Fitness and healthy lifestyle 

Pregnancy and gallstones. Why do gallstones progress and how are they treated during pregnancy?

One of the important organs in the human digestive system is the gallbladder. It accumulates bile necessary for the breakdown of fats that enter our body. During pregnancy, as is known, many chronic diseases can worsen, and due to weakened immunity, new ones can appear. Your gallbladder may also suffer during pregnancy. In particular, these problems can affect those women who had problems with gall before pregnancy.

The most unpleasant disease can be acute or chronic cholecystitis. Similar problems occur due to stagnation of bile or infection. The presence of infection can cause pathological changes in the gallbladder. Bile, in turn, can stagnate due to dyskinesia. The main reason why such sores worsen during pregnancy is the active production of progesterone, which relaxes smooth muscles. Sometimes, due to the action of progesterone, the gall bladder cannot be completely emptied and stagnation occurs.

If you have severe pain in the area of ​​the right hypochondrium, radiating under the right shoulder blade, shoulder or collarbone, be sure that these are problems with the gall bladder. In addition to pain, patients experience nausea, vomiting, belching, heartburn and bitterness in the mouth.

If all the tests you have undergone, including ultrasound, confirm your fears about gall disease, you must immediately begin treatment. To do this, you and your doctor will draw up a course of treatment that is as gentle and safe as possible for both your health and the health of your unborn baby. As a rule, the course of treatment includes a balanced diet (often a diet), which must be strictly adhered to. Natural choleretic properties are also listed.

Sometimes, with severe pain, women can be prescribed antispasmodics, but you need to pay attention to how harmful they can be for the child. Also, chronic cholecystitis is best treated regularly, and not exclusively during exacerbations. To do this, undergo preventive treatment if you have already encountered this kind of problem.

Causes of formation of gallstones in pregnant women

Gallstones may well form during pregnancy, due to the same hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother. The symptoms of the disease are the same as with dyskinesia, only the pain can be many times stronger. In addition, the slightest movement of the fetus in such a situation causes even more pain. In order to determine whether there are stones in the gall bladder during pregnancy, an ultrasound diagnostic method is used.

As you understand, stones can be completely different in size, shape, and location. This will determine which treatment will be indicated for you. Without fail, you will have to exclude everything fatty, salty, spicy and fried from your food. In this case, choleretic drugs are prescribed light and gentle; for severe pain, painkillers are prescribed.

If the condition does not stabilize after time, you may have to resort to surgery. There is no need to worry too much about this, since at the moment such operations are performed by laparoscopy. This helps avoid major incisions, pain and difficult repairs.

In order to prevent possible problems with the gallbladder during pregnancy, try to undergo all the necessary examinations and courses of treatment during the planning stages. Stick to a diet, do not overuse unhealthy foods.

Pregnancy is a great stress for every woman. During all 9 months, the body experiences severe stress, and immunity may decrease. The expectant mother is susceptible to various diseases, since her immune system cannot cope with the effects of microorganisms, and many chronic diseases can worsen during pregnancy. Gallstone disease is characterized by the formation of stones in the gall bladder. There are many different factors that can trigger this disease. Let's look at them below:

  • Poor nutrition, which leads to provoking factors for cholelithiasis: biliary dyskinesia, cholecystitis.
  • Stagnation of bile.
  • Bends of the gallbladder.
  • Increased cholesterol levels.
  • The production of female sex hormones: estrogen and progesterone, which are produced in large quantities during pregnancy. However, their excessive secretion impairs the functioning of the gallbladder. Its walls become too elastic and bile stagnates; it cannot quickly pass through the ducts.
  • The hormone estrogen, which is produced in large quantities, changes the composition of bile, provoking the crystallization of cholesterol, which then precipitates and stones form from it.
  • Multiple pregnancy.
  • When the size of the fetus exceeds 4 kilograms.
  • If the expectant mother has a fragile constitution and it is difficult for her to bear even a small fetus, which puts pressure on the internal organs

