Has anyone dealt with gallstones while pg?

[amazz]

I had my 36 wk u/s today (everything about the baby is just perfect!!) and my dr. is asking all the routine questions and then asks, "Do you have problems eating certain foods?" So I tell him that yeah sometimes I have issues with spicy foods and fried foods and he asks me if I know why. I'm thinking, Yeah--I'm pregnant! And he says, "See these 4 dots on the screen? Those are gallstones."

WHATTT?? Well that's just nuts. So my questions are 1) has anyone else had this during pregnancy and 2) what if anything did you do about it? 3) Do I need to see a special dr. or surgeon?

Any answers you can provide are much appreciated!!
Angela
EDD 10/15/04
A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. ~Carl Sandburg

[Marisa6826]

Ang-

I think there's a Mama here that just had the surgery. Do a search. It wasn't that long ago.

Feel better!!!!

-m

[Dyonia]

Hi Angela --

I just had my gallbladder removed two weeks ago. I'm 7 months postpartum now, so I don't know how similar my experience would be to what you would go through. Since you're only a few weeks from delivery, you'll probably be told to wait until after the baby arrives to have anything done.

When I started a thread to ask other BTDT mommies about gallbladder removal, Melanie and Paula (newbelly2002) both said they had gallbladder attacks during late pregnancy and the gallbladder was removed at a later date.

BTW, this is the thread -- lots of good information from other mamas http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=37&topic_id=113827

Having gallstones doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have your gallbladder removed. Most people actually have gallstones and don't have problems. Its when you have gallbladder attacks that you need to have it removed.

When I was having gallbladder attacks, we thought I was having a mongo case of heartburn. I put off going to the doctor's for several months until a really bad episode galavanted me into making an appointment. For me, the pain would start right above the diaphragm, and then spread outwards. The classic difference between a gallbladder attack and a heartburn attack is that the pain spreads around to your back (making it almost like an iron band around your rib cage) and can then radiate outwards to your arms and shoulders. I once had an attack so bad that my fingertips were throbbing. Heartburn pain travels vertically up the esophagus (sp?) and will typically be relieved by antacids and acid reducers. Of course, that stuff doesn't work when you're having a gallbladder attack!

What are you experiencing after you eat spicy or fried foods? If you're experiencing pain of the type I described, you're probably going to have to have your gallbladder removed at some point. Apparently once you start having gallbladder attacks, it doesn't return to "normal" -- the problems just escalate over a long period of time. At some point if treatment is postponed long enough, the gallbladder can become infected -- and that's a whole other ballgame. FWIW, I had my first gallbladder attack in late April, and didn't go get checked out until the beginning of August, and I just had gallstones, no infection -- its my understanding that developing a gallbladder infection takes a REALLY long time.

My family doc sent me to a General Surgeon -- I believe GI surgeons (Gastro-Intestinal, sp?) also do gallbladder removal.

Oh yes, a few more things. Apparently its fairly common for pregnant and recently pregnant women to develop these gallbladder issues. My surgeon said that the going theory is that it has something to do with the hormones (doesn't everything??).

Some good links for reference:

One Mama's story about her gallbladder removal http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/gallbladder-surgery01.html

If you plan to breastfeed, read this: http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/mom-surgery.html

Also, if you're BFing, I have a copy of the latest "Medicines and Mother's Milk" book by Thomas Hale -- I will gladly look up things for you! If you want your own copy (and I wish I'd gotten mine before I did) www.ibreastfeeding.com is the only place I could find that had the book in stock for immediate shipment. (They better have it in stock -- they're owned by the publisher!)

Its 1 am here, so I'm not sure how much sense I'm making -- tell me if I need to clarify anything!

Best of luck to you and the little one on the way!
Cheers, Donna

[amazz]

Thank you so much for all that wonderful info and the links. I'm exhausted right now so I'll take a look at all the links later, but I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out! My mom had her gallbladder out a few years ago and she actually thought she was having heart problems (runs in our fam), but I haven't had any of those types of symptoms. I just get really bad heartburn that has gotten progressively worse in my pregnancy, but I thought that was normal and TUMS usually take care of it. I talked to the OB today (different from the one who did the u/s) and she said that there is a good chance that I won't have any problems for a long time but she will definitely keep an eye on it postpartum b/c that is when it tends to act up the most.

Again thanks for all the help!!
Angela
EDD 10/15/04
A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. ~Carl Sandburg

[Dyonia]

I'm glad I could share some useful information! Gallbladder attacks are the worst, and I wouldn't wish them on anyone -- so I'm glad to hear that you're probably not having them! (Since TUMS usually works and all) That is good news :-)

Cheers,
Donna

[Melanie]

Yes I did.
I avoided fats and I think was allowed 15 g or less of fat per day (on top of my 15 g or less of carbs and it was just fun fun at the supermarket).

If you are not in gut-wrenching stabbing I-want-to-die-now pain, then I wouldn't do anything at all. The shift in anatomy in pregnancy can cause a "squeeze" on the area/duct and stones can form. If you can make it through without the aforementioned pain, I would just continue avoiding the foods that cause you problems.

I ended up having my gallbladder removed 3 months ppd b/c of the return of the aforementioned pain and my inability to care for Ds with it (okay, my inability to MOVE 5 feet to get my pain meds which were not compatible with breastfeeding).

[amazz]

Yikes!! I don't have that kind of pain, so maybe I am one of the lucky ones. I really just get that bad heartburn pain and nothing like the pain you described. Glad for me, but so sorry you had to endure that!!!

Angela
EDD 10/15/04
A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on. ~Carl Sandburg

[Melanie]

I should have been more helpful with the pain thing, just in case you ever wonder. I woke up in the middle of the night, thought I was not feeling well and stumbled to the bathroom, stumbled back, lay down, felt more pain and it just escalated. It's centered in the chest & back. Unlike labor pain which comes and goes like waves, it just intensifies. Having gallstones does not cause the pain, it is when the gallstone gets stuck in the duct.

HTH and Hope you never feel that pain!