Gallbladder Attack Remedies

In the throws of my second gall bladder attack and in complete desperation, I found this site. So skeptical that apple cider vinegar would be able to do anything to stop this pain. Drank two tablespoons of ACV in 8oz. of ginger ale, and 20 minutes later relief!!!! I cannot believe it worked! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

My daughter had gallbladder attacks for at least a good 3 years, she bent over in pain, she finally started taking milk thistle capsules 1000 mg each capsule, along with dandelion root capsules 3 times a day together for the first week and pooped out green stuff, she kept taking these two things for two weeks and her pain went away, and now she can eat anything and her gallbladder will not give her any more pain, here it is August 2016 and she is doing well.

I've had 10+ gallbladder attacks of varying intensity over the last year and tried various things including ACV and lemon juice but nothing works as well for me as ginger tea. It has always helped and in many cases allayed an attack. Once I feel better and get hungry again then I eat some simple carbs, this seems to help as well.

First of all as soon as I realize I am having a gallbladder attack I stop eating. Probably not recommended for diabetic folks and others who need steady blood sugar but this is absolutely crucial for me.

I boil (or have someone boil) a handful of peeled chopped ginger for 10 minutes or so. The concentration doesn't matter as I just dilute it if it's too spicy. The boiling time doesn't seem to matter either and I often leave ginger pieces sitting in the water after turning off the burner.

I drink a little and then lay down, sipping more at intervals. It helps me to lay on my left side and periodically turn and stretch The change in positions seems to help the gallbladder release the bile but of course when it's really bad I don't try to move at all.

I've sometimes taken the ginger with lemon as well.

This has only worked on an empty stomach. After the first couple of attacks I clued in on this. I wait until I feel better, and also hungry, to eat. Best foods for me after an attack are simple carbs--boiled potatoes mashed with a fork and some salt, or rice crackers if I have them, etc.

I hope this helps someone.

Pickle juice is always something that works quickly for me when having gallbladder attacks. I will try ACV and apple juice next time too, or use it in case the pickle juice doesn't work. If the ACV and apple juice doesn't work for you try drinking about 1/2 cup of straight pickle juice. I hope that information gives someone some relief. Thanks for sharing everyone.

Hi Aubrey,

Tina's post was from 2012 and I don't know if she still posts. I have also used Frankincense Essential Oil for gallbladder pain so I thought I would chime in. I just use a few drops neat over the area of pain. Not sure which variety of Frankincense I have used, I think they are all anti-inflammatory. Frankincense alone never did dissolve my stones. I have used the gallbladder flush protocol on this site many times to remove stones, with success.

~Mama to Many~

Gall bladder pain: Lemon and lime juice in hot water

I have had mild to severe gall bladder pain for years. A recent spell of attacks was so bad that I could hardly sleep. My GP scheduled me for an abdominal ultrasound which revealed that I am "full of gallstones" and I was urged to have my gall bladder removed. Instead, I consulted with my acupuncturist who told me to drink the juice of a whole lime and a whole lemon squeezed into hot water every morning. I couldn't quite take the taste of the whole lime and lemon all at once so I broke mine up into a morning drink of 1/2 lemon plus 1/2 a lime in hot water (sometimes brewed with my organic green tea to add some flavor) and then again at night before I go to sleep. After 2-3 days, my pain was reduced by 75%. Within a week I was experiencing mild twinges only. Now, after 3 weeks, I am pain free and I am losing weight!

I've also been eating a lot of organic apples and grapes (good for flushing the liver) and I have cut out dairy, wheat, and all fried or processed foods. I feel lighter and my belly is shrinking daily!

My acupuncturist has said that the reason I wasn't able to lose weight is because my body can't metabolize the fat properly and removing my gall bladder would have been the worst thing to do and would NOT have solved my problems at all.

