Gallstones

[Mollyfan]

Does anyone have any information about the connection ( or lack of connection) between hypothyroidism and gallstones please?

I know there is an increase in both cholesterol and non alcoholic fatty liver, but am just curious!

Thanks!

[jimh111]

The elevated cholesterol and stasis from hypothyroidism increases the risk of gallstones. I can't remember if there are any studies. I had problematic gallstones but being male, slim, 30s (at the time), dark hair I would have been in a low risk group. About half the population get gallstones eventually but usually they do not cause problems. Many IBS type symtoms are caused by hypothyroidism not gallstones.

[HighlandMo]

I recently had an ultrasound (for non thyroid reasons) and they discovered I had a fatty liver and a sludgy gallbladder! I was unaware of any problems in those areas and have no symptoms - well apart from dodgy digestion which I reckon is connected to my thyroid.

[Mollyfan in reply to HighlandMo]

Thank you for that. I suspect it is quite common to have a sludgy gallbladder and we know that non alcoholic fatty liver is associated with low thyroid function. I found this article which is interesting and feel that people ( especially middle aged women) with hypothyroidism tend to put on weigh and get gallstones, but which is the chicken and which the egg?

hindawi.com/journals/hpb/20...

[serenfach]

"Fair, fat, femail and fourty" used to be the guidelines! I had them years before my thyroid went silly, I suppose they are still there but they dont cause trouble.

If they block the bile duct, you get very pale floating stools. This also usually corrects itself.

[5858]

My Doctor seems to think its connected....I went undiagnosed for awhile and it ......did my gallbladder in.........had it taken out .......it was in bad shape..... fat on liver the whole night yards. Your metabolism is a big thing......Thats been my experience.

[Murphysmum]

I had suspected gallstones before I knew I had thyroid issues. Several times I was blue lighted to A&E in incredible pain, and each time released when they couldn’t find anything.

Eventually I was sent for a scan using radioactive dye and they decided maybe the my gallbladder went into spasm for some reason. I was fit, fair and about 28 at the time!

I now know that was around the time my thyroid went on the blink after a particularly stressful time of my life. A couple of years later I piled on the weight, my neck swelled and I was put on Levo.

To this day no one bar me has made the connection between my thyroid issues and my gallbladder pain, which, incidentally has never ever happened since.

[annnsandell]

Just google it and there certainly appears to be a connection but it is also very common. I too have fatty liver and had a bad bout of gallstones for a while. Avoid high fat and large meals.

[Meno56]

Hi MollyfanThis is a great question and one I have also been wondering about, so am really interested to see any replies that you get. I have been Hypothyroid for 22 years after the birth of my first child, and recently had my Levo reduced from 125mcg/day to 100 mcg/day by my GP. A month later and I had my first Biliary Colic attack and had one pretty much every month since. Having had my Levo raised back to it's previous level 3 months later (due to elevated TSH) the next Biliary Colic attack was 2 months later, albeit much more painful than previously. Gallstones were diagnosed back in August following an Ultrasound and I'm awaiting the results of an MRI taken recently. I'd really rather not have a cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) but consultant is adamant that there is no alternative.

On the face of it, this could all indicate that there really must be linkage, but I have been unsuccessful in finding any studies that might be more rigorous in proving this.

Would be great to hear from any doctors on the site??!!

Have any of the Thyroid admins come across a linkage??