How Gallbladder Problems Can Affect Thyroid Health

Thyroid hormones play a vital role in regulating how your body uses and processes cholesterol. The synthroid route slower bile flow caused by thyroid issues can lead to gallstone formation, which, in turn, can further impair gallbladder function. Testing your thyroid is easy with the Paloma at-home thyroid test kit, and follow-up with a doctor specializing in hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s is at the tip of your fingers. Treating thyroid disease can help improve numerous other symptoms and ward off other health conditions, including gallstones. Overall, the relationship between gallbladder disease and autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is multifaceted, involving various physiological mechanisms. Understanding these connections is crucial for healthcare providers in the diagnosis and management of patients with thyroid dysfunction and potential gallbladder issues.

How to nourish your thyroid – gallbladder connection

• On the other hand, many people aren’t aware that they have a gallbladder problem.
• In fact, patients with common bile duct stones and gallstones have, respectively, a seven-fold and three-fold increase in the frequency of hypothyroidism.
• Additionally, measuring pancreatic enzyme levels helps rule out pancreatitis, which can sometimes present with similar symptoms to gallbladder issues.
• The primary reason for this is because having a properly functioning gallbladder is essential for proper digestion, which is important in the recovery process.

Hyperthyroid group included patients with toxic nodular goitre and Graves’ disease. Patients who have diseases or are under drug treatment known to affect biliary function were not included in the study. Fasting and post-stimulus GB volumes were measured by real-time conventional ultrasonography and computer unit (Aloka UST-979, 3.5 mHz electronic convex probe, Japan). No significant differences were noted for fasting, post-stimulus GB volumes and GB ejection fraction between euthyroid, hypothyroid and hyperthyroid subjects. Measuring GB motility accurately is not straightforward because besides being not static during fasting, after a meal, intermittent emptying and refilling of GB occurs.

Supporting Data

The slowed metabolism and functions of the body may also lead to decreased motility of the gallbladder, depressed intensity of contractility, impaired contractility of the sphincter of Oddi, and abnormal filling 25-27. Thisleads to the accumulation of cholesterol crystals, with enough time for nucleation and maturation of gallstones 28. With this, the bile secretion rate is decreased, impairing the clearing of the gallbladder and bile ducts.

Because of this, supplementing with natural progesterone can actually help to correct many gallbladder problems, as by correcting the estrogen dominance you are fixing the underlying cause. However, most of the time natural progesterone isn’t necessary to correct estrogen dominance, as usually a purification program will correct this. In any case, one needs to obtain a male or female hormone panel to determine if estrogen dominance is the cause of their gallbladder issue, as well as their thyroid condition.

How Your Thyroid Affects Your Gallbladder

This argues for the good validity of the diagnostic method to define cholelithiasis used in the present study. Serum T3, thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were determined using mouse enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits following the manufacturer’s protocols. At the same time, the neighboring pancreas organ releases its own pancreatic juices (containing digestive enzymes such as lipase and bicarbonate ions), mixing with the bile and tiny globules of fat.

• So when someone is following a natural thyroid treatment protocol, if they also have a gallbladder issue that is preventing the fats they eat from being absorbed properly, this in turn can affect the recovery process.
• Regular exercise and increasing your daily movement can help improve your weight profile.
• Treating thyroid disease can help improve numerous other symptoms and ward off other health conditions, including gallstones.
• In some cases, the gallbladder becomes inflamed, usually due to the gallstones.
• Völzke et al. in their study proved the correlation between the presence of raised TSH levels and sonographically detected gallstones 30.

This was not expected, because experimental evidence suggested a direct association between thyroid function and the bile flow to the duodenum. While the flow was reduced in hypothyroidism, it was enhanced in hyperthyroidism14. In hamsters, extremely high doses of thyroxine may induce the formation of gallbladder stones15. In the present study, particularly males with low serum TSH levels had a higher risk of previous cholecystectomy.

Keeping a healthy gallbladder (and thyroid)

• There was statistical significance as in patients having hypothyroidism, cholesterol stones were found with higher prevalence 29.
• The exclusion of patients with known thyroid disorders resulted in small numbers of individuals with hypothyroidism, limiting the power of the statistical analysis.
• In fact, research has found links between thyroid disease, fat malabsorption, and gallbladder issues.
• Learn more about the gallbladder and how to support it in this episode of the Are You Menstrual?

Nuclear receptor LXRα plays a crucial role in inducing expression of the hepatic canalicular membrane proteins for cholesterol transport (Hashimoto and Mori, 2011). FXR induces hepatic canalicular membrane proteins for bile salt and phosphatidylcholine transport (Moschetta et al., 2004). The LXR effect is mediated through a unique heterodimeric interaction with RXR (Germain et al., 2006). 5 demonstrates the expression levels of the eight crucial hepatic lithogenic genes in mice with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and euthyroidism. Mice with hypothyroidism showed up-regulation of Trβ and down-regulation of Rxr compared with mice with euthyroidism. Mice with hyperthyroidism showed up-regulation of Lxrα, Rxr, and Cyp7α1 and down-regulation of Fxr compared with those with euthyroidism.

This sometimes results in reduced gallbladder function, as well as the formation of gallstones, although gallstones may clear during the postpartum period. Finally, because gallstones positively correlate with hypothyroidism, regularly checking your thyroid hormone levels is important. Thyroid disease can appear at any point in a person’s life, but it is more common in women, people over age 50, and those with a family history of thyroid disease. If you have pre-existing hypothyroidism, it’s crucial to optimize your treatment to ensure peak thyroid function. The exclusion of patients with known thyroid disorders resulted in small numbers of individuals with hypothyroidism, limiting the power of the statistical analysis.

Consider supporting any issues related to low stomach acid with betaine and pepsin, to help promote the proper digestion of proteins. I wrote a more in-depth article on pancreatic enzymes, as I’ve noticed some interesting patterns in people with Hashimoto’s with this particular issue. Greasy, smelly, floating, or light-colored stools can be a sign of bile issues. Remember, your body is a complex, interconnected system, and the key to optimal health often lies in understanding and supporting these intricate relationships. As someone who’s spent years researching this topic, I’ve seen firsthand how understanding this link can be a game-changer for many people struggling with unexplained health issues. You’ll also want to stay hydrated because adequate water intake supports bile production and flow.

Some of the common symptoms of gallbladder problems include bloating, gas, and stomach pain, with these symptoms being more common after eating. Many of these people have already seen a medical doctor for this, and some have been told they may eventually need gallbladder surgery. An often-overlooked aspect of the thyroid gallbladder connection is the role of gut health. Your gut microbiome plays a crucial role in converting T4 to T3, the active form of thyroid hormone. One of the best things you can do to improve your gallbladder (and overall) health is to follow a healthy diet that includes good sources of protein, healthy fats, and nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits.