From: montelle@ilhawaii.net (Ed Montell)
Subject: Re: NO GALL BLADDER - SIDE EFFECTS??
Date: 11 Sep 1995

In article <msjdwwb.203.0011BA3C@leeds.ac.uk>, msjdwwb@leeds.ac.uk (D.W.W.
Bullimore) wrote:

> In article <42m50n$cdd@news.alaska.edu> ftehw@aurora.alaska.edu (Erik H
> Williams) writes:
> >From: ftehw@aurora.alaska.edu (Erik H Williams)
> >Subject: NO GALL BLADDER - SIDE EFFECTS??
> >Date: 7 Sep 1995 06:55:19 GMT
>
> (Presumably removed surgically)
>
> In practical terms, no side effects

Agree there are usually none but a small percentage of patients have
urgent loose stools after or even during meals, especially but not only
fatty ones. This ranges from an inconvenience to a disaster. I have
personally seen several patients who never ate outside the home because of
the severity and unpredictability of this side effect. Some had actually
had episodes of incontinence. Amazingly most doctors, even surgeons are
unaware of this and think the worst that ever happens is "a little gas".

Furtunately every patient I ever seen with this has responded completely
to the simple measure of taking a dose of cholestyramine(Questran) before
eating. That is a non-absorbable resin used in treatment of elevated
cholesterol. Probably works by binding bile acids in the bile stream that
flows directly into the intestine after gall bladder removal but I don't
think anyone has worked out all the details.

Hope this info helps.