My mom had such painful gallbladder attacks that she would take to her bed, telling us that just our footsteps in her room were unbearable! I knew that, because she had the malady, I, being her daughter, might get it, as well. 'Sure enough, after I had my 3rd child, while still recovering in the hospital, I got my 1st attack. They tried to tell me it was afterbirth pains, but I knew better. As time went on, anytime I ate something containing fat, such as ground beef or sausage, I could expect excruciating pain. When my dad died, I was 7 months pregnant with my 4th child. I ate some rich ice-cream the next day; got so sick I spent almost an entire week in the hospital, unable to attend dad's funeral. The pain was always on my right side, and felt like someone tied a thick rope around my waist and pulled it tight. One day I took about 5 Swan aspirins to lessen the pain, but broke out in hives. When my tongue began to thicken, I called a friend to take me to ER, where I was given shots of benadryl and adrenaline. At a later date, when another attack occurred, I drove myself to ER. This time, I was told I needed immediate surgery; my gallbladder was full of tiny gallstones. They sent a prep nurse to my room, but, when I realized they meant business, I became so afraid that I jumped out of bed, got dressed and went home. The surgeon was not happy with me; told me I wouldn't live long! Shortly after, I joined a multi-level company that specialized in food supplements. During a meeting, a woman got up and testified that she'd been taking the company's lecithin for her gallbladder attacks; that her attacks had stopped completely. Excited, I ordered a bottle of the tablets that night, and began taking them religiously. Long story short: I've had no attacks since then; continue taking lecithin to this day. No matter what form or brand I use, the lecithin always works. I thank God for leading me to this miraculous cure! What I find strange is the fact that I've never read anything anywhere about lecithin for gallbladder symptoms. Thank you for helping me get the word out, via your wonderful website! Please, everyone suffering from gallbladder attacks, try lecithin before you opt for surgery. One tablet or capsule daily is all I take.

Bill, something you might consider before recommending a CT scan for ANYTHING other than a life threatening emergency: CT scans are NOT 'SAFE" and should never be done unless it is absolutely necessary, when we consider the ionizing radiation that just one CT scam subjects the body to...this ionizing radiation NEVER LEAVES THE BODY, it builds up over a lifetime and ultimately causes so much damage that the person falls victim to any number of diseases and disorders. Ultrasound is safe and can see gallstones easily, for all other issues an MRI is the best option unless the patient has metals (ferrous) in them. CAT scans were never intended to be used so often and with so little disregard for the health of the patient...one CT is 2000 to 5000 regular X-rays...do the math. This is totally unsafe and unwise unless you are in an emergency trauma/accident and they need to see skull/spine really fast to save you.

Dear Elvia,

Do eat any fat at all? After I read the gallbladder needs saturated fat to contract and I started eating butter again for breakfast and not skimping at lunch I didn't have anymore trouble. I have also added coconut oil to my diet each day. Because dairy cows are being fed GMO grasses and grains, I mix butter and coconut oil (about a tsp. of each).

Getting enough animal protein is important. Just one or two medium eggs a day and just two oz. of beef or three ounces of chicken. should help you. I hope you will reconsider the surgery...things could be corrected now by changing your diet.

Adding magnesium to diet is also important.

Wishing you luck,

KT

The best thing I ever found was here. About two years ago I had a severe attack. I tried all the flushes but couldn't hold any down. What I found here was apple juice and ACV. 3 tablespoons ACV to 6 ounces of apple juice. I used Mott's for Tot's apple juice because it's lite and has very little sugar. I had two cups Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. By mid day I passed a belly full of stones. I sipped on water and apple juice with ACV the rest of the week-end, it was all I could hold down. By Tuesday I couldn't tell I'd had the attack.

If I have a gall bladder attack, I use a castor oil pack. I make a square of several layers of flannel (I think wool is better but didn't have a wool cloth.) and pour castor oil on it. Lay it over the gall bladder area. (maybe a 5 inch by 4 inch square?) Cover with plastic wrap. Cover with a heating pad. Usually the pain subsides in 1/2 hour. But I leave this on for 2 hours. Some say you should then rise the area with water and baking soda but I don't do that.

Sometimes Apple Cider Vinegar in water (1 T. in 8 oz. Water) will help a lot. I usually do the ACV and castor oil.

Over the years I have figured out what triggers attacks... Caffeine, dairy (except butter). If I stay away from those two things I very rarely have any trouble. If I have them once in a while, it doesn't seem to be a problem. I also only use coconut oil and olive oil in food prep and almost never eat out. (Fast food, fried food etc. Is usually a trigger for gall bladder problems. )

~Mama to Many~

Dear Cody,

Well, you could try pickle juice, but if you are having that much nausea and vomiting with your gallbladder attack, I would encourage you to get a medical opinion to make sure that is the problem.

Check out the gallbladder flush stories here at earth clinic. I was to the point with my gallstones of vomiting. I chose to do gallbladder flushes instead. It took 4 over several months. I still do them once or twice a year. It is not super pleasant but beats surgery for me.

