Gallstones

Gallstones are a kapha disorder associated with underactive thyroid and slow metabolism. Gallstones begin with stagnation of bile in the gallbladder. The bile becomes thick, accumulates, coagulates, and slowly leads to stone formation.

Prevention of gallstones, and what to do when gallstones are present, are two different lines of treatment. First let’s consider what to do when gallstones have already developed.

TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN. In general, gallstones are not painful. They may remain in the gallbladder for a long time without causing any pain; indeed, you will not know they are there. Pain occurs when the gallbladder tries to push the stones out of the gallbladder through the bile duct.

To reduce pain, put a warm castor oil pack on your abdomen. Castor oil produces a slow, sustained heat that is soothing and healing. Warm up about 3 tablespoons of castor oil and pour it onto a handkerchief or other soft cloth, spreading it equally on the cloth. Place this compress on the abdomen above the gallbladder (on the right side of your abdomen, above the line of your navel and below the ribs). If you have a hot water bottle, you may place it on top of the pack to keep it warm. (Electric heating pads are not recommended.)

FOR ACUTE ATTACK. During an acute gallstone attack, use this herbal formula:

musta 4 parts
trikatu 3 parts
guduchi 6 parts

Take ¼ teaspoon of this mixture 2 or 3 times a day with honey. It will reduce the pain and ease the gallbladder attack.

LIVER FLUSH TO ELIMINATE THE GALLSTONE. When the pain is gone, you can do a liver flush to wash out the gallstone. This liver flush should not be done if the stone is large, so before doing the treatment it is vital to get an ultrasound report on the exact size of the gallstone and consult with your physician about using the treatment. If it is a small and recently formed stone, this treatment will help. If it is quite large, such as 3 to 4 mm. in diameter, then the flushing treatment will not be good.

TIME TO SEE THE DOCTOR

IMPORTANT: This liver-flushing treatment should not be done without the approval and guidance of your physician or the direct supervision of an Ayurvedic physician. Otherwise, you may damage the gallbladder and experience dangerous complications.

Combine 8 ounces olive oil, 4 ounces lemon juice, a chopped fresh garlic clove, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Drink this entire mixture in the early morning (at about six o’clock) on an empty stomach. Don’t eat anything until at least noon. If you feel thirsty, drink hot water or a little lime juice.

The treatment is a shock to the gallbladder, which contracts and squeezes the gallstone(s) out into the duodenum.

That night, take ½ teaspoon of triphala with warm water. The next day you will pass some green stuff in the stools. This is thick, coagulated bile containing the gallstone crystals.

PREVENTION OF GALLSTONES. In order to prevent gallstone formation, one has to improve both thyroid function and metabolism. In general, the following formula is effective:

punarnava 5 parts
shatavari 4 parts
kutki 2 parts
chitrak 2 parts
musta 3 parts
shilajit ¼ part

This mixture (¼ teaspoon 3 times a day with honey), taken regularly for 2 to 3 months, will help to prevent gallstone formation.

YOGA POSTURES. Several yoga asanas are beneficial for prevention of gallstones. The Bow pose, Peacock pose, Spinal Twist, and Narayan pose (lying on the left side) will help to empty the gallbladder. (For illustrations of yoga postures, see appendix 4.) These postures will improve circulation in the gallbladder, helping to prevent the crystallization process.

DIET. Stay away from deep-fried food, dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, and all fatty foods, especially animal fat and any saturated fat. These accelerate coagulation of bile into gallstones.