I have a JPouch and on 2/2/07 I had my gallbladder out. Initially I had no problems after the surgery as my stool was fairly normal for me. But now, 2 months later, my stool seems to be more diarrhea. I also have been having problems with my thyroid (severely underactive as a result of the surgery). I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with their stool after gallbladder surgery due to the bile and what they did to thicken the stool? Oddly enough after 15 years with the pouch I have never had to take anything to bulk up my stools and don't know what to use. Any suggestions would be appreciated..

Dear Goldy,

My husband, who is not a j-poucher, had gallbladder surgery a couple of years ago. His surgeon told him, and it turned out to be true, that his body would go through a period of adjustment, getting used to operating without the gallbladder. For a month or two he had loose bowel movements, but they gradually went back to normal. I believe that there is medication that can be taken to help with this, so you might want to ask your surgeon or gastroenterologist about it.

Good luck!

Thanks Rudolph...I have an appointment with my gastro next week...good luck with your takedown!!!...debbie

Hi there,
I had gallbladder problems before my UC was diagnosed. My gallbladder was removed in 2000. After it, my stools were very loose. I found that avoiding fatty foods helped thicken the stool. A friend of mine who'd had his removed about 6 months before me, told me he relied on Imodium to keep himself out of the bathroom. I never took the Imodium, just waited for things to normalise. They did, kind of, but a couple of years later I was starting the road to UC, and the rest is history.