Gallstone Attcks!!

Has anyone in here had gallstone attacks while pregnant? I recently discovered that I have gallstones. I've had 2 gallstone attacks in the last month, and because of that the ER doctor recommends that I get my gall bladder removed. I'm not pregnant yet, but I found this out on cycle day 13 and my husband I have been "trying a lot" if you know what I mean. So, I may become pregnant this cycle, which means I won't have time to have my gall bladder removed. I've also heard that pregnancy can make your gall bladder act up even more and may cause the gallstones to become infected. So I was hoping to get some insight from women who have experienced gallstone attacks and how it's affected their pregnancies.

Heather

I had horrible gallbladder attacks during my pregnancy. They were so bad, they wanted to remove while I was pregnant. But I declined. I had it removed during my c-section.

But honestly in my opinion, get your gallbladder removed before you get pregnant, you dont want to put yourself through it, honestly... I couldnt enjoy my pregnancy at all because of it.

Thanks for the information. If I have that option, I will. Can I ask... Did they have you on a strict diet to try and help reduce the # of attacks?

I didn't have them during my pregnancy...but Bryson was born on June 6th...I had my first attach on July 4th...then another July 17...18th...and developed pancreatitis (sp?)...They admitted me to the hospital...treated me for the pancreatitis and then I had gallbladder surgery...had lots of complications...but i had bad reactions to some medicines and the doctor hit an atypical vessel and i lost lots of blood etc. etc...I was in ICU for 2 days from it...just from gallbladder surgery!! But I hear pregnancies can cause gallstones...they say that's probably why I developed mine...

My advice, get it out a.s.a.p.

You do not want to go through your entire pregnancy (or just life period) having the attacks. I was hospitalized at 23 weeks with a blocked bile duct for about 4 days... They were going to take it out, it would of been pretty safe, but we decided to try to wait out my pregnancy, and it was a nightmare...

By the end I was having them every other day (the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy) so I wasnt eating or sleeping properly. I was induced at 39 weeks to avoid any more attacks...

Imagine having an attack AND having a moving, responsive 6-7 pound little person in your stomach at the same time! UGH! I could tell my daughter knew something was going on, as she'd move way to the left side, and be pushing in all directions, and that in itself hurt like hell.

Ive got an appt today to start the process for scheduling surgery to remove mine!

I had a miscarriage April 8th this year,during the ultrasound to determine I was infact miscarrying it was discovered that I have multiple gallstones.I haven't had any attacks yet and I just found out that I am pregnant again!What do the attacks feel like?I'll be sure to let my new obgyn know that I have them.

My Doctor recently told me I might have them, Didn't start having attacks till after child birth. And have only had about 6-10 attacks. She recomended me to a Diffrent doctor to get it looked into. Can you guys explain your attacks so I can compare and see if its similar to mine?

OMG!!!! This might be a lil long... when i was pregnant with my 3rd.. umm bout 16 weeks or so... I woke up one night, I had a big ball in my chest about the size of a fist,hurt everytime i took a breath there for made me hypervenlate, I cried non stop, Didnt know what was going through me... Wenton for 4 hours Trumendus pain.! To make a long story short.. a few weeks here and there I would get some attacks.. but we still didnt know what from...That first night I had them i called the nurse advise line at the hospital, she said they sounded like a gall bladder attack... Anyways... to make a LOOONG story kinda shorter... They kept comming and comming... ide have one once a week sometimes once a month... I talkedto my doctor, he said to layof the fatty foods... Most of the time I would have my hubby drive me to the hospital, they would moniter me while i was preggo for like 4 hours.. One time i had it so bad they gave me a RX for Vicodin, and they gave me some drinking meds togo into my stomach, Another time i went in the hospital for it, they gave me a sonogram, and sure enough they found gallstones.. Everytime I had attacks I would be up the whole time, my baby kicked and moved all around, probably from my adrenaline.. I hated them! even at the hospital, the day i was going home from giving birth, i had a mild case of a attack, I told my nurse about my problem, and to please take my baby to the nursery cuz i wouldnt be able to handle him at the time. She thought it was her fault because a lil before i told her, i asked for some motrin for my cramps.. well it took like 1 hour for that too pass...