Symptoms

Most often, cholelithiasis occurs after the second or third pregnancy, but in some cases it can worsen during the first. Symptoms of gallstones in an expectant mother are characterized by the following:

  • Severe sharp pain in the abdomen, in the right side under the ribs, which may intensify during pregnancy.
  • Nausea and vomiting, however, these symptoms may be features of pregnancy, for example, late toxicosis.
  • The urine takes on a dark color and becomes cloudy.
  • The stool may become discolored, but this symptom is the same as the symptom of hepatitis, so the expectant mother may confuse these two diseases.
  • Skin color becomes yellow.
  • The sclera of the eyes acquire a yellowish tint.
  • The tongue becomes yellow-brown.
  • Bitter taste in mouth.
  • Heartburn and heaviness in the right side.

Gallstone disease may initially develop asymptomatically. As long as the stone is too small it does not move. But as soon as the expectant mother begins to move, she begins to experience sharp pain. In order to provoke the movement of the stone, some kind of trigger is needed, usually physical activity or some kind of acute infectious disease. Also, late toxicosis, consumption of spicy and fatty foods provokes a sharp onset of the disease. In the later stages, the fetus, with its sharp jolts, can provoke an exacerbation, as it rests on the liver and gall bladder.

Diagnosis of cholelithiasis during pregnancy

A doctor diagnoses cholelithiasis using ultrasound. You will also need a biochemical blood test, a clinical blood test, a urine and stool test. The doctor will ask the expectant mother about the pathogenesis of the disease, about the factors that could provoke an exacerbation. Additional examination of the fetus, ultrasound and Doppler sonography are also carried out.

A biochemical blood test may show an increase in Ast and Alt, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and cholesterol. In a clinical blood test, there will be an increase in ESR and leukocytes.

Complications

Following a diet and proper treatment usually prevents the development of any complications and consequences of gallstone disease during pregnancy. You can avoid all the troubles if you notice in time that there are disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system and gall bladder. Otherwise, a pregnant woman risks getting the following complications:

  • Hepatosis.
  • Jaundice due to blockage of the bile ducts.
  • Peritonitis.
  • Intestinal obstruction.
  • Cholangitis.
  • Pancreatitis.

Treatment

What can you do

Under no circumstances should the expectant mother self-medicate, so at the first symptoms of cholelithiasis, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is best to call an ambulance and then hospitalize the patient. After treatment, the pregnant woman should follow all the doctor’s instructions at home to avoid relapse or complications.

What does a doctor do

After all the research has been carried out and an accurate diagnosis has been made, the doctor will prescribe treatment. During pregnancy, surgical intervention is not used, as it is dangerous for the life of the expectant mother and the fetus. In particularly difficult situations, emergency delivery is resorted to, followed by laparoscopic surgery to remove stones from the gallbladder. Without surgery, there is another way of treatment. It includes the following:

  • The use of choleretic drugs to reduce the stagnation of bile in the bladder.
  • The use of drugs to relieve spasms and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Painkillers in pediatric dosages may be prescribed to relieve symptoms.
  • When bacterial microflora is attached, antibiotic therapy is carried out, but they are contraindicated during pregnancy, therefore they are prescribed strictly according to the indications and according to the condition of the pregnant woman.
  • The use of various herbal infusions that promote the choleretic process.

Prevention

To prevent gallstone disease, a pregnant woman should follow a strict diet and avoid all possible triggers of this disease. The diet may include the following:

  • Exclusion of fatty, spicy, salty and fried foods, as well as fast food.
  • Coffee should be excluded from the diet.
  • Take vitamins or medications strictly as prescribed by your doctor.
  • Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits that contain fiber.

For prevention, it is very important to monitor the levels of cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, Asl and Alt indicators. If their growth is insignificant, immediately contact a therapist so that he can prescribe preventive treatment. It may include the use of brewed infusions of herbal leaves.

Pregnancy is a period during which a woman’s body works to bear a fetus. This is ensured by hormonal changes that can affect every cell of the body. Often during this period, a pregnant woman is faced with exacerbation of chronic diseases or new diseases, the main factor in the development of which is progesterone. One of these diseases is gallstone disease, which is also called pregnancy disease.

