What you MUST do if your Gallbladder has been Removed
I thought I was having a heart attack. The pain and pressure in my chest and shoulders was unbearable. Should I call 911 or try to drive to the hospital? Or was this just the worst indigestion ever?
That’s what I experienced a handful of times prior to having my gallbladder removed. It was horrible and I just wanted it to never happen again.
I scheduled an ultrasound and it showed gallstones. The surgeon recommended a laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. That’s what they call one kind of surgery to remove a gallbladder.
The day of the surgery, I wanted to call it off because I had no symptoms and felt great.
They never told me there was a possibility to heal my gallbladder and that I would have impaired ability to digest fat for the rest of my life.
I learned much later that gallbladder problems can often be reversed and there are simple dietary changes that will help protect the little guy.
Here’s how to protect your gallbladder and what you MUST do if your gallbladder has been removed.
Gallbladder surgery is increasing
Over the past thirty years, there’s been a 20% increase in the number of people suffering with gallbladder problems. It is estimated that 10-15% of the US population (20-25 million people) have gallbladder complications (usually gallstones) that lead to 1.8 million hospital visits and $6.2 billion dollars in healthcare costs annually.
The conventional recommendation for gallbladder problems is removal. There are over 750,000 cholecystectomies annually in the US.
Advanced Functional Medicine nutritionist, Tom Malterre says, “Unfortunately, 10-33% of people who get their gallbladder taken out never resolve their symptoms of gallbladder disease; and in fact those who have their gallbladder removed may suffer from a whole new set of symptoms like fat malabsorption and vitamin deficiencies after surgery.”
The gallbladder serves an important digestive function
The gallbladder is a four inch sac located just below and behind the liver. It stores bile.
Dr. David Williams is a medical researcher, biochemist and chiropractor. He explains, “Bile acids are produced from cholesterol in your liver and then flow into your gallbladder where they are stored and concentrated as much as fivefold.” He says, “With a healthy gallbladder, proper amounts of bile are released into the digestive tract as needed.”
According to, Tom Malterre, bile is made up of: “97% water, 0.7% bile salts (cholesterol that interacts with hydroxylation/CYP450 enzymes and has either glycine or taurine attached to it), 0.51% fats (i.e. cholesterol, phospholipids), 0.2% bilirubin (derived from heme- the substance in red blood cells), and a trace amount of inorganic salts (i.e. potassium, sodium bicarbonate).”
About half of the bile released goes to the small intestine. The other half is stored in the gallbladder until needed.
Tom Malterre explains, “As food travels out of the stomach and in to the small intestines (duodenum), cells that line the intestinal walls “sense” the fats and amino acids in the food and release a hormone called CCK (cholecystokinin/Chole= bile, Cysto= sac, Kinin= mover). This bile sac-moving hormone signals the gallbladder to squeeze forcing the bile into the upper intestines where it helps to digest fats found in foods. Simultaneously, CCK also signals digestive enzymes to be released from the pancreas.”
Dr. Williams simplifies, “As your body senses the movement of fat into the small intestine, the gallbladder releases the bile to emulsify the fat—making it easier to absorb.”
Bile does to fats what dish detergent does to grease. It’s an emulsifier. Bile breaks down fats into teeny tiny droplets, which gives fat-digesting enzymes more surface area upon which to do their work.
90 to 95 percent of the bile squirted into the digestive system is reabsorbed by the large intestines and returned to the liver, where it is reused as many as twenty times.
Your gallbladder is vital for digestion. It releases bile when needed to make fat absorb. Click To TweetIf your gallbladder is diseased or removed, you won’t absorb fat or excrete cholesterol properly
Dr. David Williams summarizes, “With a healthy gallbladder, proper amounts of bile are released into the digestive tract as needed. Without a gallbladder, there is a continuous trickle of bile into your system regardless of the presence or absence of fat. The failure to match bile output to fat presence jeopardizes one’s ability to properly digest fat and, eventually, leads to deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, poor cholesterol metabolism, and the absorption of improperly digested fat globules.”
Here’s what you can expect if you are not digesting fat properly.
Deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins
Proper digestion of fat is required to absorb the fat soluble vitamins, which include A, D, E and K.
Vitamin A contributes to immune function, healthy vision and proper cell growth.
Vitamin A comes in two forms. Both require bile for absorption.
According to Dr. Mercola:
- “Retinol is preformed vitamin A, found in animal products such as grass-fed meat and poultry, liver, fish, and raw organic dairy products like butter. This is the form of vitamin A your body can actually use.”
- “Beta-carotene is pre-vitamin A, found in plant foods like fruits and vegetables. In order for your body to actually use beta-carotene, it must first convert it into retinol, and to do this, you need to have a well-functioning digestive tract and sufficient bile produced by your gallbladder. Specific enzymes are also needed to break down the carotene for the conversion into retinol to occur.”
Putting grass fed butter or drizzling coconut or olive oil on veggies, helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins – when you have enough bile present to emulsify the fat.
Signs of Vitamin A deficiency:
- Dry eyes
- Drying, scaling, and follicular thickening of the skin
- Night blindness
- Red or white acne-like bumps (on your cheeks, arms, thighs, and buttocks)
- Respiratory infections
Cells can only produce vitamin A receptors with the assistance of magnesium and zinc.
Vitamin D is critically important for cell function. It is one of the most potent cancer inhibitors. Vitamin D3 sends messages to our genes to control many different functions including preventing cancer, reducing inflammation, boosting mood, easing muscle aches and fibromyalgia, and building bones.
The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun. As soon as the sun’s UVB rays hit your skin, the body produces it’s own vitamin D3. UVB waves are highest at midday so the ideal time for sun exposure is between 10 AM and 4 PM.
Keep in mind that fully activated vitamin D3 (calcitriol) is useless in the absence of magnesium. Zinc also interacts with vitamin D, and it appears they promote each other’s intestinal absorption.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a strikingly diverse array of common chronic diseases, including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Asthma
- Autism
- Cancer
- Cavities
- Cold and fly
- Crohn’s disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes 1 and 2
- Dementia
- Depression
- Eczema & Psoriasis
- Hearing loss
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- Infertility
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Insomnia
- Macular degeneration
- Migraines
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscle pain
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis
- Periodontal disease
- Pre eclampsia
- Red or white acne-like bumps (on your cheeks, arms, thighs, and buttocks)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Septicemia
- Seizures
- Schizophrenia
- Signs of aging
- Tuberculosis
Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant and immune-system booster that has a number of cancer-fighting properties.
Vitamin E can do more harm than good for smokers, children with autism and people with a certain a mutated gene. Therefore, it’s best not to supplement unless under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. Food, not a supplement, is your best source of vitamin E. Dietary sources of vitamin E include raw organic nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, and pecans. You also get vitamin E from legumes and green vegetables, like spinach and broccoli.
Vitamin E deficiency signs include:
- asthma and allergies
- brain damage
- cancer
- cognitive decline
- high oxidized LDL cholesterol levels
- hot flashes
- menstrual pain
- poor circulation
- prostate and breast cancers
Avoid synthetic vitamin E (tocopheryl), as it will not provide your body with the benefits that natural full-spectrum vitamin E will.
Vitamin K1 is most well-known for the role it plays in blood clotting.The initial discovery was reported in a German scientific journal, where it was called Koagulationsvitamin. That’s where the “K” comes from. K-rich foods include spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens.
Vitamin K2 is also essential. It’s role is to help move calcium into proper areas of your body, like bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be, like arteries and soft tissues. K2 is prevalent in fermented vegetables like sauerkraut.
Raw dairy products such as certain cheeses, raw butter, and kefir also contain high amounts. However, only grass-fed animals (not grain fed) will develop naturally high K2 levels. This is one of several reasons why I only use grass-fed butter in my coffee.
Vitamin K3 is a synthetic form and not recommended.
Vitamin K deficiency can lead to:
- Arterial calcification
- Cardiovascular disease
- Dementia
- Infectious diseases such as pneumonia
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Prostate cancer
- Tooth decay
- Varicose veins
According to Dr. Mercola, “Vitamins A and D also cooperate to regulate the production of certain vitamin K-dependent proteins. Once vitamin K2 activates these proteins, they help mineralize bones and teeth, protect arteries and other soft tissues from abnormal calcification, and protect against cell death. Magnesium, calcium, vitamin D3, or vitamin K2 also work in tandem, so if you’re considering taking one, you need to take all the others into consideration as well.”
Deficiency in vitamin B-12
The connection between B-12 and bile from the gallbladder is that it takes a lot of stomach acid to to break down this essential B vitamin.
Vitamin B-12 is generally found in all animal foods (except honey). Contrary to rumors, there are no reliable, unfortified plant sources of vitamin B-12.
Vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) is known as the energy vitamin.
Chris Kresser explains why B-12 is important: “Vitamin B12 works together with folate in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells. It’s also involved in the production of the myelin sheath around the nerves, and the conduction of nerve impulses. You can think of the brain and the nervous system as a big tangle of wires. Myelin is the insulation that protects those wires and helps them to conduct messages.”
Dr. Mercola warns, “And oral B-12 supplementation will not address this issue as they will not break down in your stomach if acid production is low. In fact, if you are one of the people taking these proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers, the primary way your body can effectively absorb the B-12 that it needs is through inter-muscular injections.”
Signs of vitamin B-12 deficiency:
- Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive decline and memory loss (collectively referred to as “aging”)
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Autoimmune disease and immune dysregulation
- Balance issues
- Bloating
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular disease
- Constipation
- Delusions
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Impulse control problems
- Infertility
- Learning or developmental disorders in kids
- Loss of appetite
- Mental illness (depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders
- Nausea
- Pins and needles in the extremities
- Shortness of breath that results from only very light exertion
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- White spots on the skin (typically the forearm) due to decreased melatonin
Deficiencies in essential fatty acids
There are two essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid).
Most Americans eat too many inflammatory omega-6 fats (think processed vegetable oils) and too few anti-inflammatory omega-3s, which sets the stage for a number of health problems. The ideal radio is 1:1 (Omega-3 to Omega-6), but the typical Western diet is between 1:20 and 1:50.
The plant based form of omega-3 is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Recent studies show ALA is extremely inefficient. Less than 1% is converted to EPA and DHA for use by the body. Sources of ALA include flaxseed oil, canola oil, English walnuts, and soybean oil.
The animal based forms of omega-3 are eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA) and are mainly found in fish, shellfish and krill. DHA is the primary structural component of your brain and retina, and EPA is its precursor. DHA is found in cod liver oil, fatty fish, and in smaller concentrations in the organs and fats of land animals.
Signs of fatty acid deficiency:
- Allergies
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Asthma
- Bone weakness
- Brittle or soft nails
- Cancer
- Cracked skin on heals or fingertips
- Dandruff or dry hair
- Dry eyes
- Dry Eye Syndrome
- Dry, flaky skin, alligator skin, or “chicken skin” on backs of arms
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination or excessive thirst
- Gallstones
- Heart disease
- Lowered immunity, frequent infections
- Lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral artery disease
- Poor attention span, hyperactivity, or irritability
- Poor mood
- Poor wound healing
- Postpartum depression
- Premature birth
- Problems learning
- Red or white acne-like bumps (on your cheeks, arms, thighs, and buttocks)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Schizophrenia
- Tissues and organ inflammation
- Ulcerative colitis
- Vascular complications from type 2 diabetes
Poor cholesterol regulation
One way the body regulates cholesterol is by excreting excess cholesterol through bile, which is mostly made of cholesterol, second to water.
According to R. A. Bowen DVM PhD from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University, “Secretion into bile is a major route for eliminating cholesterol. Free cholesterol is virtually insoluble in aqueous solutions, but in bile, it is made soluble by bile acids and lipids like lecithin. Gallstones, most of which are composed predominantly of cholesterol, result from processes that allow cholesterol to precipitate from solution in bile.”
About 50% of the cholesterol that passes through the small intestines is targeted for excretion. I learned that from course material published by the University of Washington.
Without a healthy gallbladder, you won't be able to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K properly. Click To TweetHow gallstones develop
A common way for the problem to begin is with damage to the gut.
Tom Malterre lays out the progression:
“Research indicates that both gluten and cow’s milk proteins can cause damage in the intestinal tract that leads to gallbladder stasis. Both foods contain proteins that are capable of exciting immune cells in the intestinal tract that can interfere with CCK signaling by disrupting the intestinal lining. If the intestines are damaged, and CCK secretion is interrupted, the gallbladder never fully contracts to squeeze out all of the bile.”
“Problems can arise when the gallbladder never receives the signal to squeeze. This leads to a condition known as stasis where bile sits in the gallbladder for long periods of time. If the gallbladder is filled with bile that is laden with high levels of cholesterol, and low levels of phospholipids and bile salts, it can form a supersaturated sludge. This stagnant sludge allows for the perfect environment for crystal-like structures to form that precipitate out of solution. These structures are known as gallstones and they can cause irritation in the gallbladder. If the stones are large enough, they may get lodged in the cystic duct or common bile duct. This leads to the symptoms of what is known as gallbladder attacks.”
Gallstones commonly begin with damage to the gut caused by gluten and cow's milk protein. Click To TweetSigns of gallbladder disease
Per Dr. Mercola offers several pages on his site about gallbladder problems. He says, “Generally, gallstones do not prompt symptoms. However, if one becomes lodged in a duct and causes blockage, these symptoms may appear:
- Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, and/or in the center of your abdomen, just below the breastbone
- Back pain between the shoulder blades
- Pain in the right shoulder
- Nausea or vomiting
Gallstone-related pain may last for several minutes up to a few hours. You should consult a physician immediately if you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, but most especially if these conditions appear:
- A high fever with chills
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
- Intense abdominal pain that prevents the patient from sitting still or finding a comfortable position
Some gallstone symptoms can be similar to conditions such as appendicitis, ulcers, pancreatitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease.”
Signs of gallbladder disease include pain, nausea, chills, sweating and yellowing of the skin. Click To TweetHow to reverse gallbladder disease without surgery
If your physician doesn’t consider your gallbladder situation life threatening, here are some natural steps you can try to avoid surgery.
- Do an Elimination Diet. Tom Malterre describes this step as, “by far the most effective therapy for gallbladder issues I have seen.” You can find my free elimination diet here. Though the baseline elimination diet doesn’t require the removal of eggs and nightshades, you will want to eliminate those as well for gall bladder issues.
- Consider a high quality digestive enzyme supplement. Chris Kresser has recommended Now Super Enzymes. Dave Asprey also strongly recommended taking an animal based enzyme product (not derived from plants that are highly susceptible to mold) and listed the exact ingredients in the Now Super Enzymes. I found them to be the best price so that’s what I take. Dr. Mercola recommends Beta Plus from Biotics Research.
- Eating at least 6 servings of vegetables and 1-2 servings of fruit per day to help to prevent gallstones. The Wellness Repair Diet tells you how many servings to have of each kind of food group.
- Eat 1/4 cup of broccoli sprouts per day. This can decrease bilirubin deposits in the gallbladder to reduce the likelihood of gallstone formation.
- Eat beets and raw beet juice. Beets are rich in betaine, which stimulates liver cell function and provides a protective effect for the liver and bile ducts.
- Consider a curcumin supplement. Tom Malterre say, “Curcumin extracts from turmeric have been shown to stimulate bile formation and gallbladder emptying. Meriva, a supplement of complexed phophatidylcholine and curcumin, has helped many of my clients with gallbladder issues.”
- Apple cider vinegar contains malic acid which can help to soften any gallstones as well as thin out the bile over time. Take a few teaspoons to tablespoons in some water prior to meals regularly for a time.
