Gallbladder problems...

[excelsiorxx514]

Have any of you ladies developed gall stones since being pregnant, or in previous pregnancies? They insisted at first it was acid reflux only to be shipping to the ER tonight and find out I have gall stones. They said it's common on pregnant women. I have to get my gallbladder removed once the baby comes in October. I just don't know how to feel about this whole thing. How have you ladies that had this problem dealt with it since there is not much to be done while pregnant?

[10Angels]

I went to the A n E clinic with the pain I thought something had happened from eating a waaaay spicy curry off my Asian neighbor.  The nurse suspected it straight away as I and gave me pain relief then sent me off to get a scan done where they saw it straight away. From there it was instant referral to surgery and waiting list.

[jahawr89]

Mine was accompanied by what I thought was siatic pain. You can also get pain under your right rib or upper right back. If you end up throwing up because of it, it's yellow from the bile. If it's suspected they'll ultrasound your gallbladder. From there they can do blood tests to see if there's an infection in your blood. That's one of the reasons it's so important to get it removed if you have gallstones. The lining thickens and creates an infection. It can get into your bloodstream and can be fatal to both you and baby. It can also turn into gangrene or burst. Both are obviously not good. Doctors recommend getting it out for a reason.

[moving_mommy]

Hi ladies, I was just wondering how you knew it was your gall bladder / stones instead of acid reflux? Im asking because I have what I thought is acid reflux and my doc gave me zantac 150 twice daily but the last week it hasnt been helping and ive had really bad nausea.
Is there some sort of test they can do or how do they diagnose it?
This is also my 4th pregnancy. Was given zantac for my second pregnancy at 20 weeks and given it at 12 weeks for the 3rd and at 8 weeks for this one. And had t0 take it till the end. Now  currently 26 weeks.
Thanks for any help

[Jazzymommyof2]

Yea i Had to have mine removed at 20 weeks I'm now 37+6. We were trying to wait until the end but i kept losing weight i had lost 50lbs and couldn't keep water down. Goodluck with your journey it can be a Rocky one.

[PrettyYoung28]

I'm currently 18 weeks at 16 weeks I  was rushed to the ER for sharp pains on the right side ultrasound showed that I had gall stones and it was really bad. After talking with my OB and my GI doctor they insisted that it needs to be removed, good thing I was in my second trimester and they said now is the best time to get it removed. I'm 18 weeks now baby is doing great and no more pain after getting my gall bladder removed.

[10Angels]

Pineapple was actually one of my worst triggers lol and red meat..it's funny how it's so different for others. I was told to cut out sugars and fatty foods but even lettuce gave me acute attacks to the point I was spewing and shaking uncontrollably and couldn't get up to get my kids ready for school cause I could only squirm around on the floor like a worm haha...I was prescribed a morphine based pain relief but was so woosy from it i couldn't function to drive so had to handle as much as possible so I could still drop off and pick my kids up from school. I cut out soooo much food and started doing nutribullet smoothies and lost a tone of weight because of it which was great but it didn't help with the stone. You can live with them too but if they are small...some can be like gravel or sand...there is a risk of them moving from the gallbladder and going down to the the pancreas and causing you pancreatitis which is really bad for you. I was lucky mine was like a huge grape so it couldn't escape but it was stuck at the neck of the gallbladder which is why they removed it, if it had of been sitting in the bottom it probably would've been ok to leave there. Now after having it removed I have to watch the kind of food I eat cause it has a tendency to go straight through sometimes...sorry for tmi but that is the after effects for everyone.

[lousie_1986]

I had gallstones about 6 years ago and, at my naturopath's recommendations, drank fresh pineapple, lemon and ginger juice every 2nd day, and fresh veg juice every other day and cleaned up my diet to aid a healthy liver (liver and gall bladder are very related). Never bothered me again (but my family doctor continues to tell me I must get my gall bladder removed at every check up).

Then at the start of this pregnancy (my 4th) I had some pain there again... Spoke to my new naturopath (who specialises in pregnancy and fertility) and she said it's common for it to play up in pregnancy if there were pre-existing problems. She put me on a pregnancy-safe liver health supplement called Silymarin. Gall bladder pains cleared up in a few weeks and after a month I stopped taking the tablets. Had no trouble since first trimester and am heading into third tri now. Hoping it stays away.

Mine was a very mild case with no huge attacks, but just letting you know there are other options to removal that can work. Doctors always advise you to remove it if they find gallstones, no matter what, which might have been (or may be in the future) a better option for me if I was getting debilitating acute attacks.

[jahawr89]

Zantac 75 2x a day and diovol. Pickles help too. I found out at 30 weeks. If we found out 2 weeks prior I could've had it out then! With my attack it lasted 36 hours and initially they thought I was having back labour! Turns out I have a tonne of gallstones and the lining is getting thicker.
I've found foods are trial and error. Some low fat things set it off, while I can still have salt and vinegar chips! Most sugary things are bad for me, but barqs root beer helps a tonne! Try to keep a journal so you know what sets off an attack and what doesn't.

[10Angels]

I developed gallstones with a pregnancy I miscarried just over a year ago. I wasn't pregnant last year when they flared up though, but I found out I had them then went on a waiting list to get my gallbladder removed. However when I had my surgery I was pregnant but didnt know it at the time and I am now almost 38 weeks along. Just be careful of what you eat and if you can remember take notice of the foods that flare them up for you and try to avoid those foods. It is soooo painful when you have an attack and i really feel for you. Make sure your docs keep an eye on you too so you don't end up with an infection where you'll need emergency surgery. It is possible to have the op while pregnant they just take other precautions and use meds that are safer for baby. Good luck you poor chicky I honestly know your pain which it is not nice at all especially adding all the pregancy symptoms on top.