Causes of gallstones during pregnancy

Pregnancy increases the risk of many diseases in a woman, as hormonal changes occur, and also due to the fact that energy is spent on bearing the fetus, which is why the protective mechanisms of the immune system often fail. During this period, progesterone is produced, which affects the relaxation of the body’s muscles; the gallbladder is no exception. This causes bile to be excreted more slowly, which contributes to the occurrence of stagnant processes in which stones form.

In the case of gallstones, there can be many reasons. Factors that can trigger the disease are:

  • frequent consumption of excessive amounts of food;
  • women's inactivity and sedentary lifestyle;
  • hereditary predisposition;
  • age;
  • problems with excess weight;
  • an increase in the amount of progesterone during pregnancy;
  • diabetes.

Symptoms

With cholelithiasis, nausea, vomiting and belching are possible.

Gallstone disease occurs unnoticed or with mild symptoms, and can only be diagnosed accidentally until the stone moves into the duct, especially during pregnancy, many symptoms of the disease can be attributed to the woman’s position itself. Symptoms of gallstone disease:

  • nausea;
  • gagging;
  • belching;
  • bloating;
  • heartburn;
  • severe pain in the right side, shooting in the ribs or shoulder;
  • feeling of bitterness in the mouth.

Diagnostics

Anyone who has become pregnant knows that it is rarely possible to detect gallstones at an early stage, since the signs of the disease are similar to toxicosis, from which almost all pregnant women suffer. Therefore, they are more often diagnosed in the second trimester, since toxicosis should already have subsided, but this condition continues and the pain in the side is no less. Then the doctor may suspect that the gallbladder is not working properly.

For examination to identify the disease, the following is prescribed:

  • complete blood count, urine test, laboratory tests to determine bilirubin levels;
  • ultrasound diagnostics of the abdominal cavity, which is the most suitable and effective method, especially given pregnancy.

Treatment

During treatment, it is necessary to eat dietary foods in small portions.

Since they try to prescribe drug treatment during pregnancy as rarely as possible and with great caution, the first thing the doctor advises to get rid of gallstones is:

  • eat only dietary foods in small portions;
  • spicy, fatty, salty, fried foods must be excluded;
  • make yourself a meal plan;
  • do light physical exercises that have a strengthening effect.

If such a regimen does not bring results, doctors prescribe diuretics to treat the gallbladder, but in this case, the pregnant woman is most often admitted to the hospital, since the effect of such drugs can lead to dehydration. Therefore, the patient is given IV drips.

If the disease causes severe pain, the doctor may prescribe a mild antispasmodic or painkiller. This treatment makes the pregnant woman’s condition much better.

Sometimes situations occur when traditional treatment is ineffective and symptoms do not subside. In this case, surgical intervention to remove the stone is prescribed. The most common type of surgery is laparoscopy.

Laparoscopy allows you to make small incisions.

This method allows you to remove part of the gallbladder or the entire organ in such a way that the pregnant woman has virtually no pain. Laparoscopy allows you to make small incisions. The rehabilitation period after surgery is much faster and painless than after conventional surgery. The operation is prescribed only in extreme cases.

Under no circumstances should you self-medicate or use grandma’s methods. The most common mistakes in self-medication are:

  • applying warm compresses to a sore spot - this only promotes the growth of bacteria;
  • massage of the sore spot;
  • using traditional recipes without consulting a doctor;
  • not turning to a specialist for help.

