My period triggered a gallbladder attack this weekend. Turns out there’s science for that.

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4–5 minutes

I woke up this weekend in the middle of the night because my period decided to make its grand entrance. Hmm, odd, but okay. After taking care of business, I grumpily shuffled back to sleep.

Within the hour, I was awoken again with that familiar pain. WTF? I’d eaten well. No late-night snacking. What gives, man?

So I did the thing everyone does these days: I panicked, Googled, and discovered something mildly delightful and also extremely inconvenient – there is actually a plausible link between your menstrual cycle (and the hormones that come with it) and gallbladder trouble.

Yep. As it turns out, hormones are more dramatic than I am.

Short version (so you can go back to bed if you’re reading this at 2 a.m.)

Hormones — especially estrogen and progesterone — affect bile composition and gallbladder contractility. This can make gallstones more likely to form and can change how the gallbladder behaves during your cycle, especially the luteal phase.

Translation: your period (or the hormonal shifts right before it) can sometimes tip a cranky gallbladder into an attack. Several clinical and experimental studies back this up:

So, is this common?

Women get gallstones more than men. Hormones are a major reason why. Estrogen exposure (naturally, during pregnancy or with hormone therapies) raises gallstone risk; progesterone can impair gallbladder emptying. That does not mean every period = attack, but it does make a hormonal connection plausible — and clinically observed in multiple studies:

My middle-of-the-night attack: what probably happened

So now what? Some practical takeaways

Welp. Add this to my never-ending list of “super-awesome gallbladder surprises to prepare for”. If this seems to be happening to you too (your cycle and gallbladder are enemies), here’s what to do going forward:

  1. Track it. If attacks tend to cluster around your period or the week before, write it down. Time + pattern = power.
  2. Prep during the vulnerable window. If week-before-period is your danger zone, avoid fatty meals then, keep broth and plain carbs handy, and have heat + anti-nausea tools within arm’s reach.
  3. Have your emergency kit ready. Heating pad, water, pain meds (if that’s what your doc recommends), and a quiet place to breathe.
  4. Talk hormones with your doctor. If you’re on hormonal birth control or HRT and noticing more attacks, ask whether your regimen could be contributing. Some forms of estrogen/progestin have been linked to increased gallbladder disease risk.
  5. Don’t ignore repeated attacks. Once you’ve had one, you’re at higher risk for more; document, follow up, and consider imaging (ultrasound) if you haven’t already.

Because medicine hates absolutes, here are some reminders

  • Correlation isn’t the same as causation. But the hormone -> bile -> motility pathway is biologically plausible and supported by clinical evidence
  • Most people with periods do not get gallstone attacks (I am just lucky I guess!) and many people with gallstones never have attacks. Keep all of this in mind in terms of risk and timing.
  • If your pain is severe, you have a fever, are vomiting and your skin and eyes are yellow (jaundice), don’t Google a second longer: go to urgent care. This can be serious

TL;DR (and my very unscientific personal advice)

Yes, your period could be the thing that tips an already cranky gallbladder into a minor (or major) attack. Hormones change bile and slow emptying. I learned this the hard way this weekend. I also learned that tracking, watching my meals around my period, and having a heating pad nearby are underrated life improvements for this gallstone girlie.

If your period-linked pain keeps happening, get checked. Ask for an ultrasound. Ask your doc about the role of hormones and whether your birth control or HRT might be a factor. And if they all you dramatic, print this post and hand it to them.

Sources (because science rules)

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