Comments on: Gallbladder Disease

By: diane

diane — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:33:53 +0000

Ok. I had a gallbladder attack about a year and a half ago, was hospitalized and was basically told my insurance wouldn’t pay to have it removed (although it paid for 5 different types of scans, the Hida scan was obviously the only one that picked up the gallbladder at 35% function).
Anyway, so after I got out I did some research on Google and I can’t find the website anymore but I will say this: I haven’t had an attack since, but I have cut out fast food completely..I think sometimes the fry oil they use effects me, like if its been awhile since they cleaned out the fryers and oil. Coconut milk is also an issue as well as whole milk for me. I will say that making sure I either have a cup of yogurt or an apple (or apple juice) a day does wonders. An apple a day really does work. I’ve read in several sources that apple cider vinegar mixed with some apple juice (not much, just a splash of it) works miraculously. I will also say that cabbage also really hurts my gall bladder, not sure why but I read its bad for you when you have those problems. With this regiment I can still have CLEAN fried foods, fried chicken and spicy foods are still good to go.
Anyway I hope this helps people that feel like the doctors provide no real solid answers without a knife in their hand. Antacids DO NOT WORK long term, heartburn meds never worked for me when I felt an attack coming on and trust me I know the pain, it is a ball up in a fetal position type of pain. A little bit of apple cider vinegar mixed with apple juice and some yogurt to cool my stomach is ALL I do. I don’t miss the fast food (didn’t eat it that much anyway) and whole milk, the only thing I miss is steamed cabbage.

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:43:57 +0000

I had a severe gallbladder attack when I was only 20 (am 53 now) and thought I was going to die it was so painful. A chiropractor told me to eat only fresh grapefruit as well as drink fresh grapefruit juice all day long, and then drink a small bottle of olive oil that night. (Yuck!) I did an enema, and then laid on my right side and went to bed. Around midnight I started passing stones, some as big as my thumb. This went on for several hours. Although I was very weak for several days, I was completely cured. I did the gallbladder flush a couple of more times in my early 20’s just for good measure, and only passed a few tiny stones. My husband and several friends also did it, and they too passed gallstones. I was willing to do this because my cousin had died from gallbladder surgery only a few months before; she was 20 as well. If I had gone to a medical doctor they would have yanked my gallbladder and I would have had digestion problems the rest of my life. I’m so grateful that I had a knowledgeable wholistic practitioner guide me down another, more reasonable path.

By: Kari

Kari — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:44:55 +0000

I don’t understand why you folks that are gun-ho for low fat diets are on this website. There are plenty of websites that cater to your beliefs. Not trying to be ugly, but I came here for advice on the opposite spectrum of what you all are touting and I have to wade to posts that are totally unrelated.

By: Anita

Anita — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:16:59 +0000

There’s a proven way to flush out gallstones- lemon juice/apple juice & olive oil.
http://curezone.com/gallstones/digest1.asp
http://drmccarty.com/gallstones.htm

By: Beverley

Beverley — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:57:13 +0000

I’ve been reading the previous posts with interest, as I suspect I may have gallbladder problems. I’ve experienced heartburn for years which is relieved immediately with antacids, but lately I’ve been ‘burping’ quite a lot as well, and have noticed that I get a twinge in the right side when I eat oranges and also sometimes with bananas. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I know I should go to a doctor but dread all the tests and do not want to have an operation unless it is absolutely necessary, so am first going to try some of the good advice I’ve found here with regard to diet.

By: Mila

Mila — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:28:07 +0000

Hi everyone!
I have gallstones and discovered it during an attack when my daughter turned 2. I had nothing in my gallbladder before pregnancy so i was really surprized. And, of course, didn’t want it out (the doctors at the ER insisted but i’ve managed to go home with my stones). Then, my gastroenterologist said that at my age (then 30) if the gallbladder works and there are not so much off stones and they are small + if i get not more than 1 attack a year - there’s the way to monitor them having a sonogram twice a year, keeping diet and wait for several years with the surgery.
There are special medical diets in Russia which doctors prescribe for different diseases. It depends on the organ which has problems. So I found that diet (for the gallbladder stone disease), followed it and was good for a year up until we celebrated my mom’s birthday and i ate too much of baked salmon. But it was within a “one attack a year”.
The diet consists of non-fatty foods. No fried, no baked, no marinated vegetables (like pickles, ginger), no fresh bread (u can have 2-4 little Melba toasts), no fresh onion (garlic is ok as it regulates the bile flow but onion i NO). No pizza, cheeses, egg yolks and anything which makes your cholesterol grow. I eat veal, chicken, low fat kinds of fish (salmon is one of the high fat). I either bake them wrapped in foil or boil with peppercorns, bayleaves, 1-2 garlic cloves and a little salt. And of course - oatmeal is like a gold for you. The more “old fashioned” or “steel-cut” it is - the better. The same goes about the buckwheat and brown rice.
No coffee, no chocolate, tea - brewed light.
Someone mentioned mint - i don’t know why it affects in a bad way as mint has the ability to make the bile thinner.