- Eat artichokes. Leaves from the artichoke plant contain caffeylquinic acids, which promote bile flow. The simplest and least expensive way to benefit from these compounds is to eat the artichoke leaves. They’re easy to both prepare and eat. Place two artichokes in a shallow, glass baking dish with about 1/2 to 1 inch of water in the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and cook in a microwave on high for four to five minutes. To eat, simply break off each leaf and scrape the flesh from the leaf between your teeth and throw the pithy part of the leaf away.
- Bitters stimulate your liver to produce more bile and work more efficiently. Many cultures around the world begin meals with a quick burst of bitters. Some will drink a tea made from bitter herbs like dandelion or milk thistle. Others will simply chow down on a small salad filled with bitter herbs like chicory, arugula, radicchio, or even peppermint (peppermint is considered a bitter). Small doses of bitters should be consumed about 15 minutes or so before meals.
- Regular exercise is a great proactive prevention step.
What you must do if your gallbladder has been removed
Your liver is trickling bile, but none is being stored for when needed. (Scroll back up to see the long list of digestive problems this causes, if you missed it.)
I like the way Amy Berger from Tuit Nutrition describes bile secretion from the liver without a properly working gallbladder storage tank: “It’s like a leaky faucet that drips constantly, but that you can never get to turn on full blast when you need to.”
There is something you can do.
If you have your gallbladder removed, you will probably need to take a bile supplement with every meal for the rest of your life.
I take Now Super Enzymes because they contain Ox bile, Betaine HCl and Lipase. I highly recommend using the capsule form and not tablets. I ordered the tablets once and found them to leave a terrible taste in my mouth for an hour. No issues at all with the capsules.
If Betaine HCl gives you an upset stomach, Pure Encapsulations makes a very similar supplement without Betaine HCl. It’s called Digestion GB. If you’re not sure which ingredient is causing discomfort, you can also try ox bile all by itself. Seeking Health makes a ox bile only supplement.
Dr. David Williams: “…there is one step every patient should take: Use bile salt supplements regularly.”
Among the functional medicine doctors, I found the most recommendations for ox bile. This is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the bile from oxen. Consider it your gallbladder in a bottle.
Ox bile should be taken just a few minutes before eating a meal or taking supplements containing fat.
If you take too much, the usual result is diarrhea. If that happens, just reduce your dosage.
One other consideration is that some fats are easier than others on people without a gallbladder. Chris Kresser advises, “Coconut oil is a very good fat for people without a gallbladder because it doesn’t require bile acids for absorption, so it’s rapidly absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine, and it’s transported directly to the liver via the portal vein. These are medium-chain triglycerides that I’m talking about, and in fact, they’re used in hospital tube-feeding formulas, you know, for people who have had surgery on their intestine or have had parts of their intestine removed because they’re so easy to digest and absorb. So, coconut oil is definitely your friend if you’re lacking a gallbladder.”
If you have your gallbladder removed, you'll need to take ox bile with every meal for life. Click To TweetKey Takeaways
- Your gallbladder plays a vital role in digestion. Without it, your ability to absorb fat, and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, can be greatly impaired.
- Gallbladder disease can often be reversed with diet.
- If you have already had your gallbladder removed, you can simulate it’s vital function. You will need to take a digestive enzyme supplement containing ox bile a few minutes prior to every meal containing fat.
- I take Now Super Enzymes because they contain Ox bile, Betaine HCl and Lipase. I noticed much improved digestion in a day. Within a week I was complemented twice on my skin tone and told the wrinkles on my face were going away. I am supposing this was a result of better fat and vitamin absorption.
- If Betaine HCl gives you an upset stomach, Pure Encapsulations makes a very similar supplement without Betaine HCl. It’s called Digestion GB. If you’re not sure which ingredient is causing discomfort, you can also try ox bile all by itself. Seeking Health makes a ox bile only supplement.
- Ask the question, “What caused gallbladder trouble in the first place and has that cause been addressed?” Gallbladder dysfunction is a symptom. It tends to occur along with other symptoms like IBS, extra belly fat, acne, acid reflux, carpel tunnel, rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety, depression, seasonal allergies and hundreds of others. Spoiler Alert: The root cause is usually a combo of food sensitivities, toxic exposures, infections (bacteria, fungus, parasites, viruses), stress and even lack of sunlight exposure. You can control a LOT of these things, which empowers you to do something meaningful for your health. Here’s a plan to help you find and correct the underlying cause.
If you know someone having gallbladder trouble or who has already had theirs removed, will you pass this on to them? There are buttons below to make this post easy to share by email or on social media.
If you try it, please subscribe to my email list and let me know how it helped.
As always, thanks for reading!
Jeff
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Additional Resources
Dr. Josh Axe – 4 Tips to Naturally Improve Your Gallbladder & Digestion of Fats
Hey – what would you suggest for strict vegans as an alternative to oxbile?
Hello Jackyl!
The same manufacturer I get my ox bile from has a companion version for strict vegans. It’s called NOW Foods Plant Enzymes. You can get it here on Amazon.
http://amzn.to/29eqsQu
Thanks for reading and I hope you find it as helpful as I do!
This is very interesting, thank you. I have no gallbladder and am confused about HCL and ox bile. If no gallbladder causes low stomach acid, I’ve read that HCL should be taken with meals. Should ox bile be taken at the same time or at a different time time as HCL? Thank you
Hi Brooke! I take Betaine HCl with Ox Bile in the same capsule. The NOW Super Enzymes combine them, along with a handful of other things. Let me know if I didn’t fully answer your question and I’ll be glad to clarify.
Great thanks! I listened to a podcast and it sounded like they said they canceled each other out. Much easier to take it in one.
This is a really good article. I had my gallbladder removed 2 years ago and completely regret it. I’ve had no digestive problems but it’s been very hard to lose weight after my last pregnancy since I had my gallbladder removed. I’ve been taking Metagenics Lipo-Gen since March and I think it’s helped but I’ve been wanting something more. I just started taking Now Super Enzymes today and hope to see some more results.
Thanks so much, Kelsey! Yes, Lipo-Gen has the Betaine HCl but not the (oh so lovey sounding) ox bile. I’d love to hear back how it goes for you.
Sure appreciate your kind comment. 🙂
I’ve had no noticeable difference since yesterday and of course it will take at least a month or two to see if I get more results weight loss wise but I did have a question….how do I know how much ox bile I need? Is the Now Super Enzymes enough ox bile?
Hi Kelsey,
The Now Super Enzymes do provide a sufficient amount of ox bile, in my experience.
The amount of ox bile needed (and other ingredients in the Now Super Enzymes) varies with a number of digestive factors. The recommendation I picked up from Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Radio podcast is to start with two per meal. If you don’t get some heartburn or indigestion, increase to 3 and then 4. Keep going until you feel some heartburn and then back off one. I take two prior to any meal with fat, but you may need more or less than me. Also, you may have to readjust in the future.
Have a great day, Kelsey!
Last week my best friend went to the doctor with a bad stomach ache, the doctor sent him to the ER and presto, no gallbladder, no second opinion, and no discussion of the ramifications. His doctor is a well known gastroenterologist. Now my friend doesn’t want to know that he was taken advantage of, and says the doctor told him that he can live a “normal” life so my friend thinks a webpage like this is “alarmist” He says, “Who the hell is Dr. Mercola” etc & etc. I tried to tell him that the sources cited here are legitimate professionals (I have a lot of respect for Mercola), but he will only (apparently) listen to a guy in a white lab coat in a hospital or doctors office, not “some BS on the internet.” The reason I am relating this is that to really help change people’s minds regarding alternative ideas of health and medicine we need to put forward our very best scholarly material, with credentials, extensive footnotes and references clearly cited (but without excessive jargon). I spent about eight solid hours on the net last night researching gallbladder issues and found very few alternative sites that did that, in fact NONE, pity. This one is the best and I thank you.
Todd, thank you for the kind feedback. The next time I start to feel weary during weeks or months of digging, I’m coming back to re-read your comment! Thank you.
Why do you take the three things below. Do they work with each other.. I don’t have a gallbladder and have problems with very loose stools after meals and since 6 months ago while pregnant I developed rocesa. Please help!
The rocesa I have is not only rosy checks.. is bumps and red.. since I was pregnant I could not treat I think is because of the bad dirrreha after meals because I don’t have a gallbladder since 05… please help ..
I am now taking olive leaf, tumeric and vatamins to see of it helps me I am desperate.. I also take and apply apple cider vinegar with the mother.
I am also taking calcium and oregano oil. Not to mention that while pregnant I was low on varmints k,d and iron and when I deliver I was having low heart rate in the low 40 it’s a bit better now two months after delivery but not much 55 or so I feel normal from heart rate If my Dr wouldn’t of told me I would of never known super scary though I spent two days in hospital running test then let go trying to get back to normal.
So pleased to meet you, Ali!
I’m hearing your symptoms as loose stools after meals (possibly irritable bowel syndrome or IBS), rosacea and low heart rate.
If I was experiencing similar symptoms, my first thought would be an autoimmune reaction and possible magnesium deficiency. I’ll word it this way since I’m an investigator and not a doctor able to legally give medical advice… “What I would do for me is…”:
1. Make an appointment with a Functional Medicine practitioner. These are traditionally trained medical practitioners that have gone on for additional training in nutrition and in treating the body as a system rather than as isolated parts and symptoms. They focus on finding and eliminating the root cause of disease and not on merely masking symptoms. You can search for one here: https://www.functionalmedicine.org/practitioner_search.aspx?id=117
A doctor to read online that also has a great podcast: http://avivaromm.com/
2. Functional medicine doctors are likely to suggest the the autoimmune version of an elimination diet. I have compiled the elimination protocols of numerous functional medicine practitioners in this blog post: https://wellnessrepair.com/a-simple-elimination-diet-to-help-you-identify-food-sensitivities/
Your supplements are great, but won’t do much to stop antibodies triggered by unrecognized proteins leaking through the wall of your gut. Thats one factor. You also may need to look at environmental toxic exposure to chemicals (in drinking water, personal care products, mold in your home, from plastics, fire retardants, etc.)
3. I would add magnesium to your list of supplements. I use a cap full of pico-ionic magnesium in 2 cups of purified water (twice daily). I get it from Amazon: http://amzn.to/2enNHi9
With all I’ve learned about nutrition, I would also go into it with hope for full reversal. 🙂
After you try the elimination diet for a month, let me know how it went, k?
Thank you! For your reply. When I came across your post.. and I saw enzymes as having helped you.. it was an eye opener I started having the ibs/d after the gallbladder surgery. Do you take the biotics beta plus also because of not having gallbladder and what does it do for you? I have ordered the enzymes and magnesium.. do you take the enzymes, magnesium and biotics all the time? Is the biotic a probiotic ?
I will definitely do the elemination diet I do notice that when I eat really clean organic I feel better. Please answer my question above I have never seen a more informative post before I am truly greatfull!
Also the enzymes ultimately help you with the leaky gut right?
Thank you for the kind encouragement, Ali. I apologize for overlooking your question about the enzymes in my reply. Duh on my part.
What I found is that all my symptoms were from the same root cause. Leaky gut led to an autoimmune response. The autoimmune response and inflammation led me down the path to spring allergies, tonsillitis, gallstones, depression, acne and more. At the time, I had no idea there was a way to reverse all the problems with nutrition changes. I just went to the conventionally trained MD and let the system take over.
The Beta Plus Biotics product would be redundant to the NOW Super Enzymes. You might try both and see if one works better for you. I went with the NOW brand because it was recommended more and also because it had a couple more ingredients recommended by the functional medicine doctors who commented on it.
Here are all the supplements I take regularly (in the context of an all-organic, one-ingredient, food-that-was-alive-recently diet):
NOW Super Enzymes – To replace gallbladder function so I absorb fat and fat-soluble vitamins again. I take before every meal with fat.
Vitamin D3 – Because virtually everyone in the US is vitamin D3 deficient. I take it all in the morning.
Pico Ionic Magnesium – Because virtually everyone in the US is magnesium deficient and it makes my muscle twitches go away. I take it via water that I sip throughout the day.
Adaptogenic herbs – The exact ones differ from person to person, so I suggest reviewing my post on adaptogens here: https://wellnessrepair.com/10-adaptogen-herbs-to-lower-your-cortisol/ – I take the herbs with breakfast and dinner. The best time to take it can depend on the specific herb.
The enzymes don’t hurt gut healing, but removing inflammatory foods (probably gluten and dairy) has more of a direct impact. Removing foods you are sensitive to is one aspect. Another is repopulating beneficial gut bacteria with probiotics, probiotics and removing toxins that harm beneficial gut bacteria. I go into that with more detail in this post: https://wellnessrepair.com/4-steps-to-heal-your-gut-and-why-this-will-heal-your-body/
I’m experimenting with getting all my probiotics from food only. Sauerkraut is far cheaper, though not as predictable. Also, probiotic needs change over time as we heal and age. So experimenting with probiotics is an ongoing task for us biohackers.
You said something so key that I want to applaud it… When you eat organic food you notice feeling better. This is all about learning to connect the feeling with the food. You’re on your way, Ali.
Thank you! I have too exhausted traditional medicine.
So the enzymes basically with everything that is cooked with oil.? Or has oil/ fat.. I typically use organic safflower oil. Do you know what is the best oil for us? If I eat a salad with very little dressing would you use the enzymes before?
You’ve got it, Ali! Let me expand slightly and clarify that you want the enzymes with ALL fat. So that includes fat in meat, avocados, nuts (if tolerant), eggs, etc.
I want to be transparent about pasting in what follows. It’s from a blog post I wrote to restaurant owners.
Pasted:
It’s best to cook below 320 degrees to avoid the formation of carcinogens, but if you need to cook above 320, only a few healthy oils will not oxidize.
Here are the smoke points for healthy fats useful for cooking:
Non-extra virgin olive oil (stored in dark bottles and not from Italy): 325-375°F
Grass fed butter: 350° F
Coconut oil: 350° F
Grass fed beef tallow: 420 °F
Grass fed ghee: 485° F
Avocado oil: 520° F
Despite an ability to handle heat, peanut, sunflower and safflower oils are not health-producing replacements. Safflower oil, for example, has no omega 3 fatty acids so it ends up being inflammatory.
You have no idea how grateful I am for all the information. One last question I promise. Did you notice weight gain after the enzymes since they help absorb fat?
And do you take one pill before meal or two pills?
Glad to help, Ali! No weight gain at all. The key is that each food source is a set of instructions for the body. 100 calories of processed carbs initiates a cascade of hormonal and gene responses that instruct the body to store calories away in fat cells. But fat (in the absence of high glycemic processed carbs) initiates a cascade of hormonal and gene responses that instruct the body to burn calories for energy, curb hunger and release fat from fat cells. Essentially, it’s backward from what we grew up hearing. The teaching is changing finally, but slowly.
Here’s another post I wrote that goes into it further and offers some tips.
Two for me, but dosage will vary from person to person. I would begin with one and increase over successive meals until you begin to notice some heartburn. Then back off one from that.
Jeff, does your body get used to probiotics even if they come from food only? LIKE kamchi, cambucha, and goat s milk kirf?
Hi Ali,
I’m not aware of any instances of probiotics creating resistance, tolerance or dependency, at least not in the sense that an antibiotic can. However, Balance and diversity of gut flora requires ongoing experimentation and can be a moving target. Also, one potential issue with food probiotics is the fact that you don’t know exactly which bacterial strains are in the food. So if one particular food or batch of a food makes you feel bad, it’s a good idea to discontinue for awhile.
Probiotic bacteria can have a tolerance for bile salts, but that’s necessary to keep them alive.
