Re: gallbladder pain & tylenol 3 & pregnancy

[Guest guest]

HI ,

thanks for sharing your story.

I don't know how high your pain level is but any pills

during pregnancy I'd be weary of.

--- amandamariebaker <amandamariebaker@...>

wrote:

> Hello all,

>

> Some of you may remember my post a couple of weeks

> ago about my

> blood screen coming back positive TWICE for neural

> tube

> defects...high AFP (alpha fetoprotein). I wasn't

> too worried about

> the first screen. Even though only 3% of women test

> positive, 70%

> of those are false positives.

> BUT, when my second one came back positive, I was

> really freaking

> out - I mean, what are the chances my test would be

> positive

> twice...that I'd be in that small 3% twice?

> My doc sent me to a hospital that specializes in

> high risk

> ultrasounds. This ultrasound (like the one before

> it) reported all

> was normal. This was somewhat reassuring but, still

> I wondered...

> I then found online that there was a study of more

> than 84,000

> women. This study found that when your blood screen

> is positive AND

> you have a normal ultrasound, the risk for a NTD is

> less than .1%.

> So, this made me wonder if perhaps my AFP was high

> because of

> something else...

> I should mention here that I've been on tylenol3 for

> the last 8

> months for head pain due to chiari malformation -

> and it's very

> constipating.

> Sure enough, I found out by researching AFP that if

> men and non-

> pregnant women have high AFP levels, it is

> indicative of liver

> cancer, liver cirrhosis or hepatitis. This worried

> me too. I made

> an appt to see my doc for a week later. But, a

> couple of nights

> later, I'm laying in bed and notice that my right

> side is aching

> just under my ribs. It occurred to me that this is

> where the liver

> is. I was so upset...thinking my liver was the

> problem. What if it

> was cancer? What if it was cirrhosis? Or

> hepatitis?

> The pain started getting worse (with green diarrhea)

> so, I went to

> the ER on a Saturday. They ran all my bloodwork and

> reported all

> liver enzymes and WBC normal. They also did an

> ultrasound of my

> entire abdomen and reported all was normal. I had

> no fever or

> nausea. I asked if it was possible that the

> tylenol3 was causing my

> problem. They said absolutely not...there's no way

> such a small

> dose (I only take 2 caps a day) could do this kind

> of thing to me.

> So, they sent me home with this abdominal pain,

> telling me to keep

> taking the tylenol3.

> The next day, I still had bowel issues but, normal

> color. I was

> starting to feel better. But, that night I woke

> with a terrible

> headache and reached for the tylenol3. I took one

> cap around 2am

> and another around 8am. The following morning, my

> abdominal pain

> was WAY worse. Now, it felt like sharp stabbing

> pains. And, now I

> had nausea. I was throwing up green slime. I went

> back to the ER

> again...

> Same thing...all tests were normal. No temperature.

> Again, they

> tell me that tylenol3 can't cause these symptoms.

> But, this time I

> didn't believe it. I asked for a different script

> and they sent me

> home.

> Well, that was Monday. Today, I'm feeling much

> better. My

> digestive system still feels " bruised " but, getting

> better everyday

> that I DON'T take tylenol3. Some research on the

> net revealed that

> codeine can cause gallbladder spasms that are very

> painful. It's

> kind of like an allergic reaction to codeine, I

> guess. I'm taking

> plain tylenol now and just dealing with the

> headpain. It's hard

> but, it's WAY better than what I was going thru.

> That pain was so

> bad, I was just wishing they would cut me open and

> take out my

> appendix & gallbladder.

> I do wonder if pregnancy has made my gall bladder

> more sensitive

> than normal. Who knows... I also believe this

> probably contributed

> to my AFP being abnormal. But, of course, I don't

> know for sure.

> Just wanted to share in case anyone else encountered

> a similar

> situation.

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I just looked up Chiari malformation on the internet. Did your doctor

suggest surgery prior to your becoming pregnant, or will the surgery not

be effective in your case? I'm really surprised he approved codeine

knowing you were pregnant!!! Wouldn't affect your baby by drugging it?

All drugs go through the liver.

It also seems you'll need to wait until delivery before doing liver

cleanses.

Would acupuncture help your headache? You might also inquire as to

getting acupuncture to treat your liver/gallbladder.

I've been getting acupuncture since mid-October for carpal tunnel and

back aches, and it's working wonders. My insurance covers it 70%.

