Natural Remedies For Gallbladder Pain

Statistics for gallbladder removal are staggering, especially amongst young women. If you ever experienced gallbladder pain, you know it can be excruciating and scary, especially during a gallbladder attack. Some gallbladder attacks require a hospital visit, and even gallbladder removal. However, natural remedies for gallbladder pain can be very helpful at alleviating pain and even eliminating gallstones over time.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Always consult your physician if you have gallbladder pain or an attack or want to try natural remedies at home. This post shares information how to relieve gallbladder pain, attacks, and gallstones, but is not intended as medical advice.

How are Gallbladder Attacks and Pain Treated?

Different medical professionals have different opinions on the causes of gallstones and how they ought to be treated. Mainstream medicine often recommends gallbladder removal. According to the National Institute of Health, gallbladder removal, also known as cholecystectomy, is one of the most common procedures in the United States, with more than 1.2 million cholecystectomies done annually (source).

In this post, I will share the medical advice I personally used that was very helpful in providing acute relief from gallbladder pain, as well as long-term healing of my liver and gallbladder. My body was able to release many stones following the advice of Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride and Dr. Hulda Clark’s natural remedies for gallbladder pain.

Cause of Gallstones

Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride explains her theory behind gallbladder pain:

A gallstone is a clump of infection or a fragment of a worm, coated by bile: this is a defence reaction the liver has, when pathogens get into the bile ducts. Bile stones form all of our lives, and in the initial stages they are small and soft and pass easily through the bile ducts into the duodenum every time we eat fats. Once in the duodenum, the stones go all away to the bowel and get eliminated in stool. If the person has been eating processed carbohydrates and low fat foods for a while, then the liver does not get enough stimulation to empty the bile into the duodenum, so the bile stones stay in the bile ducts too long and become calcified. As the stones accumulate calcium salts on their surface, they get larger and their surface becomes hard and rough, so they cannot be easily passed through the bile ducts (they get stuck) (source).

Cause of Gallbladder Pain and Attacks

According to Dr. Natasha,

When enough bile ducts are obstructed by stones, the bile flow gets impaired; hence the person cannot digest fats very well. GAPS diet is rich in fats, which stimulate bile production and excretion into the duodenum at every meal. It may take time for your liver to get into full gear, but it will do so (source).

How to Eliminate Gallstones

Dr. Natasha shares her clinical experience in helping her patients eliminate gallstones over time using a dietary approach:

When juicing is introduced, the active substances in juices dissolve calcium salts in the stones and make them softer, so they can be eliminated from the bile ducts with the next fatty meal. It takes time, but in the majority of patients this situation gets resolved naturally, without any special measures (particularly in children). In some severe adult cases following Dr. Hulda Clark’s Liver Cleanse Protocol may help to eliminated gallstones (source).

Gallbladder Attack Relief -Acute Pain Remedy

Having a gallbladder attack or acute pain? I have found immense, effective relief during active gallbladder pain using these GAPS recommended strategies:

Drinking 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon Epsom salt mixed into 2 cups water
Water or coffee enemas (enema kit)

These foods and herbs also helped enormously to pass stones and have long-lasting pain relief, over time and continued use:

Drinking dandelion root and milk thistle tea or taking encapsulated dandelion or encapsulated milk thistle
Eating beets and high mineral foods
Taking chanca piedra

Liver and Gallstone Flush

Some people with more severe cases of gallstone or gallbladder problems may benefit from a liver and gallstone flush. I have followed The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush protocol by Andreas Moritz three times, and each time eliminated hundreds of stones! It was disgusting and fascinating. I also followed the precepts of the GAPS protocol as my main way of eating leading up to and following the flush. I believe this helped improve my results and minimize discomfort.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before attempting any liver or gallstone flushes.

Liver And Gallstone Flush Ingredients:

Apple juice – 32 oz (1 liter)
OPTIONAL Apple juice- 32 oz (1 liter) per day for 6 days leading up to the flush
Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) – 4 tbsp (60 g) dissolved in 24 oz (720 ml) of water
Extra virgin olive oil – 4 oz (120 ml)
Fresh grapefruit juice (pink is best) – 6 oz (180 ml)