I hope you find something helpful soon!

~Mama to Many~

If you don't have apple juice, squeeze a lemon in water and then add the tbl. of Apple cider vinegar...worked in minutes for me.

Pickle juice did not work for me.. And neither did the apple cider vinegar. Actually... Nothing works for me.

You should get some Chanca Peidra (stone breaker). It works great for gallstones and kidney stones. Even for constipation. I have no gallbladder as I had mine removed when I was 27 years old. I still get stones now so I use this when I start to feel them by palpitation of my liver. I take one capsule for a few days and it has helped fairly quickly. I don't know what it does scientifically but it works.

WARNING!

Just wanted to add a word of caution concerning eating too much Comfrey... Comfrey leaf has been regularly ingested by thousands of people without negative effect, but there are studies that suggest that comfrey root has a component that can damage the liver. It is therefore recommended that comfrey root should not be taken internally.

I would do some serious research on this herb before taking too much of it. There is a lot of conflicting into about it.

My wellness Doctor suggested eating artichokes and beets daily with a little olive oil. Seems all 3 work! No more gallbladder attacks.

Hi mmsg

Yes, I had kidney stones and took 1 in morning and 1 evening and it took 6 weeks and no more pain. On the bottle it says about gallbladder. It worked for me..

Best wishes,

Gary

I agree that fats are needed. My mother ate moderately after her emergency gallbladder surgery and never had any more trouble.

You could try a lecithin supplement with meals with more than a touch of fat in them. Lecithin helps to break down fat.

Sue

I started getting gallbladder attacks years ago. It was a terrifying, painful, and miserable experience. I learned about apple juice and began drinking it daily. I stopped having attacks. A few years went by and I pretty much forgot that I used to get attacks so regularly. I fell out of my apple juice habit. A few months later I had the worst attack I had ever had. It was paralyzing and I was busy at work and couldn't do anything about it for two hours. I used apple juice with a shot of apple cider vinegar and the attack stopped immediately. I did this plus unmixed apple juice the rest of the day. I passed a lot of stones but the pain was gone. I've been on daily apple juice since and have never had any further attacks. This time, I won't forget and won't fall out of the habit. I keep organic apple juice well stocked in my pantry and never allow myself to even get down to even my last two bottles. It's worth keeping it well stocked. I don't put vinegar in it for this. My daily maintenance is just a glass of straight apple juice, sometimes I have a small glass of juice and a small serving of apple sauce but I don't find it necessary to go apple crazy to keep the attacks away. It really doesn't take much when done daily.

Why is it AC is working this fast? What does it do? Is it dilating the system? Does anyone know?

And yes, it works. On my 5th week with gallbladder pain. Doc cant see anything specific on his scan but then again not a specialist. Perhaps one passing and some in the gallbladder. Now prohibited to get a second scan or any treatment coz I will not take a test to see if I am sick with a cold!!

Must deal with it myself. blood tests were normal for the liver. Amylase a bit low - but doc will not elaborate! CRP- very very low - no infection.

I'd think that over and try more stuff first.

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/cholecystectomy.html

Good fats, B vitamins for digestion+ kefir, milk thistle for liver detox, those stones form in the liver and drop down into the gallbladder, chance piedra for stones, apple cider vinegar for ph, castor oil packs on liver

Throw the sink at it~~~ but try to keep it.

Have you tried the Hulda Clark liver/gallbladder flush? Primary ingredients are olive oil, lemon juice, and epsom salt. They definitely will clean out the liver/gb. Google it. Sometimes it can take several flushes to see stones come out if you have. But they will come out eventually with this cleanse.

My wife had gb problems for a couple years. Then she started taking one cheap supplement called HCL and started getting the acidity in her stomach up to help digest food. If you have acid reflux Roland's are just a base the gives temporary relief. Second thing she did was drink lots of apple juice for like a week and that softens the gallstones. Then you start doing two or more coffee enemas a day until you stop seeing the gallstones. They are green and gray and the size of rice crispies for her on average. If you want to also get rid of the parasites in your body you can eat coconut daily 1/3 of a fresh coconut a day and do a garlic enema one time a week after you have cut out all breads, sugars, and alcohol. She got rid of over 1000 parasites and 100s of gallstones. I have not done this yet but I saw it for my own eyes. My wife is super healthy now and as soon as she could not get any more gallstones out she has had zero pain or worry about it. Doctors won't tell you this because they don't make money off enemas. I believe this can cure you and potentially cure you of having colon cancer.

