Gallbladder

[Pointless]

"With aging, hypothyroidism, stress, and fatigue, the amount of estrogen in the body typically rises. Estrogen is catabolic for muscle, and causes systemic edema, and nerve excitation. It weakens muscle contraction in the bladder, although it lowers the threshold for stimulation of sensation and contraction (Dambros, et al., 2004). This is the pattern that causes people to wake up frequently, to pass a small amount of urine. (Progesterone has the opposite effect in the urinary bladder, raising the threshold of response, but strengthening contraction, as it does in the gallbladder.) Estrogen lowers stimulation threshold in the gallbladder, as it does in the brain. Part of its excitatory action might be the result of increased hypotonic tissue water, but its effects on nerve thresholds are practically instantaneous. "

Prostate Cancer Fatigue, Aging, Recuperation by Ray Peat

 

[Wagner83]

Dig Dis Sci. 2001 Jan;46(1):182-6.
Direct effect of thyroxine on pig sphincter of Oddi contractility.
Inkinen J, Sand J, Arvola P, Pörsti I, Nordback I.
Sphincter of Oddi (SO) motility has an important role in the regulation of bile flow. SO function disturbances (stenosis or dyskinesia) may prevent normal bile flow and thus enhance the probability of common bile duct (CBD) stone formation. Previously we have shown that there is an increased prevalence of diagnosed hypothyroidism in CBD stone patients, compared with gallbladder stone patients or age-, sex-, and hospital-admission-adjusted controls. The present study was done to test the hypothesis that thyroxine directly effects the SO. The specificity of the effects of thyroxine were studied by comparing with triiodothyronine (T3), progesterone, cortisone, estrogen, and testosterone.
[...]
The inhibitory effect is similar in thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Of the steroid hormones, only progesterone nonspecifically ameliorates SO contractions ex vivo. Because the effect of thyroxine on the SO is prorelaxing, the lack of thyroxine may result in an increased tension of the SO.


Gastroenterology. 1986 Aug;91(2):297-304.
Effect of dietary cholesterol on biliary cholesterol content and bile flow in the hypothyroid rat.
Field FJ, Albright E, Mathur SN.
[..] In cholesterol-fed animals, biliary cholesterol content was increased. However, because of a significant decrease in the rate of bile flow that occurred in these animals, biliary cholesterol output was unchanged from the cholesterol output observed in control animals. Dietary cholesterol also caused a threefold increase in liver membrane cholesterol content and a 64% decrease in the activity of sodium-potassium-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase).
[...]
The data suggest that in the cholesterol-fed hypothyroid rat, biliary cholesterol content is significantly increased; however, because of a decrease in the rate of bile flow, biliary cholesterol output is not changed. The decrease in bile flow is associated with an accumulation of cholesterol and a decrease in the activity of Na+,K+-ATPase in hepatic membranes.

Hepatogastroenterology. 2000 Jul-Aug;47(34):919-21.
Association between common bile duct stones and treated hypothyroidism.
Inkinen J, Sand J, Nordback I.
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of diagnosed hypothyroidism in patients with common bile duct stones.
METHODOLOGY:
[...]
CONCLUSIONS:
There is a significant association between the common bile duct stones and previously diagnosed hypothyroidism. There stronger association between the common bile duct stones and hypothyroidism compared to gallbladder stones and hypothyroidism suggests a mechanism other than merely the cholesterol metabolism mediated mechanism. The 11% prevalence of previously diagnosed hypothyroidism in the common bile duct stone patients of over 60 years of age suggests all patients with common bile duct stones be screened for current thyroid dysfunction.

Hepatogastroenterology. 1981 Feb;28(1):60-1.
Dissolution of gallstones following thyroxine administration. A case report.
Vassilakis JS, Nicolopoulos N.
A case of disappearance of five radiolucent gallstones within six months is reported. During this time the patient was taking carbimazole and thyroxine orally for toxic goiter. Three more cases of disappearance of gallstones after iatrogenic alteration in the thyroid status by thyroid hormone administration have been published. It is concluded that thyroid hormone may play a role in the dissolution of gallstones by altering the metabolism of cholesterol.


