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Alternative Medicine Treatments for Gallbladder Attacks

Painful gallbladder attacks can stem from gallstones, infection or an inflammation of the gallbladder, with pain radiating from the upper right quadrant of the abdomen throughout the chest, to the shoulder, to the back. While no alternative to traditional medicine or surgery can guarantee a cure for gallstones and gallbladder inflammation, some strategies can help ease the pain and prevent attacks.

  1. Reducing Risk

    • Reducing the risk of gallstones is a good first step in warding off gallbladder disease and complications. A diet high in fiber and rich in healthy fats prevents the formation of gallstones. Foods to include are fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish. Supplementing your diet with vitamins C and E, as well as with calcium, has been shown to prevent the presence of gallstones. Vitamin C, in particular, prevents bile from clumping into stones in the gallbladder.

    Give the Liver and Digestion a Boost

    • Bile flows from the liver through ducts and is temporarily stored in the gallbladder. To ease that flow and help ensure that bile doesn't form stones, certain herbs and compounds can be useful. Among them are milk thistle, choline and inositol. Milk thistle, for example, alters bile's composition and aids in dissolving and eliminating gallstones. Choline and inositol assists in metabolizing cholesterol and fats, which are known to contribute to gallbladder inflammation, stones and attacks.
      Other herbs that may aid in digestion--and therefore gallbladder function--include flaxseed oil (1 tbsp. per day), psyllium (1 tbsp. of powder per day), peppermint oil (2 capsules twice each day) and lecithin (2 capsules twice each day).

    Prevention

    • By modifying your diet and getting an adequate amount of exercise, you can optimize gallbladder function and prevent future attacks. Strategies include:
      1. Eat balanced, nutritional meals at the same time every day to keep your digestive system on schedule.
      2. Exercise regularly, as inactivity contributes to gallstones. Thirty minutes each day may be enough to keep painful attacks at bay.
      3. Achieve and maintain a normal weight. Extra pounds increase the risk of gallstones, but so does losing weight quickly. If you are working to shed a few pounds, do it slowly. One to two pounds per week is considered an optimal pace.

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