The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Pickle Juice
Posted by Lucie (Houston, Texas) on 05/01/2012
★★★★★
I had started a juice fast last July and was having great success. Drinking all natural juices does wonders to clean your system. I faltered around day 17 and ate something totally fattening and spent the next 5 hours writhing in pain. I had no idea what was going on. I spent several hours on the internet trying to figure out what was going on. I had never had a gall bladder attack before and so had no idea what it felt like. I just wanted relief! The site I found suggested acv, but I didn't have any, and then I saw a suggestion of drinking a little pickle juice. I had some pickles way in the back of the fridge, long forgotten, would it help? At this point I would have licked the bottom of the refrigerator shelf if someone had told me it would stop the pain! So I drank about half a cup. In less then 5 minutes the pain started to fade. And was nearly gone in 15. I hope this helps someone, I know that when you are in the middle of that pain, any suggestion is a good suggestion. I wouldn't recommend licking the fridge shelf, but hey, only you can judge your desperation!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Magnesium, Beet, Olive Oil
Posted by Peach (Bath, Wiltshire, England) on 02/15/2012
★★★★★
After suffering a gallbladder attack six weeks after giving birth I knew I had to change my lifestyle. The pain of that attack was worse than my labour pains and I couldn't imagine going through it again.
A trip to the Dr resulted in a referral to a surgeon who after confirming by ultrasound that I had a collection of small stones advised that the best result would be if I had it taken out.
Leaving my little boy just wasn't an option so I went about researching as much as possible to prevent a recurrence. I now drink organic apple juice every morning and have 1 tbsp of ACV with a little apple juice at night. I take magnesium everyday along with high strength (time release) vitamin C. The vit C I take at night as your immunity is naturally lower at night (when you are also more susceptible to an attack).
I also eat a beetroot everyday, and a spoonful of olive oil. I eat lots of fresh foods and try to eat as much raw food as possible, I have dramatically limited my sugar intake which has had an amazing effect on the horrible bloating I always seemed to have.
Thank you for this site and for all of the amazing comments that have helped me so much and prevented me losing my gallbladder.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Ytk (Bend, Or) on 02/08/2012
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.
Probiotics
Posted by Icia (Manila, Philippines) on 01/18/2012
★★★★★
I found out I had gallstones about 5 months ago. I had to change my lifestyle completely, as a teenager that sucks big time.
The doctor told me to take Buscopan (Over the counter med) when I get an attack, it works SOMETIMES. Its main job is to relax the gallbladder, but then since it is a tablet it takes a LONG time to work, sometimes it never does. :/
When I feel a bit full after a meal I immediately drink YAKULT (a probiotic drink), I dunno why but 90% of time I drink this, I don't get an attack whether I eat something a bit fatty. :) So I hope it works for others too!
Apple juice ACV: I will try this next time I get an attack!
Thank you! :) Hope it works for me! :)
Lecithin
Posted by Faith (Forest Park, Ohio) on 01/04/2012
NOT EVERYONE can HANDLE the SOY, I would not recommend it for anyone because it could eventually lead to other problems. That said, FLAX SEED and EGGS are rich in lecithin, so is BEE POLLEN, make those a part of your daily regimen and you will get plenty of NATURAL lecithin!
Flax Seeds
Posted by Faith (Forest Park, Ohio) on 01/04/2012
Use it DAILY INSTEAD of waiting on an attack, it helps to CLEANSE the liver and IT HELPS TO EMULSIFY FATS... Reducing cholesterol in the body!
Garden Greens
Posted by Lynn (Gulfport, Fl) on 12/21/2011
★★★★★
Having had horrible gall bladder and attendant reflux episodes, I read about dandelion greens and beets and beet greens. I had dandelion greens coming up all over my yard, and started picking/cooking them. I had let them grow, so they were tall stalks when grown. I would eat them every day, at least a small plate full. I cooked and ate beets and beet greens from the store and took herbs (nettle) in capsules. I felt better in two days, but kept it up for two weeks. That was a year ago. I am having some twinges now, and started back on the herbs and beets with saurkraut (I don't like drinking vinegar). The relief is instant, and water helps. Keep the fat in the diet low until the condition improves.
General Feedback
Posted by Rebel (Somewhere, Usa) on 12/07/2011
Hi Judy. My wife had her gallbladder removed as well and is still having symtoms of attacks every so often. We use the shot glass or 2 Tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of room temp apple juice. Her pain and sickness is usally gone within 30 minutes. Hope this helps.
Certain foods will trigger attacks as well. Like eggs and cabbage.
General Feedback
Posted by Judy (Meadville, Missouri,usa) on 12/07/2011
I had my gallbladder removed 7 years ago. I had nothing but trouble every since. I now have bile reflux. The bile that used to go into my gallbladder now dumps into my stomach. It's just like having my gallbladder back, pain, nauseau, back pain, bloat. Today my drs. has suggested that I eat pickled beets, and dill pickles also. So I'm going to try the apple cider vinegar. What do I have to lose at this point. I guess my comment is this, don't think because you have your gallbladder removed your problems will be over. I know it's only about 10% of the population will have this problem after surgery. Lucky me!