What i also do is what my relative got as an advise from the russian doctor for the same problem (gall stones). You should start your day with a cup (8oz) of warm water + 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

There’s also a lemon treatment system if your stomach acidity allows: 50 days - 1 lemon a day… before going to bed cut the lemon in half, place into the mug and pour 7 oz of boiling water over it, cover and go sleep. In the morning squeeze the juice out of lemon halves into the water in the mug, add 1-2 oz of boiling water so the drink will be warmer than your body temperature and drink it. This has to be drank on an empty stomach.
It cleans up the liver and makes the bile more balanced, normalizes the bile flow and some people say that they managed to reduce their stones’ size.

Re: avocados. I’ve found that here. in the USA, there’s a naturopathic so-called “AAA diet” - which means Avocado, Asparagus, Artichokes (NOT marinated) and means that you have to eat a little of each daily.

By: Kylie

Kylie — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:18:44 +0000

Amy,
Your story sounds like mine. I ended up in the ER one late night, having to have my gallbladder removed (keyhole surgery thankfully), and didn’t know my physician. I used to get terrible (painful attacks) and then the attacks started to be just the nausea without the pain, but it was an unbearable and uncomfortable type of nausea that was very different to regular nausea, and it could last days. The nausea was happening because my gallbladder wasn’t functioning well and it was found to be gangrene when it was removed (this doesn’t show on the ultrasounds). Gall stones can also get stuck in the bile duct (life threatening). Some gallbladders get whipped out for no good reason at all other than to prevent more stones or remove stones, whereas others really do need to come out. 7% function sounds quite serious, so if your specialist recommends the surgery, you should consider it carefully and possibly get a second opinion for peace of mind. On a lighter note, the surgery was a breeze (very little pain) and I’ve had no problems after my surgery. I also didn’t need the Ox Bile Sally mentions above to help digest fats, I purchased it and it actually had the opposite effect intended. I can eat all the good fats with no problem, coconut oil being my favourite for reasons explained by Bruce Fife in his coconut books.
Good luck Amy.
Kylie.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:59:12 +0000

I am scheduled to have my gall bladder taken out February 18, 2009. I do not have stones. My gall bladder is functioning at 7%. I have very little pain but nauseated most of the time. I can eat pizza and wings with no problem. Bakery items bother me more. I do not want to change my eating habits. I love burgers and fries. I am struggling on if to have the surgery or not. I go weeks with no symptoms then feel sick for a couple days. I usually never vomit, but feel like it. I do exercise and go to a chiropractor twice a month to be adjusted. He, of course is against the surgery. My family and co-workers think I am crazy not to have it out. Of the dozen or so people I have talked to that have had theirs out, only one has had problems. The rest highly recommend it. Anyone out there have a comment to this. One of my biggest fears of not having it out is, it getting very sick and I end up in the ER, not being able to have it done “key hole” and not knowing my physician.

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:41:50 +0000

Something from this thread isn’t completely clear. I have gallbladder disease, but there definitely is a gall stone there. If you already have a gallstone, can those be taken care of by diet as well? Is there a point of no return? The ER doc said I have sludge and a sizeable gallstone, but my gallbladder is not infected - which is good.

I will be going to a specialist this week, and I want to be prepared with talking points to weigh the good and bad. I think I can be dedicated enough to fix my diet, but unsure how gallstones are treated.

Also - milk. I am fine drinking skim milk, but should I be avoiding that too? I’m concerned about my calcium intake if I remove milk from my diet.

By: Kirsty

Kirsty — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:59:32 +0000

I’m almost 23, my daughter is 7 months old now and I had a scan last week which showed my Gall bladder has collapsed and I have a some small stones. Most of my family’s views are that if its not working it may aswell come out…I’m discussing the scan results with my doctor on Wednesday so I will know more then. I’ve lost alot of weight, my BMI is now 17.8, I’ve only vomited twice and that was on my second attack. (First attack was about 5 weeks after having my daughter) Had really bad fever too. Two courses of antibiotics (Amoxicillin), Buccastem tablets and Rantidine tablets stopped the pains and sickness. From reading the comments above it sounds like nobody else has suffered from weight loss? I bought some wholemeal pasta and whole grain rice today hopefully that should bulk me up abit.
I had a small attack the night I had the scan, after having reading this page I’m putting that one down to the Saussage and egg McMuffin I ate on the way home.
The more you can’t have something, the more you want it. Finding it a nightmare in the supermarket!
Cheers, Kirsty.