1 T. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar in 8 oz. of water, sipped over a half an hour helps me when I have a gall bladder flair up. If that doesn't work, a castor oil pack always does. I put castor oil onto a cotton (or wool) cloth and put it over the pained area. Cover with plastic wrap and clothes. Top off with a heating pad. I usually keep it on an hour or two, but releif is usually noticed by my in 30 minutes.

Hope that helps!

~Mama to Many~

I had an attack five days ago and still have pain that goes and comes, will it lighten up?

I was reading through the ACV and apple juice for quick relief of a gallbladder attack and thought about taking some distilled vinegar when I remembered that I had some pickle juice sitting on my counter. I went with that because I could handle the taste of that better- IMMEDIATE relief. Within 10 minutes capable of laying down to sleep. Going to try the cleanse with Epsom salts here soon. Attacks happen about once or twice a year and always when I have having a crap week or two of eating (fast food breakfast is a weakness). This always reminds me to get back on eating better.

I had done a liver cleanse. The basic apple juice, epsom salts, olive oil and lemon. I had one last year for maintence. Had no problems. This time, a few weeks later, it felt like my bladder was struggling. A fluttering feeling all the time. I thought a stone was stuck, so I began the cleanse again. I got a far as drinking a gallon of apple juice, but the dread of drinking the oil was too much. Saw lethicin option, and gave it a try. I put roughly 3 tablespoons in about a half cup of water in morning and evening. I needed a quick delivery method like water. After 3 days I stopped. A little flutter the next day, then it stopped. That was 2 weeks ago and it it's fine now. I used soy lethicin granules. Non- GMO, identity preserved. I don't know if you can use names, I had bought a big 3 lb bottle online for other health benefits previously. THANK YOU so much for posting this cure, as I doubt I can ever do the whole cleanse thing again.

My naturopath informed me that low fat diets can exacerbate the problem (I was on very low fat HCG diet and that caused gallbladder issues). Good oils such as olive oil need to be ingested.

After my first gall bladder attack, I began experiencing chronic gall bladder pain in the way of a constant ache in my back on the right side below my shoulder blade. After doing some reading about natural cures for gall bladder issues, I decided to start with Lecithin. Within a few weeks of taking (not pill form) Lecithin Granules in yogurt, my pain was almost completely gone. I started taking it in 2005 and it's now 2009. And so far I haven't had another attack. Sometimes I do experience a small ache after eating cold dairy or a fatty meal, but once I take a dose of lecithin the ache goes away. The other thing I want to stress is that changes in the diet must be made as well. Eat low fat meals, cut down on sugar, dairy and caffeine. I have found that organic dairy products are less likely to cause gall bladder pain. My Lecithin dose was twice a day. Two teaspoons in the morning and two teaspoons in the afternoon. I did this for a year, then after wards cut back to every other day, and then gradually down to a few times a week.

I wonder if you have a gallstone stuck in the bile duct? If you have tried the Apple Cider Vinegar in juice or water remedy and you are still in severe pain like that, I think I would go to the ER.

~Mama to Many~

From Linda Clark's 1976 book, "Natural Remedies, A Handbook, " Chapter 18: "Gall Bladder Problems" (pp 204-213)

[Excerpts I transcribed from printed text, in the order the items appear in the book. Of particular interest to me were the simple versions of the now-popular Liver/Gallbladder Flush, popularized online as the Hulda Clark flush, with many versions available on curezone.com, and in books by Andreas Moritz et al.]

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An underfunctioning gall bladder can lead to a host of surprising problems ... including ... edema of the ankles

yellowish skin, crankiness and irritability

...after gall-bladder removal by surgery ... symptoms returned

Many gall bladder sufferers are breakfast skippers ... you need something solid in the morning to start your gall bladder churning. The best thing you can take for breakfast is bran in some form ... "it sweeps the degenerated bile salts out of the colon and the vast majority of patients report relief of symptoms."


...the main goal is to keep that bile flowing. John E. Eichenlaub, M.D. says, "You can usually get a lazy gall bladder into action simply by taking one or two tablespoons of olive oil before each meal. This starts the flow of bile before the rest of the food enters the stomach. Although you may get a bit more indigestion from the oil for the first few days, you should see marked improvement inside two weeks ... Fried foods, pork, rich pastries and gravies, etc., must go. Replace cream with half-and-half ...

