Just wondering those that have had their gallbladder removed who had hormone problems prior to or after the operation ie hysterectomy,ovarian cysts, pcos, fibroids? Also who was on birth control or hrt or hormone drugs prior to having the operation? Any interested to see if there is a link between all of these. Thanks x
I had pcos prior to the operation but all my hormones were in check for over a year. Post op they have gone completely haywire again. Ive had one cyst burst and two long cycles due to low progesterone that have required a progesterone supplement to correct. Its been close to 4 months now since my operation and things seem to be settling down a bit. I think for me it was the initial weight loss as fat stores estrogen and the release of stored estrogen causes an imbalance especially for those with pcos/thyroid issues
Hi Shalaya thanks for your reply. Were you on birth control for your pcos? I was deficient in a hormone called dhea due to being left on steroids for over 3 years 8 years ago. Dhea is known to increase estrogen levels so I am convinced that's why I got the stone. I'm not the typical gallbladder patient. I am 43 but am very thin and always have been. I started vomiting and have had nausea since 8 weeks after my gallbladder was removed. I was ok up to this other than the diarrhea. I was in and out of hospital and was told it was a side effect of the op and would settle down. However I know a lot of people who had the nausea and vomiting and diarrhea but that had it straight after the op and slowly went away. I was told in February I had a 7.5cm simple cyst on my ovary. I've had breast tenderness and irregular periods the last few months. I've been attending an acupuncturist who thinks the cyst is the cause of all my symptoms. Have been taking milk thistle and herbs prescribed by her the last few weeks and I haven't vomited and the breast tenderness has eased. However I had horrendous pain in the ovary last Friday and what I can only describe as horrendous contraction like period pain on and off ever since. Had a scan yesterday and the cyst has partially ruptured. It's now 2.5 cm. I've never felt so ill in all my life and I think it's all to do with my hormones after the operation. I also have a small fibroid. Do you think the cyst and my hormones could be causing all these problems? Your advise is greatly appreciated. Thanks x
Its probably a combination of the hormone issues and a weak adrenal system from all the body irregularities of late. I was on birth control for a year which aggraavated my thyroid and pcos issues to the diagnosable level. Never using it again. I feel like birth control is never a solution to pcos. Everyone i know has seen a worsening of symptoms and cyst number on birth control
Your right birth control Ineffective for pcos. Have you tried milk thistle or dandelion root? I'm taking milk thistle extract and I think it's helped with the cyst. I just hope it goes soon as my symptoms are like morning sickness. I've never had a cyst or fibroid in my life. Unfortunately synthetic hormones cause all sorts of problems in the body. Have you had any nausea or vomiting or diarrhea? I've terrible hormone headaches too. It's 7 months going on for me now which is too long but thankfully haven't vomited in a few weeks so that's a good sign hopefully. X
I havent tried either. Last time i was out of whack i used an estrogen dominance diet which cleared it up but i havent got up the motivation to do it yet this time. It requires a lot of extra meal prep. I get the occasional bout of diarrhea but not often. Typically just mid and end cycle when the hormones shift. Ive always had that from the beginnig though
I must look into the estrogen dominance diet myself. Are you able to eat normally now? How long since your operation? X
Ive been eating normally since the op. As long as i have something protein rich within a couple hours of waking i dont have any stomach issues. Its been about 4 months since my op
I did take birth control and this is when my gallbladder problem started. I never had my hormons checked but for sure will ask my doctor next time i see her. And this is the first time im hearing about estrogen dominance.. Just now did some reserch and all comes together like a puzzle... I think this could be the root of my digestive problem i have for the past 2 years ..
Thank you !
Hi Isabelask
Unfortunately in my opinion this is why there is an epidemic of gallbladder removals. Years ago it was older people who had it removed and now so many young people. You need to take milk thistle to rid the liver of excess estrogen. The liver can't handle the excess estrogen and the bile becomes thicker and more sluggy which in turn causes the gallbladder issues. Hormone issues are also linked. Once the liver is overloaded it has a knock on effect on our whole wellbeing but in particular the digestive system. Indigestion, heartburn, reflux diarrhoea and constipation all point to the liver. The milk thistle complex I use also has dandelion root in it which also helps the liver get rid of the excess toxins. Removing the gallbladder unfortunately just removes one of the symptoms of liver overload. My surgeon did tell me that high estrogen can cause gallbladder issues. It's only through the hell I've experienced since my operation have I researched all of this and wish I had of prior to the operation. I also attend a brilliant acupuncturist who explained it all to me. She also has put me on herbs. What symptoms have you had since your operation?did you have gallstones too? X
This all make sense . no i didnt have operation yet .. My doctor wanted to send me for one but i said im going to try to cure with naturall medicine and operation would be my last resort . Apparently i dont have stones but hida scan showed 19% ejection fraction. So for now im doing chinse medicine for week and a half .and acupuncture. So far its ok ..untill yesterday i was in lots of pain but because i havent really move to much . i noticed when i walk for at least 20 min.. Or vaccum i feel better . so i forced my self to go for a walk after work and today im much better .
