Gallbladder attack

(Kris Murdock) #1

Over a year ago I went to the ER with gallbladder attack. I was told to go on a low fat diet and schedule gallbladder removal surgery. I didn’t do that, I did the opposite and started eating a lot of fat, went keto and lost 50 pounds.

Las night I had another attack, the first one in a very long time. Two variables should be considered: I ate a lot of meat/fat yesterday. I stopped taking apple cider vinegar two months ago because I really didn’t know if it was doing anything.

My question is, is anyone in the same boat? You were told to have your gallbladder removed but keto corrected the attacks? If so, and you still have the occasional attack have you pinpointed what triggers the attack? Finally, maybe the apple cider vinegar actually kept attacks at bay.

If it matters, I ate out twice yesterday due to my schedule. I had fajitas (no sides, not tortillas) for lunch, and a bunless 5 guys burger for dinner. That was all.

Thank you for any thoughts or insight.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #2

The only time I had a gb attack was after pork and sauerkraut, followed a couple hours later by a pint of Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream (this was pre-keto).

Scared the hell out of me, and ended up in an ER visit, and recommendation for gb removal, similar to your story. Sadly, I went ahead with the surgery, which I regret knowing what I know now.

Not sure what to suggest, since if you’ve been keto for a year, it shouldn’t be carbs causing the issue. May be hard to find a gb specialist who has a clue about keto, but were I you, I’d start looking for one. This is one place where standard of care (aka, cut that sucker out) is probably not for the best. But you should probably work with a competent physician on this. Advice from the internet is worth exactly what you’re paying for it. :slight_smile:

(Richard Morris) #3

You know why you need a gall bladder right? To batch up bile for a fatty meal.

You can live without a gall bladder, but you digest fat a little differently (less well).

People often get stones when they transition from a high fat to a low fat and back to a high fat diet. The problem appears to be you are used to making a lot of bile, you change your diet so you don’t need a lot and it becomes crusty and hardened through lack of use, when you go back to a high fat diet you gall bladder starts pulsing and the crusty stuff blocks the ducts forming a stone.

That doesn’t match your pattern so I don’t have any advice other than

#4

I actually landed in the ER yesterday after Urgent Care sent me over due to what they were sure was a galbladder attack, eventually I was dx with biliary colic. My urine, bloodwork and galbladder ultrasound were perfect. I didn’t even have elevated liver enzymes like I’ve had on almost every bloodwork since I had my son 2 years ago (via c-section, where I think a lot of my tummy troubles have stemmed from). I think keto has helped a lot with that. :slight_smile:

In the ER they gave me mophine, benadryl and a slew of other things to try to calm the pain and nothing bit through the pain. 18 hours later, I still have pain in my lower chest/upper abdomen area. I have a follow up with my GP on Monday (today is Friday), the ER doctor suggested that I get a CT scan and possibly have my gallbladder removed since it seems to be a re-occurring problem. --not really what I want at all.

So to the internet I went. I’ve done a ton of reading this morning and one of the things I read said that it might not be a gallbladder issue but a peptic ulcer issue, especially if you are burping a lot more than usual (which I have been for a few weeks!). I’ve had a peptic ulcer before and the pain was intense but totally different, alas, I think this is what my problem is, especially after how rumbly my tummy was after they pumped me full of stuff yesterday in the ER. Additionally, at the end of my ER visit I was approaching the 24 hour mark of unintentional fasting, I’ve read that ulcers hurt worse on an empty stomach.

Since it is Friday, and I already have some on hand, I took some Ulcertol along with some ACV and I’ll continue to take it over the weekend to see if it helps. I’ll have my GP test for H. pylori on Monday. Hopefully that is my answer.

(Deb) #5

I had H. Pylori years ago. Right under/below right side ribs. Course of antibiotics took care of it. Good luck.

(Suzanne Barton) #6

@Kristopher - i had same problem. Gallbladder acted up, everyone said go lowfat. So I did which made it worse. Then I found keto and started it 11 weeks ago. Had a few more attacks, not as bad as the first. I started taking pancreatic enzymes/ox bile which seems to be helping me.
Butter always seemed to cause me the most problems.
Hope this helps.