It may be that you cannot begin with as much oil as Dr. Eichenlaub recommends. If not, try less and work upward. Follow the oil with, or take it in, some tart juice and it will be easier to get down. Although all oils help, there seems to be an affinity between olive oil and the gall bladder.

Don't be afraid of eating eggs daily. The yolks contain lecithin. (Nutritionist) Adelle Davis said "... a high lecithin content of bile would appear to be vitally important in preventing gallstones."

the Lancet admitted, "Two preventive measures for gallstones are sunflower seeds and brewer's yeast."

...Beet tops ... have been found to increase bile flow ... Chamomile tea made from the plant's blossoms is reported as definitely a help in speeding up the flow of bile. Russian black radish tablets appear to do the same thing.
... One friend was told by her doctor ... "surgery may be necessary! " .. she tried the natural way. She drank chamomile tea daily, took Russian black radish tablets, cut down her fat intake of cream, butter, etc... I questioned her three years later and she said that her gall bladder disturbance subsided promptly on this program, and today she has forgotten that she even has a gall bladder.

... causes: sluggish bile flow due to starvation diet, birth control pills, Vitamin C deficiency, Vit E deficiency, low-fat diet, low-cholesterol diet....

...one method of not dissolving, but removing gallstones... I have known both patients and doctors who have used this method, sometimes after ascertaining by X-rays that the stone (or stones) can pass through the duct easily. I heard a chief surgeon of a large NYC hospital suggest this method to a relative of mine, as well as a college friend of his, before trying surgery. The doctor had seen good results when the method had been used by another physician. The method, often called a folk remedy, has different versions. The more common is as follows:

At bedtime, combine 1/2 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon or grapefruit juice. Stir vigorously and gulp down the entire mixture without delay. Go to bed immediately and stay there, since nausea may, or may not develop. In the morning drink a cup of something hot and, if you wish, place a strainer under you when you have the first bowel movement. You may find small pebble-like stones. A variation of this theme substitutes apple juice for the lemon or grapefruit juice, as well as substituting apple juice every two hours for any solid food for two days before taking the oil-juice formula. This approach is said not only to dissolve stones, but to clean out the gall bladder of its old, thick, congested bile as well. The malic acid in the apple juice is given credit for the good effects. However, the oil apparently has value, too.

One case history described a man who took one full cup of olive oil at a time and always passed gallstones the next morning. He found that by later taking calcium and magnesium the oil treatment no longer produced gallstones. This may be explained by the magnesium which has also been credited with dissolving kidney stones.

Gallstones have been dissolved in rabbits by giving them not olive, but cod liver oil in large quantities...

Less dramatic measures have been used. Adelle Davis has cited studies in which Vitamins A and E have dissolved the old stones, as well as prevented new ones. Don't forget to include lecithin, too, in some form...

And don't sell chamomile tea short! Not only is it reputed to increase the flow of bile, but it has long been known to dissolve gallstones. Culpeper the herbalist, who lived from 1616 to 1654 wrote "That it is excellent for the stone, appears in this which I have seen tried, viz., tha a stone that hath been taken out of the body of a man, being wrapped in camomile, will in time dissolve, and in a little time, too".

The late Claudia V. James, in her little book, That Old Green Magic, " tells how a man gave her a few of the 64 gallstones he had had removed by surgery. He told her she couldn't dissolve them with chamomile, since he and his wife had been hitting them with a big hammer and couldn't even break them. Claudia James, determined to prove Culpeper's statement, set up her own experiment.

She made a solution of fourteen chamomile flowers (as found in dried tea form at health stores) in one tablespoon of boiling water, poured it into a small glass and dropped two of the gallstones into it. The next day the stones were in four pieces, in five days they were like gravel, and in ten days were completely dissolved.

...

...avoid eating large meals... drink enough water. Dr Eichenlaub says, "... Studies show that gall bladder sufferers seldom put water on the table and drink much less fluid than other people."

...stress... tension

tension can constrict the gall bladder muscles, and this interferes with bile flow.

... exercise is a must. "walk at least 2 miles a day, or equivalent of other similar exercise....stone formation occurs mainly in people who remain physically inactive....