of Oddi Function and Risk Factors for Dysfunction. Front Nutr. 2017;4:1. doi:10.3389/fnut.2017.00001 Behar J, Corazziari E, Guelrud M, Hogan W, Sherman S, Toouli J. Functional gallbladder and sphincter of oddi disorders. Gastroenterology. 2006;130(5):1498-509. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2005.11.063 Lee JK, Enns R. Review of idiopathic pancreatitis. World J Gastroenterol. 2007;13(47):6296–6313. doi:10.3748/wjg.v13.i47.6296 Seetharam P, Rodrigues G. Sphincter of Oddi and its dysfunction. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2008;14(1):1–6. doi:10.4103/1319-3767.37793 Barkun AN, Love J, Gould M, Pluta H, Steinhart H. Bile acid malabsorption in chronic diarrhea: pathophysiology and treatment. Can J Gastroenterol. 2013;27(11):653–659. doi:10.1155/2013/485631 Pattni S, Walters JR. Recent advances in the understanding of bile acid malabsorption. Br Med Bull. 2009;92:79-93. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldp032 Additional Reading "Gallstones" National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Barkun, A. "Bile Acid Malabsorption in Chronic Diarrhea: Pathophysiology and Treatment" Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology 2013 27:653–659. Wilcox, C. "Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction Type III: New Studies Suggest New Approaches Are Needed." World Journal of Gastroenterology 2015 21:5755-5761. Behar, J. "Functional Gallbladder and Sphincter of Oddi Disorders" Gastroenterology 2006 130:1498-1509.