Not multiple related, but has anyone had gallbladder problems?? Have you had your gallbladder removed??

What was your symptoms or how did you feel??

Thanks in advance

Debbie
Mom to Jessica, Alex, & Tracie

I had emergency gall bladder surgery just before thanksgiving. My symptoms were extreme abdominal pain after late night meals. I'd wake up around 1 AM and not be able to go back to sleep because of the pain for hours. I always thought it was just indigestion/heart burn until the last episode which included vomiting and my wife made me go to the hospital.

I had mine removed when the boys were a year old. The best way to describe the pain was that it is the worst "heartburn" you could ever imagine. I got it right behind my breastbone and it literally brought me to my knees in tears. Even though I was sure it was my gallbladder (I had many people tell me it sounded that way to them), I was misdiagnosed with an ulcer for a while. I was put on Nexium and told not to eat anything spicy. So I ate non-spicy things like - oh - pasta with alfredo sauce and peanut butter sandwiches. WELL! Guess what triggers gallbladder attacks? FATTENING FOODS! Yikes! I thought I was gonna die - the pain was so bad I had to throw up to get it to stop. Finally I was actually TESTED for gallstones (ultrasound and x-ray, I believe) and lo-and-behold I was full of them.

The surgeon said my symptoms were classic for gallstones, even though the ninny doctor at the last clinic said "Oh no, gall bladder attacks affect your right side and happen immediately after eating." Mine happend a couple hours after eating and the pain was centralized where my ribs come together. By the way, I know several people who had gallstones with the exact same symptoms I was having. Anyway, the surgery was a breeze (compared to my c-section!) and I recovered very quickly. FYI, the four risk factors are:
1. Female
2. Fertile (you've had children)
3. Over 40
4. Overweight

Jennifer P.
Proud mom of first-round IVF miracles!
Nicholas, Victor, & Jacob
(12/15/00 @ 29 wks)

I agree with the above. I had a growth on my gall bladder and it was awful. My pain was upper right quadren - kind of behind the ribs (near the liver). It would bring me to tears when I ate even the least bit of fat. I had vomiting and was tired a lot.

Doctor said gall bladder problems are common in females with lots of estrogen (that's me - fertal Mertal)

The surgery wasn't bad but it took me several days to get the gas out of my trunk which was painful. I'm 28 weeks with my triplets and have never had a c-section so I am a bit concerned about someone's comment about how the c-section was worse. Now I am scared!

Froggy

What you get after the c/s is much more fun that what you'd get after gall bladder surgury. At least in my opinion.

Marie

Marie

The reason the gallbladder surgery was so much "easier" (for me) is that it was not an open incision. They went in through 4 little holes and never had to open me up more than that. I was up and about very quickly aftwerward, although I could not lift much for a week or two. I also think that being in pretty good shape (thanks to my three pint-sized personal trainers!) really helped. The c-section recovery was much more uncomfortable because I had been on bedrest for 6 weeks prior and being so hugely pg, all your muscles get whacky and take time to get back to normal. The incision recovery was no picnic either, but - as another person said - it is all worth it in the end.

Jennifer P.
Proud mom of first-round IVF miracles!
Nicholas, Victor, & Jacob
(12/15/00 @ 29 wks)

I had my gallbladder removed when my three were only 7 weeks old. My pain was at the base of my ribs and it radiated around to my back. It was the worst pain I've ever felt. It started very suddenly and then it would stop just as suddenly (like a light switch being turned off).

I thought the pains were REALLY bad gas pains so for four days I suffered with multiple attacks. I couldn't take the pain anymore and by the time I went into the ER, my pancreatic levels were through he roof (30-40 is normal and mine was 800!!) and my liver enzymes were elevated as well. I was jauniced and my unine was like orange kool-aid. Apparently, my gallbladder was full of stones and one or more had gotten stuck for a while and caused my pancreatitis. I had to stay in the hospital for 7 days without food or water (iv only) while they waited for my levels to get back down to normal. They performed the surgery and I went home the next day.

If you're having symptoms, don't wait to see a doctor like I did. If I had waited any longer I could have "nuked my pancreas" in the words of the ER doc.

Tammy + 3, 2.5 yrs.

Debbie,

I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago. My pain was a little different so I was miss diagnosed with an ulcer. I would get horrible pain in my chest right about where your bra would hit you in the front of your chest. I the first time it happened I thought it was heartburn (really really bad heartburn) When it happend again a week later I went to emergency and they thought I was having a heart attck at 25 years old. Well the EKG proved that wrong after scaring the &$(% out of me. Went to my Dr. the next day who said I must have an ulcer and sent me to a gastro Dr. After and ultrasound low and behold I have gall stones. Which he decided not to operate at the time. He wanted to wait to see if I had another "episode" needless to say I about crashed my car the very next day from and "episode".