I’m glad you’re still digging! Keep it up. You’ve got this!
I have long suspected my gall bladder removal surgery (due to hereditary spherocytosis complications) is at the root of my many, many health problems. I am trying to get a good vitamin/mineral supplement regimin in place and have been researching the most bioactive and absorbable forms of vitamins. But then I came across this article and I am not sure what to do. Many of the bioactive forms are fat soluble, rather than water soluble. Do I stay away from fat soluble forms?? Or do I take coconut oil with my vitamins?? Please help. I do get diarrhea when eating fatty foods, especially on an empty stomach. So I’ve been feeling like because I have diarrhea often I am not absorbing nutrients from foods or supplements. So I am trying to get supplemements in more absorbable forms. But maybe those forms are actually less absorbable when you don’t have a gall bladder. What do you think??
You’re on the right track Emily. Absorption is key and the fat soluble vitamins are essential. Not having a gallbladder makes it a little more challenging to get fat to absorb, but you can supplement your way around that issue. This is an obvious starting pointy for you.
Here’s what I would do in this order:
1. Eliminate 100% of gluten and dairy for 1 month. There is a high probability that gluten and dairy proteins are making it through expanded junctions in your gut lining (It’s called leaky gut). Those proteins don’t belong in your blood, so your immune system gets triggered to attack them with an army of antibodies. But the antibodies can’t tell the difference between the foreign proteins and your own tissue, so they attack your organs. People see common symptoms like gallbladder inflammation, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome (basically diarrhea), pollen allergies, thyroid trouble, acne, eczema, bumpy goose flesh skin on the back of their arms, headaches, brain fog, PMS, anxiety, asthma, sugar cravings, RA and a hundred other conditions. It usually takes about 3-4 weeks for the antibodies to dissipate from your system after the slightest exposure. For some people, the slightest exposure can produce antibodies for 6 months. Hence the trend for gluten-free options as people are figuring this out. I have many more details on how to do this diagnostic elimination diet. It’s a post called A Simple Elimination Diet to Help You Identify Food Sensitivities. There’s more to it than just eliminating gluten and dairy. You also want to avoid other substances that are known to contribute to leaky gut (For example: food additives, over the counter pain medications and chemicals in personal care products).
2. Replace the stomach acid and enzymes you are missing due to not having a gallbladder and other downstream effects of the autoimmune attack. I take NOW Super Enzymes. This is one of the main strategies in correcting problems with nutrient absorption. The other aspect is making sure you’re only absorbing nutrients that produce health and not absorbing toxins that make a withdrawal from your health account.
3. Work on restoring the beneficial bacteria in your gut. They play a crucial role in your immune system. Get some high potency probiotics and pre-biotic fiber (inulin). Probiotics repopulate and pre-biotics feed the little guys. I favor food sources because they tend to have the highest populations and are by far the least expensive. Sauerkraut and kimchi are cheap probiotics that work great for most people. Try about a tablespoon with each meal. The pre-biotic fiber called inulin is most concentrated in asparagus, jerusalem artichoke, chicory root, bulbs of leeks, onions and garlic.
4. Work on gut healing. That means providing nutrients to heal the gut lining that has been leaking. One of the staple foods for gut healing is bone broth. It’s very easy and inexpensive to make your own. The most typical recommendation of the doctors is 2 cups per day.
These are all steps you can generally do yourself. However, you can often speed your results by working with a practitioner that is trained in functional medicine. If you’re not familiar with that term, it’s explained well by Dr. Mark Hyman in this video. His patients include notables such as Bill Clinton. He works with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is the director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. Also a ten-time #1 New York Times best selling author. I point all that out simply because most people go to a doctor that was taught food has little impact on health. Medical schools provide less than an hour of training in nutrition over the entire span of a medical education. However, many traditionally trained M.D.’s are now getting additional training in nutrition and the functional medicine diagnostic approach (which I basically listed in the steps above).
I hope that helps, Emily. I go into a great deal more detail in the Wellness Repair Plan and in my blog posts and emails.
Blessings!
I’d love to answer any more questions you may have.
I had my gallbladder taken out about 6 yrs ago and I have suffered from acne,facial hair,under arm odor stronger than before,loose yellowish watery stools. I have started the now enzymes and a probiotic. I also thought of milk thistle,since my liver is at a higher risk, since GB removal. Is this a good combination ?
Brands that I’m using is
Now super enzyme
Now silymarin
Nutrition now PB 8
Happy Thanksgiving, Ash!
I’d say you’ve made some great moves with the enzymes and PB8. Milk thistle (silymarin) is also a great idea for liver support.
The other symptoms suggest an exposure to something you’re sensitive to. A one month auto-immune elimination diet would be my starting diagnostic suggestion. Here’s some more info on how to do it, if you’re interested. It’s a post called A Simple Elimination Diet to Help You Identify Food Sensitivities.
For the underarm issue, try an all natural deodorant like Schmidt’s. That’s the kind I use, but there are others now with similar ingredients. I had the same issue until I switched away from the deodorant with chemicals. It takes a couple weeks for the proper bacteria to rebuild in your pits so give it a little time. Some days I just use a drop of essential oil like frankincense.
It takes some detective work, but you’re already well on your way. Ditch all the chemicals you can and absorb all the nutrients you can. That’s the plan in a nutshell.
Have a blessed day. Ash!
I have one simple question , because my quality of life since the removal of my gallbladder has been poor to say the least. The doctor said life would be normal ,, far from it !! Should I take the beta plus and NOW Super enzyme together or just use one ?
Hi Brandon!
It is tough indeed! Now Super Enzymes and Beta Plus are comparable, but I selected Now Super Enzymes because they contained Betaine HCl (aids in liver function, detoxification, cellular functioning and helps you process fats) and was recommended by the majority of Functional Medicine docs I found that published about it.
If you feel like experimenting, get them both and see which works better for you. Now Super Enzymes are part of EVERY meal for me, so I go through them. Experimenting is fairly easy since I use a lot.
I hope you find them helpful, Brandon. Let me also suggest additional strategies that will help reverse the underlying conditions that lead to gallbladder trouble. I have a page on my site called The Plan that may be helpful. It’s all free. Just do me the favor if sharing it to help others if it works for you.
Blessings Brandon!
Jeff I greatly appreciate the response and I will be starting the Now Super Enzymes today and look forward of the prospects of something that will help , and I will share my experience openly and honestly. It’s a shame that the doctors were so quick to remove my gallbladder and not firmly detail the side effects and the idea that I would not get Vitamins A, D, E, and K properly now for good fats and other intake , hopefully this will help this process.
Thanks again Jeff.
I hope it makes a huge difference for you, Brandon!
Hi Jeff
I have had my gallbladder removed 2 years ago. Everything in the beginning was fine for 6 months. I started to have greasy stools. Acne on my scalp and face. Later on started to Diarrhea and sometimes explosive in nature. Smelly flatulence. Am always depressed, irritable and mood swings.
I later came to know thru scans and tests that calcificatioon of my left carotid, Ischemic cardiomyopathy. I have lost weight and have become a prisoner to the house.
I just want to get my life back and smile. I have actually lost hope.
I went in for abdominal pain and boom my gallbladder surgery.
Desperatly seeking proper advice.
Hi Jeff
I aso have riinging in my ears since the last 3 months. The ENT physician saidI have hearing loss. I also have allergies and have a cold all year round..
If I take Super New Enzymes and pre and pro biotics, will it help in reversing all these conditions. Be able to eat some steaks, my absorption of Fat souble vitamins, essential fatty acids be better.
I was 150 pounds and down to 105
I have relly read all the articles that have been posted.
Thanks in advance
Jeff, I wanted to say thank you! And ask a question.. my quality of life just in a few weeks has improved tremendously thanks to you! I have been doing well from my stomach except from a few times so my question is when do you take the enzymes 15 minutes before a meal right before you start eating? or when ? When does it work best?
I send a big hug!
Hi Roy,
There’s hope! One thing you can be certain of is that there’s a cause – or multiple causes. It’s just a matter of pinpointing it/them. Here are some initial suggestions to help you find the cause(s) more quickly.
1. If possible, I would connect with a functional medicine doctor. They’re going to begin with removing the most likely triggers that cause all these same symptoms for other people – but above that, they are able to do proper testing for conditions like heavy metal toxicity, parasites low/high thyroid function and food sensitivities. You can search through an online database or meet with one via a Skype call. I know Evan Brand advertises free 15 minute consultations.
2. I’d do a strict autoimmune elimination diet. The one I assembled from several functional medicine docs is here.
Super Enzymes are likely to very helpful, especially since you have no gallbladder. However, I hasten to add that context is important. If you are eating gluten, dairy, soy, sugar or anything else you may be sensitive to, your symptoms will persist because the autoimmune attack will keep being triggered by the food.
Same for probiotics. They are likely to help in the context of an anti-inflammatory, immune-system friendly diet. Tell me more about how you eat now, if you feel comfortable doing so.
Don’t give up. You’re on the right path!
WOW! That’s so exciting, Alicia! I’m so glad you shared your success. It’ll help give others the courage to try something that may be so helpful.
I have been taking mine right before I eat. I can’t recall which doc said it, but somewhere along the way, one said to take the enzymes a few minutes before eating. I’ve tried as long as maybe 10 minutes before and as late as about 15 minutes after. I think it’s a little better right before for me, but can’t claim to have tested it carefully. We should fiddle with the timing and report back! 🙂
The doctor I first learned about ox bile from was Dr. Mark Atkinson from the U.K. He was talking about it with Dave Asprey, who invented Bulletproof Coffee. You can hear that whole episode here.
Great job finding this quality of life improvement, Alicia! And thanks again for allowing me the privilege of celebrating with you! To life!
Hello!! I had my gallbladder taken out 5 years ago. I lost about 50lbs within a year. Then terribly I gained about 100 back. I have been reading a ton of articles about weight gain associated with gallbladder removal. Of course the doctor who did my surgery never said anything like this! I tried ox bile for a while and seemed to me like I had no change. ( maybe I was on the wrong dosage) anyhow any tips to get me back to sheeding some weight? Thanks!
Hi Corey!
I’ve been through exactly the same thing and would be delighted to pass along whatever I can to help. If I could hop in a time machine and talk to my much heavier self, but only had a couple minutes, this is what I would tell me:
1. Fat storage in adipose tissue is a symptom. The place to fix it is in insulin management. Insulin is triggered by carbs and protein. It instructs your body to store fat until blood sugar returns to normal after a meal. A higher carb diet, with meals close together, doesn’t allow insulin to turn off. All the calories you eat end up getting stored in fat cells, so your brain doesn’t get enough, which makes your brain think you’re starving. So you get cravings and eat more. As the cycle continues, you become more insulin resistant (insulin doesn’t turn off), which causes more fat storage and perpetuates the cycle. A great strategy to fix insulin resistance is to skip breakfast or replace breakfast with Bulletproof Coffee. Skipping breakfast is called intermittent fasting. Here’s an article I wrote called How to Lose 2-4 lbs per Week By Changing Up Breakfast.
2. Calories are far less relevant than you’ve been conditioned to believe. The source of the food determines hormonal response and gene expression. Food is instructions for hormones and gene expression. Here’s a post on why I don’t count calories and how I can now eat 4000 calories or more a day and not gain any weight.
3. Just as food initiates a hormonal and genetic response, so do toxins… chemicals, modifications like GMOs, parasites, heavy metals like mercury and foods like gluten and processed dairy that trigger an autoimmune reaction in the majority of people. You can fix this with menu upgrades and switching to personal care products without chemicals.
That’s the fast answer. Check out the Wellness Repair Plan. It’s a work in progress, but summarizes the steps to help you get started.
I’ll get back to you soon with a little more on the ox bile specifically. Need to run for the moment! 🙂
Hi again, Corey. Ox bile just replaces bile that used to be stored in the gallbladder for when needed. Bile allows you to emulsify fats for absorption into your bloodstream. Some factors that will effect what you feel:
1. Dosage – I need 2 capsules per meal, but others need more or less. To figure out dosage, add one capsule per meal until you get some heartburn. Then back off one capsule.
2. The amount of simple/processed carbs in your diet – Carbs will activate insulin, sometimes for several hours, depending on the glycemic load of the food. Glycemic load is how LONG that food causes insulin to keep pumping. Bread and cereal have among the highest glycemic loads of any food. Protein will activate insulin also, but only for a brief time as meat has a low glycemic load. When insulin is activated, fat gets stored in adipose tissue right under your skin (belly fat, etc). If all the ox-bile-assisted-absorbed-fat is being stored in fat cells due to insulin, you won’t feel extra energy. To feel the effects of ox bile, it helps to be eating a diet high in healthy fat and low in carbs with a high glycemic load.
So eating cereal, toast, pastries and donuts for breakfast adds hours of fat storage per day. By contrast, if you don’t trigger insulin at breakfast. Here’s a good / better / best for breakfast.
Good – Pastured eggs and pastured bacon with ox bile. This has a low glycemic load and won’t cause fat to be stored for very long. You’ll get hours of less fat storage.
Better – Skip or delay breakfast. If you have adrenal issues, fix that first before trying intermittent fasting. You’ll have zero fat storage and possibly some fat burning later in the morning. But it can take some as long as 48 hours to transition into fat burning mode after insulin has turned off.
Best – Bulletproof coffee with ox bile. The C8 oil jump starts ketosis (fat burning) in minutes, so you get hours of extra fat burning per day but with plenty of energy from the fat that can’t be stored in adipose tissue. C8 does NOT require ox bile as it is processed directly by the liver and bypasses the digestive system. But you’ll need the ox bile for the butter. And you’ll probably want butter as it buffers C8 in the tummy and is very high in nutrients.
Let me know how it goes, k? 🙂
As I understand it your gallbladder does not “produce” bile. Your liver does. The gallbladder is a storage bag for bile. When you eat fat/protein it squeezes out a bunch of bile to help you digest it. When your gall bladder has been removed you have a constant drip of bile into you digestive system rather than a lot at once. So I suppose taking ox bile with fat/protein could replicate what used to happen when you had a gall bladder. Is that right?
You’re exactly right Emily. Thank you for pointing that out. I updated a previous comment to clarify. I had used the word “produce” thinking “provided from storage”, but that is confusing. Now it says, “Ox bile just replaces bile that used to be stored in the gallbladder for when needed.”
Jeff,
I have been taking the now super enzymes and at first it helped with the upset stomach after meals but now I keep on having them not sure if you have other suggestions today I started taking now fiber to see if it helps me with the diarrhea after I eat it’s very bad I was feeling much better for about three weeks then I began again. Also do you know when it’s best to take the fiber ? Or what else I could do? I eat pretty clean/ organic I also try and have a lot of food with probiotics in them. I have been suffering from this since four years ago after gallbladder surgery. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Best,
Alicia
Persistence is the name of the game, so I’m glad to hear back. I looked back through our exchanges and didn’t see any indication of whether or not you are 100% gluten free. What’s your gluten landscape like right now?
Awesome on the organic! That’s a critical part of removing toxins that harm the gut and lead to IBS.
I do have oatmeal, and organic bread with a bit of Irish butter- some times..
Unfortunately, while organic bread may contain fewer chemicals, it still contains the gliadin protein that as part of the gluten sequence. Here’s an excerpt from a post I wrote on gluten sensitivity.
What gluten does in the body
Gliadin causes “leaky gut” in 100% of individuals within minutes.
Dr. Alessio Fasano, MD. leads a team of researchers across nine countries and is Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined forces with other researchers to study the effects of the gliadin component of gluten. Here’s what they concluded in the 2015 study: “This study demonstrates that gliadin exposure induces an increase in intestinal permeability in all individuals, regardless of whether or not they have celiac disease.”
