Have you ever had a gallbladder attack?
I had my first when pregnant with our 8th child and after an all-you-can eat pizza buffet – a high fat meat! It was no fun, in fact, it was quite painful! As a nurse, I knew that I was a prime candidate for gallbladder surgery. Having cared for gallbladder patients, I knew that it was a difficult surgery and I did not want it! In seeking an alternative to gallbladder surgery, my father introduced me to a gallbladder cleanse, also called a gallbladder flush.
I have continued to use the recipe that I will give below, as needed with success. Until I started the GAPS diet, I would use the flush once a year or so. Since I have been on the GAPS diet, interestingly, my gallbladder attacks increased during the first 8 – 10 months or so. During this time, I did the gallbladder cleanse monthly until my stones subsided. Whatever the reason, the GAPS diet seemed to accentuate my gallbladder problem. My gallbladder was not functioning properly and through the healing process of the GAPS diet it is now much better and the need for a gallbladder cleanse in almost unnecessary.
Before I give the recipe …
Did you know that nearly 1 million gallbladders are removed yearly?
Over 20 years ago, gallbladders were removed surgically and the recovery period was slow and painful. The traditional “open” gallbladder surgery has almost completely been replaced with the introduction of laparoscopy. Laparoscopy uses small instruments and a lighted tube equipped with a video camera, all inserted through tiny abdominal incisions. The recovery period is quicker and less painful with a laparoscopy making it the preferred method of removal.
Unfortunately, the number of gallbladder operations has risen 40 percent since the introduction of the laparoscopy! Perhaps the doctors would prefer to avoid severe attacks so, the gallbladder is removed with vague symptoms like bloating and gas. This equals unnecessary surgery!
Laporascopic removal of the gallbladder while used commonly is not without risk. Accidental severing of the bile duct, which can cause permanent liver damage, occurs in 1 to 2 percent of laparoscopies—three times more often than in open surgery!
Function of the Gallbladder:
The gallbladder is located just under the liver and has a very important role in the digestive process.
According to Wikipedia:
In vertebrates the gallbladder (cholecyst, gall bladder, biliary vesicle) is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. The surgical removal of the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy.
To put it another way, it emulsifies fats. Think of trying to wash greasy dishes without soap. It is almost impossible. Why? Because soap emulsifies the grease. Similarly, the gallbladder stores bile and bile acids, which emulsify the fat eaten so it can be properly transported through the intestine into the blood stream.
Bile is made in the liver, then stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it to digest fat. At that time, the gallbladder contracts and pushes the bile into a tube–called the common bile duct–that carries it to the small intestine, where it helps with digestion. Under certain conditions the bile can harden into stones.
Types of Gallstones:
There are two two types of gallstones:
1. Cholesterol stones made up of hardened cholesterol are usually yellow-green. 80 percent of gallstones are cholesterol stones. They are caused by too much cholesterol, bilirubin, or not enough bile salts or when the gallbladder does not empty as it should.
2. Pigment stones made of bilirubin are small, dark stones. Their cause is uncertain although they tend to occur in people with cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, and hereditary blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia – these conditions cause too much bilirubin to form.
Either type of gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. The gallbladder can develop either one large stone, hundreds of tiny stones, or almost any combination.
Symptoms of a Gallbladder Attack:
If gallstones lodge in any of the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the small intestines, a gallbladder attack occurs. Symptoms have a rapid onset and may include:
- Steady pain in the upper abdomen that increases rapidly and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours
- Pain in the back between the shoulder blades
- Pain under the right shoulder
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal bloating
- Recurring intolerance of fatty foods
- Belching
- Gas
- Indigestion
An easy way to determine if your pain is related to the gallbladder is to press down below on your last rib on your right side and lined up with your nipple – if there is pain there is a good chance that you have a gallbladder problem.
Curing Symptoms Not the Problem:
The removal of the gallbladder is a procedure called Cholecystectomy. Of the 1 million cholecystectomys or gallbladder removals that are done yearly, it is estimated that only a few thousand actually need to come out! Sadly, as many as half of the patients continue to have pain after the gallbladder is removed. Rather than treat the symptoms, more care should be taken to heed the warning signals and determine why the gallbladder is not functioning properly.