Alternate Ingredients For Liver and Gallstone Cleanse

Olive oil can be substituted with: Clear macadamia oil, cold-pressed grape seed oil, sunflower oil or other expeller-pressed oils. Don’t use canola, soy oil or similar processed oils.
Grapefruit juice can be substituted with: lemon juice, lime juice or orange juice. If intolerant to citrus, you can use tart cherry juice or apple juice.
NOTE: it is optional to consume apple juice or its alternate for 6 days leading up to the flush. Or it can be consumed the day of the flush- see notes below).
Apple juice can be substituted with any one of the following options
- 8 oz (240 ml) tart cherry juice per day
- 3 oz (90 ml) of apple cider vinegar diluted in 24 to 32 oz (.75 to 1 liter) of water per day
- 16 oz (.5 litre) of unsweetened cranberry juice mixed with 8 to 16 oz (0.25 to 0.50 liter) of water per day
- 1 teaspoon (5 – 6 g) of pure malic acid powder dissolved in 24 to 32 oz (.75 to 1 liter) of water per day
- (more options in the book, page 308)
Epsom salts can be substituted with any one of the following options:
- 4 tbsp of magnesium citrate powder dissolved in 24 oz (720 ml) of water
- 24 oz (720 ml) of liquid magnesium citrate

How to Do a Liver and Gallstone Flush

Step 1. OPTIONAL. (An optional 6 day lead up to the actual flush can be very helpful. Some people skip straight to the flush). Monday through Saturday noon, drink 32 ounces (1L) of apple juice.

Morning of Flush

Step 2. (Day 6 of the preparation): Hydrate well. Drink all the 1 liter of apple juice (or an alternative listed above) in the morning. If you feel hungry in the morning, eat a light breakfast, such as fruit or a hot cereal like oatmeal. Avoid sugar, sweeteners, spices, milk, butter, oils, yogurt, cheese, ham, eggs, nuts, pastries, cold packaged cereals and other processed foods. Freshly pressed fruit juices or vegetable juices are fine. For lunch eat plain cooked or steamed vegetables with rice (preferably white basmati rice), buckwheat, quinoa or similar grains and flavor it with a little unrefined sea or rock salt. Do not eat any protein foods, nuts, avocado, butter, or oil, or you might feel ill during the actual flush. Do not eat or drink anything except water after 1:30 PM.

Evening of Flush:

Step 3. 6:00 PM: Add four tablespoons of Epsom salt to 24 oz of filtered water in a jar. Drink 6 oz. Epsom salt helps dilate the bile ducts, making it easier for stones to pass.
Step 4. 8:00 PM: Drink your second serving (6 oz) of Epsom salt.
Step 5. 9:30 PM: If the Epsom salt has not prompted at least one bowel movement until now, consider a water enema. Congestion in the colon can prevent the proper opening of the gallbladder and reduce the flush’s effectiveness.
Step 6. 9:45 PM: Thoroughly wash the grapefruits (or lemons and oranges). Squeeze out 6 oz (180 ml) juice. Pour the juice and 4 oz (120 ml) of olive oil into a glass jar with a lid. Then, close the jar tightly and shake until the solution is well-mixed or watery.
Step 7. 10:00 PM: Standing next to your bed, drink the grapefruit/oil mixture quickly.
Lie down immediately for 20 minutes on your back with your head elevated. Alternately, lie on your right side with knees tucked upward toward head, with your head elevated. This is essential for helping release the gallstones! Lie flat on your back with one or two pillows propping your head up. Your head should be higher than your abdomen. If this is uncomfortable lie on your right side with your knees pulled toward your head, but also keep your head elevated. Next, sleep if possible.
Optional: To relax the bile ducts further, apply a castor oil soaked cloth over the liver area.

The Following Morning:

Step 8. 6:00-6:30 AM: Upon awakening, drink a glass of warm water. After, drink your third portion of Epsom salt. If you are very sleepy, you may go back to bed, although it is best if the body stays in an upright position.
Step 9. 8:00-8:30 AM: Drink your fourth and last portion of Epsom salt.
Step 10. 10:00-10:30 AM: Drink freshly pressed fruit juice or eat one or two pieces of fresh fruit, if desired. Avoid over-eating throughout the day. By the evening or the next morning you should be back to normal and feel the first signs of improvement. Continue to eat light meals during the following 2 – 3 days.

These steps are adapted from Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush protocol by Andreas Moritz and not intended as medical advice or as a substitution for reading the book.

I hope these natural remedies for gallbladder pain are helpful to you and your loved ones who may be struggling or needing to support your body toward better health. As mentioned above, I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Consult with your physician before making any changes to your diet or implementing new protocols.

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