22 weeks Pregnant, Gallstones, percocet.. scared!

Question

I am 22 weeks pregnant and I recently got gallstones and have been in and out of the hospital to figure out if I need my gallbladder out.. in the mean time they have been putting me on hydromorphone and given me percocet to off set the pain. It has been so bad that I can not eat half the time and my chest hurts so bad it feels like a heart attack and I start to panic and freak out. Needless to say, its been 3 weeks and I've been given over 75 percocet and have taken my last one today. now I am worried that something will affect my unborn child and make him sick.. what do you recommend I do? I'm just scared.

preggerbuns · Answer

So I saw my OB.. told her what was going on all she did was make me feel like crap. told me to see a physical therapist and eat only BLAND food and to just deal. Then went on to say that she knows I am in pain and NEED the pain pills but she wont give them to me because it will make my son addicted and narcotic addicted babies are fussy and sick alot more then normal babies who arent addicted, then my mum who I brought with me started to tell her about all of the problems I am having and how badly I cry at night now and she just looked at my mom like she was nuts. I had been throwing up all day and having alot of diarrhea over the last couple days so bad that on the way home I fainted and my mum raced me to the hospital. they checked on baby and he is fine, but I was not.. I had been so dehydrated it caused me to faint and forget who I was. So they gave me 2 things of fluids, pain medication, nausea medication and decided I should see another surgeon tomorrow.  I've also decided to seek another OB doctor as I think this one is a crock of S*** and besides that I haven't seen her but twice out of the 5 months I've been pregnant. I don't like being treated that way and I don't like being tossed around to different doctors continually. She has been poorly managing my health conditions. I have interstitial cystitis which affects me on a daily basis and she refused to send me to see a urologist or Maternal fetal medicine specialist so I can get the treatment I need for the pain and incontinence I have every day. All she did was write me off saying oh well they cant do anything for that while your pregnant.. I call BS, I've researched it and am a member of many IC forums/groups. I feel like she is just making me out to suffer because I am pregnant and thats what I get. F that. I'm irritated lol... So anyways needless to say story is done now. I have 10 extra strength percocet to help me wean off and after this I am done with touching any pain medicine again until they do my c section!

thank you for the advice and support!

preggerbuns · Answer

I've seen a surgeon already and they wont take my gallbladder out. I'm supposed to just deal, my OB is kinda... Spacey.. seen her once out of the 4 times I've been to my Appts. and she talked to me for like 2 minutes and then left the room. I cant believe how sick I am today, I feel like I've been hit by a bus. I just woke up. missed my dental appointment.. and now am getting ready for my doc appointment. not so much crampy right now.. legs just hurt, hip hurts, and extremely nauseous, and diarrhea. What do you suppose I do if she refuses to give me anything?

OverrrIt · Answer

When I got preg last sept I was going to pain management for a herniated disc. I was taking 4 15mg roxicodone a day. I was told the safest thing to do was a slow taper because withdrawals could be harmful to the baby because of all the stress to your body. (take in mind I was taking a lot more/stronger medication). I was able to do that successfully then at the end of my preg I suffered from severe migraines and back pains due to the position of the baby. I was in and out of the hospital where they had me on hydromorphine and at home they gave me perc (no more than 3 a day). This was for about 3 weeks. It was getting to the end of my preg so I really didn't want to take anything anymore so I stopped, I felt the same way u do now. There was no need to taper in my mind cause I didn't think I was taking that much, only as perscribed. 2 days later my water broke (I'm not saying this was because I stopped the meds I was only 2weeks early). I had my daughter via csection and she had some slight breathing probs so they took her to the nicu. When she was in there they found opiates in her system. My dr signed off that I was perscribed them over a few weeks. They can not take your baby away if your dr prescribes them and signs off on them. Unfortunately my daughter was born mildly addicted and it killed me!!! Newborns can have seizures from opiate withdrawal. She was in the nicu for 2 weeks weaning off fenalbarbital(or something like that for seizures). I was so angry!!!! I should have been more aware of what I was doing, but I was in so much pain and trusted my dr. I thought maybe it was such a low dose for a short time I would be ok. Sorry for rambling my story. 
Please talk to ur dr and get off the meds as quickly and safely as possible. They won't label I anything if u were perscribed!! I know you are in a lot of pain, prob a lot more pain than I was in, but its not worth the pain of seeing ur child in the nicu suffering from something that they didnt need to suffer from. Please feel free to ask me anything!!
BTW...my daughter is fantastic now!! She will be 1 on June 1st and is as healthy as can be!! The guilt is still there, but I thank god that she's healthy and beautiful!!

vicki595 · Answer

****I'm concerned about those "cramps"...can you skip having the fillings done and go to the ER?   A filling on a "root canal"?  What do you mean?  Well, it doesn't matter...cramps aren't a good thing right now...first things first,okay?

reallyneedhelp76 · Answer

I had my gall bladder out and boy oh boy can i relate! That is the worst pain! Why don't you ask your doctors to refer you to a surgeon? Just because your pregnant does NOT mean that they cannot take your gall bladder out. Tell your OB today what happened and tell him how worried you are and ask him if you can have it out! DO NOT be scared. The ER doctors told me that the worst pain a body can endure is 1. kidney stones, 2. gall bladder stones and 3. child birth. SO do not be afraid to tell them, they will understand.