The surgery at least for me was a breeze. I only have one scare that keeps me from wearing that bikini not my strected out belly from having trips. Although as you can see I didn't have any kids at the time so my recovery might have been a bit different. Any questions send me an e-mail dancinpixy@altrionet.com


Amy
Wife to Jason(pixelpusher)
Mom to Gwynne, Connor, Chloe 11/03/03
25wks 1day

Amy
Wife to Jason(pixelpusher)
Mom to Gwynne, Connor, Chloe 11/03/03
25wks 1day

www.ferristrio.blogspot.com

http://lilypie.com>

Thank you all for the replies. I did have it tested about 6 yrs ago and at that time they didn't find anything wrong, that said it was irritable bowel syndrome. But in reading about that mine doesn't sound or act like irritable bowel syndrome, I think that was just a way out. I did the metamucil thing for every and still had problems.

Then got pregnant didn't have anything major while pregnant and was good for about 1yr after they were born. But now I am having problems again, thinking it is gas. I had a really bad spell on Sunday night and hubby wanted me to go to ER, I said NO and now I feel better. In fact, the pain started around 11am and we ate a very very good but fatting breakfast, bacon, eggs and toast.

I think I will go visit my doctor this week or next and see what he says.

I just had a friend who had hers out on Wednesday, and hubby told me I have to go to the doctor now.

Wish me luck.

Debbie
Mom to Jessica, Alex, & Tracie

i had to have mine out when my kids were 7mos old. My pain was a bit different though, not really heartburn kind of pain, it radiated around to my back more, and i would wake up with severe heaviness on my chest, like i couldnt breathe, like the feeling you have when you get the wind knocked out of you..you know what i mean. And like charlie horse kind of pain over where your gall bladder lies, like someone else said, bout where your bra rides in the front. ONly thing that relieved it was waking my dh up to karate chop my back, and arch my back way off that gall bladder area. Certainly pregnancy is a predisposing factor to stones, so if its been that long, and you think that could be whats going on, i wouldnt sit on it any longer as you surely dont want that thing to rupture. And you may have quite a "waiting" period between getting ultrasound scheduled, results delivered, appt with general surgeon and then finally surgery scheduled.
good luck
triozoo bb/g 8-7-97

HI Debbie...

I had my gallbladder removed when my first born was 11 months old. My symptoms started when I was 34 weeks pregnant and had what I thought was heartburn. It brought on contractions and I spent a night in L&D receiving IVF for what they called dehydration. I still continued to have problems after delivery, sometimes 2-3 episodes a week. It almost always followed a fatty meal in the beginning but towards the end almost anything could trigger the episode. I lost 10 lbs as all I was able to eat was cereal. I went to GI doc who said I had reflux (without doing any testing) and put me on Prilosec.

WHen I had an episode, it would start as this small, dull ache in the middle of my chest and would gradually increase in intenisty to full blown chest pain/pressure radiating into my back, up into my neck/jaw, with nausea, occ. vomiting, and lots of belching. I would eat antacids by the bottleful and after usu. about 4 hours the pain would start to dissipate. DUring the pain, I couldn't lay down, sit, talk, anything....all I would do was pace the floor and cry.

After 11 months of several weekly episodes I finally gave in. I am an RN (should have known better right? LOL)and was working a 3-11pm and had an awful episode. One of my resident friends took one look at me and told me to go to the ER. I finished my shift and went to the ER. By the time I got there the pain was just about gone but something told me to stay. They did the usual bloodwork and my liver functions were all elevated. They then called the u/s tech in in the middle of the night (which they never do so I was terrified!). While scanning me, she had this horrific look on her face. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong until I burst out in tears thinking the worst. WHen she saw how frightened I was she said I was FULL of stones and amazed I hadn't had serious complications from suffering for soo long.

Well, I was in the OR by 2pm the next day having my lap chole. I did stay the night for another scope (ERCP) the next day as I had stones in my common bile duct also. But alls well that ends well, I haven't had an episode since and life is good! THe recovery is a breeze other than the first few hours of trying to get the gas out of your system.

From what I have read, the hormones of pregnancy increase your risk of stone formation. I know several young women (I was 26 at the time) whom have had GB problems assoc. with pregnancy.




K - mom to b (5/96), & identical ggg (1/00)

K - mom to b (5/96), & identical ggg (1/00)