That's great you havent had the operation yet. Please add milk thistle to your diet. It will really help. I'm also taking Chinese herbs too. I know for me anyway my gallstone was linked to hormone drugs.I regret the operation as it wasn't life or death. But unfortunately most having it done aren't in a life or death situation either. Do whatever you can to get your gallbladder right. The liver is the key to it as I'm sure the acupuncturist has probably told you it's due to liver qi stagnation in Chinese medicine. Let me know how things go for you. I wish you well. Take care xxx
Yes i have milk thistle .. But not taking allt he time i try to remember every day but i have to take about 35 chinise pills a day ( i know those are herbs but still seems to be a lot ) and im not fan of taking pills .. Im afraid to mix things not to couse some chemical reaction in my body .. So im trying to take in difrent times and sometimes i forget milk thistle . i also take multivitamins since im on gluten, fat free, dairy free diet . i lost lots of weigh and its stresses me out . ive been eating chicken every day and now i read about estrogen dominance and looks like chicken is big no no .. Lol i have nothing left to eat .. Herbs and letuce lol
My acupuncturist has the pills compressed Into big pills so I only take 4 a day. All you can do is try everything you can to see if it helps. Herbs work for a lot of people. Unfortunately for me my stone was very big so couldn't get out of the gallbladder. I did try apple cider vinegar to dissolve it but only took it for a month not realising that these things take time to work. It all happened too quickly for me. Diagnosed end October pain started 2 weeks later and didn't really go and operation 9th December. I've had a few operations in my life and this one is the one I'll always regret. Unfortunately there's nothing I can do now to change it. Also if your on any ppi ant acid medications try and get off them as the can aggravate the gallbladder. I really hope this works for you. Keep me posted xxx
I am a 43 year old mum of 3. On the contraceptive pill for 20 years. I started gall stone symptoms at theage of 25. Was not "fat, fair or 40"as our UK doctors believe gall bladder problems are due to.
in 2008 aged 36 I had very large fibroids removed only for them too return again 6 months later .they were removed again and returned again. I then had a sub total hysterectomy where my ovaries were left in situ. Therefore, I kept my hormones.
my gall bladder symptoms were controlled by low fat diet but returned severely last year and I suffered a blocked bile duct and acute Cholecystitis . The gall bladder was remove 3 months ago . I am now experiencing menopausal symptoms. May just be a coincidence.
i have a family history of breast cancer , 4 on the maternal side so HRT is not an option. I am told breast cancer feeds off oestrogen . I had high levels of oestrogen as I suffered severe Hyperemesis with all my pregnancies and was hospitalised with all my pregnancies as a result. Hyperemesis is a consequence of high levels of oestrogen.
i hope this helps .
Hi Rachel I am 43 too. I really think that these hormone drugs Have a big part to play in increased estrogen levels. It's too coincidental that many young woman are having their gallbladders removed while on the contraceptive pill and also menopausal woman who are on get also suffering the same fate. There is also a link between taking ppi medication for acid/reflux symptoms and gallbladder problems. These ppi drugs are the 3rd most prescribed in the world. There are over 500,000 people a year having their gallbladders removed in the U.S. As I'm sure you know high estrogen also causes fibroid. I have a small fibroid but also had a large cyst which partially ruptured last week which I now believe to be the cause of my vomiting and chronic nausea the last 5-6 months. Unfortunately there are a lot of women who do not fit the fair fat and 40 category having this operation. My surgeon did tell me it can be linked to hormones. What he didn't tell me and have since found out is that when you have high estrogen your liver cannot process it and the bile becomes thicker and more sludgy and gallbladder problems occur along with hormonal problems and fibroids and cysts. So to me removing the gallbladder takes away the symptom but not the root which is a over congested liver. Cleansing the liver is key to all our hormonal symptoms. Milk thistle is great for detoxing the liver and helping it work more efficiently and balancing hormones. I am taking it a month now and believe it's helped the cyst partially rupture. Hopefully it will get rid of the rest of the cyst soon as it's very painful. I would recommend milk thistle for you to try to help your hormones. I've heard a lot of woman have hormone issues after the operation which is probably due to the liver becoming distressed after the operation. Did you have many stones? Have you had any gi symptoms since the operation? Am sorry you've had so many problems and having a hysterectomy so young. I really think all of these things could be avoided in most people if they treated the root cause. I have been beating myself up since the operation and blaming myself for not trying alternatives to save my gallbladder. But like most took that advise of my surgeon. I know he did what he thought was right and I was getting pain from the 1 large stone but think there should be a joint medical/ holistic approach to medical issues. X
