Do you sometimes experience abdominal discomfort after a meal? Maybe it’s simply indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome, but have you considered that it could be your gallbladder? Gallstones, sludge inside the gallbladder, or inflammation of the gallbladder can all cause pain or discomfort. If left untreated, this could one day lead to a gallbladder attack, potentially sending you to hospital.

A gallbladder attack can occur if a gallstone gets trapped in the neck of the gallbladder, or gets stuck in a bile duct.  This can inhibit the normal flow of bile and lead to a build up of pressure within the biliary system.  Spasms of the bile ducts can also lead to pain and discomfort. It is also possible to have a gallbladder attack when no stones can be found in the gallbladder.  These symptoms can be caused by inflammation to the walls of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), or gallbladder sludge or a stone trapped within a bile duct inside the liver.

The following symptoms may be caused by your gallbladder:

  • Pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. The area can be tender when pressure is applied.
  • Nausea
  • Flatulence (intestinal gas)
  • Diarrhea
  • Belching (burping)
  • Pain may radiate to the right shoulder blade, or between the shoulder blades

If you experience any of these symptoms, please see your doctor for thorough investigations.

How to help your gallbladder

  • Take a supplement of ox bile. This will help to supplement your bile level if you are not producing enough, or if your gallbladder is not ejecting enough. Ox bile also helps to make your bile more thin and liquid, thus reducing the risk of gallstones and sludge.
  • Reduce the amount of carbohydrate, sugar and alcohol in your diet. All of these increase the amount of fat that enters the bile. Most gallstones are made of cholesterol. When there is too much fat in the bile, it becomes thick and can eventually form stones.
  • A large percentage of people with a gallbladder problem have a fatty liver. This makes sense because if the liver is congested and unhealthy, it produces poor quality bile that is too high in fat. Livatone liver tonic helps detoxify the liver and reduce fat build up inside it.
  • Take a magnesium supplement such as Magnesium Complete or Magnesium Ultra potent powder to help the gallbladder to contract.
  • Increase the amount of vegetables in your diet and drink a raw vegetable juice each day. Ginger, beets, lemon and lime are particularly beneficial for the gallbladder.
  • Pour two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a small glass of warm water and sip it before your meals. This increases all digestive secretions and helps to thin the bile.
  • Food sensitivities can aggravate gallbladder problems. Typically gluten, dairy products, soy and corn can be problematic. You may want to do a trial elimination of those foods.

There is a great deal of information you may find helpful in the book Save Your Gallbladder, and what to do if you’ve already lost it.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.