When I read the study, I noted that increased permeability was measured within minutes. Leaky gut can happen from a meal. The gut lining also heals fairly quickly – at first. But a continual bombardment of damaging meals eventually makes the permeability stick so you don’t heal anymore. Dr. Tom O’Bryan says that’s called “loss of oral tolerance.” When you cross that line, you get “pathogenic intestinal permeability”, which opens the gateway to autoimmune diseases.
One of the chronic conditions gluten leads to is irritable bowel syndrome. Indeed, many people observe all symptoms clearing up within weeks of a true 100% gluten free diet. According to Dr. Tom O’Bryan, one crumb from one crouton is enough in some people to produce an autoimmune attack for six months. Most people tend to get over symptoms in a couple weeks though.
If you’d care to read more, the post is Signs of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity. I’ve listed over 70 of the common symptoms. I hear the doctors say all the time that they just don’t see autoimmune issues with one symptom. It’s usually a handful. So you might be able to solve more than one problem with a parting of ways with gluten. I never thought I could do it. You had to know me when I weighed 75 lbs more than I do now… the cereal / pizza / donut / organic-nothing-at-all king. But after a host of symptoms went away for me in a week (including decades of pollen allergies), it became much easier to say no to the bread.
The functional medicine approach puts enzymes at Step 2 (the “Replace” step). A pre-requisite to maximum effectiveness from replacing enzyme activity is Step 1 to “Remove” (gluten, dairy and other possible toxins for 4-6 weeks). Each step lays a foundation for the next to work.
I should pause to let you digest. Pun absolutely intended or I would be a terrible geeky dad.
Thank you! Jeff you are god sent I will give it a go.. with the food part but do you think I would have to pay attention to shampoo and other things that might have gluten? Or start with food?
Ooh great question! 100% means 100% so yes you’ll want to avoid exposure even in personal care products. I didn’t have nearly as much trouble finding personal care products without gluten.
The toughest for me was restaurants and work-provided meals. I just had to man-up and endure the social pressure while not giving in and harming myself.
And watch pet food if you have pets. It can be in dust that can be inhaled while scooping.
But food is the best place to start. It takes a little time to work up to Day 1 of gluten elimination usually.
Two more questions Jeff and I will let you have a break from me I promise.
1- I can still cook for my family with gluten ? I won’t get it by doing that right?
2- If I avoid dairy does that mean also things that have probiotics like Bulgarian yogurt with probiotics?
That’s a definite “depends”. Cooking with it may be no problem. You’ll have to pay close attention to whether symptoms get worse after handling. But avoid inhaling flour poofs.
And on dairy, yes. Avoid it all just for the month. When you reintroduce, you’ll know within days or immediately if it’s a contributor to your symptoms.
One other heads up. Sometimes symptoms can take up to a few days to become apparent. So when reintroducing, it may be good to keep a food diary so you can see what you ate 48 hours ago.
Ask away any time, Alicia. Your questions will be helpful to others long into the future.
I had my gallbladder removed 8 years ago this month.
I still have the occasional ‘bad stomach’ after eating, which can be triggered by any type of food but is usually worse with fattier/oily foods.
However I wondered if anyone else has been diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency or just low vitamin D? I have just been told I have low folic acid and vitamin D levels and have been given a vitamin D supplement.
Is there any research that shows a clear correlation between gallbladder removal and low vitamin D levels? This has me intrigued!
I had my gallbladder taken out the summer of 2014. I had my Vitamin D checked spring of 2016 and it was critically low at 16. I had just gone through a pregnancy plus I live in MN so all things combined probably contributed to it. I take 10,000/day of Vitamin D now and when I was tested last fall, it had gone up to 53. I’ve read that people should be taking at least 5,000/day just to maintain…I’m still taking 10000 since it’s winter.
Also: just to update, I’m still taking 2 Now super enzymes and 1 metagenics lipogen every time I eat. I don’t necessarily notice it helping me to lose weight but the scale has kept going down so I figure it can’t hurt.
Hi Donna,
What I’m hearing from the functional medicine docs is that vitamin D deficiency is almost universal in North America this time of year. It’s produced in the body when skin is exposed to the UVB component of sunlight. But there’s not a lot of UVB making it to skin this time of year, unless you live in Key West or something. So supplementation with the D3 (calciferol) form is needed by almost everyone. Levels should be measured though. In other words, folks should not just slam handfuls of D3. There’s a measurable level to seek.
I’ve not heard of a specific correlation to gallbladder, however the body is a system of interconnected systems. Anything off in one, can have profound effects in others.
Thanks for saying hello!
Thanks Kelsey!
This is interesting. I just did a sonogram and found out I have a large mass of gallstones and my gallbladder is folded up on its self due to my twin pregnancy, I had 6 years ago. I saw a surgeon yesterday and my primary care and they agree I should have it removed soon before I get an attack of a stone stuck in my liver etc. I have digestion issues mentioned and I have reflux including Barrett’s esophagus. I just saw a nutritionist who is great and has me on a gluten free, low sugar, high akilinefood diet. In a week I’ve seen a huge improvement. I’m take artichoke supplements is that OK in your opinion? She said due to my doctors recommendation for surgery to stop mastic gum. I’m only 37 and very healthy otherwise weight is 128.
Hi Holly! I’m sorry to hear of the gallstones, but happy to hear you’ve observed an improvement in digestion since working on the diet foundation. Wow… reflux bad enough to lead to Barrett’s Esophagus. What a great call to see a nutritionist!
I had my gallbladder removed years ago, before I began researching nutrition for hours a day. I regret it as I now have to take ox bile and HCl supplements with every meal for the rest of my life. I can’t get mine back, but it’s my hope to shine a light on the fact that there is a nutrition option that could make surgery unnecessary.
I like the recommendation to ditch gluten. And that may be enough, but if your symptoms don’t completely go away, there are additional foods that a high percentage of people are sensitive to. Dairy would be first on my list. Since you have gallstones, eggs would be another suspect food. Here’s an elimination diet I wrote. It’ll list all the suspect foods.
Yes, artichoke extract stimulates bile production, so that’s good. Some helpful additions would be eating beets, using bitters before meals (like arugula in a salad), dandelion and milk thistle extract.
Mastica gum is often used on a 6 month protocol to treat infections like H. pylori. It’s hard to say whether it would be a benefit or not without knowing more about your labs. Extra virgin olive oil has a similar antibiotic effect against HP.
If you can dial in the nutrition to keep your gallbladder, you’ll never regret it. Also, I see a lot of focus on flushes and ways to dissolve large stones. For some reason, many people don’t ask what caused the gallstones in the first place and how to prevent them in the future. Here’s a plan designed to make sure gallstones never come back.
You’re starting from a great place, Holly! Keep being your own health detective. You’re worth the investment.
Thank you so much for replying. I appreciate. If I understand this correctly, I should give myself about 4-6 weeks on this elimination diet? I’m still having attacks and all of my doctors think I should have it removed, even my nutritionists is concerned I might have an attack. Should I have another sonogram and check the gallbladder then? Appreciate, your opinion.
You understood perfectly, Holly. The reason for the 4-6 week duration is because it takes antibodies a little less time than that to settle down and work their way out of your system. In addition to removing foods you may be sensitive to, the plan also removes sources of inflammation and endocrine (hormonal) disruption. So remove all the things taking away from health and replace with nutrient dense foods that have the building materials your body needs to heal itself.
Most folks have gallstones to some extent. Usually we are unaware because they flush out naturally before becoming too large to be noticed. If you can change the underlying conditions that lead to them not being flushed (low fat diet seems to be the most common culprit I’m seeing), and reduce the size or flush the existing ones, attacks go away for good. Reverse but also prevent.
Of course there are occasional situations where surgery truly is necessary, but a number of doctors I’m noting in new research estimate that to apply to less than one tenth of one percent of people advised to have surgery.
A sonogram is good data either way. You can just anticipate pressure to buy the surgery.
Great questions!
Hello Jeff
Just found this post and it’s really informative. I have a question about taking ox bile / digestive enzymes when you don’t have a gallbladder. I occasionally struggle with digesting fatty foods – i had a whipple surgery (benign polyp on the duodenum) a few years ago and I take pancreatic enzymes (Creon) as I had part of my pancreas removed which helps but I think i may need digestive enzymes to make up for the missing gallbladder. What would you advise and do I need to take milk thistle to help the liver. By the way, the gallbladder and the pancreas was healthy and my liver i believe is healthy too. Any advice would be much appreciated. I have also started taking lecithin. Thanks!
Nice to meet you, Wai.
My approach for me would be to try the Now Super Enzymes in place of the Creon. Since that’s prescribed, it would be wise to get approval from a M.D., preferably one with functional medicine training. The Now Super Enzymes (or pick another brand with comparable ingredients) include lipase, protease and amylase to replace reduced pancreatic function – in addition to ox bile and Betaine HCl for the missing gallbladder. And no prescription required.
Milk thistle is best known as a liver detoxifier and is generally well tolerated with very few side effects ever recorded. It’s definitely worth a try to see how it makes you feel. If you’re investigating liver detox, I can refer you to the nutrition plan I’ve been assembling. It’s designed to naturally detox and then stay that way.
Thanks for the kind feedback and have a blessed day!
Thank you for the quick response! Appreciate it 🙂
Hi Jeff, With no gall bladder – do you recommend taking a digestive enzyme AND ox bile at each meal, or one or the other? Thank you.
Hi Amanda! In my research, the doctors always advised products that included both. I gather the reasoning is that the underlying condition that leads to gallbladder dysfunction tends to go hand in hand with other digestive impairment. I’m actually a fan of trying the individual ingredients on myself, just because I geek out on that kind of experimenting. But an all-in-one capsule is likely to work well and has the convenience factor.
Glad you stopped by!
Thank you so much! I have individual capsules (Ox Bile from Nutricology & Digest Gold from Enzymedica) so hopefully together they provide everything needed? I appreciate your comment!
Hi again!
I’m realizing I need to clarify. Ox Bile is a necessary ongoing stand-in for a missing gallbladder. But digestive enzyme supplementation may not be needed long-term. Ideally, non-food enzyme supplements would merely be a temporary fix during gut healing.
More about that in step 2 of my wellness plan.
Okay, that is actually very helpful! Thank you for clarifying. 🙂
So, 6 months post gallbladder surgery. Suffering from chronic diarrhea and now it seems diverticulitis. Could this new gut issue be from the gb surgery and the slow drip of bile? There was 0 post op dietary recommendations from the dr, just told that give it a month and you could eat wahtever. Hah, not even close. Meats make me ill, and dealing with sever lack of appetite due to the tummy issues after food. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Hi Allya! Good to meet you.
We probably have a few separate issues going on. Here are some initial thoughts minus the benefit of chatting with you long enough to understand diet, lifestyle, stress and medication history.
Whenever there is diarrhea (from bacteria producing hydrogen sulfide) or constipation (from bacteria producing methane), it’s a safe bet that there’s a bacteria imbalance in the small intestines. Here are some steps to make your small intestines inhospitable to bacteria that doesn’t belong there.
– Starve them. Sugar causes them to flourish, so you would want to eliminate sugar.
– There’s a new product developed by Dr. Kenneth Brown who is a gastroenterologist in Plano TX. I’ve heard him on Robb Wolf’s and Chris Kresser’s podcasts. It’s called Atrantil. It’s fully natural and effective enough that I’ve been hearing the functional medicine docs getting excited about using it.
– A low FODMAP diet may be necessary until the bacterial imbalance is corrected. FODMAPS tend to feed bacteria in the small intestines also, so reducing or eliminating them helps to starve them.
– You may have to temporarily not eat probiotics as that can overpopulate bacteria in the small intestines when there is already an overgrowth.
– Eliminate mycotoxins (fungal toxins), which are high in foods like peanuts, mushrooms or balsamic vinegar.
– Increase acids like apple cider vinegar and vitamin C (also an acid).
– Add in oil of oregano, garlic, berberine & cloves.
– Check out my Wellness Repair Plan that will help prevent future imbalances.
If you don’t have a gallbladder, you’ll likely benefit from replacing gallbladder function with an ox bile supplement. I use NOW Super Enzymes. The benefits should become more noticeable as the SIBO issue is solved.
I’ll be working on a whole post about this in the next few months. When that’s done, I’ll email you. But let me know if you try the Atrantil and how it works for you.
And have a blessed day, Allya!
I am beyond thankful to your articles. They are just beyond helpful. So you mentioned that those of us without a gallbladder need to suplement with Ox Bile for life… but digestive enzymes may not be needed as much. I too lost my gallbladder 3 years ago, have gained about 20 lbs, and although I eat plant based diet, it has been hard to lose weight. I want to get rid of gluten and incorporate other foods into my diet. Now my question is, as a vegan, I would not like to take the ox bile, is there an alternative to ox bile? Other than the Now Plant Based Digestive Enzymes? Would taking HCL help as well?
Thank you in advance.
You’re a wonderful encourager, Lizz! Thank you for introducing yourself. Great to meet you.
I have not tried this myself, but have found various practitioners recommend Artichoke extract as a substitute for ox bile. Artichoke is choleretic, meaning it increases the volume of bile produced by the liver. Here’s a study where it was documented. One possible downside is that effectiveness will depend on good liver function, where the ox bile is a guaranteed and measured bile source to replace missing bile.
It looks like the price is quite comparable to ox bile. NOW brand makes one called “Artichoke Extract“. I have no affiliation with NOW whatsoever. I’ve just had consistently good results with their products and I’m most concerned about good results. 🙂 Jarrow also makes one that looks pretty good, but they are not clear about the source of maltodextrin, though they do say it’s gluten free. If you try artichoke extract, I’d love to have you come back and give your assessment as it might help others with the same question.
Betaine HCl with Pepsin can be very helpful during gut repair. I have a bottle of NOW Betaine HCl right now, as a matter of fact, so I could experiment with higher amounts than come in the NOW Super Enzymes. Betaine HCl is often used by functional medicine practitioners when they are first starting to work with new patients.
Thanks for your comment and happy Easter!
I have had my gallbladder removed and I have IBS, but I also have the beginning stages of cirrhosis of the liver. I’ve also had a spinal tumor which was removed and left me with chronic pain which I take morphine for daily. What type of diet or supplements should I be using? Thank you for any help you can provide. Joyce
I am so glad I found this post. I really need help. Since my gallbladder removal 3 years ago, I’ve packed on 60 lbs. Someone told me to take the Beta Plus and I have for about a year now and that helped me get rid of the horrible reflux I had. Now, please keep in mind I eat a Keto diet. I eat no processed sugar and no gluten. Occasionally I might have a little rice for a treat. I have started exercising and have been desperate to take this weight off, so I’ve been starving myself. For about a month now, I have a veggie smoothie with a kale, spinach, chard mix, a little carrot, a very small circle of blueberries, celery, sprouted chia seeds and ground up avocado seeds. Sometimes I put in a bit of organic milk. All the veggies we eat are organic. For dinner I eat either organic chicken or grass-fed beef patty. So around 800 calories. I used to have bulletproof coffee but I even cut that out. I basically starve myself. I’m starting to think maybe this is hurting? I still can’t take the weight off. I take off a couple and then it comes right back. I do only take the beta plus at dinner. I also take Lypo gold, magnesium, multivitamin, vita C, D and B100. If you could help in any way, I would be greatful. I also have RA, which we found was caused by the gluten, but it is much much better after I changed my diet. Thank you!!!!
I had my gallbladder removed in 2010. I have severe pain in the upper middle part of my abdomen. I was told to take a probiotic. I can’t live with this pain!