I'm starting to have bile flow problems and possibly gallstones for the first time in my life after switching to a Peatish diet. While the explanation may look very simple, if one is hypothyroid bile flow is reduced and the body can't convert cholesterol into whatever is needed so I can imagine how cholesterol would accumulate in the gallbladder and lead to problems. Imo one of the things to look at before making drastic changes to one's diet.

 

[beachbum]

This is really interesting to me since I'm starting to suspect a primary problem with fat digestion myself (and I also am pretty classic case high estrogen). I get crazy vinegar cravings and vinegar does make me feel much better, vitamin c helped when i took it, things like cinnamon and ginseng which both thin the blood help a ton. It only recently occurred to me that most of the things that work for me are essentially blood thinners. I have always struggled to consume large meals at once and my recent foray into fat free dieting pretty much cleared many of my major issues (like chemical sensitivity, which I associate with high estrogen).

I know this is an old thread lol, but I came across this one searching for gut issues, I too have gallbladder issues on and off, anyway I am glad I came across this because I have been doing alot of reading and thinking how to increase progesterone. Well when Saltgirl said she used vit c and solved alot of issues it caught my attention that I read a while ago vit C inceases progesterone. I have been chewing on and off vit C lately when my stomach feels funky and it helps. In the past I would do large doses at a time and made me feel crappy, so I am slowly taking more each day only chewables. My thoughts on taking alot at once I think the body was trying to regulate itself to up progest and lower estro but maybe at first giving estro dom first like as if taking a low dose progest cream/oil and just have it stay in estro dom. Since I am taking progest cream while now it should just then help more. I hope that makes sense.

 

[A. squamosa]

I'm quite estrogen dominant, so when I started supplementing with progest-e I needed 30 big goopy drops to feel any effect (probably still do, have been experimenting with usage). The progest-e seemed to set off gall bladder problems which haven't let up since I first started on it, I'll spare you the gory details, but the less gory ones are simply pain in the gall bladder area and an occasional sensation of burning.
I feel like progesterone is causing problems rather than solving anything, does anyone have any insight on this?

 

[achillea]

My 62 year old wife is having some gall bladder symptoms recently, dull pain comes and goes.
We had increased our intake of xylitol for our mouth microbiome balance...maybe a cause?
She takes 30mg of progesterone, virtually no PUFA.

How are the sufferers or previous sufferers doing? Any further ideas?

 

[Kyle Bigman]

Things that will help the gallbladder if it's irritated and/or over or underactive (either way, not contracting normally)? Would this be just the same remedies help the liver will also help the gb, or can anyone think of additional supplements, foods, whatever that will soothe and heal the gallbladder?

Of course I was told that it can't heal - it has to come out when it's acting up, but I would like to avoid this. My problem isn't a constant thing. It was aggravated by a meal out this evening, a meal with a lot of fat but one that didn't hurt me a few weeks ago when I had it for lunch (this time was dinner).

Things that will help the gallbladder if it's irritated and/or over or underactive (either way, not contracting normally)? Would this be just the same remedies help the liver will also help the gb, or can anyone think of additional supplements, foods, whatever that will soothe and heal the gallbladder?

Of course I was told that it can't heal - it has to come out when it's acting up, but I would like to avoid this. My problem isn't a constant thing. It was aggravated by a meal out this evening, a meal with a lot of fat but one that didn't hurt me a few weeks ago when I had it for lunch (this time was dinner).

Hi Peata,

Have you had any success over the past years? I know this is a late post but I have the same problem as you and would appreciate any advice you have.

 

[Hgreen56]

Vitamin C is copper chelator...

Btw
http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-dise ... c-fatigue/

what is 'chelator' mean?