Dhelpme · Answer

Listen gallstones are extremely painful!  The only thing that helped my pain was having the gallbladder out. You will not be in trouble for following dr orders, which sounds just like whaT you did.  Please don't beat yourself up over this. You didnt do anything wrong. Just know the pain will end oncevit out,  just make sure you come clean with your OB today,  D

preggerbuns · Answer

anyone have any suggestions on sleep at this point? I'm going freaking crazy! I am near break down point...

preggerbuns · Answer

Thanks, it will have to wait though. I tried to take my mind off of it.. for a while.. I am doing OK.. just drinking crap tons of juice and water.. wish I could go.. havent felt this horrible since the gallstones first hit! not only do I feel sick and crampy and pain in my legs is unbearable but now I have horrible hip pain and GRR I have a dental appt at 8 AM to have 2 fillings done.. 1 on a root canal! :-(

vicki595 · Answer

Relax. You've done everything properly. The only concern now is that you're out of meds and feeling withdrawl. That's not good for the baby...you're right.  Drink as much fluid as you can...that helps...and they won't take your baby away!!  You have a medical problem and trust me,I know how awful gallbladder problems are. You probably need to have it out!

You know, I'm thinking now...(it's late here and I'm about to go to bed LOL) but you should go to the ER.  I say that because of the w/d's,which after 3 weeks is unusual,but nonetheless they're here and it's not good for the baby to stop opiates cold turkey. I think you'll feel better if you go and they'll fix you up until tomorrow...No one will call you an addict!   Trust me,as an addict I know if had 75 pills (back in the day) they'd be long gone in 5 days!!   Just go to the ER and tell them how bad you feel and that you haven't abused your pills. They'll know....

preggerbuns · Answer

Also I have an appt with OB tomorrow at 350. I'm just worried I don't want them to think I am some kind of drug addict or something and then end up taking away my baby in the end.. but I also know that my sister when she was pregnant last time was on 3 percocet a day for the whole duration of her pregnancy due to a back problem or something.. and they never took her son away.. so maybe I am just over analyzing.. maybe I can just mention to them that I am concerned for the pain that it might keep reoccurring and that I started to feel really sick today when I didn't take any pain medicine? would that be reasonable? and yes the ER did know I was pregnant.. they even gave me dilaudid which I was slightly uncomfortable with since its so strong.. but I went in freaking out in pain the first time! I dunno.. just... rawr! lol

preggerbuns · Answer

It said to take 1-2 at a time every 6 hours if needed. I took 2 at night sometimes.. and sometimes half of 1 in mid day really. The ER gave them to me when my OB told me to go to the ER, I'm not really sure what to expect but already I've got diarhea, the shakes, and a bit of RLS, and a little bit of cramping.. not so much concerned for me.. just worried for my fetus!

vicki595 · Answer

Okay...Who's giving you the Percocet etc...?  They know you're pregnant right?   Here's what you do:

Call the OB in the morning and tell him everything. No one will black list you!  Gallstones are extremely painful and I guess you took more than prescribed because you took two at a time. The thing to do would be to let everyone know that the pain meds aren't covering the pain,you're out now,feeling sick,and need help!  Don't listen to anyone but the doctors (and me LOL).    You really haven't taken then for very long at all and you've only taken about 3 1/2 pills per day!  The doctors are not going to yell at you. They'll want to know that your gallbladder hasn't settled and the stones haven't passed!
So...call and then let us know how you are,okay?   Feel better!!!

preggerbuns · Answer

oh also, for the first 2 and 1/2 weeks I was taking between 2-4 5/325 mgs a day once in the morning once in mid day and once at night.. but sometimes I'd have to take 2 at a time like at night when the pain got really horribly bad! Told my boyfriend that some people recommend saying something to the docs about how I feel sick and stuff when I dont take them.. but he told me not to because they will black list me or something? I'm not sure what he means by that but I am assuming it means.. write me off as a drug addict? I dunno.. but either way I am just mainly worried for my son, I know its not his fault that I have gallstones and got addicted to these pain meds.. I had never really experienced them before and I honestly dont feel mentally addicted, just physically dependent because of taking so much for so long.. they honestly make me feel pukey and dizzy so I've been sleeping ALOT from them and am not happy with the out come. I just wanna know he is gonna be OK since there all gone now.