anyways, like a month later I felt sick... like I was goingto throw up... i thought i had a lil bug... well it wentonfor like 3 days i couldnt eat anything, finally April 20th 2008, I went shopping and dispite of my pain and sick feeling i was still out and about... my hubby, me, and my kids, we went to freddies a retail store here, and i was shopping around, I saw my cousin, and we stopped and talkedto her for awhile. I told her i might go to the hospital cuz i wasnt feeling well, she saidi dont look good, and that i looked very pale and jaundice looking (yellow) She said that might be a sign that something is wrong with my liver, mean while we say bye and im in bad pain, i told my hubby we have to go now, i can barley walk... so im pushing a cart right now. and i run to the registars, check out then run to the car almost in tears, I get in the car told my hubby i need to go to the hospital cuz my stomach felt like it was going to rip open at any given time. I runin the hosp. and i tell them i think i need my gall bladder taken out now! told them i can barly walk, so they bring me a wheel chair, im sitting there for like 15-20 minutes crying cant hold still, just in pure pain, they hurry and rush me in the hospital room, told me to take off my clothes and put a gown on, Im laying there crying and in pain yelling and screaming,.. iwas screaming so bada nurse came in told me to be quiet, I told heri need pain meds! then i would... so i think i kinda passed out from the pain a lil, i woke up to them bring iv stuff in to start my iv, mean while the lady is trying to find and jab my vain... shes all sorry i dont mean tohurt you, i said dont worrie your not my stomach feels alot worse!!! mean while my hubby didnt want to goin the hospital with me, because he had all the kids and they arnt very good in the hospital, so they stay in the car, Well they gave me the mophene shot, then i passed out, i woke up (barly) to fine myhubby and kids comming in asking what happend... I couldnt talk i was sooo tired. i passed back out. my hubby and kids left, he went home put them to bed and forme to call him when im done. anyways 5 hours later i woke up to a doctor saying something about my liver, and that i had to be hospitalized for awhile... then i went back to sleep... when i was feeling better about 2am.. Iasked the doctor what about my liver.? Then shesaid that they did a blood test and my liver levels were sohigh, and some other doctor mumbo jumbo couldnt really understand...sothey show me to myhospital room up stairs where i will be for the next 4-5 days... when i wasmore concerned about my baby he was only 5 weeks old. and he was breastfed at night. Anyways, I stayed there till the 25th, on the 24th i had my gallbladder removed. i hurt afterwards for 2weeks, butsince then ican eat anything i want.. and im fine!!! im so happy... OH i forgot, I was suppost to have this surgery on the 17thof april, well i ended up cancling it.. thinking i would be fine. going in the 20th with Pancreatitis (Gallstones can cause pancreatitis and they usually require surgical removal. Ultrasound or a CAT scan can detect gallstones and can sometimes give an idea of the severity of the pancreatitis. When gallstone surgery can be scheduled depends on how severe the pancreatitis is. If the pancreatitis is mild, gallstone surgery may proceed within about a week. More severe cases may mean gallstone surgery is delayed for a month or more.
After the gallstones are removed and inflammation goes away, the pancreas usually returns to normal. For more information about gallstones, please see the Gallstones fact sheet from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) They would not let me eat till after my sergery... so from the 20th- 24th i didnt eat anything but popcicles and ice chips... I was sooo hungery. i did have to ask them to bring in a breast pump so i can pump and dump cuz i was getting so full! and i was on alot of meds... morphine and demeral...(Nice...) lol

thats my story... if any of you think i forgot anything, or have any questions please feel free to ask...

**my symptoms of my gallbladder attacks were: !st sign that i knew they were comming..was a .band like pain across my back, a big ball fist size in the middle of my chest, vomiting, hyper ventlating, couldnt lay down or it would get worse... but it was still real bad pain even sitting.


thats my story... if any of you think i forgot anything, or have any questions please feel free to ask...

Thank you

I have been getting pains that start in my back and work aound my ribs, and it feels REALLY tight like someone is sqweezing me, and it hurts horribly for hours, and i can't lay down or it gets worse.

Quoting DivineKT:“ I have been getting pains that start in my back and work aound my ribs, and it feels REALLY tight like someone is sqweezing me, and it hurts horribly for hours, and i can't lay down or it gets worse.”

Yup same here, i couldnt lay down or it would get worse.. you know this might sound bad.. but if you have pain killers like vicodin or oxycodon, they help alot!!! Ihad to take some for the pain!!! the pain was so horriable i canot explain it all

GALLBLADDER ATTACK SYMPTOMS
Please note that if you are in severe pain and particularly if your attack symptoms are accompanied by fever DO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. The following symptoms are typical of a gallbladder attack.

• Moderate to severe pain under the right side of the rib cage
• Pain may radiate through to the back or to the right shoulder
• Severe upper abdominal pain (biliary colic)
• Nausea
• Queasiness
• Vomiting
• Gas
• Burping or belching
• Attacks are often at night
• Attacks often occur after overeating
• Pain will often but not always follow a meal with fats or grease
• Pain may be worse with deep inhalation
• Attacks can last from 15 minutes to 15 hours

they say even lettuce can trigger the attacks, but that never happend to me, it was fatty foods.. I do recall though, i bought some thepremade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that come in the freezer section for kids... i had an attack when i was pregnant with that... I was craving them!!! but peanut butter never gave me an attack before.. just that? so i dont know...

Quoting amberly_rose:“ Yup same here, i couldnt lay down or it would get worse.. you know this might sound bad.. but if you ... [snip!] ... like vicodin or oxycodon, they help alot!!! Ihad to take some for the pain!!! the pain was so horriable i canot explain it all”

I just got some when I got my IUD, My Doctor is all about giving me pain meds.   Thank god;....

ur iud gave you attacks?? why is that??

i was having gall stone attacks during my pregnancy, but always mistook them for pregnancy pains. now after having my boy they have become much worse, the pain itself is worse than labour.....