Hi, I realise this is an old thread but thought someone may still be around to answer. I'm very interested to learn more bout the link between hormone problems and gallstones. I was diagnosed with gallstones after visiting my gp with severe pain under right ribs - multiple tiny stones were found on ultrasound (no other tests were done apart from colonoscopy because of the bowel issues i was having at the start). I was referred for surgery (in a few weeks time). I really don't want to have this surgery and would try anything to avoid it. I've been on a low fat/no fat diet since i first suspected gallbladder problems. I've never really had the classic attacks (worse than childbirth, so i believe) nor any digestive issues such as indigestion, acid reflux, vomitting, etc. I also have two uterine fibroids and I've read that this coupled with the gallstones is likely to be caused by being oestrogen dominant. My doctor has in the past done a blood test to check my thyroid level (which has always come back borderline, high). Is this what you mean by having 'your hormone levels' checked or is there some other kind of blood test i should be having to check oestrogen / progesterone levels? In regard to the tiny gallstones I've been taking milk thistle tablets, ocasionally drinking apple cider vinegar, drinking juices of apples and beetroot. I know you say you wished you had tried more in the way of alternatives but i really don't know what else to try. I can't really understand how acupuncture could be any good for this or i would do it. I've thought about chinese medicine but i don't know how effective that would be... any advice, would be appreciated as I'm now getting very nervy about what to do.
Hi carol sorry your suffering with gallstones. In my opinion there is a connection and have done a lot of research and also recently attended a fertility and women's health clinic. They recommended vitamin b complex with minimum of 50 mg of each b vitamin in it. This helps to balance the hormones and can help increase low progesterone levels which can be associated with gallbladder issues. Estrogen dominance can actually mean you have normal estrogen levels but your progesterone levels are low causing an imbalance in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone. Blood tests can confirm this but you need to have them taken on day 3-4 and day 21-22 and unfortunately cannot always be accurate as it depends on for regular your cycle is. I'm in the process of having saliva tests done but my bloods did confirm low progesterone and in my case elevated estrogen. I also had a fibroid and a cyst on my ovary which are both finally gone after all this time. They also recommended a complete diet change cutting out all sugar, dairy (which they say feeds the hormone problem) and only eating whole grains but to reduce where possible. Adding flaxseed 1-2 tablespoons (or chia seeds) to your diet can help as high in omega 3's. Only eating organic meat, fruit and veg too and only drinking filtered water and nothing out of plastic as it can add to the hormone imbalance. Also eating more nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts and sunflower and pumpkins seeds can help as high in magnesium and vitamin bs and calcium too. Also eating chickpeas and hummus too. Avoid processed food as much as you can. Also avocados are fantastic and full of vit b and a lot of other vitamins and minerals. I eat one every day. Also Agnus castus can help but I haven't tried that yet! Also eating lots of green veg like brocolli and spinach is important for the liver too. I eat spinach everyday with my avocado. Organic eggs can also help as we need them to help raise good cholesterol which is vital for hormone production. I would definitely add a b complex to your diet asap and stick with the milk thistle and look at dietary changes. If you need anymore help send me a private message. Good luck
Hi, Thanks so much for your very detailed reply - i really appreciate it. I will definately get the vitamin b complex tablets and the flaxseeds as these two keep cropping up when I've been doing my own research. In regard to the avocados, almonds, walnuts, etc.. i love all these but have avoided eating them since I've been having the gallbladder problems due to them being high in fats (which i know people wil say are 'good fats'.. but nevertheless i was worried about them causing gallbladder pain). In regards to my general diet I have been very careful... i don't eat processed foods, just mainly been eating chicken, fruit and vegetables. My weakness has always been sugary foods, particularly when I'm feeling low, but I'm trying my hardest not to have any of them. In regards to chicken I've recently been thinking i should cut that out too as there are problems with 'hormones' in the chicken (it's not easy to get organic, corn fed chicken). i know that it is most likely that i will have to have my gallbladder removed since i believe once people start having symptoms there is pretty much nothing that will stop the problem - eating a low fat diet relieves the symptoms but it doesn't totally stop it or they'd be a lot less people having to have this operation. I realise that you've had a lot of issues yourself after gallbladder removal and i really hope that things have now settled down for you and you're starting to feel much better. Best wishes
Hi
I used to use the contraceptive injection, I had used it on and off for 16 years up until last summer where I was diagnosed with a hormone imbalance which was probably due to that, I changed my method od contraception and my hormones soon settled down. That was July 2015 and in Jan 2016 was when I was diagnosed with Gallstones although as I'm sure with many on here I now k pw I was suffering for a long time before my diagnosis ..