Hi Joyce,
The order of approach matters, so you lay proper foundations needed for later steps to work. Here’s how I see the functional medicine doctors going after this.
Step 1 – Gentle detox. That’s accomplished by removing substances and triggers that produce inflammation and gut imbalances (dysbiosis). Check out my Wellness Repair Plan for how to do this.
Step 2 – Digestive support. If there’s bloating, reflux, nail ridges, undigested food particulate, stool looks grayer, stool floats, poor hair quality or dry skin. These are all symptoms of not digesting food optimally. To replace my own gallbladder function, I use NOW Super Enzymes with ox bile. Those that still have their gallbladder can try Betaine HCL, 3000mg per meal, enzymes, Atrantil and bitters.
Step 3 – Hormone testing, depending on symptoms – The longer someone has been sick, the more likely they will want more lab data to help fine tune the treatment. If someone has been sick for only a few weeks or months, more likely to go for the low hanging fruit and run less labs. Females should check thyroid, progesterone, estrogen, estrogen metabolites, estradiol, estreol, DHEA metabolites and maybe melatonin. If you don’t get the hormones aligned, you’ll have a hard time correcting leaky gut.
Step 4 – Gut function / Gut infections – Remove infections including h-pylori, fungus or multiple parasites. Whenever there is diarrhea (from bacteria producing hydrogen sulfide) or constipation (from bacteria producing methane), it’s a safe bet that there’s a bacteria imbalance in the small intestines. There may also be a parasite or candida yeast issue – or a combo is quite common. Here are some steps to make your small intestines inhospitable to bacteria that doesn’t belong there. It may not be a good idea to try this until you’ve already laid the groundwork with the first steps.
– The fastest route is to work with a functional medicine practitioner that can do the more accurate stool testing that looks at DNA, so you know exactly what critters you’re going after. They can also design an appropriate custom protocol, which is helpful when one kind of critter can hide inside another kind of critter for protection. Eradicating them quickly is an art.
– Starve them. Sugar causes them to flourish, so you would want to eliminate sugar.
– There’s a new product developed by Dr. Kenneth Brown who is a gastroenterologist in Plano TX. I’ve heard him on Robb Wolf’s and Chris Kresser’s podcasts. It’s called Atrantil. It’s fully natural and effective enough that I’ve been hearing the functional medicine docs getting excited about using it.
– A low FODMAP diet may be necessary until the bacterial imbalance is corrected. FODMAPS tend to feed bacteria in the small intestines also, so reducing or eliminating them helps to starve them.
– You may have to temporarily not eat probiotics as that can overpopulate bacteria in the small intestines when there is already an overgrowth.
– Eliminate mycotoxins (fungal toxins), which are high in foods like peanuts, mushrooms or balsamic vinegar.
– Increase acids like apple cider vinegar and vitamin C (also an acid).
– Add in oil of oregano, garlic, berberine & cloves.
Step 5 – Detox, methylation – Dr. Justin Marchegiani said, “Once good digestion has happened, you’ve absorbed your minerals, your colon’s helping to produce vitamins for energy, your probiotics are doing the things they should be doing, now it’s time to get the stuff out of the body. We’re hoping the liver is gonna be able to do what it can do. We’re hoping you’re pooping, certain nutrients are required to detox. So you can see why detox is put [last].”
Let me know what you try and how it works for you, okay?
Great to meet you Claudette!
You provided great information. So good that I can jump right to a question. Have you had a full thyroid panel run recently? If not, here are the tests to ask for.
If that doesn’t pan out, the next thing to look at might be some kind of gut dysbiosis… yeast, parasites, h.pylori, etc.
One other flag I see is organic milk. There’s a possibility the milk proteins, especially if pasteurized, are contributing (even if organic). Also, the lactose in milk tends to metabolize about the same as a Coke, so it would run counter to your weight loss goal. You might find a benefit in switching that out for coconut or almond milk. Or get raw milk, if available. Here’s some more info on why I would look at milk closer.
Your diet and supplements sound great! You’ve done your homework.
Hi Janeen,
Take a look at this post by Cynthia Perkins. She does one of the best jobs explaining what I’d tell you if we could sit down together and chat.
I’m sorry you are in pain and hope this helps you resolve it quickly.
Thank you very much. Janeen
I am waiting for my surgery date to remove my gallbladder. Sadly I am one of the few I think needs it. Several women have needed it removed in our family, despite all having different lifestyles and dietary needs/plans. I have worked alongside 2 naturopaths now for several months but getting worse. It is causing reflux, IBS symptoms, nausea, bruised ache in right lower rib, gas, pain after eating and feeling bloated. I was paleo 90% for many years prior and my diet was full of healthy fats, coconut, organic meats, nuts and seeds and LOTS of raw veggies, now I have had to remove most foods to keep symptoms minimal and lost 15kg, almost underweight now and eating very dark chocolate despite the slight burn and organic gmo free corn chips to stop the weight dropping! I never ate fried or takeaway, ate lots of fermented veg, dandelion root tea, kefir and turmeric, so should never of got them in the first place. I hardly ate gluten, only once a month on date night as nan bread at the indian or bun at the healthy burger joint or occasional pizza, depending where we decided to date night and otherwise a little cheese and cream with cooking and sourdough organic kamut bread ( whole loaf lasted a month, so hardly any)I have now been gluten and dairy free since October, heaps of liver and gallbladder supplements, tried chanca piedra tea, use digestive enzymes, probiotics, ox bile suppliments. I have tried slippery elm, been on magnesiukm suppliments and still getting worse, still cannot ohld weight and my once 3/4 healthy plate and diet is now a lott worse and poor in comparison but eating what I can to keep weight from continously dropping and producing minimum symptoms. So I have given up and I am booked for surgery 🙁 I live on chicken and rice, very little cooked veg ( most veg raw causes me pain and digestive distress) berries, coconut yogurt ( seem ok with this) hardly any nuts as they give me IBS symptoms and a few seeds.
forgot to add, I have been diagnosed with mobile multiple gallstones, I had gained weight over the last year, a lot, eating more paleo and healthy fat foods! now I can no longer eat them, my weight wont stay on. Scans and cameras have ruled everything else out, all bloods are perfect as under haematology for a rare disorder, so its the gallbladder.
Dear Jeff, I just wanted to add to the list of many thankful people. I’ts not me but my father that had his gallbladder removed. In his case it was unavoidable but it would have been nice if the doctors wouldn’t have played it off as if it was the same as getting a tooth pulled. My dad got diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in Feb 2015. It had spread to his liver and peritoneum but he was very fortunate that some amazing surgeons in Belgium performed a ‘HIPEC’, surgery. Won’t bother you all w the details but it got rid of all the visible disease. During all this there has not been 1 doctor to even mention food or a lifestyle change, and when I brought it up it was disregarded as not been proven ‘scientifically’. Well it takes just 1 talking pig to prove that pigs can talk, so I’m not that hung up on double blind evidence. Common sense is not very popular among many trad.dr’s.
November last year there was a recurrence on the liver. It had been right where it had been ‘burned’ off with RFA before so most likely some cells were left behind and started growing again.
They were able to do a partial resection to remove the tumor but it was right on the side of the gallbladder and adhesions made it necessary to remove the gallbladder as well.
I wasn’t too happy about it cause they can say you can live without the gallbladder all they want but every single part of your body has a function. You can live without hands as well but it’s not recommended.
It wouldn’t have been such a problem if the doctors would have thoroughly explained the consequences of the removal and advised on how to keep your body functioning properly.
Which they obviously did not and according to the (obese if I may say so) surgeon himself ‘no change in diet was needed’.
I have spend the past 2 years making sure my dad would survive a deadly form of the most invincible disease in mankind today. I’m very thankful for the amazing surgeons that saved his life twice now, don’t get me wrong, but it’s exhausting to have to make a full time job studying nutrition and disease to make sure we have the most important aspect under control: the basic functioning of the human body.
We’re from the Netherlands and there are barely any functional practitioners like you have in the US. So it all comes down to the patients themselves. (In this case me). Sleeping has been a luxury the past years and trying to manage my dad while the doctors are telling him he can do as he please makes it VERY hard and sometime unmanageable.
Weight is obviously a big problem regarding cancer, he had lost a huge amount of weight which was exactly what was needed to stay healthy, after the gallbladder removal it has been coming right back in a scarily rapid pace.
We changed to a no-sugar, no dairy, and minimal (grass fed) meat, diet but he is gaining weight like he has been eating burgers every day. Besides that his pollen allergies went through the roof this year (while last year he barely had any allergies anymore).
And he got a bad flue out of the blue this week. (Ever since the cancer had been removed and we changed up the diet he had not been sick, his gout has disappeared etc.)
I got worried when a few weeks into recovery I kept noticing the dark puffy circles under his eyes, which just told me something in the body was not functioning as it should. I had been busy with the medical insurance appeal, which also took a lot of time so I didn’t have the change to look into the gallbladder removal consequences yet. Till he got this flue and I decided I needed to gear my priorities towards research on that matter again.
luckily one of the first websites I came across was yours and it has been like a piece of a puzzle falling into my lap. Everything makes sense now, the allergies, the impaired immune system, the weight gain, the dry eyes…..
I had been ordering the combinations supplements of caclium-magnesium-Vit D-and K from dr. Mercola which I make him take with a spoon of cod liver oil. Well, the body is obviously not absorbing any of that so the past months supply went down the drain I know now.
I’m ordering the ox supplements right away and hope I’ll notice a change soon.
I’m afraid I won’t get him into the bulletproof coffee. He doesn’t drink coffee (which I also regarded as a good thing, and luckily he doesn’t drink or smoke neither), and I’m happy he finally drinks all the vegetable juices I make so making him drink coffee could be pushing it.
I’m glad I came across this information just 3 months after his surgery cause the vit. D deficiency and disturbed funtionng of the body will inevitably cause another cancer recurrence and thats why I think it’s very troubling that patients to not get informed properly when it’s that detrimental to surviving.
Can you imagine what would happen if they were to give a patient that has a body this dysfunctional and vitamin deficient chemotherapy??
luckily they didn’t try to make my dad go on chemo but there’s a majority of patients that do after the liver and gallbladder removal!
It’s upsetting, and that’s why you as a ‘home schooled’ health adviser speaking from experience, are making such an important difference.
Personal experience trumps evidence based every single time (in my ‘experience’) and the way you dedicate and take the time to thoroughly inform people and share your information (for free I may add) is very rare and it actually almost brought me to tears.
You are a unique and exemplary human being and too many of those go unnoticed. That’s why I just wanted to share my story, show the utmost appreciation and admiration for what you’re doing, and reassuring you that you’re making a huge difference in peoples lives all over the world as you can see.
Thank you Jeff and keep up the amazing job!
Oops, I just wanted to order the Now Oxe bile supplements but it has a notice on Amazon: “While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it’s described here.
We’re working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.”
Hope that it’s not a problem with the supplements themselves?
You just blew me away on so many levels, Romy! Your story, determination and dedication to serving your dad has left me in awe. I am humbled and privileged to walk with you for a few steps on your journey. Your dad is incredibly blessed… and so are the thousands upon thousands of people who will get to read what you shared. THANK YOU for your generous words and for investing your heart into so many people.
Since this is public and others will see my reply, two things. Please read Romy’s story. You’ll be inspired. And please pray for Romy and her dad.
Thanks again, Romy! I just updated all the links on the page to point to a different seller. I’m not crazy about there not being free shipping, but this is the next best deal until the issue with the original seller is resolved. I’ll keep an eye on it and update the links to the best value.
Hi Nat!
There’s a lot going on here so I’m going to hit you up on email and we’ll be able to go back and forth more easily.
Jeff, just found it and replied, email is correct 🙂
Hi Nat!
When there’s reflux, IBS symptoms, nausea, gas, bloating and pain, I’ve found the functional medicine docs go straight to testing for critters. It’s very common to have Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO), Candida (yeast) and/or parasites. All of those things (generally referred to as dysbiosis) can cause the symptoms you are experiencing, including numerous sensitivities.
It sounds like you are quite advanced on the diet foundation. Avoiding foods you are sensitive to and those with chemicals and GMOs is always a good idea. When the issue is dysbiosis, pay close attention to sugar and starchy foods like rice, as those are the preferred food of unfriendly bacteria, yeast and parasites.
My Wellness Repair Plan is designed to walk folks through the steps in order, but I would recommend working with a Functional Medicine Doctor, if your budget permits. They will order labs to help you identify the exact critters you’re dealing with and can help you with a protocol to eradicate them. It’s not that you can’t figure out how to do it on your own, but their experience and ability to order and interpret labs are likely to get you the fastest result, which is warranted because of your gallbladder situation.
Also, let me draw your attention to a new supplement that may help give some quick relief. It’s been reported very effective with IBS symptoms that follow meals. I’ve also heard good reports from readers that have tried it after my recommendation. It’s called Atrantil and you can get it on Amazon. Here’s a podcast with Gastroenterologist Dr. Ken Brown that invented it.
Finally, let me give you links to info on the various kinds of dysbiosis I mentioned. This is lifted from the middle of my Wellness Repair Plan. It’s something I am still in the middle of researching, but these links will help you understand what you may be dealing with.
If this info proves helpful for you, I would only ask that you refer someone else who is suffering to my site.
Have a blessed day, Nat!
HI thanks, I have been tested for parasites SIBO and all other issues, my mum and cousins had all the same symptoms with their gallbladder sadly, but it all resolved after removal accept IBS. I also followed the SIBO diet on the fast track, but didnt really help.
Sadly rice is keeping me full right now, eating it a few times a week. I had to add it in since removing so many other foods to control symptoms. Cameras, biopsies, stool tests and CT has ruled out everything else as well as my haematologist ( I have Castlemans disease)
My IBS is stable so long as I avoid or limit, raw veg, fruits, nuts, potatoes, all gluten ( already was almost gluten free) all dairy and most coconut products. I eat currently coconut yogurt with limited rice and seeds and berries, chicken and rice, very very limited sweet potato and cooked veg and very limited raw veg. This also controls the reflux and rib ache pain. I have been eating corn chips to boost my calories and stop the weight loss.
I do consume coconut kefir, probiotics, digestive enzymes, ox bile, sauerkraut etc..
I was also sugar free for years, added more SINCE these issues to boost calories and as I am running out of food choices 🙁
Pretty sure its my gallbladder…
Can you take now super enzymes if you are taking levothyroxine. Had my gallbadder out almost a year ago. Lost over 30 pounds and still have stomach issue. Don’t like leaving the house.
Hi Jamie,
Dr. Izabella Wentz is considered one of the foremost experts on thyroid. She surveyed 2232 people with Hashimoto’s and found 50-70% have a deficiency in stomach acid, a condition that can hinder absorption of calcium, B12, protein, and iron. She has patients supplement with the same enzymes that are in Now Super Enzymes.
I put together research from her and a few other superstar thyroid docs. You can take a look here for other ways to possibly improve hypothyroidism.
I hope it helps, Jamie. Thanks for the question!
Hi again Nat,
If I was in the same situation, this is the approach I would take for me:
1. Think of it as an unresolved dysbiosis issue and become a detective looking for parasites, yeast, small intestinal bacteria overgrowth and/or environmental toxin exposures like mold.
2. I would start the comprehensive plan of a functional medicine doctor. It’s best to work with one directly if you can afford it. I’ve already pieced together the plans of several doctors so you can get the general idea here. I see you’ve tried a lot of good things but wonder if it’s possible all the pistons are not firing simultaneously… like off sugar, berries, rice and corn chips (temporarily) at the same time you are supporting your liver, taking enzymes, doing the SIBO diet, taking herbs to eradicate gut critters, removing all toxins from food, getting plenty of sun and sleep and managing stress effectively. As Castlemans disease is autoimmune, an autoimmune elimination diet would be a priority of my plan.