One way to relieve congestion in the gallbladder is a gallbladder cleanse or flush. I am not a medical doctor and do not pretend to give medical advise but I do want to share what has worked for me. The following recipe is one I have used since my first attack in 2002. I use it when I begin to experience pain in my right side, just under my ribs. It is a pain that once you have, you recognize instantly. While I normally do not have severe pain (because I do the flush before it gets too bad), I have procrastinated and had sever pain, nausea and vomiting – all of which are relieved by the following cleanse and passage of gallstones.
Gallbladder Cleanse Recipe
Drink 1 qt of apple juice each day for 5 days. Drink the apple juice in addition to your regular diet. The apple juice contains limonoid which helps soften any gallstones and alleviate any pain you are experiencing.
On the 6th day:
Do not eat anything after 6 pm.
At 6 pm, take 1 Tbsp Epsom salt with a full glass of water. Mix the Epsom salt in the water – it takes a bit of stirring. I take a big breath and down it quickly!
At 8 pm repeat 1 Tbsp Epsom salt with a full glass of water.
At 10 pm – mix and drink quickly, 4 oz. olive oil (where to buy) and 4 oz. lemon juice.
Go to bed and in the morning you will pass any gallstones you may have. I normally have varying sizes of bright green gallstones visible in the toilet. The Epsom salt acts as a laxative to quickly remove the gallstones from the intestinal tract.
It’s interesting that the GAPS diet increased the attacks for a while. I imagine it’s because it’s high fat, and your gallbladder wasn’t working well enough to handle it. But it sounds like the combination of GAPS + your cleanses both healed and strengthened your gallbladder to do its job well now. I think it’s awesome that you stuck with it, instead of thinking maybe GAPS was a bad diet for you.
[...] – Anyone with Gallbladder issue should really consider giving a gallbladder cleanse a try before resorting to surgery. It’s cheap and easy to do and from what I’ve read [...]
I used a slightly different recipe, but I highly recommend doing this cleanse before considering surgery! My mother-in-law told me about it before I went in for my scheduled surgery and I didn’t need the surgery, have a healthy gall bladder, and am very grateful!!!
Thanks for the great post! I’m posting a link back to your page from my site with feedback after doing the cleanse!
I had heard that there is something else you can take instead of the apple juice if you have candida but I do not recall. Some sort of supplement. Anyone know about this?
Sandy, Herb Pharm has a tincture called “Stonebreaker” that uses herbs to break up any stones. Also, I like to read Jon Barron Reports. He is a formulator and researcher who worked with Dr. Schultz and Dr Christopher. He has great products for dissolving stones. Hope this is helpful! Theresa
You can use sour/tart cherry juice, if you have candida issues. You take 8oz a day for 5 days, sipping through out the day. Some people use a straw because the acid in the juice that softens stones also can soften the enamel on your teeth. On the 6th day, drink all 8oz in the morning.
I highly recommend not eating anything after 1pm on the day of the cleanse. Otherwise you may have nausea or worse in the middle of the night. The recipe I often use also calls for two more Epson salt doses in the morning. You don’t want any of those stones to get lodged in a pocket of your intestine.
I have also used fresh pressed orange juice with a quality oil and it worked good and is easier to swallow than lemon.
Interesting. I’ve been getting some pain in that spot (right side, just below the ribs) off and on for the past year or so. It hurts really badly for a minute or two then goes away so I’ve never gotten it checked since it goes away. I thought it was just the muscles or something but it seems to happen when I’m not eating healthy so it probably is related to gallbladder.
I have been told I have gallstones [via ultrasound] and tried a gallbladder flush about 10 years ago [way before I knew I had gallstones], when I was just learning about natural health and the experience was NOT pleasant. Ended up in the E.R. twice and when I’d try to eat my heart would race and I’d be in great pain. I think stones were getting stuck in the duct. I didn’t know it THEN, but I think that’s what happened. It took two weeks before I could eat again! Anyhow I am still reluctant to try this again. I do eat very healthy and have for about 10 years, take supplements, try to do all the healthy things, etc. Do you or anyone know if there a good way to do or eat or drink things daily that would OVER TIME dissolve the stones and clean the gallbladder? GREAT ARTICLE by the way!
Complete nonsense people. Please discuss with an actual doctor as this diet would have zero effect on formed gallstones.
Dan, the doctors that I discussed this with were actual medical doctors and if you read through the comments, you will see that I am not the only one who has benefited from this cleanse. I respect your opinion but in this case, I know it has worked! It is not a diet but a gallbladder cleanse which flushes the stones out.