I would very much like to know your opinion about the possibility of subsequent pregnancy after the following story: 2 pregnancies, from 32 weeks. skin itching began, for the first time ALT and AST began to increase, in the second pregnancy there was a strong increase in bilirubin. Treatment in the hospital for about a month (intravenous treatment with hepatoprotectors, glucose, injections for the development of the child’s lungs in case of premature birth), after which in the first case labor was induced (bladder puncture - absence of contractions - oxytocin - contractions) at 36.5 weeks, in the second case at 35.5 weeks. The children, despite being premature, were born healthy, Apgar score 8/8, weight 3200. But both had prolonged neonatal jaundice. My grandmother also had severe itching during pregnancy, and my mother was induced into labor at 38 weeks because (according to her recollection) liver tests were high and the fetus was too large for her pelvis. After my first pregnancy, gallstones appeared and my appendix was soon removed. After the second pregnancy, the stone got stuck in the duct, causing obstructive jaundice - it was not possible to get it out through the tube - a cholecystectomy was performed. After this, reactive pancreatitis developed. I would like to know how dangerous it will be to want a third child in a couple of years? Is there a high risk of stones in the bile duct with repeated hepatosis (and it will probably happen again)?

Hello girls! I want to tell you about my last crazy week... There are a lot of letters, whoever masters it is a great guy

It all started on Friday, June 6th, I came home from work terribly hungry, I smelled the magical smell of fried potatoes. I didn’t like them before, but now this smell just captivated me and I piled a plate on myself))) And that’s it... after some time, severe pain appeared in the epigastric region (upper abdomen), since I had had similar pain several times before, I took a couple of charcoal tablets, and usually the pain went away. And they really subsided, and after some time I went to bed.

But soon I woke up from an even more unbearable pain in the upper abdomen, my entire abdomen was literally on fire, swollen, and there was clearly an inflammatory process going on there. I suffered for a long time, drank more coal, then no-shpa, I thought it would help. In the end, nothing helped and I finally called an ambulance. They injected me with analgin with papaverine and left. Half an hour later, the pain still did not go away, and I called an ambulance again. This time they took me. I must say, I could barely pull myself together, I walked all crooked and kept thinking about the baby...

I was first sent to be examined by a gynecologist, it was already 5 am, walking down the corridor, I felt terribly nauseous and ended up vomiting ((The pain never subsided. The gynecologist examined me and wrote that I could take medications at 10 weeks. Next I was admitted to the surgical department. They admitted me. They put me on an IV (for the first time in my life!), the IV helped, but only in the morning and I was finally able to sleep for a couple of hours)

Since I was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, the ultrasound was scheduled only for Monday. So far the diagnosis has been made - acute cholecystitis. I immediately looked on the Internet to find out what the problem was... I kept hoping that I definitely didn’t have stones... I was prescribed injections 5 (!!!) times a day: 2 antibiotics (ceftriaxone - because of it I was very worried about the baby ) and 3 times analgesics (no-spa, since mild pain remained for several days). I even went to the head of the department to find out how harmful the medications prescribed to me were - he reassured me))) And I read on the Internet that antibiotics like ceftriaxone penetrate the placenta the least, and are therefore practically harmless to the baby :)

And then Monday came - the day of the ultrasound. And my worst expectations were confirmed. They found 4 stones in my gall bladder measuring 5-8 mm. These are considered medium-sized stones, even large ones. A roommate, a 59-year-old large woman, was found to have 3 stones of 3 mm each. And as a young girl, I already have such large lumps. I don’t know why I have so many different ailments?! I have been trying to lead a healthy lifestyle for a long time, but some kind of illness appears again......

Now I’ve almost been discharged and allowed to go home for the weekend, as I feel pretty good! Only these stones never went anywhere... Of course, the most important thing for me now is to carry the baby and give birth!!! Therefore, I will follow a strict diet for calculous cholecystitis, i.e. excluding everything fried, spicy, pickled and fatty.

And after giving birth, I want to get serious about treating my gallbladder.

In connection with my huge poem, a question - girls, who experienced this during pregnancy, or before, or after? How did you solve the problem? How are you treated?

My doctor told me that I just need to remove the gallstone (((But after reading a bunch of articles, I learned that there are other methods: medicines, traditional methods, and crushing the stones into smaller ones. I believe that removing the gallstone is the last option, in the meantime, we need to fight for the organ! And I’m also wondering if any traditional methods of dissolving stones can be used now, during pregnancy?