The thinking behind this is:
– I’ve not encountered a functional medicine doctor that says gallbladder causes IBS.
– Every functional medicine doc I can think of approaches IBS as a dysbiosis problem.
– I’ve not encountered a functional medicine doc that thinks conventional parasite testing is accurate. They warn about it regularly and point people to the Metametrix Genova GI Effects 2200 test. What makes this test different is the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methodology.
– Gut bugs can trigger intestinal permeability just as well as food sensitivities.
I think you’re hot on the trail, Nat.
Thank you, this is all so helpful. One question, do you take the Now Super with any food you eat? I know you said each meal but what about snacks and such? Thank you for your help.
Hi Amanda!
So sorry I missed your question earlier. I take Now Super Enzymes with any food that contains fat. But I confess I’m not perfect about it. For example, if I grab a handful of cashews half an hour before dinner, I usually don’t remember to take the enzymes. It seems to be working for me as long as I remember with meals, though.
Hey jeff
Thanks , this article was so helpful, i had gallbladder surgery 5 years ago, now after 5 years i came to know that i have very high cholesterol level.. and i was surprised because i dont eat red meat or too much fatty food. And 2 days ago ,my doc suggested me to take cholesterol lowering pills(welchol). And i was just doing research because i want to lower my cholesterol naturally. My LDL cholesterol is at 183. I am very worried about this . And also iam breastfeeding. Can i take these super enzymes (vegan) while breastfeeding ?
Hi, I had my gallbladder out 1yr ago, I haven’t had any digestion problems. But I have started putting on weight especially in my midsection. Should I be taking ox bile, the super enzymes?
Hi Wafa!
Let me point you to some resources that should help.
First is a post I wrote on Cholesterol, why it isn’t bad and what the true cause of heart disease is. After you get through the info, there’s a place at the bottom to ask questions if you have any.
Second, I think a scan through the part of my site called The Plan will offer some germane insights for your cholesterol goal. As with everything else in the body, cholesterol operates as part of a complex system. The Wellness Repair Plan is designed to tune up the entire system. It’s also all free for now.
I checked the Now Super Enzymes bottle and they have the standard supplement warning to check with a physician if pregnant or nursing. They print the same warning on vitamin C. It doesn’t say not to.
I hope that helps, Wafa! I’m glad we crossed paths.
Hi Christine!
The doctors I researched universally recommended ox bile for people who have had their gallbladder out already. The ox bile just replaces bile your body no longer has a place to store because of the missing gallbladder.
Gallbladder trouble and extra weight in the midsection tend to share the same root causes. This is good news because gallbladder trouble and weight gain can serve as ‘check-engine-lights’ saying there’s inflammation, hormonal imbalance and possibly intestinal permeability taking place. This is a blessing because digestive issues are only one symptom out of hundreds of possible symptoms caused by food sensitivities and/or various chemical exposures. Also good news – It may not be that hard to see significant improvement quickly.
My Wellness Repair Plan is a map to help you figure out the cause. It’s still completely free and I’m happy to answer questions for you.
Glad you stopped by, Christine!
I had my gallbladder removed 7yrs ago & have gained about 20 lbs & have very low vit d I have had my thyroid checked & it is good. I have had my hair to thin & my eyebrows also .that is why I had my thyroid checked out. My weight gain is all around my stomach & bust & back area I am very active & just frustrated.
I had my gallbladder taken out a year ago. I’ve had five occasions where my stomach hurts really bad and I make many trips to the bathroom. My stomach hurts so bad that I actually throw up. I don’t have diarrhea. I am scheduled for a colonoscopy and endoscopy next month. I will ask about a lot of the things you have suggested in your article to my doctors after i get the results of the procedure. Thanks for all the info.
Hi Patricia!
Yeah it’s difficult for most people to have good vitamin D levels without purposeful effort. Getting out in the sun between 10 AM and 4 PM when UVB is strongest is the best way. But if you still fall short, you can supplement with vitamin D3. Have your levels checked though. Conventional testing is fine for vitamin D.
Thyroid testing is another matter. Conventional testing of TSH and T4 (just those two) is antiquated and inadequate at best. Take a look at this research I did on thyroid testing and see how your testing and results compare. The thyroid super star docs do a far more comprehensive panel. Each also says if you’re still experiencing symptoms, there may be more to the thyroid story. Stubborn weight and thinning hair are both thyroid related symptoms, so good call to get it checked.
Thanks for saying hello, Patricia!
Hi Monika!
I’m so sorry to hear you’re having such pain. If you end up with a diagnosis of IBS, come on back and let me know. I’ve been researching IBS extensively for a coming blog post. Spoiler alert, it’s almost always caused by one or more of yeast, parasites and/or small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO).
There’s a home DNA stool test you can order for yourself called GI-MAP. It’ll tell you what the pathogen situation is in your gut. If your doctors run a test, make sure it’s a PCR test that looks at DNA. That new kind of test is MANY times more accurate than the notoriously inaccurate conventional test for parasites.
Thanks for reading to post and for your feedback, Monika!
whoops already wrote on this blog, can you delete my last comments 🙂
Done, Nat. I remembered you. Thanks for updating.
Hi…great forum! Thank you very much for the information. I had my gallbladder out almost 2 years ago after a severe case of pancreatitis that landed me in the hospital for over 2 weeks. The cause was gallbladder issues, so it was removed after the pancreatitis resolved. No real problems until about 2 months ago when I started experiencing itching after meals, fatigue, and sometimes “brain fog” that resolved after sleeping. After reading this forum, I immediately got the Now Super Enzymes and the itching for the most part resolved almost immediately (after first pill). I wanted to start Paleo to eat better and lose weight as I have been unable to lose post-surgical weight gain. Any suggestions?
Hi SS!
That’s great you got such a quick result! I’ll point you to a couple resources you might find helpful for your goals. It’s okay to take in the info little-by-little or immerse yourself. Whatever suits your preference better. My top tip would be to take SOME action. It’ll build momentum.
The Wellness Repair Plan – A plan to facilitate weight loss and restore the body’s ability to heal itself. It sums the most important concepts from all my blog posts.
Why You Should Forget Counting Calories
How to lose 2-4 lbs per week by changing up breakfast
The Most Important Thing to Know For Fat Loss
Itching, fatigue and brain fog are often associated with an infection and specifically parasites. Increasing stomach acid like the enzyme does is one part of the eradication protocol. Check out: A Natural Parasite Cleanse Protocol
Let me know if I can help clarify anything and enjoy the transformational journey!
I’m scheduled for gallbladder removal in two weeks. I want to cancel it and try to heal my liver and gallbladder if possible. I’ve had two gallbladder attacks in two years. Ultrasound shows stones 2 cm in size. I’ve made lots of lifestyle changes in recent months. I would like to think it’s possible to save my gallbladder. Just started taking Jarrow Liver Optimizer and ordered Now Super Enzymes. Do you think I can save my gallbladder and avoid surgery? Are there risks in keeping my gallbladder? Thank you for your help!
Hi DeLisa!
While I can’t advise on risks, I can offer perspective from my personal experience on both sides of gallbladder trouble.
Prior to having my gallbladder removed, I was unaware of the role diet and lifestyle played in my health. It sounds silly to say in retrospect, but I truly believed my extra 75 lbs, arthritis, depression, back pain, brain fog, gallbladder trouble, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, frequent sickness, cavities, allergies and general crankiness was just age and genetics.
I didn’t yet get that the body is a system. I didn’t understand that all of the issues I was experiencing were symptoms of the same root causes. Because I didn’t go after the root causes, cutting out my gallbladder didn’t resolve all the other issues. Actually, in my case, the loss of adequate bile for digestion merely compounded the problems as digestion declined.
I won’t deny for a second that the pain of attacks is a big deal. It is. But if I could go back, knowing what I know now, my choice FOR ME would be to keep my gallbladder. Sure, there are lots of changes to make, but now I know those changes not only could have helped the health of my gallbladder, but also all the rest of the interconnected systems.
Today I would not view the changes as “to save my gallbladder”. It would be to end all of the health issues I learned were not genetic after all. They were, in fact, optional for me… unlike the $12,000+ I’m likely to spend in supplements during my lifetime to replace the functionality of my missing gallbladder.
That’s my view for me. Peace and wisdom as you consider what’s best for you.
Thank you for a thoughtful and thorough response. I’ve cancelled my surgery for now and am going to try to address this systemically. My ‘story’ is similar to yours and I only recently started connecting some dots. My body has gotten my attention, and I’m listening now and have every hope in the world that it isn’t too late. Thanks for being part of my health arsenal now. Peace and wisdom to you, too, as you continue to learn and help others learn, too.
“My body has gotten my attention, and I’m listening now…” Well said, DeLisa! I honor your brave decision and think you’re going to inspire many others.
Hi Jeff !
I had my gall bladder removed and ten years ago when I was 20! I definitely don’t have loose stools but sometimes could go days without a bowel movement plus I find it very challenging to lose weight ! I’ve had 2 babies in 2 years and eat extremely healthy plus work out everyday and drink 6 or more litres of water a day . Do you have any suggestions on what I can take to help with restoring my bile to absorb the fat ? Could this be why it’s so hard for me to lose weight and not have regular bowel movements ? Thanks !!!
Hi Alisha!
Insufficient bile due to a missing gallbladder is likely a piece of the puzzle. I take Now Super Enzymes (capsules, not tablets). Getting some ox bile with each meal will be a super first step. But if the weight roadblock and constipation persist, you could begin looking through The Wellness Repair Plan. Since you already eat well (Awesome!!), it’ll serve as a checklist. Please let me know if I can assist along the way and welcome to our little community of folks working to figure it out!
Hi Jeff,
I had my gallbladder removed in the early 90’s. I, like Alisha, have had problems with constipation and have tried every healthy remedy to solve the problem to no avail. I also was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia a few years later but seem to have that in control with light meals, elevating my head at night, and eating well before bed time.
However, I need help with the constipation. After almost 30 years, I have found that bran muffins made with no flour (all raw wheat bran, egg, banana, baking powder or another mostly raw bran with quinoa flour help). If anyone in my family eats one of these they can’t get out of the bedroom. I eat one each day and still may not go to the bathroom for 3 to 5 days.
When traveling I will eat a diet of all fibrous vegetables, fruits, some healthy meats, limited foods with gluten and still I will go without a bowel movement for weeks.
It is hard to travel with bran muffins let alone explaining why I need them in the first place when we travel to friends homes etc.
I have been told I have a slow metabolism but that is about it. Otherwise I am very healthy, on no medications, am 57 and not over weight, and all my vitals are excellent,
Will the NOW enzymes help with this problem that absorbs so much of my time?
I could really use your expert advice on this and loved the article and reading the Q and A’s.
Thank you,
Diane
Great question, Diane! I’m glad you asked because constipation seems to be a concern for a LOT of people. I’ve been on a quest to get to the bottom of constipation (No pun intended!). The good news is, there’s TONS of info available on how to fix it. The bad news is there’s TONS of info available on how to fix it. It’s taken nearly a year for me to distill it down to a few highlights. They are:
1. IBS (persistent bloating, constipation, diarrhea or both) is most often a result of gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of life forms in the small intestines. Your small intestines should usually be nearly sterile. For a variety of reasons, a person can get parasites, yeast or an overgrowth of bacteria in there. When that happens, IBS (and many other) symptoms can follow. The takeaway here: Parasites, yeast and bacterial overgrowth (called SIBO) are usually the culprits behind IBS.
2. It’s hard to avoid having the bugs pass through, but there’s a lot we can do to make them not want to move in and settle down. My Wellness Repair Plan focusses much on how to cultivate a gut environment that is not friendly to pathogens (bad bugs). This helps reduce recurring infections and symptoms.
3. A majority of people can reduce symptoms with diet (usually 100% elimination of food sensitivities and reduction of FODMAPs). But diet is a throttle for symptoms, not the way to eradicate the bugs. You eradicate them with antibiotic and anti-parasitic and anti-fungal herbs, anti-all-those-things pharmaceuticals or both (pretty much a killing spree).
The order of approach is usually to eliminate food sensitivities first since they so closely mimic those of parasites, yeast and SIBO.
After food sensitivities, go after parasites. I’ve written up a natural cleanse for parasites here.
Then if symptoms still persist, target SIBO. I’m researching the SIBO protocol now for a post but there’s info to help right away in the Wellness Repair Plan. Also, it’ll take about 4 weeks to figure out the food sensitivities. There’s a lot of overlap in the protocols, so it’s possible you’ll get everything at once with one ’round’ of botanical (or pharma) antibiotics, but it may take more than one round.
There’s a new natural product that may help you control symptoms without the muffins. It’s called Atrantil and you can get it on Amazon. Atrantil is not a cure. It doesn’t eradicate the bugs like an antibiotic, but it can disable methane production for a meal. Methane gas is heavily associated with constipation.
I’m pleased to meet you, Diane! Please let me know if I can help with any questions along the way.
Oops, I didn’t directly answer your question. The Now Super Enzymes will likely be one piece of the puzzle but not the entire solution for constipation.
Hi Jeff, I had my gallbladder removed in 2015 and gained 25 pounds. I eat right, walk and go to the gym and still the weight will not come off. Am I doomed to be heavier the rest of my life?! Also my cholesterol has gone way up! And now they want to put me on a statin!..my LDL 179 total is 255. My triglycerides were normal at 129. Would these enzymes you speak of help me lose? I eat mostly fresh veggies and fish or chicken. Help!!
Pleased to meet you, Della! On “doomed to be heavier”, NOT AT ALL! 🙂
If you have no gallbladder, then the ox bile ingredient would replace missing function that helps metabolize fat soluble vitamins. I’ll take it for the rest of my life just for that benefit. The rest of the enzymes are likely to be beneficial also, though only a piece in the weight loss puzzle.
Let me give you some posts to read that’ll get you pointed in the right direction.
For cholesterol:
https://wellnessrepair.com/why-cholesterol-is-not-bad/
For weight:
https://wellnessrepair.com/why-you-should-forget-counting-calories/
https://wellnessrepair.com/how-to-lose-2-4-lbs-per-week-by-changing-up-breakfast/
https://wellnessrepair.com/the-wellness-repair-plan/
Let me know if I can fill in any gaps for you.
Thanks again for saying hello!
Thanks Jeff! Maybe there’s hope after all! I ordered the Enzymes a couple of days ago. I will order the Oxbile today. Thanks so much! I will check out the links. 😀
Hi Jeff, Great article! I hope you don’t mind me posting that I recently published a book, Living Well Without a Gallbladder: A Guide to Postcholecystectomy Syndrome. It may be helpful for your readers. It’s available through most online booksellers and is in paperback and ebook formats. I loved what you wrote here! I suffered for 13 years misdiagnosed with various ailments–psychological and physical. Turned out my pain and nausea were all from having my gallbladder removed! This organ isn’t like the appendix. It actually does a lot for our body.
Great to meet you and thanks for sharing about your book, Brooke! Here’s a link in case anyone wishes to check it out.
Living Well Without a Gallbladder: A Guide to Postcholecystectomy Syndrome
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for all your great advice and insight. I am about to start a parasite cleanse as I have gone through food allergies in the past with no food elimination helping my digestion. I am looking forward to seeing where this takes me and decided to use SCRAM which has good results and all the ingredients mentioned that target the parasites. I also am taking the ox bile and that has been very helpful. Being that I eat one larger meal per day I am taking the ox bile before this meal. What a fantastic forum you have created to help those of us that feel that our doctors have let us down by trying to shove prescriptions at us rather than common sense!