Namaste,

[Guest guest]

Actually, yes, I had two surgeries last year - all in the hope it

would " cure " my headache so I could get off all the meds and start a

family(I say headache, singular, because it never goes away). I'm

also diagnosed with PTC (pseudotumor cerebri) which is basically,

adult hydrocephalus. It's often a complicating factor in chiari

(caused by chiari).

I was decompressed and have a shunt. Neither surgery did the trick

to entirely relieve my headache.

Unfortunately, in my case, the tylenol 3 is much preferred to the

drug cocktail I'm used to taking. And, it isn't as effective as I'd

like it to be.

My doctors all agree that tylenol 3 is safe, if necessary, during

pregnancy - except for the concern of addiction if taken during late

pregnancy. So, I'm going to do my best to come off it during the

last month. And, right now, I'm doing my best to avoid it (the

headaches are killer though). I wish they'd invent a motorized

helmet you could strap on that would massage your head while you

work... :-)

Thanks for asking...

> I just looked up Chiari malformation on the internet. Did your

doctor

> suggest surgery prior to your becoming pregnant, or will the

surgery not

> be effective in your case? I'm really surprised he approved

codeine

> knowing you were pregnant!!! Wouldn't affect your baby by

drugging it?

> All drugs go through the liver.

>

> It also seems you'll need to wait until delivery before doing liver

> cleanses.

>

> Would acupuncture help your headache? You might also inquire as to

> getting acupuncture to treat your liver/gallbladder.

>

> I've been getting acupuncture since mid-October for carpal tunnel

and

> back aches, and it's working wonders. My insurance covers it 70%.

>

> Namaste,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Perhaps you'd consider acupuncture though, at least it's non invasive,

and is healthier for you. We're always looking for a quick fix and

that's what doctors offer, a pill for everything, though it doesn't cure

the problem. The pills all end up affecting our liver. Sounds to me

like your liver was trying to tell you something.

Namaste,

[Guest guest]

- just a question. Do you drink enough water

daily? Jay

--- amandamariebaker <amandamariebaker@...>

wrote:

> Actually, yes, I had two surgeries last year - all

> in the hope it

> would " cure " my headache so I could get off all the

> meds and start a

> family(I say headache, singular, because it never

> goes away). I'm

> also diagnosed with PTC (pseudotumor cerebri) which

> is basically,

> adult hydrocephalus. It's often a complicating

> factor in chiari

> (caused by chiari).

> I was decompressed and have a shunt. Neither

> surgery did the trick

> to entirely relieve my headache.

> Unfortunately, in my case, the tylenol 3 is much

> preferred to the

> drug cocktail I'm used to taking. And, it isn't as

> effective as I'd

> like it to be.

> My doctors all agree that tylenol 3 is safe, if

> necessary, during

> pregnancy - except for the concern of addiction if

> taken during late

> pregnancy. So, I'm going to do my best to come off

> it during the

> last month. And, right now, I'm doing my best to

> avoid it (the

> headaches are killer though). I wish they'd invent

> a motorized

> helmet you could strap on that would massage your

> head while you

> work... :-)

> Thanks for asking...

>

>

>

>

> > I just looked up Chiari malformation on the

> internet. Did your

> doctor

> > suggest surgery prior to your becoming pregnant,

> or will the

> surgery not

> > be effective in your case? I'm really surprised

> he approved

> codeine

> > knowing you were pregnant!!! Wouldn't affect your

> baby by

> drugging it?

> > All drugs go through the liver.

> >

> > It also seems you'll need to wait until delivery

> before doing liver

> > cleanses.

> >

> > Would acupuncture help your headache? You might

> also inquire as to

> > getting acupuncture to treat your

> liver/gallbladder.

> >

> > I've been getting acupuncture since mid-October

> for carpal tunnel

> and

> > back aches, and it's working wonders. My

> insurance covers it 70%.

> >

> > Namaste,

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I realize that pain is a most difficult thing to live with when it is

constant. Have you been referred to a pain management clinic which

deals with pain in non chemical ways?

~S

<amandamariebaker@y...> wrote:

> I was decompressed and have a shunt. Neither surgery did the trick

> to entirely relieve my headache.

> Unfortunately, in my case, the tylenol 3 is much preferred to the

> drug cocktail I'm used to taking. And, it isn't as effective as I'd

> like it to be.