Advice Needed About Gallstones

Hi. I work in pathology where we get gallbladders often for gallstones. There isn't really anything you can do except get it out. The gallbladder secretes bile into the stomach which helps digest fatty food. When there are stones, the bile can't get to the stomach which can cause the throwing up. The pain is from the stones blocking the bile duct. I have seen stones the size of an egg, some are square and compacted together, and some are small like pebbles or large grains of sand. Those are the worst because they are sharp and float around and get into the bile duct. I don't think you can really pass gallstones, that's why they take the whole gallbladder out. I guess I would try to stay away from any fatty food and just eat a little at a time. Oh, and stay away from pop,too. Sorry I don't really have any better advice, just wanted to let you know what was happening in there. Usually, the gallbladder can be taken out laparoscopically, which means just two or three little incisions, one for a small camera, one or two for the instuments. It's called a cholecystectomy. That's about all I know. Hang in there!

i just thought i'd share my experience. i had gallstones when i was 16. the doctors thought my mom and i were crazy because i was young. sure enough though i had them. they did my surgery emergency because it hit me so hard while i was sleeping one night and i just screamed. it was done with the laproscope though and i have 4 tiny scares on my belly. you can't even see 2 unless you LOOK HARD. i was up and feeling better in 3 days. it's not a bad surgery at all. i'm not a strong person either lol i'm the biggest chicken! good luck and i hope things stay calm there for you.

M.,
After my second child I started having severe pain, which they finally found out was gallstones. I ended up having surgery. I know you can't do the surgery right now, but I would suggest to keep doing what your doing (cutting out the fatty and spicy foods) and drink plenty of water. Keep track of what you eat and what effects the attacks. You may find that a certain food brings them on. For me, alot of pasta sauces, salads, etc will bring it on.

I also found out this is hereditary as my mother had to have emergency surgery and my sister is int he process of getting hers scheduled. I think my sister's doctor gave her some medicine to help with the attacks but I will have to ask her.

I hope you feel better soon.
Wyonette

I had my first attack when my daugter was 3 weeks old (she just turned one) but the pain was so bad and I had no idea what was going on my husband called 9-1-1. Come to find out I have gallstones as well and pray I don't get another attack anytime soon because it was the worst pain EVER!! I did go see a surgeon about having it removed but since my daughter was so young I wanted to wait awhile and do my homework to the pros and cons of having it removed. I'm going to have my removed hopefully in the near future. As far as the cravings--if you are craving sweets they say to eat a apples, strawberries or some kind of sweet fruit (it works!!!) as far as the greasy stuff like pizza (my weakness) I try to eat very little and remind myself of the horrible pain and that helps me only eat alittle bit and then I will run and eat something healthy until I'm full. I have notice that if I even think that I'm about to have a attack I take a Motrin (or since you pregnant you should take Tylenol) and the pain subsides but so far I haven't had a full blown attack because I treat it before it comes. Hope I helped and I'm sorry you have to deal with this with a child and one on the way--has to be tough. Let us know how it goes!! Take care!!

I'm 46 years old & I still have a small pile of gallstones after about 16 years or so. I never got my gallbladder removed. Even so, I haven't had any symptoms in years. I didn't take any drugs or watched what I ate, but I did my research and took vitamin, amino acid, and mineral supplements to help regulate the bile flow. You also have to eat at regular intervals so you don't get a big rush of bile, which push the stones up against & sometimes into the duct & cause the horrendous pain. You DO take a chance of a stone getting lodged in the duct and having to get operated on after-all if you aren't diligent about your self-care. You DO have to change your diet since certain foods aid in the stone formation. (I think I recently read something about an alkaline diet to prevent stones.) They offered me the laparoscopy method, but told them no. You could still have gallstones form in your bile ducts even if your gallbladder is removed (although surgeons will say this is rare or impossible- remember that they're not taught any other way of dealing with this!) I later, (because I HADN't changed my diet), developed appendicitus, and had to have IT out while I was 4 months pregnant with my now 13 yr old son. When you're pregnant, you have to be extra careful about your nutrition and supplement AND MEDICATION intake. Start looking into good nutrition for yourself & family now while your kids are still young. You should consult with a doctor who knows something about alternative methods of dealing with diseases and nutrition. Wendy Warner, MD in Langhorne, Pa, is a rare, holistic, MD who can point you in the right direction or find a good naturopath. Even if this advice reaches you too late & you've gotten that operation, you should still make the diet (lifestyle) changes to prevent further problems like mine.