Marvelous to hear from you, Diane! Thank you for making my day! 🙂
It sounds like you’ve done a tremendous amount of detective work already. Great job! I’m going to put in a couple links to help anyone else that may read what you said, which is SPOT ON by the way.
The SCRAM Parasite Cleanse
My blog post: A Natural Parasite Cleanse Protocol
My NEW blog post: STOP IBS With This Natural SIBO Protocol. This is the step after treating for parasites.
Keep holding the torch high for common sense, Diane!
Do you take a separate ox bile and separate digest enzyme along with NOW Super enzyme? And can you take Now Super enzyme without eating, I don’t eat like I should or as often?
Howdy Renee,
Since the Now Super Enzymes contain ox bile and enzymes, I haven’t found the need for additional separate ox bile or enzymes. Some folks benefit from additional HCl, but I’ve not found the need for it personally.
I’ve not heard any doctor recommend bile or enzyme supplementation apart from food. Taking a bile and enzyme supplement would be to compensate for impaired bile and enzyme production, which would normally occur when there’s food to break down. Think of the question like, “Is it okay to run the car wash when there’s no car in it?” Can’t say it would hurt anything, but you won’t really get your money’s worth unless there’s something in there. 🙂
Thanks for saying hello and God bless!
Great article, I’m a medical student and was recently asked what should pts take after removal of gallbladder. Not something we’re traditionally taught in school. Really appreciate this article.
Justin, thank you for the kind comment and for saying hello! I’m humbled and also thrilled we will have you as a doctor soon. You’re going to make a difference!
My daughter had her gallbladder out when she was 20, she is now 28. She went through a year long of horrible stress and no sleep approx a year ago. Ever since then something has not been right. Her cholesterol is only 92 (which is less than the time prior, it keeps dropping), LDL is 45, her HDL is 39. She’s also gained approx 25 lbs in the last year and can’t lose weight to save her life. Do you think digestive enzymes prior to each meal could potentially help her to get her cholesterol up into a “normal” range and get her weight under control?
Hi Michele!
We have daughters close in age, sounds like. I’m glad you reached out on her behalf.
I haven’t been able to locate a source that suggests those cholesterol levels are of concern. A mostly allopathic source like Mayo Clinic says on their website, “LDL would be considered very low if it is less than 40 milligrams per deciliter of blood.” But on the same page, they also say, “The potential risk of lowering LDL cholesterol to very low levels has not been confirmed, and its association with certain health risks is still under debate.”
Dr. Mercola says, “HDL percentage is a very important heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. This percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it’s a significant indicator of heart disease risk.” Your daughters is 42%.
For sake of discussion, let’s assume cholesterol is okay. The weight gain is still a symptom that suggests insulin resistance and possibly thyroid and/or some kind of other endocrine (hormone) disruption. Also, the year of no sleep and stress, combined with the fact that she had gallbladder trouble, suggests some gut microbial imbalance. “Leaky gut” and an autoimmune issue wouldn’t be a surprise. In other words, all the usual stuff that comes in the package along with gallbladder trouble. 🙂 The good news is MANY people have reversed all these things.
If it were me in the same situation, I would do this for myself:
1. Start taking a digestive enzyme with ox bile at every meal. Not for it’s effect on cholesterol, but to replace critical digestive function that disappeared with my gallbladder.
2. Start replacing breakfast with Bulletproof coffee or tea. It’s a quick and comfy way to break the insulin resistance cycle. Here’s the recipe. My weight is normal, but I still drink it every day. Or just do normal intermittent fasting (meaning skip or delay breakfast). It’s slower but still works.
3. To address the possible microbial and hormone imbalances and get working on gut repair to calm the autoimmune response, I would follow the steps I’ve outlines in my Wellness Repair Plan.
I hope that helps your daughter, Michele (with only one “l”).
Let me know if you have any further questions and have a blessed day!
Jeff
Hi Jeff, could you tell me if the Now Foods Super Enzymes will help flush out small stones in my bile ducts? I had my gallbladder removed 1st May 2017 and then needed ERCP to remove “debris & small stones” (apparently they were all very small, some like shards of shrapnel that weren’t visible on the scans) that were left behind in my CBD after gallbladder surgery. I’m now getting symptoms of mild gallstone attacks again and think I have more stones that need flushing out. Would be grateful for any advice! Many thanks
Hi Bev,
I’ve not encountered any information from a doctor that suggests enzyme and ox bile supplements help flush stones from bile ducts. I wish I could tell you they would.
A couple thoughts to ponder…
If gallstones are still forming, consider going into detective mode to find what’s causing them to form in the first place. Rather than forming and flushing gallstones, it’s possible to dissolve and flush existing stones and then avoid the formation of future gallstones. I won’t claim it’s a pain free option and it takes time. But it’s sustainable.
In the same situation, what I would do for me is a nutrition plan like the one outlined in the Wellness Repair Plan. You could also work directly with a Functional Medicine doctor. I realize I sound like a broken record recommending such a plan. But it was discovering that a multitude of chronic health issues have a common root cause that led me to start this site in the first place. There are nuances for sure. Personalization is always necessary. Still, the Functional Medicine doctors agree on so much that it becomes easy to lay all their plans out and pick out the details they share in common.
So my takeaway is: Flushing = good. Dissolving (possibly with flushing only needed at the outset) and avoiding = better.
Thanks for your question, Bev!
Hi Jeff,
Many thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes I really need to try and work out what is causing the problem in the first place. I’ll definitely investigate your Wellness Repair Plan. What are your thoughts on coffee enemas and do you have any success stories of dissolving the stones, what was used to dissolve them?
Kind regards,
Bev Healey
Hi again Bev!
Nothing wrong with coffee enemas. They are a core part of the Gerson Therapy, an intense detoxification protocol used to reverse chronic illness; primarily cancer.
Let me connect a couple dots, though. Intense detoxification can be too much for many to handle if they have not prepared for it. The docs specializing in reversing hashimotos brought this to my attention. They found patients needed to clean up nutrition, eliminate food sensitivities, address sleep and deal with infections before they were able to tolerate aggressive detoxification. So if you try it, perhaps do it going into a quiet weekend in case you don’t feel awesomely detoxified after. 🙂
I joined a handful of gallbladder related groups on Facebook. They are groups of thousands, so you get to hear all kinds of stories. My anecdotal observation has been that there are a few camps people fall into.
– Some don’t make any kind of diet and lifestyle changes. They have attacks and usually end up following a doctor’s recommendation to have their gallbladder removed. Then they ask how to resolve IBS, fatigue, weight gain, sleep issues and brain fog.
– Some try flushing, but don’t make diet and lifestyle changes. This can be effective at reducing attacks, but you have to keep doing flushes because the underlying cause keeps producing more stones.
– Some DO make diet and lifestyle changes (with or without flushing). They often report great benefit, but get ridiculed by those who insist “My doctor says diet has no effect whatsoever!”
I didn’t learn about dissolving stones until after I lost my gallbladder. Now it’s easy to go around the gatekeepers and hear what other people are doing that’s working.
The corrective measure requires a systems approach. Give the body the nutrients it needs to produce health and eliminate the things that are a detriment to health. That’s oversimplified, but you can find the specific steps in any functional medicine plan. That’s where my Wellness Repair Plan comes in. It’s essentially a news report of what I hear the functional medicine docs advising.
I’m excited for you, Bev! You’re asking exactly the right questions!
Many thanks Jeff that’s really helpful. I definitely need to make some dietary changes as my body is obviously still producing stones even without a gallbladder. Presumably from my liver. Just wish I’d done all this research before I had my gallbladder removed!
Jeff,
About 2 1/2 years ago I had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 1 year ago I had a stone stuck in a duct,orangey/red urine, and yellowing eyes and skin. I was taken to OU Medical for a procedure to remove the stone from the duct. The Bariatric Specialist was my doctor. Before the procedure occurred the stone passed through, but the specialist highly recommended removing the gall bladder stating that I would have additional problems in the future because of the gastric bypass. It was removed the next day.
Is there anything special/different than what you stated in your article that I should be doing?
Hello Denise!
This is a great question since most folks here have some kind of surgery-induced malabsorption that has to be compensated for somehow. Here are some thoughts.
I don’t have enough info to assume this, but generally folks take on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as a means of addressing extra weight. As with stones, excess weight is a result of food and chemical instructions to hormones. So whether pre or post surgery, the first goal would be to get some basic understanding of what the food is telling your body systems to do.
Here are a couple posts I’ve written that go into how those food instructions work.
The Most Important Thing to Know For Fat Loss – Especially look for “The Broccoli vs. Soda Showdown”.
Why You Should Forget Counting Calories
Once you decide to go after the root cause, the Wellness Repair Plan can provide a shortcut to changes you’ll want to consider.
You’ll see this in the Wellness Repair Plan, but after removing the root cause(s), a subsequent step is to work on maximizing nutrient absorption. For someone without a gallbladder, that means supplementing bile and enzymes. For someone with bypass happening, attention to maximum nutrient density is more important than ever.
In the same circumstance, I’d try this for myself:
I hope that’s not too much at once to “absorb”. 🙂
Thanks for your question, Denise!
My name is Kaye. A few years ago I had my gall bladder removed, then about 6 months ago I began to have chronic diarrhea I am still fighting it. I have been diagnosed with Magnesium deficiency. they had to give me an iv for that then when I tried to take magnesium orally it gave me diarrhea so I found a topical cream to use. I also have a vit. D deficiency I take 5000 units a day . How do I stop this diarrhea?
Hello Kaye!
Thank you for your question. I believe we can get you pointed in the right direction.
I’ll start with magnesium since that touches on two of the issues you mentioned. Magnesium always has to be bound to some other substance. When you bind it to vitamin C, for example, you get magnesium-citrate. You can buy magnesium bound to many different substances, including some that produce a strong laxative effect. The other issue is that many don’t absorb well at all, so you get a laxative effect AND it doesn’t even help with the magnesium deficiency. The most absorbed form of magnesium with the least laxative effect comes in liquid form and is called pico-ionic magnesium. I use this brand because it seems to work and is the cheapest I’ve found.
If you prefer capsules, the next most absorbable with least laxative effect is magnesium-glycinate.
The worst is magnesium oxide. Oxide is the least expensive form and only about 60% magnesium. It is also very poorly absorbed. Your body only absorbs about 4%. The remaining 96% goes through the intestines and tends to have a laxative effect. I’ve written a post on magnesium here, if you’d like to read more.
IBS (persistent bloating, constipation, diarrhea or both) is most often a result of gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of life forms in the small intestines. Your small intestines should usually be nearly sterile. For a variety of reasons, a person can get parasites, fungus or an overgrowth of bacteria in there. When that happens, IBS (and many other) symptoms can follow. The takeaway here: Parasites, fungus and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (called SIBO) are usually the culprits behind IBS.
It’s hard to avoid having the bugs pass through, but there’s a lot we can do to make them not want to move in and settle down. My Wellness Repair Plan focusses much on how to cultivate a gut environment that is not friendly to pathogens (bad bugs). This helps reduce recurring infections and symptoms.
Many people can reduce symptoms with diet (usually 100% elimination of food sensitivities and reduction of FODMAPs). But diet is a throttle for symptoms, not the way to eradicate the bugs. You eradicate them with antibiotic and anti-parasitic herbs, anti-all-those-things pharmaceuticals or both (pretty much a killing spree).
The order of approach is usually to eliminate food sensitivities first since they mimic the symptoms of parasites, SIBO and fungus.
After food sensitivities, go after parasites. I’ve written up a natural cleanse for parasites here.
Then if symptoms still persist, target SIBO. Here’s the SIBO protocol I came up with. Also, it’ll take about 4 weeks to figure out the food sensitivities. There’s a lot of overlap in the protocols, so it’s possible you’ll get everything at once with one ’round’ of botanical (or pharma) antibiotics, but it may take more than one round.
Please let me know if I can help with any questions along the way, Kaye.
hey I have a few questions I had my gall bladder removed 5 months ago or 6 … its been really hard for me to loose weight… I been going to the gym and I started drinking apple cider vinegar last week but idk if its even safe for me to drink I dilute it in 8 oz of water but idk is it safe to drink acv with no gall bladder just want to be on the safe side ….. I am also taking daily essential Enzymes a Digestive Aid… if you could answer me this question it will be so much help just want to be safe I am noe going to start to find some supplements that have ox bile
Hello Linda!
ACV can be a marvelous addition! It’s a great go-to in place of antacid tablets. But unlike antacid tablets, ACV doesn’t set you up for future heartburn. I dilute ACV in about 8 oz water also.
In many cases it can improve digestion. But there is an instance where some folks may want to delay use. If they are already experiencing IBS symptoms due to small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO), fermented substances like ACV can feed the excessive bacteria population and cause IBS to get worse. It doesn’t mean that person will never benefit from ACV. Rather, it means they have a treatable SIBO condition that needs to be taken care of prior to introducing many fermented foods.
I’ve definitely been in your shoes with the weight. I wrote this post to share what I would tell myself if I could go back in time to when I weighted 75lbs more than I do now. And here’s another post that will help you get some quick wins.
Thank you for your question, Linda!
I have a question they took my gallbladder out when I was 17 I’m now 35 and and everything give me heartburn so bad I cant breath. I just started taking UNIKEY health Bile Builder and it hurts my stomach and gives me worse heart burn ! Should I stop taking it ? I’m sure really what to do here and do I need to start taking vitamin supplements also because I am very vitamin deficient . I had no clue all this could happen from no gallbladder its been alot of years without one and not know this stuff . thank you for your time
Leslie
Leslie, Hi!
This one has a few layers of complexity, so I want to ponder it a bit. But I wanted you to know I read your message and am considering. I’ll get something to you soon.
Hi again Leslie!
Each time I hear about someone’s symptoms, I try to imagine myself in the same situation. Then I tell them what I would do for myself. So here’s what I would do (and have done) for me with these symptoms.
1. When the next bout of heartburn strikes, I’d try a little apple cider vinegar in about 8oz of water. Really the water is just to dilute the vinegar so the taste is more tolerable, so use as much water as you need. I’d use the ACV as a replacement for antacid tablets, which actually set the stage for future bouts of heartburn. Many find simply swapping ACV in place of antacid tablets nearly eliminates heartburn within days.
2. I’d go back and review my own Wellness Repair Plan. I used to blame an upset stomach on vinegar, when in fact it was the sub roll I was eating along with it that was causing my pain. It can be tricky to pinpoint causes, especially when there’s more than one. The Plan will guide you through eliminating (testing) the foods that cause the most symptoms in other people.
3. I’d find out what vitamins I’m deficient in via lab testing and then work on increasing foods that are high in those nutrients. You can’t beat the food delivery vehicle for nutrients because absorption usually depends on numerous cofactors that are only present in food.
4. A predisposition to bile issues could suggest some clogged detox pathways. Here’s a homework assignment. The SIBO Doctor Podcast recently had an interview with Dr. Chris Shade on detox pathways. I think it may be directly beneficial for you to hear. It’s pretty deep in places. It’s a doctor talking to a doctor in a podcast for doctors. But there are also quite a few practical takeaways, like how to use bitters and binding agents like activated charcoal to flush out the underlying blockages.
If the bile builder is making the discomfort worse, it could just be that you have a little prep work to do before you’re ready for it. If it were me, I’d stop for now, work on the things above and then periodically re-try the ox bile supplement. Also, you could be reacting to some other ingredient. That’s happened to me. When it does, I’ll buy each ingredient as a separate supplement to figure out which one is actually bothering me. It’s expensive and time consuming, but I usually figure it out.
