gallbladder worries? « Back to Group Discussions

[onemomma]

So yesterday for HOURS I had constant cramp-like huge pain in my right upper abdomen. It seems ok this morning, but I'm not one to just drop things, I like to figure out what's going on.  All I can think is gallbladder with this one.

Has anyone dealt with this? I know it can be commmon in pregnancy, especially if you're "fat fair and forty" as they say in nursing school, and I fall into 2/3 of those categories... and forty is looming in the not so distant future.

I'd love some insight, or other ideas of what it could be would be good too.

And no, haven't called my midwife about it yet. I'm too clinical. I'd like to be able to really asess myself and give her the most info I can. As much as it was painful (and it really really was) I knew it had nothing to do with my cervix or baby and calling her seemed unnecessary.

[Shinyredstar]

I had my gallbladder out when I was 5 months pregnant with my middle son. It's been a while so I din't completely remember how it felt, but I do recall the pain being more in my upper back and shoulder and close to indigestion, maybe? I just remember thinking that the pain didn't seem to correlate with the location of the problem. I will say that it was definitely something I couldn't ignore and for me came in suddenly. I spent the night in pain with no relief measures I tried working and ended up in the ER before dawn. Diagnosed and given pain relief that day (a Thursday morning) and ended up back in the ER and having surgery on Saturday.

I hope you get some quick relief from whatever it is! Have you tried seeing if changes with eating helped? That might also help determine if it's gallbladder, I suppose.

[scarykarrey]

There are actually five F's to gallbladder risk factors! Female, fat, forty, fair, and fertile. When we're pregnant (or in the year postpartum), we're more likely to have GB issues because our hormones are making the it not empty as well/efficiently, which makes the bile "sludgy" and can cause pain.

I'd definitely call the midwife if I were you, as she might want you to come in for some blood tests just to rule out anything else. Otherwise, you can do a few dietary/lifestyle mods to help out. Lower the amount of fat you're eating (since bile comes into play to break down fat, so if you're eating less of it, less will be secreted by your liver and will ease up on the work your gallbladder has to do), increase the amount of fiber you're eating (especially through fruits and veggies), and increase your activity levels. You can also try to take some antacids to see if maybe it's just indigestion or heartburn that's presenting in a weird way, which is totally possible since our guts are all shifted around because of the baby.

[scarykarrey]

Duh, I just noticed that you're also a nurse. What up, fellow RN!

[onemomma]

Yikes! Shinyredstar, that must have been super scary for you. I'm hoping that this late in pregnancy things won't need that dramatic of a resolution. Thanks for commiserating.

And yes, scareykarrey I am a nurse too. Funny how that can be both a comfort and a major source of fear as a Momma. Sometimes I think it's better not to know too much. I like the extra F's you offered, and clearly they fit where I'm at too. Hmmmm.

No recurrence since Saturday so I'm still in self monitoring mode, half hoping it was just a one time weirdo stomach ache. It's possible, right??

[cheryllynn]

Hi - I had gallbladder issues during my first pregnancy.  I highly recommend having the blood tests done as there is some condition that can happen which can be deadly - so you want to rule that out.  Since my pain came and went, I was not interested in having the surgery while pregnant and three + years later, I still have my gallbladder.  They also did an ultrasound which confirmed about 5 small gallstones. 

What I did do which helped immensely is add CHOLINE supplement to my diet.  I did NOT follow a very low fat diet, as I suspect my low fat diet caused the gallbladder problem in the first place.  I visited www.gallbladderattack.com and read information there and was surprised that low fat and no fat diets can lead to gallbladder problems.  It made sense to me once I thought about it - if you're not eating a lot of fats, the gallbladder can get sluggish and sludgey as well.  So in my past 3 years, I keep to a moderate fat diet anda void obviously fat-laden foods like pizza (my almost-surgeon said is the #1 food that puts people in the E/R with gallbladder attacks and yes, that is also what I had eaten).  I also do not eat lasagna, or anything really heavy in cheese.  I also used the receipes on the above website. 

I still have the gallstones, but they have not caused may an pain since my E/R visit in Jan 2009. 

The pain can be in a few places - the upper right quadrant of abdomen, just under the lower rib.  It can be in the back or front.  One time I had pain that radiated across the entire diaphragm, so it went from the right to the left side.  I also had pain in my right shoulder area. 

Hope you are feeling better and your pain is a one-time only experience.