Hey! I wanted to post this here even though from what I’ve gathered my story is pretty unconventional. But if it helps one other person dealing with this it’s worth it🤷♀️.
I started having classic gallbladder attacks and gallbladder issue symptoms in the fall of 2024. Fatty foods would have me running to the bathroom and also feeling like my insides were trying to kill me. It got so bad I was scared to eat, scared to leave my house, constantly canceling plans, etc. I had an ultrasound on my gallbladder….nothing, abdominal ct….nothing, HIDA scan…..nothing but an ejection fracture on the lower end of normal. Despite my negative tests my dr was ready to send me to a surgeon because all of my symptoms were presenting as my gallbladder.
At the same time as all of this I was relying on Imodium and my dicyclomine to get me by. I was prescribed to take 20mg dicyclomine up to 4 times a day. However, after about a year it started making me feel like I was high every time I took it (weird, I know) this led to me only being able to take it once a day at night but I still felt like it was affecting me and I couldn’t take it anymore. February 2026 I stopped it. It was rough for about a week but I readjusted and felt mentally wayyyy more clear. Additionally, I HAVENT HAD ANY GALLBLADDER ISSUES SINCE I STOPPED.
The best theory anyone can come up with is that the anticholinergic effect of the dicyclomine was lowering my gallbladder ef and therefore mimicking gallbladder issues. Then, looking back, the time I started the medication and when the gallbladder symptoms started lined up🤦♀️. It was prescribed for an ibs flare. The HIDA would’ve been on the lower end of normal and not just low because I couldn’t take the dicyclomine for 24hrs leading up to my scan. Had I not been getting high every time I took my dicyclomine I would be on my way to gallbladder removal. It wasn’t perfect when I stopped my “rescue” medication but it was more easily controlled with otc meds like Imodium and Pepcid. I could actually leave my house again.
Now I’m pretty sure I just have ibs and bad flares of acid reflux. It’s controlled with occasional Imodium, occasional courses of Omeprazole, and an SNRI.
I very well could just be a one off but if anyone else is frustrated because they have all the symptoms and all the negative tests and you’re using one of the most commonly prescribed ibs medications it’s worth a thought!