Epsom Salt
Posted by Shanti (Tiruvannamalai, Ta India) on 10/27/2011
★★★★★
I have to agree with Stephen from Baltimore. Laying prone, crawling, rolling, hanging upside down, writhing, moaning and crying do nothing to relieve the pain of gallbladder attacks unfortunately.
Epsom Salts are really the only thing that has any effect in my case. I take 2 large tablespoons with hot water. Normally I put the Epsom Salts in capsules so I don't gag taking them (I can't stand the taste). If I'm lucky, the pain will subside over the next 2 hours. It doesn't always work, but usually it does. Of course Epsom Salts not only relaxes bile ducts, it is a powerful laxative, so be prepared for an obvious side effect. It's better than having gallbladder pain though!
Avoid Lettuce
Posted by Trudy (Burton, Mi) on 10/16/2011
★★★★★
I have a sluggish gullbladder with no stones. I have had this problem for years and what I found is lettuce was causing most my attacks. After I stopped eating lettuce I don't have as many attacks and they are rarer than when I ate lettuce. I am now going to write down what I ate before every attack and see if there is a common link. Some say dairy products too can cause you problems. Next attack I will try the ACV and apple juice and add some baking soda in the mix for good measure. Thanks your site is awesome.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice
Posted by Jen (Bozeman, Mt, Us) on 09/30/2011
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.
Bowel Function
Posted by Christian (Clacton, Essex) on 08/30/2011
★★★★★
Keeping the bowel moving is a key to stop the liver/gallbladder system gettting congested; probiotics, raw food, healthy fats, fibre such as psyillium, inulin, kefir etc. Chlorella can help normalize bowel function, and gut ecology but should be introduced slowly, and may require the help of digestive enzymes.
Artichoke extract can help, five days on followed by two days off.
if nuasea or an attack develops, lay off fats and oils for a few days, take plenty of water and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Choline bitarterate each day in body temp water will help, especially with nausea.
A Cacommile or choline bitarterate retention enema follow by swedish bitters will help. some people do 3 enemas within 36 hours, but dont forget to drink plenty of water, fibre, moderate amounts of healthy food and probiotics.
got to normalize bowel function as priority. if constipation is present or you alternate between that and loose fatty pale stools the liver is struggling and will do so as long as bowel function is poor.
some people find a castor oil pack with hot water bottle on it, - over the gallbladder/liver area for 30 mins gives relief AFTER an enema has been given.
do keep well hydrated, especially if using enemas.
General Feedback
Posted by Sandy (Paso Robles, Ca Usa) on 08/28/2011
Great site- really helpful esp. Ted. Been all over. But I did want to share about my gallbladder issues. There is a good herbal formula I resort to whether it is stomach or gallbladder. It is Health Concerns GB6. One pill will take away my pain in an hour. It is an herbal formula that my natural Dr. Gave me. And you must wait and not take right after a meal. At least an hour after a meal. But I will try some of the other ideas as well.
I used to have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue and am well and the biggest thing was food allergies. They trigger so much. I cannot eat egg (and I believe that happened because of the flu shots) I had to take two of them years ago to take care of my ailing dad. Albumen in the shots and my body rejected it and now after eating eggs my whole life I cannot have any. Eating something with egg would give me both migraine and gallbladder pain.
But that aside the other big thing is sugar. NO ONE wants to hear that but you have to stop eating it. It is sooo destructive. Think of it this way:
The strongest bone in your body is your teeth and what eats teeth???SUGAR! So what is it doing to the rest of your body?
I don't eat it anymore. I do use a little honey and agave syrup because I hate Stevia.
I am thinking seriously about the fat issue and also something else I figure out. I can go along fine until I start to exercise and then I get sick. I think when I start to burn fat my body flips out as much as if I ate a fatty meal. And the water isuse is BIG. Water is so big. No one drinks enough water. I drink nothing but water and until my pee is very light lemon colored.
Check out the water cure and learn alot!!
www.watercure.com
I am also thinking more about trying to eat a little more fat like some of the posts mentioned.
Having the herbs and all is great BUT we need the CAUSE so we can be cured otherwise we are not much better than the Dr.s with their meds and surgeries.
Apple Juice
Posted by Amanda (Yankton, Sd) on 06/22/2011
★★★★★
I have recently had issues with my gallbladder, and I read somewhere that apple juice may help prevent symptoms. I now drink at least a glass a day, I chose the all natural stuff personally, and if I have eaten something that I know will probably trigger an attack, I drink an extra glass before I go to sleep. So far, most excellent results for three weeks now, no attacks, and no pain. I wish someone else who gets attacks would try for awhile and let me know if it works for them or not. Just thought I'd share my good luck with something semi-preventative with you all.
Laying Prone
Posted by Stephen (Baltimore, Maryland) on 04/20/2011
★☆☆☆☆
This simply does not help. When faced with a bad gall bladder attack there's little I can do but lay prone. The pain may continue to persist or increase regardless.
