Pregnant, Having Gallbladder Pain and No Gallbladder!!!!

V.,
In my first pregnancy I came down with HELLP Syndrome at about 29 or 30 weeks. They at first thought I had the flu that was going around at the time, then thought it was my gallbladder. Ultra sounds showed it was not that. I do not want to scare you, but ended up going to the emergency room because the pain was so bad and had to have an emergency C-section.

The HELLP stands for High Enzymes Low Liver Platelets. It is not very common and a lot of the characteristics are similar to preclampsia. But is more serious.

Talk to you Dr and see what their thoughts are about it. I knew nothing about it when diagnosed. For once in my life, Ignorance was bliss...

I hope you are able to find out what is causing the pain and everything ends with a happy, healthy baby and mom! Take care.

S.

Either you are having "phantom Pain" which does hurt or your pain is actually somewhere else and it is displaced. You may actually have a Kidney infection for example or actually GERD can cause pain over on that side, not just in the middle under the breastbone. I still have "pains" from the area of my gallbladder as well after 6 years and I "feel your pain". It is like an attack all over again. Talk to your Dr. You may need to see a Gastroenterologist.

Hey V.! Sorry to hear of your pain. It sounds like a replay of my own pregnancies. I had my gallbladder taken out at 20 weeks during my first pregnancy; 2 years ago now. I just had a baby on March 20 of this year. At about 20 weeks during my most recent pregnancy, I started having pain that felt very similiar to the pain I had experienced before. Initially, the doctor thought I may be having pancreatitis, but turned out that it was pretty significant gastric reflux. Tried Nexium, but experienced the side effect of severe headaches. Ended up taking Zantac 150 2 times per day for the duration of the pregnancy. Still experienced some minor heartburn that Tums would relieve. Now that baby is here, no more problems with reflux!! Hope you find some relief soon; I certainly understand your pain!! L. B

V., it sounds to me like you are having acid reflux attacks. The first one hit me years after I had my gallbladder taken out.
I was awakened in the night with what seemed to be gallbladder pain and I thought I was having a heart attack. Went to the ER and they checked my heart thoroughly and sent me to a ear, nose and throat specialist, who diagnosed me with acid reflux.
I guess there are different types of this disease and affects different people in different ways. My husband has it and has a lot of gas pressure and actual acid coming up into his throat that burns. He takes medication for it and it seems to help some. Mine is always pressure and DEEP pain right underneath my breast in the top of my stomach and often runs into my back and through my breast. With mine I just keep a bottle of diet pepsi on hand and cold in the fridge. When I have an attack, I drink from that bottle without stopping for several swallows, building up air. Drinking it from a glass does not have the same effect. Once I can belch "burp" really hard, then it goes away and doesn't bother me again for several days.
Maybe this is the type of thing you are experiencing as well. And being pregnant I know does not make it feel any better. So sorry. Maybe try the diet pepsi to see if it helps you. I have tried other kinds of soft drinks and even alka seltzer but nothing seems to help me like the diet pepsi.
You should, however, definately mention this to your ob/gyn.
Hope this helps. God bless, R.

it could be the baby pushing under your ribs, or ligaments stretching under your ribs. this can cause very sever pain, and all you can do for it is try to rotate baby out of your ribs. try getting on the bed on your hands and knees, and dropping your shoulders down. with your bottom in the air, rock your hips back and forth. this helps baby rotate and may get him/her out of your ribs.

My dad had his gallbladder taken out nearly 40 years ago and recently started having attacks again. The dr's found a build up of sludge in his bile duct and had to go in and put in a stent.

Also, my mom recently had her gallbladder removed and started having pains again. The dr's had dropped a stone during her surgery into her bile duct and had to go back in and remove it.

I sympathize with you because I had my first gallbladder attack when I was pregnant. The day after delivery, the drs took me down and removed it.

Good Luck!

With both pregnancies I experienced a burning/stabbing pain sensation where my gallbladder would be. With the second baby, during and after pregnancy the pain was unbearable. I have had every test you can imagine ruling out gallbladder, stones, liver, etc. The last test was an upper GI, and the conclusion was that I had a hernia....I take meds every day..but honestly, at times the pain is still there. Who knows what it is, but I've had tons and tons of tests and they find nothing. When I was pregnant, the pain actually went straight through ( or so it seemed) and I felt the stabbling sensation in my back. So...maybe it just is something that develops with pregnancy...

Hi V., I think you should see your OB health provider right away. It may be a complication of your old gallbladder surgery--even scarred spots being stretched can be painful. You are at the time when lots of pregnant women have ligament pain from the uterus getting large and shifting position slightly. Since it is your second pregnancy, muscles are more lax and thus a little less supportive. In addition, you could have a new problem causing the pain, such as a stomach ulcer or kidney stone. I hope you have already gotten relief. You will be in my prayers, and I'll be interested to know what your Dr. finds was troubleing you. D.

V.,
My husband had trouble with his gallbladder, which he still has, and the doctor recommended drinking apple juice. For some reason apple juice would ease the pain. I realize you do not have a gallbladder but it would be worth trying. Hope it helps out.

P. G

Call your OB today and see what they advise. If pains continue, get examined, I would think by the doctor who did the surgery or internal medicine plus your OB.

I would have the doctor check for kidney stones.

Some people experience bile duct spasms after GB removal. Try noticing what you've eaten before the pain to see if there is a pattern.

V.,
Have you had your platlet levels tested? THere is a condition called HELLP Syndrome that is low platlets with elevated liver enzymes and anemia. Its a serious condidion. The symtpons are headaches, feeling achy, and pain in the upper abdomen. I would ask your doctor about this soon.

I'm probably way late w/my response, but there can be stray gallstones still inside you (my father-in-law had some), and it can cause problems. Another thing I thought of is that it might be scar tissue and/or adhesions from the former surgery. I'd check it out ASAP.

Have you talked to your OBGYN? You may not have gallbladder pain. PLUS.... I don't know if there is such thing as ghost gallbladder pain or not. I know that if you lose a limb that you can feel that and have pain from it even though it is not there.
check into that. And just make sure that everything with your pregnancy is ok first of all.

Remember that nothing compares to the advice of a trained professional, but here are some other things that could cause this pain. Check out indegestion, kidney stones, UTI, esophogial or hiatle (sp?) hernia as well as baby squishing everything into one small space.

I had the same issues as you and also had my GB removed, so I know what the pain feels like. These other things have felt the same to me even though my GB wasn't there.

Good Luck!
J.

V.,

My father had his gallbladder removed and about a year later started having problems again kinda like you, he went back to the doctor and come to find out he had formed a gallstone way up high in the bile duct that had to be removed later on. Next time you go to your dr ask them what they think you could be experiencing.

Good Luck