(Stephanie Sutton) #7

I’ve been playing with keto off and on for over a year. After a heavy protein and fat Christmas meal I had a gallbladder attack, even with taking a very good digestive enzymes supplement. I’ve been dealing with it for 12 days. Been doing a lot of research because I come from a medical background and know they will want to cut it out if I go to the ER. I started fasting (only liquids allowed including blended vegetable soups) Friday and adding ACV. Was completely miserable Saturday.

Here’s what’s helped me. I found that 1 T of Epsom salt in a cup of water will relax the ducts and relieve the pressure and pain. I was skeptical. But after not sleeping for two nights and being quite unwell the entire day, I tried it. Literally, within minutes (5-10) the pain went from a 7 to a 2! And I slept well that night.

Also recommended :. Beet juice, 1/2 lemon to warm water, chamomile tea, apples, apple juice, or apple cider vinegar. I did the Epsom salt for 2 days and added the other recommendations too.

I also used a castor oil pack over the right side of abdomen along with rubbing diluted grapefruit, rosemary, and On Guard essential oils throughout the day.

Then, I came upon a book called, The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush by Andreas Moritz. My library had a copy. Luckily, I was already prepped and could begin the flush Monday. I again was skeptical, but there was nothing that could be harmful from trying it for me. I’ve been doing colonic hydrotherapy for a few months already (which is recommended for any type of a flush). I felt pretty unwell yesterday through the flush. So, was still on the fence last night. I did pass about 50+ green globs. However, I awoke this morning feeling fantastic! My digestion has improved. My pain is between a 1-2. I ate broth and an avocado this morning and feel energized and alert.

I realize some people are skeptical of one if not more of the things I’ve tried. I’ve been doing all this under a well respected doctor’s care and my health is improving. Having digestive issues for over 20 years has taken me down some interesting roads. This flush I will do again. And continue my path on a keto diet. And as I have a lot of travel coming up, will pack 2 T of Epsom salt individually in case of another attack. I wish you all the best on your journey!

#8

Could you help me find any more information about this subject?

(Cindy) #9

I’ve been on the keto diet for a little over 2 months, and I’m having frequent gallbladder pain - but I was having it before I started the diet, so the diet didn’t trigger it, although it also didn’t help it. BUT… I read in some research article somewhere on the Internet (sorry! I’ve forgotten where!) that the amino acid tourine thins bile and makes the gall bladder empty more easily. Plus taurine protects the heart muscle and helps protect the brain from things like glycation, so now I’m taking taurine morning and night. If I feel pain, I take an extra taurine. It is working for me. I think in my case, the bile just gets thick and doesn’t move out properly, so thinning it with taurine keeps it all moving. I don’t know if it will help anyone else!

(Betsy) #10

In case of gallbladder attack, magnesium sulphate can relax the bile ducts. I’m not sure of the recipe.

(Tovan Nhsh) #11

I’m dealing with a preexisting gallbladder issue as well. Along with Taurine I’m also taking Ox Bile (which is supposed to assist with bile production & flow) & Malic Acid (supposed to soften/dissolve stones). As @betsy2 mentioned, Magnesium relaxes the ducts which can be helpful during an attack.

Hope it works out for you as gallbladder attacks suck.

(Chad Parrish) #12

Richard is absolutely correct. My general surgeon where I work is a big proponent of leaving the gb and trying high fat first. He said you aren’t using that thing enough.

#13

I know this is old but I wanted to point out what I’d learned. I never had any gallbladder issues before I went on keto. One random night I woke up in terrible pain at like 2am, googled symptoms (back pain/pain in right side) --luckily someone had a home remedy (1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar w/mother w/apple juice). Instantly stopped the pain. When the attacks started becoming more regular, I went off keto and the attacks stopped. :frowning: I haven’t gone to dr/hospital as I know they want to do surgery 99% of the time and you can still have attacks after, so do your research.