Gall Bladder and Pregnancy

Oh bless her heart, I feel her pain. I went through gall bladder issues and pain throughout my first pregnancy. It started in the 3rd month and only got worse. I would end up at the ER bc the pain was so bad. My OB referred me to a general surgeon and an ultra sound was done. I had a gb full of sludge. The surgeon and my ob both agreed that the only time they would even consider taking it out was during the second trimester; but only if it was a true emergency like if it was infected. Typically they will not remove in the 3rd trimester bc the uterus gets in the way of the laproscopic tools.
I was given percocet to deal with the pain whenever I had an "attack". When my sister was pregnant she had the same issues and she was given Tylenol with codeine. Needless to say I had my gall bladder out one month after delivering by c-section. They would not take mine or my sister's gb out during our csections. They told us it was a different part of the body. But I do know of another girl who had hers out 2 days after giving birth. Please tell your daughter in law to ask her dr again about it or get another dr. There is no reason for her to be in pain. When she is in pain and stressed...so is the baby. I will pray for her.

I had my appendix taken out while I was prego with my first baby. While I was in the hospital I was told gallbladder issues and appendix issues are more common than we think in pregnancy.... especially gallbladder! I was not the only patient on the L&D floor with similar issues.
With my second baby I was in the hospital with gallbladder issues and the words surgery came up again! I couldn't believe I would have another surgery while pregnant!
So surgery IS possible for serious cases such as mine. I had two normal pregnancies and two beautiful babies. While it is scary and there are risks, sometimes they just have to be done. Obviously my appendix could not wait, but the GB certainly can, if pain can be managed.
If her OB isn't willing to help her she NEEDS to see someone who can help! Her being in pain is putting stress not only on her poor spirit, but on the baby as well. Please encourage her to seek another opinion! I know from experience that there are medications that she can take to ease the pain that are safe for her AND the baby! But they can't be found over the counter... good luck

I would have her get a 2nd opinion. I had gallbladder problems in my last pregnancy, but not as bad as her's. The dr. needs to do any ultrasound of her gallbladder to see if there are stones or sludge (I had sludge, but no stones). If she can't eat & drink it will be detramental on the baby's health & growth. If a dr. doesn't seem to care find someone who does.

Good luck & God bless!

I went through the same thing, except hers seems to be more severe than mine. I was able to control my pain (most of the time anyway) through diet. I found out that this was only because my gallbladder was not inflamed or infected, only that it contained stones. Now if she is inflamed or infected (acute cholecystitis), then it should be removed immediately...pregnant or not. It could rupture and become toxic to her and the baby. She should be seeing a general surgeon in addition to her OB/GYN. The OB is not the one who will remove the gallbladder, the surgeon is. And to answer the last part of your question...no, the two surgeries can not be performed together (at least according to my doctor). The reason is because both surgeries are a high-bleed risk, and if they're done simultaneously, it raises the risk for a bleed out and/or infection. I had mine removed when my daughter was 3 months old, and only waited that long because I didn't want to have to supplement her, as I was nursing exclusively. However, after a while, I was in so much pain, I couldn't handle it anymore. Please tell her to get another opinion.

HI S.,

Gall bladder pain can sometimes be referred pain from liver toxicities. Non Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is three times as common as it was 30 years ago and masks itself as gall bladder problems. (My sister went to three surgeons that wanted to take her gall bladder out and it turned out to be NACL instead.) Before you start thinking of removing it, you need to determine if the diagnosis is correct. A gall bladder, like EVERY other body part, is necessary for good health.

Tums and Zantac will CAUSE pain because they have a rebound effect. They relieve it at first but the pain will come back with a vengeance because there is supposed to be acid in the stomach to digest food. When food does not get digested properly, then it becomes rancid and toxic and slowly moves through your system releasing all sorts of dangerous stuff. The liver is the most prone to damage because it is the organ that keeps our bodies cleaned bu collecting toxins. A teaspoon of vinegar WITH each meal will relieve more pain than the Tums anyway. Dill pickles are a great solution.

Go to http://www.liverdoctor.com/index.php?page=liver-problems&... This link has a lot of information on how and why we need the gall bladder and how to clean it out so she can be pain free. I would NOT recommend it while she is pregnant but she needs to take care of this soon.

Regards,

M.

Gallbladder problems can be caused by pregnancy hormones.
http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/encyclopedia/G/Gallbladder
http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/pregnancy/baby/Gall-...