Gallstones

MollySm · February 2014

Has anyone on here had any kind of gallbladder/gallstones problem? I've been having these super painful attacks every couple of weeks, and today it was suggested to me that might be the cause. I will bring it up with my doctor at my next appointment, but if anyone has had them, can you tell me what it was like? How often it occurred? And what you have done about it? Thanks

rainbowdashh · February 2014

I had my gallbladder removed when I was 19. It was horrible, horrible pain. I didn't have stones, but apparently my gallbladder just failed and had basically disintegrated. I used to get the attacks only at night and at it's worst I would get them after eating a meal that had more fat than it could handle (I was told before surgery not to have more than 5g per meal to avoid attacks). I opted to have mine removed because the pain was unbearable. Worse than labor pains!

kibean · February 2014

I have gallstones but get infrequent attacks currently. The pain is excruciating during an attack. Like doubled over, can't breathe.

Some people recommend trying to control it with a low fat diet. Laying on your right side after you eat something fatty can help too. I like to stretch out as long as I can on my right side and massage the area and apply gentle heat. This helps enough that I can sleep usually.

Honestly, it was recommended that I get my GB taken out last year, but they said that I could wait until the summer when I wouldn't be working if I could manage with changing my diet. When the summer came, I was no longer having symptoms even though the stones were still visible via u/s and I had a hida scan that came back at less than one percent gall bladder functioning. I decided not to get mine out since I wasn't having symptoms and then I found out I was pregnant.

However, if my symptoms came back more frequently (right now I am at like 1-2 bad attacks per year, and maybe 1-2 more minor ones) I would get that puppy out in a heartbeat.

I hope you feel better, these really are a pain!

ETA I haven't had an attack in a long time and do plan to go back to the surgeon if/when the next one happens where I am not pregnant.

zolastele · February 2014

No experience, just wanted to say that I hope you feel better!

momo721 · February 2014

Hey there--sorry you're not feeling well! Gallstones suck for sure. I'm a general surgeon. If you are having "attacks" that come and go, like a colicky pain, this is what we call symptomatic gallstones. If you are pregnant, generally we don't recommend surgery until after you give birth. But--if this pain is unrelenting, happens all the time and not just after you eat, or if you have a fever, you need to come to the ER. This means you probably have cholecystitis and your gallbladder is inflamed and may need to be removed. Which is safe in 2nd and 3rd trimester. In 3rd trimester, there's a chance surgery would need to be done in an open fashion (bigger incision) instead of the smaller laparoscopic incisions. Sometimes even when pregnant women have an acute infection, we try antibiotics and if your symptoms improve you can avoid surgery until after birth. I hope this helps!

bebemac · February 2014

I have never had them, but they sound excruciating. I'd go get checked out. Hope you find some relief soon!

gregsgurl81304 · February 2014

bebemac said:

I have never had them, but they sound excruciating. I'd go get checked out. Hope you find some relief soon

Im in the same boat, so Im not much help, but do want to wish you well and hope you feel better soon.

MollySm · February 2014

Thanks guys. It's been happening somewhere between once a month and every couple of weeks. I've always passed it off as constipation, an unrelated sickness, pregnancy etc. But another one happened last night (through today) and I think it's something I need looked at.

It usually happens I think after a big meal/maybe lots of dairy, and always in the evening. I just blow up, get super gassy, and just double over in pain. Last night I just sat there for hours in pain. I try and use the bathroom, which always makes me throw up, but just a little. My back is killing me, and it feels like I swallowed razor blades. In the morning I feel fine, but then as soon as I eat something (this morning it was a half a piece of toast with butter) the pain comes back, though not as bad as the night before. This usually happens through the 2nd day - I'm fine if I don't eat, in pain if I do eat. I never really put it all together before, I thought they were separate things, but thinking back this is pretty much the pattern every time. I'll talk to my doctor about it at the next appointment, but was just wondering if this sounded like a gallbladder problem.

bebemac · February 2014

@MollySm Would a liquid diet for a few days help? You mention feeling fine if you don't eat, but you obviously have to eat something. Maybe chicken broth, Jello, protein shakes, smoothies or something like that would help in the interim?

sumochik · February 2014

Check this out:

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/comment/79580341#Comment_79580341

HTH.

m_coulomb · February 2014

When I was pregnant with my DS I had what I thought was "heartburn" for months. It was always at night and it would feel like a ball in the center of my shoulder blades. I remember curling into a ball on the bathroom floor for hours. Eventually the pain lasted for days and i went to the ER and found out it was gallstones. I started a gallstone diet and consulted with a surgeon who opted to wait until after I delivered my son to operate. The good news is with the diet and Tylenol the pain did subside. Hope you find relief soon!

kd&cd · February 2014

It's definitely a gallbladder attack you are having. I spent he majority of the past week in the hospital trying to figure out where the pain in my chest was coming from. It could be gallbladder disease, stones or polyps. Mine is polyps and they say during pregnancy the only thing you can do it change ur diet. Liquid diet for 24 hours after an attack really helps but isn't a for sure fix. I have been told no more greasy food and no fat. It really is trial and error what you can eat and what you can't. Good news is that I've been told a gallbladder attack is worse than labour pains! I'm really hoping that's true, cause if it is, labour will be a breeze! You should go ASAP to your doctor (not OB as they can't do anything), so they can make sure there are no stones blocking it, I've heard some horror stories about blockages. Good luck!!

MollySm · February 2014

Thanks guys. I just wanted some reassurance that I wasn't crazy, and being a baby that just couldn't handle a little indigestion. But whatever this is, it's seriously painful and keeps coming back. I actually go to my family doctor for my OB care, so she's the doctor I'll talk to about it at my next appointment. And for now I'm trying to lower the amount of fat I cook with (hard with an almost 2 year old who is always at the bottom of the weight scale - they always want me to fatten her up). Unfortunately my cravings right now are always a big glass of milk and cookies, so I think they are going to have to go. But hopefully a little diet change will help somewhat, and then she can look and see if it's really my problem.

amwangel · February 2014

Oh my gosh, that sounds awful!

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope you get some answers soon!

maggiexxx · February 2014

The only time I had gallbladder pain was when I was pregnant. I would have gallbladder attacks that lasted forever some lasted 7 hours and I could stand up.my Dr kept telling it would be OK. I felt like I was having a heart attack and when I told her I was going to cut it out myself she had an ultrasound done and it was full of gallstones and my gallbladder was shutting down. I had to have emergency surgery at 25 weeks pregnant. My son and I were both OK and after that I never had any problems. Well other than now I can't eat fatty food or to many veggies with out having to poop lol but its worth it BC it was the worse pain ever!! I hope everything turns out OK for you!! Good luck!!

MrsCase1 · February 2014

Pregnancy can trash your gallbladder and there is evidence it is hereditary. I had only one episode ever, right after I had Lincoln. Everyone I saw in the er was like, "OH! You have a newborn? It's probably your gallbladder!" My mom and her mom both had theirs removed after pregnancy. I had mine out when Lincoln was 6 weeks.

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