Can gallstones give more problems in pregnancy?

jules30 · March 14th, 2008, 09:40 PM

Hi,

I have gallstones and get regular attacks that are not always directly related to my diet as i have quite a low fat diet. I think they could be more hormonal than anything as i notice the attacks at regular time of the month. I haven't been on the pill for over 2 years now and we are considering starting ivf in the next few months.

Sorry for the long background! Anyways...... I am debating whether i should ask to have the stones taken out before starting ivf. The pain is quite unbearable sometimes i hate to think how uncomfortable it would be to have an attack during pregnancy.

Anyone experienced worsening symptoms during pregnancy? Your opinions/advice?

**Rouge** · March 14th, 2008, 09:53 PM

I would talk to a Dr. I knew someone when I was pregnant with my first and she had really bad problems, and they did cause her lots of grief towards the end of her pregnancy. Might be better to be safe than sorry iykwim?

Ben01 · March 14th, 2008, 10:21 PM

Hi jules,
firstly im sorry i cant help you with the issue of having gallstones and being pregnant, but i can possibly give you a bit of advice.
Ive had gallstones, and i can totally relate to you. It is the most painful thing i have ever experienced, and i have even worked with a mother who also had gallstone attacks and said her attacks were worse than child birth.
Anyhow, the problem with "asking for the stones to be removed" is that, im pretty sure they wont just remove the stones, they remove the gallbladder itself.
I was referred to a surgeon and told this was my only option, and as you may or may not know, gall stones CAN be fatal.
There was no way i was going to have surgery, way too scared. It is keyhole surgery for gallbladder removal now but it is still classed as a major surgery.
Although skeptical, i decided i would look into naturopathy. I found a guy who has a business right near galleria shopping centre in morley who seemed adament he could get rid of the problem. I took a small shot of tonic twice a day for about 3 or 4 months, and from the day i started to now (about 3 years later) i have not had a single attack.
I could give you the details if your interested, although being pregnant you may have to inquire as to whether or not a tonic of sorts would be okay for you to take. Im not sure what was in it, but i can tell you it was FERRAL!!!
You could always give a call?...

jules30 · March 14th, 2008, 10:38 PM

Cai, i thought as much. I think ive read somewhere that pregnancy can exacerbate the problem due to hormones. Which is what im a bit worried about. I have asked just my GP about it but they didn't seem to think it would be a problem. Although maybe they have never experienced the pain of an attack!

Ben, ive never considered that naturopathy might help. Thanks for sharing, its worth a try. Whats the name of the shop near Galleria? do u have his no. ?

I will ask around my area too, Im down Kelmscott way which is bit of a hike to Morley.

Ben01 · March 14th, 2008, 11:44 PM

The place is called Morley Natural Therapy Centre.
Located at 6B wellington road, morley.
Its directly opposite the galleria.

The guys name is Chris Whiter - really nice guy you could try call
Number is 9375 3414

Good idea call around and ask, i didnt live very close to morley at the time either, but he was the only one i spoke to that seemed to know anything about them.

Good luck

**cherii** · March 17th, 2008, 01:44 PM

Hi jules30

I can say from experience that gallstones will have a likely hood of rearing their ugly head during pregnancy. I had never had an attack before I fell pregnant, but one horrible night I was in sooooo much pain and I didn't know what the heck was going on till I was in the emergency ward under observation on pain meds and buscopan and by the end of that most horrible night of my life I was told that it was indeed Gallstones and that they can be brought on by pregnancy.

They said that might be the only attack I ever have or it might not be. I would just have to wait and see. But that if I had more than a few that they would consider removing the G.Bladder altogether quickly after Birth. But as far as I am aware they don't remove only the stones. But like others have advised, talk to your GP first for the best possible advice. It can be a very traumatic thing to go through when you are pregnant as you are already very on edge about the pregnancy as it is without extra problems occuring. All the best to you!!!!

jules30 · March 30th, 2008, 10:30 PM

The place is called Morley Natural Therapy Centre.
Located at 6B wellington road, morley.
Its directly opposite the galleria.

The guys name is Chris Whiter - really nice guy you could try call
Number is 9375 3414

Good idea call around and ask, i didnt live very close to morley at the time either, but he was the only one i spoke to that seemed to know anything about them.

Good luck

Ben, just getting back to the topic of gallstones. I haven't got in touch with Chris Whiter yet but i have been researching on the net and some people swear by the lemon juice and olive oil flush.

Im just wondering whether you actually passed the stones or if you know whether they dissolved? Sorry if that is getting too personal...

**Lisa** · June 10th, 2009, 11:04 AM

Jules - Like many of the other posters, I have had my gallbladder removed. I started getting attacks 4 weeks after my daughter was born in 1997. Years of being on the pill, dieting & pregnancy were put down as being some of the main causes. Since having my gallbladder out, I have had a few other attacks and I have found that I am unable to take some painkillers now that weren't an issue before having the GB removed. I am unable to take codeine or morpheine and end up in agony if I do, the pain is similar to the GB attacks.
I have a friend who did the lemon juice/olive oil thing and her gallstones dissolved and she hasn't had any issues since. That was 9 years ago that she did that. My Mum suggested way back when I had gallstones that I should try it, but I was skeptical as the olive oil scared me as I was basically unable to have any fat in my diet at the time and I was scared at the thought of drinking oil.
My gallstone attacks weren't always diet related. Sometimes if I stressed out a lot or I got really upset it would set off an attack.
Looking back now I wish I had tried anything other than having the operation. I have put on loads of weight since then and I now have irritable bowel syndrome too. I never had real weight issues before the GB operation, yeah I could do with losing some (as most girls want to) but since then my weight has just ballooned and I have found it much more difficult to lose. As someone else mentioned earlier, in the beginning, most fatty foods would just go straight through me too and it was awful... and by fatty foods I mean regular milk etc.
I have another friend who has been controlling her gallstones through diet and has had a pregnancy in between too. Her GB attacks weren't any more frequent or worse throughout her pregnancy, but she was very strict with what she ate.
I hope you find the best thing for you. Wishing you all the best, and loads of success for your IVF.

**JellyBean** · June 10th, 2009, 11:26 AM

Hi Jules,

I saw your post re: the gallstones and wanted to mention a particular product to you. My Mother had repeated bouts of gallstones, until she started taking a natural mineral supplement known as Zeolite, or Natural Cellular Defense, by a company known as Waiora - from the US. It is used widely now for many ailments, and you can read about its use in a breakthrough fertility study involving women undergoing pre-conceptual care, by googling Zeolite & Dr Gabriel Cousens. The results have been quite astounding also for sperm health, as Zeolite effectively eliminates heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body- which are detrimental to sperm health.

Anyways, my mother was also helped quite significantly by taking a probiotic supplement (you can purchase from the fridge of health food stores- needs to be kept in fridge), and also by adopting an alkaline-based diet and eliminating/reducing acid based foods. Gallstones cannot develop when the body is in an alkaline state, so balancing the ph levels in the body has proved to be critical to ongoing prevention in her case. There are tonnes of websites which discuss the importance of maintaining the ideal ph (alkaline-acid) balance in order to prevent disease, and how to acheive this.

Oh - and regarding what Lisa said about the lemon juice - that is spot on!! People assume that lemon is acidic- which it is outside of the body. But once inside of the body, lemon becomes extremely alkaline. A glass of water with freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 a teaspoon of bi-carb soda first thing every morning is a great way to alkalise the system and make the body an unhospitable environment for gallstones to develop.

I hope this helps somewhat!!
Please let me know if you have anymore questions!!

XX