I had to have my gallbladder removed 2 years ago. It quit functioning. I think it had more to do with my age and gender (lots of women in their 40s start having GB issues). I don't think it had anything to do with warfarin.

Thanks rmb. How is life without your gallbladder? Do you notice anything different?

I don't know of a link between blood thinners and gallbladder issues, but I just thought it was strange I developed gallbladder problems since I've been eating well (plant based, low fat) and exercising daily and generally feeling healthier (except for the PE stuff). Wouldn't it be interesting, though, to find out if there is a link between having PEs and having gallbladder problems.

I was so sick from my gallbladder issues that it was a relief to have it removed. For the first 8 months or so after the surgery, I had some intermittent issues, like diarrhea, intestinal spasm, and a lot of bile reflux, but it was manageable and not anywhere near constant. The surgery itself went without a hitch and I recovered very quickly from that. I had my GB removed on a Wednesday and went back to work the following Monday.

Gallbladder problems are pretty common so I think it would be hard to find a real connection between the warfarin/PE and the GB issues. I think there are other risk factors that would play more of a role, like age, gender, having certain autoimmune diseases, heredity, diet, excess weight, etc.

There is no correlation between gallbladder issues and warfarin or PEs. The most common cause of gallbladder dysfunction is gallstones that form and block the duct that bile is released into the intestines to help aid in digestion of food. The other cause (and it's not as common) is a syndrome called biliary dyskinesia...it's essentially where the gallbladder just stops working.

I actually had gallbladder issues before they found my PEs last month (I had multiple PEs in both lungs) so now I can't get my gallbladder out til December (blah).

Good luck with everything and hopefully feel better soon.

You can also have inflammation of the GB (cholecystitis) which can be related to gallstones, or not. In my case, I had cholecystitis with no gallstones, and it eventually caused by GB to quit functioning. Regardless, Thatch, I'm sure you're working with your doc to figure out the cause and next steps.

Thanks, rmb and PAStitch, for the very helpful information. I am working with my doctor and still in the preliminary testing stage. I'm glad to hear that you're doing ok without your gallbladder rmb.

Let me know how it goes. Sometimes it can be hard to get diagnosed with an actual issue. I had two ultrasounds within a year on my GB due to intermittent pain in my right rib cage, and the ultrasounds came back normal. Then about 3 weeks after the second ultrasound, the pain worsened significantly, to where I was doubled over, and I was very nauseous and just felt so, so ill. My doc then ordered a HIDA test which measures how well your gallbladder functions, and that's the test that showed mine was no longer functioning.

Good luck!

I was looking back at some of the discussions found this one. I was wondering if I should eventually do something about my gall bladder since they found gall stones during a pelvic CT scan. Currently there is no pain from them, but worried something might go wrong down the line. Any suggestions?

I'd get a doctor's opinion on that; for me, I'd not go under the knife unless it was highly recommended.

Thanks RMB,
I value your advice.

Aw that's nice of you to say.

I remember reading that not all gallstones warrant gallbladder removal, but I can't recall specifically the reasoning behind it. I think it had more to with the severity of the stones and symptoms. So that's why I think it's a good discussion to have with your doc.