TMI warning
I don’t go into too many biological details, but here is your TMI warning. This post is about a bodily function in your body that many people don’t know or care about. I’m about to tell you what you need to know about gallstones and what a gallstone attack feels like. Fair warning.
Also, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I am just describing my experiences with gallstones for the benefit of others.
Your gallbladder regulates the amount of bile that reaches your stomach to help you digest your meals. Gallstones occur for unknown reasons and crystallize the bile which can cause blockages in between the gallbladder and the stomach. (Thanks, WebMD.)
These gallstone attacks are incredibly painful and can be a serious medical emergency. They can also sit quietly for years without your notice.
After I had my second baby, I started having some pain in my shoulders, chest and back. It would build up and then pass. To be completely honest here (TMI remember?), I thought the pains were internal gas and would just go away as I healed from giving birth.
Not only did the pain not go away, it got increasingly worse. In the first six month’s of my second child’s life, I had an increasingly painful episode about once a month. It got so bad that I was literally laying on the floor in a public restroom, in too much pain to even stand up.
I was scared and helpless and I had no idea what was going on with my body. I would search Google every time after I had an episode and not come up with any answers.
Let me describe the feelings – I would start to feel out of breath and feel some pressure in the center of my chest, just below my ribcage. My shoulders, chest and back, mostly on the right side, would start to feel a sharp pain. As things got worse, it would feel like a fist was inside the center of my chest (a little to the right) and squeezing me from the inside out. I could breath with effort, and no change in position made a difference to the level of pain.
After about 20-30 minutes had gone by, the pain would slowly (so slowly) recede. I was left shaky and cold and scared that the pain would return at any minute. Taking a nap afterward would make me feel a little better.
Finally one night I was looking around a mom forum when I found the answer. Another mom posted a question about the very things I had been feeling and I found out it was caused by gallstones. Just another example of social media opening my eyes to something entirely new to me.
Of course, I Googled gallstones and made an appointment with my doctor right away. It seemed a little silly going to my doctor and saying “I think I have gallstones.” But she didn’t laugh at me, she asked me questions about the pain and scheduled an ultrasound as soon as possible. The ultrasound showed that I did indeed have gallstones.
What a relief to know what was going on!
My doctor told me that as middle-aged (seriously?! well, I guess so) woman, who had more than one child, I had a higher risk level for gallstones. Before this, gallstones was not something I had heard of in relation to women in general and moms in particular. Gallstones is NOT something people include in the “What happens when you have kids” Guide.
I hope this post helps you if you’re struggling to know what is going on with your body, now or possibly in the future.
Stop by soon for the rest of the series, where I decide not to have surgery (yet) and how I manage my diet to minimize and avoid gallstone attacks.
Hello there, how are you right now? I also had an attack and when I consult a doctor he advice me to have a medication for 2 months but it didn’t work. I just changed my diet and I hope that I will never have an attack again cause I decided not to undergo surgery.
Hello i found out i had gallstones about a month ago when i had my first attack it was horrible the pain got so bad i ended up in the er also not knowing what was going on with my body i had mild stomach pain the week before and i thought the same maybe just some digestion issues i had an ultrasound done at the hospital and yup i was tols i had gallstones i just my baby 3 weeks prior to that day so it was horrible news that made me stay in the hospital for 3 days for high enzyme level i thought i was having surgery since the dr said if my blood enzyme level went up it was going to be an emergency surgery luckily they didnt so i was discharged a week later i had another attack the pain is too much to handle with just regular pain meds so i went in just to be told is just another attack gave me norco and sent me home is been 2 weeks now changed my diet been more active drinking more water and havent had no attacks but met up with the surgeon and told me i need the surgery to remove my gallbladder im not sure what to do since my baby is so small im so confused keep it and keep struggling thinking the pain would come back or remove it i heard life after removing it is still quite painful so whats the point right im so lost any advice ???
Hi Maria, You have to make the right decision for you. For me, I decided to wait it out. When I changed my diet, my attacks went away. I never went to the emergency room for mine though.
Good luck! Keep us posted. <3
Hi there, I have just recently been told I have gallstones about a week ago only because I had a attack and my very first one and stayed in hospital for the rest of the night and a whole day. Did you get tired easerly when you first got the pains and a little while after? It’s only because I find my self drained just walking round the supermarket. I’m doing well on the low fat side of things but find it difficult to find and do meals, have you got any suggestions to help?
Hi,
Great article! I was really hoping to read the follow up about management without surgery, but I can’t find it. Has it been published or not as yet?
Any tips on dietary changes you’ve made Gould be amazing!
Thank you 🙂
Katie, I have not written it yet. But a quick update – still have my gallbladder and still no flare ups since I changed my diet. I’ll email you when it’s posted!
Wondering whats your diet like?
hey I just found out I have gallstones 6 weeks after having my baby just wondering did you have the surgery as im in 2 minds to have it or not ?x
No, I decided not to have surgery unless I absolutely needed to. I made the changes to my diet, which was basically just eating a little healthier, no fast food and no greasy food and I haven’t had an attack since in almost 2 years.
I had a major gallbladder attack earlier this year that put me in the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I have very high pain tolerance but it was epically painful. My doctor doesn’t feel I need surgery so just watching what I eat and hoping I’m one of those people that only ever has one attack.
Hope you also are able to manage yours!
I have been able to manage them for the past year or so. Once I changed my diet, I haven’t had another attack (knock on wood). But you are right, the pain is incredible. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. You are lucky you only had one attach, I think I had one a month for 6 months or so. I still have a fear in the back of my mind, wondering when it will happen again. Good luck to you. Let me know how you’re doing in the future.
I, too, have had gallbladder episodes (which I first thought that I was lactose intolerant), which then turned in to full blown attacks- one of which landed me in the ER because I had no idea what was causing the excruciating pain! I went on to find that I have a 9mm gallstone (so the pain was likely me passing another one!).. I decided to have the surgery because it was getting to the point where my attacks were happening at least once a week, and I was barely eating anything because I had no appetite.. My surgery is scheduled for June 4th and needless to say, I’m excited to hopefully be pain free afterwards! My gallbladder issues also started about 6 months after giving birth! Who would have thought that something so cute could create so much havoc on our bodies!? 🙂 Wishing you the best!!
Good luck with your surgery! I hope everything goes well. It’s really the worst time for something like this to come up – at a time when we should be happy getting to know our new babies. All the best!
That does not sound like much fun! Hope you are feeling better….looking forward to the rest of the series.
I am feeling better! Lots more information to come in the next post in the series.