Help me combat this gallbladder problem...*small attack and some theories #45*

[Firebird Rising]

I'm in the middle of my second attack this week.

I have done extensive research online about this condition. In September, when I ended up in the ER, it was confirmed that there were "small stones". I read the radiology report and the surgeon consult report and feel confident that I can deal with this naturally, or at least start that way instead of going straight to surgery.

Here are the contributing factors I've compiled that seem to lead to this problem. Mine are in red:

high sat. fats or refined carbs diet
being over 40 yrs old
having excess estrogen from pregnancy (I THINK this would still apply, right?)
taking HRT or contraceptives
obesity
sudden and rapid weight loss (would suddenly being NOT pregnant be considered a loss?)
yo-yo dieting
very low calorie diets
fasting
lack of exercise
food allergies (commonly eggs, pork, onions, fowl, milk, coffee, citrus, corn, beans, nuts)
having diabetes
crohn's disease
cystic fibrosis
cirrhosis of liver
excessive consumption of sugar
taking statins or diuretics
certain antibiotics
anti-rejection drugs
prostaglandins
stress

Triggers include (guess which I had today ):
caffeine
chocolate
eggs
dairy products
greasy/deep fried foods.

I need to do a flush (will describe that in just a bit).

What are the risks of a flush? The biggest one is that you could get a stone stuck that won't come out and end up in surgery. That's what's going to happen anyways if this problem does not resolve. I could have milk supply issues from the fasting. Right now, I go between having a normal to overproductive milk supply. I am going to try to increase it and also get a freezer stocked if I end up in surgery or get separated from Ben for some reason.

I need to eliminate coffee for sure, but the caffeine has been used for ADHD for me. However, now I'm on Wellbutrin, which seems to be working. So, I'm a bit confused as to whether it's the caffeine or the coffee that causes gallbladder problems, as I've seen them used interchangeably. If it's just the coffee, I'll start taking caffeine pills for the ADHD if I still need it. I'm currently consuming four shots of espresso in the morning and the last week, it has felt like two much combined with the Wellbutrin.

I successfully followed a low-fat vegan diet for three years and was very healthy. I need to get back to that. When I moved in with my parents, I began eating all sorts of toxic stuff. Problem with this diet is that it's a lot more prep than I am used to b/c so much of it's not processed. It's imperative that I plan meals to make it happen.

So here's info on the flush. I've read example after example of flushes and this one seems the most complete and healthy. My midwife had read it and approved it when I was pregnant, before a violent stomach flu in September wiped out all my symptoms.

GALLSTONE FLUSH

As devised by the Dulwich Health Society

METHOD:

1. For six consecutive days drink two litres of fresh, pure apple juice per day. Beg, borrow or steal a juicer if you can and use organic green apples, which have a higher pectin content than red apples. The pectin in the apple juice will begin to soften the gallstones. If you do not have a juicer, ensure you purchase organic apple juice, and eat organic green apples. It also helps to drink 5 cups of camomile tea per day. During this time eat sensibly, following the guidelines on page 3.

2.On the sixth day, eat nothing after lunch but continue to drink the apple juice and camomile tea.

3. At 9.00 p.m on the sixth day, take 1-2 level tablespoons of Epsom salts* dissolved in a little warm water. Prepare another dose incase you need it later.

4. At 10.00 p.m mix together 2 oz/60ml of freshly squeezed organic lemon juice and 4 oz/120 ml of cold-pressed, unrefined extra virgin olive oil. Drink as slowly as you can manage. (Drinking it through a straw helps, so that the oil does not come into contact with the lips.)

5. Got to bed immediately and lay on your right side for 30 minutes with your right knee drawn up to your chest before you go to sleep, to help the olive oil mix drain.

6. During the next day you should pass gallstones that are as soft as putty.

*The Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) are used to dilate the bile duct, to reduce the risk of a stone becoming lodged there. If you suspect that a stone may have become lodged (which will produce a mild, dull pain in comparison the extremely sharp pain of a gallstone attack), repeat the procedure.

Here are the food/lifestyle changes conducive to keeping your gallbladder:

Eat whole grains, unrefined carbohydrates (brown bread, rice and pasta etc) and plenty of dietary fibre.

¨Increase intake of vegetable proteins (especially soy products), decreasing intake of animal proteins.
¨Consume plenty of fresh, organic fruit and vegetables, especially those containing pectin (especially green apples) and cellulose (especially celery and crisp fruits and vegetables).
¨Eliminate intake of saturated fats, and ALL products containing white sugar and white flour.
¨Eat no fried foods, especially those that are deep-fried.
¨Avoid ice-cold foods and drinks - room temperature or slightly warm is best.
¨Avoid coffee.
¨Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day to keep the water content of your bile topped up, plus chamomile tea if possible
¨NEVER skip meals and ALWAYS eat breakfast.
¨Every meal or snack should contain 10g of fat to enable the gallbladder to contract.
¨Drink a little unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil each day (see Daily Flush Drink above). Olive oil will help the gallbladder to contract vigorously and thus cleanse itself.
¨Do not eat excessively large meals, which put an unnecessary burden on the digestive system.
¨Vegetarians have a much lower incidence of gallstones, so adopting a vegetarian diet will certainly help.

When I follow the low-fat vegan diet, it's a diet of no added oils to foods. So, I take the natural fats from whatever the foods happen to have. So I add no oil to the tofu when I "fry" it. I just use water or bragg's to cook it in.

I would have to adjust this diet to include the olive oil. I wonder if coconut oil would be better?

A HUGE trigger for me is ice-cold drinks. Last week's was caused by a smoothie from frozen fruit and I knew immediately that it was a problem.

So, I'm interested in thoughts and ideas. I'd love a partner to do a flush with. I'll document progress here when I get it going. I think I'm going to try to get to the store tomorrow. Unfortunately, we're out of food stamps and DH doesn't get paid till next week so I'll have to settle for non-organic apples. Any idea how many I'll need to get two liters? I don't even know how much that is 'cause I'm so American

And the stress in my life. It's overwhelming sometimes. I went to bed completely bummed b/c of my shoulder hurting so much. But that's nothing.

Feel free to contribute your thoughts But no, I won't consider surgery until I've tried other options. I know it has really worked well for some, but I'm not interested in the possibility of those side effects.

Jen D.

PS: If you are interested in things to do WHEN you are having an attack, I'll include those too. I've had varying results.