M...
Right after i had my daughter I started having gallbladder attacks.. I stuck it out the first 2 times with just advil.. and laying flat and breathing as slow as possable (simalar to lamaze) then i went to the er and they got me in real fast and gave me drugs, and told me it was gallstones.. then i met with the surgen and decided to have it out. i had it removed 2 weeks later, it went real good, i only have 2 very smal scars and one scar thats a little bigger, went home and like 2 days later i was feelin fine (even tho they told me not to lift anything over 10 lbs and my daughter was 14 lbs lol)then 1 week after the surgery i had those same pains so i went to th er again, i waited 2 hours in the waiting room, and watched them take every person before me. and none of them were in any pain, then after i got in there it took them 45 mins to get a vein. it was the worst day of my life. (sorry i needed to vent) anyway, then they told me it was my liver.. and i had to go for more stupid tests. and they found nothing... they said it might of been my liver over compinsating for the gallbadder being gone.. well anyway, sorry i just wanted to tell my story.

Hello M.,
I do not have solution for you...but since I thought misary loves company...I just was diagnosed with gallstones as well. I am not pregnant though ( I have 1year old).My problems started as sson as I stopped nursing ( 2months ago)I guess I was really carefull of what I was eating when I nursed..it must be horrible for you to deal with those attacks and having 1 child and being pregnant. I am right now eating only dry bread I can not digest anything else without problems. I do not think there is anything that dissolve gallstones. So be strong it will all pass.

M.,
Sorry hun, but u just can't pass gallstones; unlike kidney stones. I do kno how painfull an attack can be as I had to have surgery back in 1984 to remove a total of 70 some odd stones. I was so bad that my gallbladder had perfarated and I was contantly trowing up nothing but hat, green bile.
Being preganat only aggrivates your problem, becuz of the fact with being pregnant u r pron to acid refluxs, indigestion and all types of gastric problems.
Sometimes if the gallbladder isnt to bad the attacks will tend to come and go over periods of time. But if it is to compacted with stones most times it is a surgical issue. However being pregnant , this is not even a fesible solution right now. So for now we will have to wait and c how u r after u have the baby.
Foods now...as u kno u need to stay away from greasy and spicy foods, But, also seedy food and fruits also cause a big effect on the gallbladder( when u r have'n probs already)..Oh and try to stay away from carbonated bevrages (such as pop). The best thing I found that really helped alot when I was have'n an attack was this.
If u can handle milk...take 4oz of milk and add 1tsp of tumaric, stir it up really good and drink it. Also if u sip on some green tea with a little mint it seems to help.
Well I hope I have helped a little, my prayers r with u.
R. S.

hi M. h i just want to say that i feel so sorry for you i too had a bad gallbladder during pregnancy it was so bad that i went to the er and they said that there was nothing they could do til the baby was born.my back always hurt so bad that i literally slept with a heating pad on it so much that i broke it.i must have took 3 hot showers or baths a day.it seemed to help so much.i worried about the baby and the hotness but she is 3 now and perfectly fine.good luck on your long painful pregnancy.try not to eat anything like green peppers broccoli or anything that gives you gas as it will make it ten times worse.

I had a similar experience with my third pregnancy I developed a gallbladder problem. It started with a trip to the ER where I had never be so sick in my life and an ultrasound showed large gallstones. I can not remember exactly how pregnant I was I believe it was somewhere around 25 weeks, if I remember correctly I had surgery in April and Maddox was born in. Sept. Anyways my OB at Magee put me in touch with a great surgeon at Magee who was willing to preform the surgey while I was pregnant. And I know that may sound a little extreme but it got to the point that no matter how I tried to alter my diet I was in extreme pain and vomiting. I know woman who have waited it out but I think I made a very good decision and am so glad that I did it before it became an emergency situation. Also there is a time frame that they are willing to operate before your stomach is too large. If you would like more info I can try and locate his name and number or I can give more info about my experience if you like

Sorry I can't help you with the gall stones. Just some advice for your daughter. I am not sure what religion you follow but if you celebrate Christmas, PLEASE.PLEASE,PLEASE don't give her the "combo" gift. Being a Christmas child I got many "combo" gifts from friends and family. For example, a bike for my Christams AND birthday present. Meanwhile my brothers-both May birhtdays- would get a bike for their birthdays and then another big Christams gift. I am 40yo and I still feel the jaded by the gift thing. I know it might not sound like a big deal but to a child it really hurts. I have many grown friends who had the same Christmas birthday issues.

Hope you feel better soon!!