Has anybody heard of flushing your gallbladder? I am just starting to research this as an alternative to removal. There are many "recipies" found on the web, and one I found seems pretty easy to follow.
Gallbladder flush
- Thread starter Scuba_Jenny
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Jenny, you "flush" your gallbladder every time you eat a plate of French fries. Seriously, a high-fat meal causes the gallbladder to contract and empty a significant proportion of its contents.
If you have gallstones, trying to make the gallbladder contract harder and empty further is more likely to precipitate problems, because symptoms are caused when the stones get stuck in the neck of the gallbladder as it tries to empty itself of bile. That's why many people with gallstones get symptoms an hour or so after a meal, and those symptoms resolve several hours later, when the gallbladder relaxes.
There are medications that are successful to some degree in dissolving gallstones. The problem is that they have significant side effects (cramping and diarrhea, mostly), and that once their use is discontinued, the gallstones are very likely to recur. They're really not used for those reasons.
If you have symptomatic gallstones, by far and away the best, quickest and safest treatment is gallbladder removal. I watched two young men (in their 30's) die of gallstone pancreatitis during my residency. The illnesses were prolonged and miserable, and I don't ever want to see anybody else go through that. Now that gallbladder removal is done laparoscopically, the recovery is quick and relatively painless, and absent serious contraindications to general anesthesia, there really is no reason to avoid having it done.
If you have gallstones, trying to make the gallbladder contract harder and empty further is more likely to precipitate problems, because symptoms are caused when the stones get stuck in the neck of the gallbladder as it tries to empty itself of bile. That's why many people with gallstones get symptoms an hour or so after a meal, and those symptoms resolve several hours later, when the gallbladder relaxes.
There are medications that are successful to some degree in dissolving gallstones. The problem is that they have significant side effects (cramping and diarrhea, mostly), and that once their use is discontinued, the gallstones are very likely to recur. They're really not used for those reasons.
If you have symptomatic gallstones, by far and away the best, quickest and safest treatment is gallbladder removal. I watched two young men (in their 30's) die of gallstone pancreatitis during my residency. The illnesses were prolonged and miserable, and I don't ever want to see anybody else go through that. Now that gallbladder removal is done laparoscopically, the recovery is quick and relatively painless, and absent serious contraindications to general anesthesia, there really is no reason to avoid having it done.
erparamedic
Vampire Girl......er Dork
Jenny...
If your gallbladder has been an issue, I highly recommend removal. I had mine out 3 years ago... and the relief I got from it was like a Christmas present! LOL
I had been having gallbladder issues for only a couple weeks, and it had been misdiagnosed by 2 docs (family doc and ER doc). I knew it was my gallbladder, and went to see a general surgeon. I had gallbladder induced pancreatitis, and it was horribly miserable. Nothing showed up on CT... and on ultrasound, it took the tech nearly 20 minutes to find my gallbladder, and she said it looked very contracted and small. My surgeon sent me for a hidascan. Hidascan results are supposed to be in the 30%-35% range... and mine was 96%. The surgeon called me on a Friday and said, "how's Monday for surgery?" I told him I'd be there! The surgeon said that my gallbladder was VERY contracted, and once he had it out, he cut it open, and it was full of stones. He also did an ERCP to look thru the ducts and remove any stones that are in the ducts. From the onset of symptoms, to the time I had it out was right at 3 weeks.
The surgery is done laproscopically. I had 4 or 5 tiny incisions. I was sore the day of surgery (mostly from the gas that they pump into your belly), and was off the pain meds the day after surgery. Within 3 days post-op, I was back to shopping and running errands (though I did have lifting restrictions). The entire recovery for gallbladder removal is roughly 10 days. It's an easy surgery, and the results (no more gallbladder attacks) were a huge relief... I like to say it was like getting an early Christmas present! Honestly!
I hope this info helps you, Jenny!
If your gallbladder has been an issue, I highly recommend removal. I had mine out 3 years ago... and the relief I got from it was like a Christmas present! LOL
I had been having gallbladder issues for only a couple weeks, and it had been misdiagnosed by 2 docs (family doc and ER doc). I knew it was my gallbladder, and went to see a general surgeon. I had gallbladder induced pancreatitis, and it was horribly miserable. Nothing showed up on CT... and on ultrasound, it took the tech nearly 20 minutes to find my gallbladder, and she said it looked very contracted and small. My surgeon sent me for a hidascan. Hidascan results are supposed to be in the 30%-35% range... and mine was 96%. The surgeon called me on a Friday and said, "how's Monday for surgery?" I told him I'd be there! The surgeon said that my gallbladder was VERY contracted, and once he had it out, he cut it open, and it was full of stones. He also did an ERCP to look thru the ducts and remove any stones that are in the ducts. From the onset of symptoms, to the time I had it out was right at 3 weeks.
The surgery is done laproscopically. I had 4 or 5 tiny incisions. I was sore the day of surgery (mostly from the gas that they pump into your belly), and was off the pain meds the day after surgery. Within 3 days post-op, I was back to shopping and running errands (though I did have lifting restrictions). The entire recovery for gallbladder removal is roughly 10 days. It's an easy surgery, and the results (no more gallbladder attacks) were a huge relief... I like to say it was like getting an early Christmas present! Honestly!
I hope this info helps you, Jenny!
K- a very good friend of mine here in Ft Myers had the gallbladder issue.. she was literally laid up at home, sleepless nights, unable to even really communicate.. then magic happened and the surgery fairy removed it.. she's been happy and spry ever since!
I liken it to my tonsils.. ever since their removal I've been MUCH happier
I liken it to my tonsils.. ever since their removal I've been MUCH happier
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