so confussed

Lorraine unfortunately The Depo injection As well as birth control pill and hrt and other hormone drugs increase our estrogen levels. When this happens the liver cant deal with the excess hormones so we can develop cysts, fibroids and unfortunately gallbladder issues. Heavy periods are also a symptom of cysts. Try the milk thistle to see if it helps. It won't work overnight but has helped me greatly. Gynaecologists will remove the cysts if there over 6-7 cm. however removing cysts doesn't prevent them from reoccurring. Some gynaecologists prescribe birth control pills to try and get rid of the cysts but a lot of studies suggest it doesn't work. A lot of cysts go away by themselves after a few months. Also if your gallbladder is not inflamed please don't let them remove it. If you taking any ant acid ppi type medication try and stop it as these drugs can also cause gallbladder problems. Also Apple cider vinegar is also good for gallbladder and cysts. 1 tablespoon 3 times a day in warm water. Good luck xx

Lorraine sorry to hear this. I am also experiencing dizzy spells. This is all connected with your cyst and hormone imbalance probably due to the depo injection. I am glad to hear your off the ppi as they wont help your gallbladder. The milk thistle will also help the fatty liver. By the way your gynaecologist might not admit the symptoms are from the cysts as mine didn't answer me when I asked him however my gp told me cysts can make you very sick. Also if your told we can take your gallbladder out to see if it helps don't let them! Have you had a hida scan yet? That will determine how your gallbladder is functioning. But keep away from the ppis for now. Take the milk thistle if you can. My cyst is still there but it's 1 inch as opposed to 3 inches and I still have side effects headaches dizzy and now no period. Thankfully the nausea and vomiting stopped when it partially ruptured. Take care xx

Yes demand a hida scan. You can get the milk thistle in any health store or pharmacy. Are you in the UK? I spoke to a girl who had the same symptoms as me vomiting nausea breast tenderness dizzy spells headaches irregular heavy periods pains in lower back and front and pain in thighs and she also had pain under her ribs. She also had constipation and diarrhea and was told it was IBS! After 2 years she ended up in casualty with a massive cyst which had ruptured and she lost her ovary as it had wrapped around it. All her symptoms disappeared after the operation. Let me know how you get on. Take care xx

Hi,

Ive been reading your and another poster's threads for a little while.

Yours caught my eye because of your gyno references.

To briefly recap I had a very bad attack that had the initial dx of severe gastritis, which then became a symptom of either pancreatitis or gb.

Unfortunately, the earliest I could get in for scans was 7 days post attack. My Dr said that often the time delay can see scans come back clear.(including ct with contrast and u/s).

My 2nd Dr (not happy with first) had to leave the practice suddenly due to family reasons was great but he only saw me for 2 weeks prior to his going.

The closest dx ive got is a narrowed cbd from rapid emptying with mixed artefact.

Im nearly in some degree of discomfort to downright pain most days. Ive asked for a hida scan twice and have been told they will leave that to the specialist and due to the 3 month gaps between appt times, I also changed specialists. ( The first specialist insisted on scheduling a gastroscopy/colonoscopy even though I said I felt it was unrelated and it wasnt).

I also had bloodwork indicate some sort of an infection but the Dr said no to abs, and all the while Im feeling worse. Finally, I put myself on abs but only had 4 days worth but feel much improved although still in pain.

Here's the thing, I have fibroids and ? enlarged ovary or fibroid growing on a stalk off it. Im 50 and in perimenopause and in frequent pain on my right ovary area.

Im due for a hysterectomy late next month, but am concerned about the gb? pain being bad post hyster surgery.

I really feel that my gb and gyno issues are feeding off each other but the new gp was dismissive of that. Honestly, sometimes it's hard to tell where the pain kicks off, ovary or gb area! I really think ever since I started peri menopause my gb has gone haywire and I can't be the only person to experience thus so surely Drs would make the connection.

I'm fairly forthright by nature, but trying to get my issues sorted is proving to be a nightmare. Hopefully the new specialist will actually listen and have some answers.

Hi jaygf Sorry to hear your suffering. Unfortunately high estrogen seems to be the cause of these issues in most of us. Taking birth control, hrt and other hormone drugs increase estrogen in our body and the liver which filters everything we put into our bodies can't handle the excess estrogen and the bile becomes thicker and more stodgy and eventually gallbladder problems ensue and ovarian cysts and fibroids. My surgeon did tell me that high estrogen causes these issues. Also ant acid ppi medication can also cause the gallbladder to contract and become problematic if taken for a while too. If your taking these try to stop as they may not be helping your gallbladder. A recent study gave healthy people these drugs for a few weeks and there gallbladder function greatly diminished after the few weeks. I've been taking milk thistle to detox my liver and get rid of excess estrogen. It balances the hormones too and is good for the gallbladder. It's worth a try. Try and hold onto your gallbladder if you can. A lot of your symptoms are probably from the cyst and fibroids. I'm sorry you have to have a hysterectomy. I wish you well in your future operation. Take care x

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I started milkthistle about a week ago so I am guessing it may take a while to make a difference?

I read just today that carrying to much weight (im carrying about 10kgs too much) can cause excess oestrogen which in turn causes liver and gb probs as well. I havent been on the pill for 15 years so I am attributing my issues to that, which accounts for the fatty liver and I've made major changes to my diet.

Im not that keen to have my gb out as I've read a lot of negative stories but I just feel so unwell these days that I'm getting desperate for relief. I guess when I eventually have the hida scan it will ultimately be the indicator.

I'm hoping the new specialist will have answers asap because Ive put off the hysterectomy for six months waiting.

I sound like a misery guts Im sure, but it's wearing me down atm.

What made you decide to get your gb removed? Im sure you've stated that but I'm using a phone atm and it's harder to use.