I have mine out 22 yrs ago this month. It was the worst pain I’d ever had. Childbirth was easy compared to gallstones. I wished I’d known then about the flush. I have a large scar and 3 smaller ones from it. I had open surgery and had a stone stuck in my common bil duct and had to pass it. I came home from the hospital with drains it was terrible and I was only 24 yrs old and my baby was 4 1/2 months old.
I’ve just come across your website via a Facebook repost, and I really must THANK YOU for this information! I had my gallbladder removed about 10 years ago, when I was in my early 30s, before I heard about this cleanse. I still have stones in my liver, and have contemplated this very cleanse for years. I was concerned that I’d have to go on a strict low-fat vegan diet (which is the complete opposite of what my naturopath has prescribed), but am ready to do the cleanse now! Thank you for showing that it works for you on GAPS. May I ask if you go in for professional colonics when you do this cleanse?
Thanks Again, Great Article!
Gaia, I have never had a professional colonic but the Epsom salt acts as a laxative.
Hi again, I mean no disrespect, but I can assure you that it is physically impossible to dissolve actual formed gallstones with any food. Symptom relief is a different story, which may have been what the doctors you have consulted could have meant. But, readers should understand that the gallstones did NOT and will not disintegrate, and should be prepared for a potentially serious gall bladder attack in the future. If any symptom relief is experienced, is is likely due to the fact the fattier food may exacerbate symptoms, which will likely return when normal diet is resumed. A fuller explanation of why the “cleansing” concept of no benefit for any conditions other than prep for a colonoscopy can be found here, among other sources. I urge you to read and understand this- I do believe you will find it very interesting! http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/colon-cleanses-a-load-of-you-know-what/
Dan, maybe I did not make it clear – the cleanse does not dissolve or disintegrate – they are merely softened by the apple juice and then the amount of olive oil taken triggers the flush which then passes the gallstones through the duct – the Epsom salt acts as a laxative to insure that they are evacuated from the bowels before being reabsorbed.
While your article sited is interesting, it deals mainly with a colon cleanse which is done before a colonoscopy – a medical procedure which looks at the colon. Often people will have gallbladder problems when they are not digesting properly which has been my case – hence the more frequent incident of attacks while on the GAPS diet. Thankfully, healing has occurred (as a result of the GAPS diet) and it has been several months since I have had any problems.
I have done 2 gallbladder flushes. First one 2010 and second 2012. GREAT success with Huda Clarks recipe! Over 2000 stones flushed out both times! Very happy!
I just wanted to ask you if you though apple cider vinegar would work instead of the apple juice?
I am not sure but maybe someone else does …
Hi, I have a gallbladder remnant with a gallstone, which was a surprise as I had got my gallbladder removed 7 years ago due to gallstones, now it’s back! This time I refused surgery, but want to give a go to pass them naturally as I really don’t want to go through surgery again (too painful), Do you feel any pain when passing the stones? I am really scared of getting another attack…
Aysha, I had no pain when I have passed mine.
What if you have some large stones? Could they become lodged in the duct when passing from the cleanse? I would like to try this but I had an ultrasound and they said that some of the stones are quite large. Thank you.
Cathy, that is a potential risk. The purpose of the apple juice is to soften the stones (even larger ones) so they will pass without lodging. With my gallbladder attacks, I know from my days as an RN that if I went to the emergency room, I would be headed for surgery so I am willing to take the risk and I have not had a problem – the stones pass easily and without pain.
Dina-Marie, Can whole apples be used instead of juice if so what kind, how many or why not? Also what role does the lemon juice play when taken at the end of the cleanse (w/olive oil) and what kind of olive oil is best, organic? Also I see no mention of what a GAPS diet is or consists of?
RJ, I think the purpose of the apple juice is to give the concentrated limonoid which helps soften any gallstones and alleviate any pain you are experiencing. I don’t think whole apples would give enough of it. I use extra virgin olive oil but not organic – it would be fine to use though.
As far as the GAPS diet, if you go to the top menu bar and hover over REAL FOOD, a drop down menu will appear with GAPS as a catagory to click on – here is the direct link for posts explaining what it is and my experience with it – it has been life changing for me.
http://myculturedpalate.com/blog/category/gaps/
When I do the cleanse I have to use watered down apple juice because of full strength apple juice is entirely too sweet. It works just fine.