White Wine
Posted by Carie (Hudson, Oh) on 04/04/2011
★★★★★
I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago and still suffer with attacks. This past week I have had them every day. The ACV has been very helpful and I get relief within 20 minutes. But, like you, I had a drink this week (vodka/tonic) and this also helped! Maybe the alcohol helps to relax the area.
General Feedback
Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 03/03/2011
Hi, the common mistake is indeed eat little fat! If you want to understand better how it works maybe you should consider reading Barry Groves' book Trick and Treat where he explains the problem of eating a low fat diet and why when you start eating fat the stones start moving and you get pain but after you get rid of them eating enough fat will prevent you from having them! I have just had an ultrasound this afternoon because of high enzymes in the liver, luckily everything was ok and... No gallstones! The book is very interesting........ Whether ACV would help I don't know!
You can also get some information in Adelle Davis' book Let's Get Well. It is pretty much the same advice. She says that people get to afraid of having pain again that they stop eating fat which only makes things worse. She advises a diet rich in Vit. E and A also B vitamins and high in fats, low in carbohydrates. She says you should stay away from saturated fats but keep in mind that this book is very old so some of the information may be out of date. Still.... a very interesting book advised to me by some on this site and luckily I could get my hands on one! I hope this helps.....
Flax Seeds
Posted by Kelly (Cinti , Ohio) on 02/14/2011
Another good remedy for gallbladder attack is put 2 cups of water to boil, add 1tbs. Of flax seed, boil for 5 min. Boiling leeches the fs oil out of the seed and it will soothe an attack. It is tasteless so you can add a little cinnamon or sweetener.
Lavender Oil
Posted by Sherry (Kalso, Bc Canada) on 02/13/2011
★★★★★
Hi I wanted to say thanks for this suggestion. I have recently started having attacks and found out I have gall bladder sludge. I checked out this site and found the lavender oil to be something I could both afford and consume without gagging. I am amazed!! It really has cut the attacks and pain down to almost nothing!! I put a drop in a large glass of water and just sip it all the time!! An extra benefit has been the freshest breath of all time! Thanks again for a great idea :)
Apple Cider Vinegar, Lettuce
Posted by Lillamor (Whitsett, Nc) on 02/08/2011
★☆☆☆☆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.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice
Posted by Elangelique (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 12/25/2010
★★★★★
I had many attacks prior to finding the solution here with ACV. That helped immensely with immediate relief. The interesting thing to note for me was that I had an Ayurvedic doctor tell me to take, upon first rising, 2 tsp ACV 1 tsp lemon juice mixed in a glass of water. I had done this religiously for almost 11 months and have had awesome results with no attacks. The funny thing (or uber painful thing) is that I just woke to a major attack and am feeling that my 2 days of missed morning ritual has had an effect on my system! I see how the effects of NOT taking my morning "alkalizer" I call it, can wreak havoc on me. Here it is Christmas morning at 3:14am and just having my symptoms slowly subside. Hmm, maybe I'll run into Santa! I truly believe that this morning "alkalizer" balances my system.
The side effects have been that I lost weight on it too! I follow the ACV lemon juice (all organic) with a glass of "sole" (pronounced So-lay). The water/salt solution of Himalayan sea salts and water from a jar. 1 tsp of Sole with water before or after the ACV mixture. For 1 thing it prevents me from having coffee first thing in the morning and know that it helps to bring my PH balance into alignment.
If you don't know, the most important thing is to have the body in an alkaline state... For most diseases do not live in an alkaline body, only in an acid body. Research this yourself. This was shared with me by my holistic practitioner. All good information to share for better health! Our bodies know what is wanted. BTW I know that my niece of 6 years craves the vinegary taste and likes just 1tsp ACV with water now and again. (At times she craves pickle juice). Well, my symptoms have subsided and know that I will not overindulge even though it is Christmas. Off to bed before I run into Santa and surprise him!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice
Posted by Sp (Austin, Tx) on 11/27/2010
★★★★★
I had a gallblader attack about 8 months ago and did the apple juice and ACV and it worked very well, I then improved eating habits and had no problems but after Thanksgiving I began noting some discomforts and just thought it was "overeating. " The next day the pain began at about 4am, but I had no apple juice this time. So I did a mixture of ACV and Lemon Juice and within 5 min the pain was gone. Thanks
Flax Seeds
Posted by Anita (Dracut, Ma, United States Of America) on 07/06/2010
★★★★★
I found this flax seed tea works very well for gallbladder attacks. I have used the same recipe as Kelly but I also let it steep for 10 min after boiling. I also did not grind the seeds before boiling.
I find the texture very difficult to swallow (pardon the pun) so I dilute the tea with hot water (about 1:1) then drink two cups. The new addition of stevia sweetener was very helpful. This remedy works within 10 minutes and is very safe. I have, literally, been brought to my knees with chest and back pain, following spicy or rich foods, that can be attributed to gallbladder attacks. I drink the tea with the first signs of discomfort and have not had a severe attack since.