If you have any other words of advice, Id love to hear.

Unfortunately I had my bowel removed 22 years Ago due to ulcerative colitis. My surgeon whose done all my operations advised me to have the gallbladder removed as I had 1 large stone causing me pain. My gallbladder was ok although he tells me now it was inflamed but I'm not so sure. The stone was too big to pass so he said it would only cause me more problems. I regret the operation and wish I had of tried to get rid of the stone naturally although who knows if anything would have worked. I was also on ppi drugs for a number of months prior to the operation which I now know would have made things worse. Funny thing I would get the pain within an hour of taking the ppi and never made the connection. Unfortunately like so many I took my doctors advise. It's not his fault though he did what he thought was best at the time but I wasn't told they found the cyst and fibroid when they found the stone last October. I've also since heard that people get pain under their ribs from cysts so am wondering if that was the problem all along. I was on steroids for 3 years 8 years ago and they stopped me producing a hormone in the adrenal gland. My endocrinologist put me on a synthetic version of it and one of the side effects was increased estrogen. I was having all these hormonal symptoms last year and my doc said it could be early menopause at 43. I'm not the typical gallbladder candidate as I'm not fair and am only 96 pounds. There is an epidemic of gallbladder removals at moment which is very worrying and so many young people too. I found the milk thistle worked within a few weeks as the breast tenderness went after about 3-4 weeks. I fully believe now the nausea and vomiting I had was from that cyst and not from the gallbladder operation at all as it didn't start until 8 weeks after that operation and had stopped since the cyst partially ruptured. Stick with the milk thistle. It can take up to 3 months for a full detox and to clear everything from your liver. But my cyst partially ruptured 3 weeks after starting it. Cut out fatty foods for now. Also apple cider vinegar is great for the gallbladder and also for cysts. 1 tablespoon 3 times a day in warm water. Milk thistle is also good for indigestion too. My acupuncturist explained to me that the liver becoming overloaded with toxins has a knock on effect on the whole body but in particular the digestive and hormonal systems. I didn't know any of this before my operation and like so many read the horror stories and said it won't happen to me. My surgeon told me side effects were uncommon! But from talking to people know this isn't the case. I actually think removing the gallbladder has a big effect on our hormonal system too. So many end up having cysts fibroids and hysterectomies. The problem with the medical profession is that they don't look at the whole body only the part they are the expert in and there in lies one of the biggest problems with western medicine. We need to see alternative and western medicine complimenting each other but that wouldn't be good for the big pharma companies! I wish you well and hope you can avoid the gallbladder removal. X

I agree wholeheartedly about some Drs not looking at the bigger picture. To be dismissed with my suggestion I felt gyno and gb were linked is a bit disturbing really.

Tell you something else, I asked my gp about supplements or could i be referred to a certified naturopath and it was met with a 'no'.

Also., with this particular ppi I was put on, I started to get the most horrendous muscle pain (this was with 1st Dr) and went back to her and said as much.

She said all busy people get aches and pains but "if it makes you feel better take some magnesium". Which I did but it got to the stage where it felt like my muscles were seizing up and I could barely walk. Bearing in mind I was unwell anyway but this was new.

So I got my trusty nurse's med book out and here it was written " to see Dr if experiencing muscle weakness or pain". After two days of no ppi the pain went for good. Also the book advised if ppi's are used long term pathology should be done to check vitamin and mineral levels.

I was on them very short term but due to malabsorption issues had a check and I was quite vitamin d deficient (before I read report I thought it was a minor thing) which if you research can cause serious problems. Even then it was not recommended to me to start vitamin d and calcium and I felt a bit better again after six weeks.

That's what is frustrating atm, I feel like I have to drive my diagnostic and come up with the solution, so fingers crossed for this new specialist.

I really miss my first Dr who left 3 years ago who looked at you as a whole.

oops.. sorry.. meant to say I started vit D and complete calcium and after six weeks felt improvement.

Hi again, just having a little vent in frustration.

So despite almost discomfort to downright pain, stool colour changes and the occasional bout of itchy skin, I have been told by new specialist who looked at my scans that there is nothing wrong with my gallbladder and it is probably diet related. (even though I have had the same diet for twenty odd years, that is what the changes are being attributed too).

I have to chart my diet for three months and then only can I be assessed for a hida scan (as other imagery isn't showing any problems with stones, sludge apparently). This is at odds with a GP who told me it was sludge with GP, so now I'm just frustrated like hell and the specialist was not budging on the diagnosis of diet or unrelated rib pain. Apparently I don't tick all the boxes of typical gb pain.

This is the fourth time I've asked for the functioning of my gb to be checked without success and I cannot for the life me see why this is an issue. Anyway, I feel like I'm banging my head up against a brick wall, so

at this stage I'm just going to take my milk thistle, go on a strict diet and see if I can tough it out.

On a positive note I am going ahead with sorting my gyno issues out so that's one thing down I guess, if only it was that simple to facilitate sorting the gb out.

Thanks for your past encouragements 'Ace', even though you are a total stranger it did feel nice to have a sympathetic ear.

Hi jaygf

Am sorry to hear your still sufferIng and getting no answers. The milk thistle will definitely help detox your liver and get rid of any excess toxins in particular estrogen which seems to play a big part with a lot of these problems. The liver and digestive system are closely linked so by detoxing the liver it will have a positive effect on your digestive and hormonal system. It's definitely helped reduce my cyst greatly and hopefully will get rid of it fully soon and also helped my digestive issues post op. Apple cider vinegar is also good for gallbladder problems and digestive issues and may help you too. You can get it in pill form or in liquid form. If you get the liquid you take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day in warm water. Also watch the fats for the 3 months and see how you get on. I hope this all helps and you start to feel better soon. Take care and keep me posted. X