Gallstone questions

May_31_2008 · May 2011

I'm 20 weeks, and have been having minor pains in my right upper quadrant, which my OB says are probably gallstones. She told me to try a low-fat diet ... which to be honest, I don't eat a lot fat anyways, but I guess I'll try to cut back even more. I've only gained 5 pounds, and have also been very constipated since around the timy my gallbladder tenderness started. So, my questions are:

If you had gallbladder problems:

1) Did it get better with a diet change?

2) Did it resolve after birth? Or did you have to have a surgical intervention?

3) Did you also have problems with constipation at the same time?

Thanks for your time:)

nopegoat · May 2011

Bored and lurking...

I had gallbladder problems all through out my pregnancy. I didn't eat a lot of fatty foods either... I quickly learned it doesn't take much to trigger an attack.

For me, the pain wasn't constant. It was sever pain which started usually late at night, that lasted at first for just a few minutes then later lasting 29hrs. It was HORRIBLE! The change in diet did help a little as the attacks weren't as frequent.

I had my gallbladder removed a few months after my son was born. It was the best thing ever! Recover was quick and I could finally eat whatever I wanted! My Dr and surgeon said that gallbladder problems, unless you get it removed, never go away. If you don't keep a strict fat free diet you will have an attack and possibly a blocked duct.

When I was having gallbladder problems I felt constipated but really wasn't. I was just trying to force something out, thinking it would help the pain. TMI, I know...

Hope this helps! Good luck!!

lovelyophelia · May 2011

I'll answer the questions but I didn't have the problems during pregnancy. My gallbladder was long gone by then.

1) Did it get better with a diet change? Absolutely not. I finally got to the point I couldn't even keep water down. The low fat diet change helps me now because fats make give me IBS symptoms.

2) Did it resolve after birth? Or did you have to have a surgical intervention?

I had mine removed almost 8 years ago. I had a gallstone get stuck in my pancreatic duct. I ended up with a severe case of pancreatitis and was in the hospital a while.

3) Did you also have problems with constipation at the same time?

Nope.

Honeydewchestnut · May 2011

I had gallbladder problems before I got pregnant and I didn't have gallstones. I tried a bland, low fat diet for awhile but I couldn't even keep that down. I ended up in the hospital 3 times because I was dehydrated and I couldn't stop vomiting from the pain. I had diarrhea while this was happening and my surgeon said that it was most likely caused by my overactive gallbladder that was overproducing bile. Having it removed was probably the best thing I've done.

I hope you feel better.

bargar18 · May 2011

i had my gallbladder removed almost 10 years ago. it started with a pain/ache on my right side just below my ribs. i saw a Dr, had an ultrasound and was diagnosed with gallstones. i had it removed about a month later. it never got better and ended up getting infected. by the end, my diet didn't make a difference. i was in pain every time i ate and even had pain up into my shoulders. i would think that you'll have to have it removed after you have your LO. it's a very simple and quick procedure these days with a quick recovery!

carstekj · May 2011

I started having gallbladder attacks from the beginning of this pregnancy (my first)...

1) Did it get better with a diet change? Yes, somewhat... but was really afraid to eat anything and feel the pain, and lost 10lb's because of it... stuck to grilled chicken, turkey, pretzels... I was frustrated that I didn't get a clear picture of what I "could" eat... turns out broccoli was a big trigger for me, which is fat free :-(

2) Did it resolve after birth? Or did you have to have a surgical intervention? I had it removed at 13 weeks, due to a stone getting out and going in the common bile duct, backing up liver and pancreas, causing jaundice and having my liver enzymes be dangerously high... that was at about 8 weeks, had a procedure (ERCP) to remove the stone and scheduled to have gallbladder out in 2nd trimester (which they say is the best time, if you HAVE to have it out)

3) Did you also have problems with constipation at the same time? Since it was in the first tri, and that goes hand in hand with constipation, I don't know if the gallbladder was directly affecting that... I took Colace (Dr. perscribed after I was given pain meds).

Good Luck!! The pain is AWFUL! I would def. check with your Dr. to see what they suggest. **I'm back to eating normal food with no pain!

JillianAshley6 · May 2011

May_31_2008:

I'm 20 weeks, and have been having minor pains in my right upper quadrant, which my OB says are probably gallstones. She told me to try a low-fat diet ... which to be honest, I don't eat a lot fat anyways, but I guess I'll try to cut back even more. I've only gained 5 pounds, and have also been very constipated since around the timy my gallbladder tenderness started. So, my questions are:

If you had gallbladder problems:

1) Did it get better with a diet change? Somewhat. Mine was aggravated by high cholesterol foods-like eggs, and spicy foods. Once I cut those out, I had fewer attacks

2) Did it resolve after birth? Or did you have to have a surgical intervention? I had my gallbladder out before I got pg-because we were planning on becoming pg and knew that pregnancy can worsen the gallbladder. Something about the HcG hormone aggravates it. From the people around me who have had GB issues the only thing that "fixed" it was surgery-removing the gallbladder itself. This can be done during pregnancy if necessary-its not a dangerous or complex procedure.

3) Did you also have problems with constipation at the same time? A little. Probably less because I was eating a high-fiber diet at the time trying to keep everything under control.

Sorry you are dealing with this....I remember those attacks and they suuuuucked. That surgery was the best decision I ever made-from the first attack I had to the day of the surgery it was about 2 months-and I was miserable. GL-I hope it gets better for you!

camedowncrushing · May 2011

My OBGYN put me on a low fat diet about 4 weeks ago because of pain from my gallbladder. I had an appt with my PCP yesterday, and told her that even when I eat low fat I still seem to be having pain. She said as the baby grows and everything pushes up it could get worse. This morning I went to the hospital for an ultrasound and blood work ...so now I am just waiting to see what they think I should do.

branleigh84 · May 2011

I have a very recent experience with this one! I have been hospitalized four times with this pregnancy due to gallbladder attacks/stones.

Did it get better with diet change? No, I was sick constantly! I lost 17 pounds since my first attack!

Did it resolve after birth? Or surgical intervention? I had my gallbladder removed two weeks ago today, at 15 weeks pregnant. I cannot tell you how much better I feel. Now, I know that my gallbladder issues go way back before pregnancy!

Constipation? It's hard to say if my constipation resulted from gallbladder issues or pregnancy. I can say that after surgery, things are moving along nicely! LOL!

Hope this helps!

barefootally · May 2011

I had gallstones last year, before I was pregnant. It didn't really get better with diet. My hospital's policy is that if you HAVE gallstones, they remove your gallbladder. I had my surgery and the pain went away...it just took my body a little while longer to adjust. I have no issues anymore! Yay!!

That pain I felt with gallstones was WAY WORSE than my labor with DS. Ugh. It was awful.

Good luck to you!!

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