Is there a correlation between lactose intolerance and not having a gallbladder?

 I just had another meeting with my surgeon and he said that he will remove both my gallbladder and appendix. At first I was relieved because that would rule out those two things in any future abdominal pain. But, then I had remembered reading another thread that said, 

"Recent studies have been showing that the appendix, formerly thought to do nothing since our non-grass eating days, has immune functions.  Also, the non-WLS family members I have who have had their gallbladders out have had trouble tolerating milk-products and I'd like to give myself as much of an edge in that dept. as I can."

So, what is everyone's take on this? I really, REALLY don't want to become lactose intolerant and if it means keeping my gallbladder, I will ask the surgeon to keep it in.

Thanks for your input!

, Jules

I got rid of my gallbladder several years ago and have had no problems with milk or dairy, so I dunno. 

I had my gallbladder out about 20 years ago.  Pre-op, I drank milk all the time without a problem.  I haven't tried any post-op, though.

I cannot answer for sure, but here is my take on it.  I had my gallbladder out along with my DS, and I am now lactose intolerant.  However, I can't answer whether I was before surgery or not.  I was always gassy and regularly had IBS symptoms.  I never paid any attention to what I was eating to cause these problems, where now I pay very close attention to my body.  Because of my new awareness, I was able to pinpoint that milk and cottage cheese were the culprits of a lot of my problems early post op.  My surgeon suggested trying to take Lactaid before having these things, or just waiting a month or two before adding them back into my diet.  I can drink a couple of ounces of milk with no problems right now--but I would love a big old 16 oz glass of ice cold milk!

I still have my appendix so I can't comment on that.  But, I have not missed my gall bladder.  Although I had some trouble eating and drinking while early out -- I cannot say those things were related to gall bladder removal.  DH had his gall bladder removed a couple of years ago and he has no issues as a result.

But the bigger issue here is looking at the people who had to have their gall bladders removed within a couple of years of having WLS.  It happens a lot.  And just from being around DH when he had a gall bladder attack I am so happy to have never had to go through that!

Red

No problems here on both counts, haven't missed either one.  I have milk just about every day and I been healthier (no colds/flu) than I can ever remember.

I had my gall bladder out 18 years ago and have never had a problem with dairy.  The only problem I have is if I go on a low fat diet and then all of a sudden eat something with fat  in it.  Then I will be as sick as a dog.  So I try to keep my fat intake constant, not up and down.

(I'm preop---haven't had the DS yet)

I had my Gallbladder out five years ago, haven't had my DS yet and just chiming in that I have not experienced any problems with dairy.

In the beginning I had sort of immediate bowl issues, if you catch my drift, from eating things that were too fatty but that's pretty much resolved itself.

When I had my DS I my appendix and gallbladder were not removed.  I become lactose intolerant (as many do) for about a year after the DS.  It then went as it had come.

More than three years after my DS I had to have my gallbladder removed.  I didn't become lactose intolerant.  I did have some trouble with foods that hadn't bothered me since early postop and my bowel movements changed somewhat but I attibuted that to the new way food was being processed through my body without my gb.  However, things went back pretty much to the way they were at about 4-6 weeks after the gb was removed (which is pretty common).