Any information on pregnancy and Gallbladders Disease?

Question

I was diagnosed with gallbladders disease after just about the worst biliary attack I could possibly imagine. And after doing some research on the web I've come to learn that gallbladders disease and pregnancy come hand in hand in certain circumstances. My question is this, for any women that have had gallbladders disease during or after their pregnancy, did the stones disappear (because ive read that they can) and how did you cope with the pain? I'm so scared to eat now and I feel like I'm on the edge of my seat just waiting for the next attack. All the information anyone has on Gallbladders disease would be wonderful. Thanks so much!

Answer 1

I do feel for you,I had my gallbladder removed when I was 18 years old. I had 24 large gallstones! The doctor had to eat crow,b/c he told my mother:I was too young and skinny,that is was middle age disease.My mother having had her gallbladder removed demanded the test,thank goodness!I was not pregnant ,but my symptoms were,migraine headaches(the worst),vomiting often,and the attacks after food.Steak triggered mine the most.I was like a new person after the surgery! I do think it is heredity b/c...my other 3 sisters and grandfather had gallbladders removed.We were in our early 20's and 2 sisters had this soon after their 1st pregnancy,but this was along time ago.I'm sure gallbladder disease knowledge has increased since then.Please don't worry and take care,ask your doctor about any concerns.Best wishes!

Answer 2

Pregnancy can cause gallbladder problems to develop or aggravate existing problems. The high levels of hormones (estrogens) in pregnancy cause the bile to be much thicker, thus increasing the tendency of gallstones to form. In addition, other hormones (progesterone) inhibit the gallbladder's normal ability to contract, further increasing the likelihood of stone formation. Any recommendations regarding the need for gallbladder surgery during pregnancy depend on the severity of symptoms.
In most women with biliary colic during pregnancy, the operation can be delayed until after childbirth. However, there are exceptions in which complications develop as a result of the gallbladder disease and more urgent surgery is needed. Although gallbladder disease does not directly affect the fetus, a complication certainly increases the risk for preterm labor. You should discuss your symptoms and concerns with your obstetrician. Also, a referral to a gastroenterologist or surgeon may be helpful.

In fact, gallstones may disappear after delivery

Answer 3

its hard to say about gallbladder stones. one person can have many of them all their life and never have any symptoms but then there are people like me...i had ONE 3mm gallstone ((too small to see on an ultrasound)) and i was in agony for months because doctors could not figure out what was causing my pain. you can get rid of gallstones with medication, but it does take a long time and they will keep coming back. i know the pain of gallbladder attacks all to well for someone my age ((18)) you can eat but do not eat ANYTHING that has more than 5 grams of fat in it. there are a lot of websites out there that can give you more detailed information just google gallbladder disease.

Answer 4

The general teaching about symptomatic gallstone disease in pregnancy is to consider surgery (i.e. laparoscopic cholecystectomy) in the second trimester. There is indeed an association between gallstones and pregnancy.

The risk for the embryo during the first trimester is considered to be high. The third trimester presents significant technical challenges with the enlarged, gravid uterus.

Trying to ride out the pregnancy with symptomatic gallstone disease can be extremely unpleasant for the expecting mother.

There are unfortunately situations where performing surgery during the second trimester would not be a viable option.

The pregnant patient with gallstones should consult with her Ob/Gyn (for example one with experience in high-risk pregnancies) who is providing her prenatal care, a gastroenterologist and a general surgeon.

It is indeed possible that a patient who experiences severe pain like a biliary colic does so during spontaneous passage of a stone. Therefore, it is possible to pass the stone and remain stone-free. It is also possible that findings like gallbladder sludge would resolve on their own. Unfortunately, larger stones would not be expected to pass on their own or disappear spontaneously. Sometimes, the passage of a stone can be complicated by development of gallstone/biliary pancreatitis, which is not a pleasant complication to suffer during pregnancy.

All the best!

Answer 5

i had gallstones not gallbladder disease but, yes, a woman in her childbearing yrs is more susceptible to this than others. mine occurred after my 2nd was born. i was 27. it was so bad that i had my gallbladder removed when he was about 4 months.the attacks would come when a stone got caught in the duct. i would actually pass out from the pain and scare alot of people. the best way i found to deal with it was to eat a low fat diet and when i had an attack, i used my labor and delivery breathing. the gallbladder adds an extra boost of bile when digesting alot of fatty food. by eating healthier, you can combat this b/c it doesn't have to work as much.

Answer 6

Don't know if this is approppriate during pregnancy, but their are gallbladder cleanses out there, where you drink apple juice for a week, then have epson salt and olive oil, or something like that, and the stones pass right out. A friend of mine was going to have his gallbladder removed and did the cleanse twice, and all his problems went away. Don't know what website to visit, but google it under gallbladder/liver cleanse. Again, don't know how it applies to pregnancy, always ask a doctor first, but do know this works.
Good luck

Answer 7

The best advice is to see your doctor. I suffered with gall bladder attacks for years. I had one stone that was as big as the top part of a thumb. The doctor had to crush the stone to get it out through a laproscopic procedure. Had he not been able to get it out or if it had traveled to my bile duct, he would of had to cut me open. With the laproscopic procedure, I was off for 6 days. If he cut me open, I would have been off for 6 weeks.

The surgery was a miracle! Prior to surgery, I was becoming physically ill after every meal and had to have a heating pad on my back almost constantly.

You may not want surgery, but when it hurts bad enough, you will go in to the doctor.

Answer 8

Being a labor and delivery nurse, I have noticed that these patients have many serious and severe pain attacks. Often, if the pain is very bad, they have to undergo surgery while pregnant, which poses risks to the unborn child. Or, they have to deal with the pain until the child is born, and then undergo gall bladder surgery removal. Either way, it is painful. Take care of the gall bladder before getting pregnant.