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What Are the Signs of a Sick Gallbladder Healing?

Posted By Kong (Raleigh, Nc, Usa) on 03/11/2015

Hope others are still reading this thread and will reply. Had a GB attack mid to late January of this year (2015). Went to ER, internist, gastroenterologist, then surgeon. Surgeon said remove if more painful. My symptoms aren't too painful, but are there daily, especially at night. Mild discomfort at the right ribs and left shoulder blade. Some constipation/bloating and a hard feeling at the upper abdomen near the sternum.

I started traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs (many in a formula, e.g., gold coin grass, curcumin, coptis, bupleurum, and several more that go together) and one treatment of acupuncture a few weeks ago. I now eat mostly whole grains, vegetables, fruits, some lean protein like chicken, fish, tofu, and lots of warm water with lemon, as well as some teas and of course apple cider vinegar and apple juice. In the past couple of days I added some coconut and flax seed oil and krill oil, wanting to help the intestines and also to make sure the GB will still release some bile. I take some vitamin B and C and milk thistle as well.

I mostly feel absolutely fine during the day but about 4-5 hours after a very healthy lunch start to feel a bit bloated, constipated. At night is when I notice some discomfort at the right rib area or left shoulder blade. It's hard to tell if I'm improving but my symptoms seem "managed". So I don't really know if I want to get surgery or if there are various other signs besides pain increase I should look for. Also not sure if I should look for other particular signs of improvement. I do not want to do a liver or GB "flush" but if there are signs that buildup of plaque or other gunk from cholesterol plus bile plus bilirubin and toxins are being eliminated, I hope to know. For example, somewhat green color in poop could be elimination of some of that? What happens as the liver and gallbladder start to clear up (if they do) and function more effectively? Any blood or other tests you can take for hard evidence?

Anyone else experience any of those same details or diet or supplements or treatment?

Replied by Kt (Usa) on 03/11/2015

Dear Kong, This may be incorrect, but I am replying here because I received notice of your post. I only had GB attacks when I was pregnant with my first. I eliminated butter on my breakfast toast and mayo on my sandwiches, except what was mixed in the tuna, trying to avoid stretch marks. I later read, either in one of my medical books or nutrition almanacs, that the GB needs fat to contract. Since my attacks were always in the evening, it made sense to me that because I eliminated the breakfast "fat", evening would have been the time I should have benefited from the fat I should have had at breakfast. I ate differently with my second. I consumed more fat and never had any attacks. I don't know if this helps you. It is what happened to me. I think I posted this information somewhere else here, on EC, but don't recall where.

Replied by Kong (Raleigh, Nc, Usa) on 03/12/2015

Kt, thanks, that does help.

For about a week I was eating really low fat. For the past few days I added good fats including krill oil, flax seed oil, coconut oil, to a lesser extent olive oil, to help the intestines and to kind of gently have the gallbladder do its thing and have some bile flow going. It does seem to be helping. I think basically trying to do these things:

1. clean up the sludge

2. support and not overwhelm the liver with the detox activity

3. prevent bile from crystallizing

4. keep the bile flowing smoothly

5. make sure fiber helps intestines with waste elimination to avoid the liver having to reprocess the toxins

6. let any inflammation heal.

All at the same time to get everything healthy and as normal as possible again is the goal. Then pretty much stick to this super healthy routine forever.

Replied by Kt (Usa) on 03/12/2015

Dear Kong, Personally, I don't think butter is bad. I use moderate amounts but without salt. We need that fat.

It is the fact that the dairy cows are being fed genetically modified grasses and grains and this causes us more indigestion, constipation and digestion disorders.

Getting the butter without salt is important due to the flowing agent in the salt. I truly believe that is more of a culprit than is recognized. I use RealSalt that can be purchased at a health food store.

It really seems that the "low fat" craze has resulted in more GB problems.

Replied by Kong (Raleigh, NC) on 03/13/2015

Thanks for the reply, Kt. I don't know about butter since supposedly typically in a Western diet the ratio of Omega 3 to 6 and 9 is too low, but butter from grassfed cows may have a better ratio.

Anyway, posting back some changes and progress in hopes it could help others. In addition to the above details and adding back more fats, I started adding a lot of fiber, especially from legumes, in the past couple of days. I did that after reading info from Karen Hurd someone posted. She likened the process to changing oil for your car. Soluble fiber will bind to the bile in the intestines to help remove it so any toxins aren't reabsorbed such that the liver has to deal with it yet again. Get the "gunk" out and have the new bile flow smoothly to digest these fats, then keep eliminating, not recycling, the gunk.

It seems to be working well. Psychologically, it's good as well because for maintenance you just eat like most nutritionists would advise, especially vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes. Regular maintenance is better to prevent problems than reacting afterwards. Knowing that now, I really hope to heal and then just maintain that healthy state. Good health to you all.

Replied by Kt (Usa) on 03/26/2015

I just wanted to add that I feel the flowing agent in common table salt, that is in the butter, is the culprit for many ailments. It causes me terrible sciatica and "arthritis" pain to some joints when I get just minute amounts.

The grains and/or grasses being fed to the cows have probably been genetically modified. There is just no way around this since it has been going on so long. Infiltration cannot be stopped due to wind and bird droppings.

Replied by Kong (Raleigh, Nc, Usa) on 05/12/2015

Just want to post back with my progress in case it can help anyone. I've been taking Chinese herbs for liver congestion and gallstones, apple juice, ACV, lemon, Tulsi cleanse tea, a liver supplement, and eating mostly super healthy foods, vegetables, whole grains, some good fats such as fish oil, krill oil, coconut oil, etc., avoiding fried foods, red meat, processed foods, coffee, alcohol, anything else on any avoid list, and also getting acupuncture. I have occasionally "tested" myself with a piece of chocolate, cup of coffee, a few chips, with 50/50 results (sometimes immediately the GB complains, sometimes no pain).

Overall, my GB discomfort has dropped steadily over the past month or two. It was occuring every night and now the frequency and magnitude have dropped a lot. I don't think it has gone away but most of the time, it is not there. Bloating and digestion issues are way down as well. It's impossible to say if the improvement is from ACV since I do so many treatments, especially good food. If I eat light and right, I tend to feel ok. I have not tried a "flush" although I did try some "mini flushes" of some grapefruit juice and olive oil in the morning. No idea if that stimulated the GB to try to squeeze out anything but everything all added up seems to be helping my symptoms. I'll try to post back in about a month. Eventually I'll try to get another ultrasound just to see if a scan can detect any improvement. Good luck to anyone out there.

Replied by Lisa (Sfv, Ca) on 06/13/2015

Kong,

Thanks for the update. I read the Karen Hurd page that someone had posted and wondered if taking the soluble fiber in the legumes was effective or not.

I used to do liver flushes from 10 - 15 years ago, but stopped after having my child. Recently, I had an ultrasound that revealed that I have many small gallstones in my gallbladder. I am thinking about trying Karen Hurd's approach and also doing a series of liver flushes.

Thanks to everyone who comes back and reports on their experiences using the different protocols posted here.

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