Thanks for your questions, Leslie! I hope your heartburn goes away quickly.
Hi Jeff, thanks for this awesome article and your educated responses to everyone’s questions! They’re great references. I just found out the other day that I have a stone in the neck of my gallbladder, it’s not causing much pain it’s just more of an annoyance. I’m also nine months pregnant so that doesn’t help much either pain wise lol. My question is can an elimination diet help with the stone that is “stuck”? I really do not want to have to live without my gallbladder and doing a flush isn’t feasible at this point in my life. Thanks xx
Hi Amber!
Thank you for the encouragement! Your words were appreciated.
Congratulations on baby! I’m always excited to meet moms who are on the right track with their health questions.
I’m seeing more than one goal here. There’s the stated goal to get rid of the stone. There’s also the goal of reversing the condition(s) that produced a stone in the first place.
It’s hard to say if your stone will melt away quickly. Others have experienced quick results, but the number of variables is pretty vast. Still, removing chemicals and food sensitivities would be foundational in reversing whatever condition produced the stone in the first place. There’s also only upside to removing chemicals from baby’s milk. It may take additional steps beyond a temporary elimination diet, but additional steps are not likely to be as effective if the diet and lifestyle component isn’t dialed in first.
As the functional medicine doctors like to say, “If you sit on a tack, the best way to feel better is to remove the tack. If you sit on two tacks, removing only one won’t make you feel 50% better.”
I’d like to introduce you to the work of Dr. Aviva Romm. She’s a full MD that specializes in working with women and children. She has a great podcast called Natural MD Radio and will be a fabulous resource for helping you and baby feel and live your best. We don’t have any kind of affiliation. I’ve just followed her work for years and wish I’d had her as a resource when my children were little.
One other lead to follow. I mentioned it to someone else when answering a question, so allow me to copy/paste that part:
The SIBO Doctor Podcast recently had an interview with Dr. Chris Shade on detox pathways. I think it may be directly beneficial for you to hear. It’s pretty deep in places. It’s a doctor talking to a doctor in a podcast for doctors. But there are also quite a few practical takeaways, like how to use bitters and binding agents like activated charcoal to flush out bile pathways and blockages.
Best wishes with your new baby, Amber!
Hi very good article. I got my gallbladder removed a month ago. Not many changes to the body other than I find it hard to put on the weight I’ve lost and I have been having constipation. Can anyone explain why some people are experiencing diahorrea while some like myself keeps having constipation? Is there any remedies that you may kindly share? Many thanks.
Hi Esther!
That’s a great question to be asking. I have a whole post that should answer your questions in detail. You can find it here.
For immediate relief, take a look at the product called Atrantil. The post mentions it in the section called “May be helpful in all protocols”.
I also list some podcasts at the bottom that will provide a wealth of additional info.
Happy day after Thanksgiving, Esther!
I have continued taking Prilosec (omeprazole) after my gallbladder was removed. Can this be causing me gastritis problems now? I have also had flare-ups of getting bloating which lasts up to a day from eating too much at once.
Hi Jim!
A number of the functional medicine doctors have written extensively about this exact question, so I’m going to refer you straight to one of those articles. I’ve selected one by Dr. Joseph Mercola. In the article, you’ll notice he mentions infections like Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Since you mentioned bloating, a treatable infection is something worth taking a hard look at. For that, I’ve written a post about small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) that will get you aimed in the right direction with a protocol to reverse it.
Dr. Mercola: Warning: Prilosec Can Cause Serious Stomach Infection
My own post: STOP IBS With This Natural SIBO Protocol
One more… for immediate relief, see what happens when you radically reduce the foods on this list.
Have a blessed Christmas, Jim!
I was told it was necessary to take out my gallbladder due it being over active and the bile not secreting but getting trapped in my gallbladder. Its been 10 years and things are a little better but no where near normal or pain free. I find Im passing lots of bile and or bilirubin on a regular bases. Would I have the same fat soluble issues?
Hello Teresa!
The ideal way to absorb fat properly is with an optimally functioning gallbladder. I get that it can be a challenge to zero in on the underlying cause of why it may not be working well at the moment. The perspective I would offer is that as long as you have it, you maintain the option to keep working on improvement.
I don’t have any insight into your current nutrition, so let me invite you to look through my Wellness Repair Plan. It’s a nutrition template I assembled from many functional medicine doctors. It’ll guide you through removing substances that cause injury and bolstering nutrients your body needs to heal itself. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you, Teresa!
Have a great day!
Jeff thank you so much for this article! 20 years after my gall bladder surgery not one doctor has ever suggested taking ox bile. I recently started taking it and it caused me nothing but gas and bloating. I stopped taking it over a week ago but I’m still suffering from symptoms and am finding it difficult to eat without extreme discomfort. Is it possible my body adapted to not having a gall bladder and I disrupted the system? Thanks so much for any insight you can provide, I’m struggling 🙁
Pleased to meet you, Heather!
While the introduction of the ox bile correlates with the onset of the gas and bloating, my first inclination would be to look elsewhere first. Here’s why:
– The gas and bloating have persisted after stopping the ox bile.
– Gas and bloating is not typically associated with additional stomach acid, though it is often associated with a lack of it.
– Gas and bloating are typical symptoms of a diet high in FODMAPs, which includes many common foods. Take a look at this list and see if anything here also correlates to the onset of symptoms.
The theory your body could be adapting to not having a gallbladder is new to me. I can’t say it’s impossible; only that I’ve not encountered evidence to suggest it is.
I definitely get the discomfort and struggle, though! Here’s a post I wrote on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth that should offer some perspective. I wrote it as part of a series specifically because gas, bloating and other IBS symptoms are the most common reported by folks who have had their gallbladder removed. I hope you find the info helpful. Please let me know if I can help with any questions and have a blessed day!
Hi there. I am an ethical vegan. Is Betaine a good sub for Ox Bile? I had my gallbladder removed several years ago and get bloated after 95% of my meals to the point that I cannot move. I have recently been diagnosed w/ Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (after coming off being on birth control for 12+ years) and experiencing hair loss and acne. I wonder if these may all be related… in any case, is there a swap for the Ox Bile? I’ve tried enzymes, bitters, acupuncture, seeing a Functional Medicine doctor, Rxs, and nothing has helped. Thank you!
I just did a search for comments re: vegan swaps. Sorry for the repetition. Do you think using both the artichoke and Betaine supplements together would work as an Ox Bile swap? I have tried the plant based super enzymes w/ no success. Thanks again!
Wow, Jeff! What a wealth of information and a huge answer to prayer for me for almost a year now. Tlhe only thing I don’t understand is why (in my case) my diarreah and stomach cramping waited 3 years after my surgery to happen? Maybe it was just the back up of bile-salts over time? Question: Will I have to be gluten free for the rest of my life as well as dairy free? The dairy part will actually be harder for me as I am scandinavian by heritage and love cheese more than chocolate! I am also eager to look at your food plan as I found out becauase I felt like the Lord wanted me to do my own investigation that I was allergic to egg yolks. That was kind of (in my case) the pre-cursor sign to all of my gallbladder issues. Another question: Does cultured dairy count like yogurt; sour cream and cottage cheese in terms of things I need to stay away from? Could I drink goat’s milk or just coconut milk? Could I have raw cheese, grass-fed / goat cheese? Well, These are some of my comments. Thanks so much for this forum and all of your work and generously sharing it with us, Alicia
Also, Wanted to address something else (you might have a link that you have already mentioned that would address these issues (not sure…); My stomach is so tight often when I am walking especially for any prolonged period of time. In additon to the tightness I also get this weird feeilng of having jelly in my stomach, a jiggly feeling. Standing in one place for any length of time is extremely tough. With my ongoing back issues and fibromyalgia, my GB surgery has completely weakened my core. It is still very challenging for me to get up from a lying down position. I even had 6 weeks of PT, out patient after my surgery! Prior to my surgery I was able to exercise daily.
Hi Patty!
Dr. David Williams has published quite a bit related to gallbladder function. Regarding betaine, he says, “Beets and beet juice are often used as substitutes for bile supplementation. While beets may be very beneficial for your health, they are not a substitute for bile acids and salts. Beets are rich in betaine, which stimulates liver cell function and provides a protective effect for the liver and bile ducts.”
You probably know this, but I’ll clarify for others who might read this… Artichoke leaf is among the list of digestive bitters that help promote bile production. Bitters are always a great idea as part of a digestion strategy, but I don’t have any evidence to suggest they stimulate enough bile production to eliminate the need for a bile supplement. I totally respect the vegan choice, though.
I like where you’re going with the thought that bloating, PCOS, hair loss and acne might be related! These are all on the long list symptoms that routinely go away when folks remove food sensitivities and/or chemicals. In my case, the list included hair loss, acne, anxiety, really bad seasonal allergies, arthritis, obesity, poor sleep, brain fog, constant digestive issues and more. My Wellness Repair Plan was written to quickly pass along the key changes I found common in the plans of many functional medicine doctors. It also gives an order of approach. Perhaps you’ll notice a detail you’ve not already tried with your functional medicine doctor.
From what you’ve said, it sounds like you’re on the right track. Keep up the removing of bad things while simultaneously adding the good things! 🙂
Thank you, Jeff. That was so very helpful. I might just have to try the Ox Bile as I am at the point where I need some relief. I will look more into your Wellness Repair plan as I have tried gluten-free, low FODMAP, and so much more. Finger crossed! Thank you, again!
hi, im mttteo, im 36 and from italy,
my gallbladder has been removed in the 2013. since then ive to take questran (cholestyramine) otherwise ive a strong pain in my lower belly and bile acid diarrhea.
ive 3 relatives that had been their gallbladder removed and had no problems after.
ive tried several times to stop taking cholestyramine, but everytime i felt so bad.
im sure i’ll never be fine again without that drug
Hi Alecia!
Thank you for your kind comment about the blog! I’ll dive right into answering your questions.
I’d like us to to think about gallbladder trouble (prior to surgery), IBS, egg sensitivity, fibromyalgia and possibly back issues as symptoms of the same underlying root cause(s). These are all typical symptoms of a food and/or chemical sensitivity. There are other possible exposure possibilities, but a chemical sensitivity (delivered via “food”) is most likely. You’re right on track considering a temporary elimination diet.
IBS results from a gut microbial imbalance and can show up any time. It has many of the same predisposing factors as those that result in the other symptoms you mentioned. It could just as easily occurred prior to gallbladder trouble.
You can picture it like a battle taking place in your body where the gallbladder was the first soldier to fall. Each symptom is another soldier falling. The enemy shooting at you is likely inflammation, intestinal permeability, foreign proteins making it through the gut linking and an ensuing autoimmune response that’s leading to a cascade of symptoms.
Eliminating the most common problematic proteins like gluten, dairy and, for fewer people, eggs gives your immune system a break from creating antibodies to attack the proteins. A sensitivity doesn’t mean you will always be sensitive. They’re only a problem when your gut lining is permeable (“leaking”). If you can get on a nutrition plan of whole foods that’s anti-inflammatory and isn’t damaging the junctions in your gut linking while restoring a proper balance of microbs, then your gut can heal. The goal is to reintroduce all the foods that don’t recreate the gut damage.
Cultured dairy does count because it’s the casein protein that folks are often sensitive to. During the temporary elimination period, I would zap goats milks also, but it’s far less of a problem for people so there’s a good probability you’ll be fine with goats milk after the temporary elimination period ends.
Coconut milk is fine, but watch the other ingredients. Manufacturers will often sneak in added sugar or chemicals.
Great questions, Alecia! I think you’re in for some surprising improvement with modest nutritional upgrades. I’m excited for you!
Jeff, Thank you for your quick and kind response. I even noticed today that there was another Alicia (oddly enough, ha ha) that had asked my same question about dairy so sorry for the repeat. I do have two more questions. One is, should we start taking our Ox bile during our elimination diet or wait until after since we aren’t having full meals yet? I ordered mine and it will be coming in this Friday. I was tempted to order another brand that had it in 125 mg because I am sensitive and am wondering if the 500mg will be too much for me but decided in the end to go with your same preperation. Say some prayers that it works for me… My other question is on the elimination diet itself. On the link provided it sounds like we are supposed to only be taking one food at a time (that way it seems like it would take forever) — when I tested eggs for myself years ago prior to my GB removal I asked the Lord where to start and I felt He was telling me eggs. I found out within a week that while I could do the egg whites I could not do the yolks. I am just wondering exactly how to do the elimination diet and even after reading the link on it I am still not sure I get it. If you could please clarify, many thanks.
PS: To my last comments and questions — when I removed egg yolks from my diet in 2008 I had no more IBS symptoms. They were totally gone and only came back if I had a food that had too much egg yolk in it. I didn’t have anymore problems at all (not even during gallbladder attacks) until 3 years after my GB removal. Part of that might have been that I had an ERCP (due to swollen bile ducts that they found on a CT scan) where they deflated my swollen bile ducts. But then my guess is my bile salts startted to buld up again? BTW, I also had an incision hernia due to my gallbladder surgery which I had repair on 3 montsh after my ERCP. So 2014 was an eventful summer for me in the worst kind of way! I also do think there would have been no way to reverse my GB situation with diet at the point of this situation for I had the pancreatitis and the ultrasound revealed that I had so many stones one couldn’t even see the wall of my gallbladder which is why my surgery was open. So that is my story… Have a great week and I will look forward to your insightful thoughts…
Thank you for your quick and thoughtful response, Jeff, I really appreciate it! SIBO was something that I had looked into as a possibility; it just seemed to strange that the symptoms would start only after taking the ox bile. Welp, the search continues! Thanks again 🙂
I had my gallbladder removed in December, and a few people on Facebook groups that I’m part and have sent me to articles that basically say if you don’t take it, it will cause all these health problems and kill you one way or another. I am having a hard enough time trying to figure out what I can eat and what I can’t. I take digestive enzymes and a probiotic and a drink for gut health and repair.
Sorry for the avalanche of questions Jeff but I just want to have one day with no stomach cramps and diarreha. I was doing better when I was eating baby food and chicken salad with my mayonnaise with no eggs than I did today. I had Organic butter lettuce with Apple Cider Vinegar and had terrible cramps and diarreha. When the elimination diet says one will feel worse for the first 9 days is that what it means? I just thought we were supposed to feel moody and have headaches.
One more thing: I thought when you answered us if we initially checked the box that your post or at least the fact that we had answer would arrive in one’s inbox. That has not been happening with me so I keep having to check back. Is there anyway that you could send a notificaiton to my e-mail? I don’t know if I am going to be able to go throuogh 4-6 weeks of this… Maybe once I start taking the Ox bile I will do better. I surely hope so.
Saluti Matteo! (Please forgive my misuse of Italian if I got that wrong!)
I know how use of a drug can seem like a life sentence. I’ve been there, but found there were possibilities I just hadn’t been exposed to yet. Perhaps some of the info I’ve documented will offer some hope.
Based on the symptoms you mentioned, I’d like to offer this info on SIBO. I hope you find it helpful!
Wow, thanks for letting know the emails were not making it! I was not aware that might be a problem. I’ll post answers here and also reply to all of your questions directly by email. If you would, give me a little time to catch up. I try to answer in the same order the questions come in. I’m jumping out of order on this one just so you don’t have to keep coming back to the website to see if I’ve replied yet. 🙂
Thank you Jeff for working on getting your answers to my e-mail. I know you have been “snowed” with questions so I know you need some time to get back. I just don’t understand why I having so much trouble with diarreaha and cramping still even in switchingi over to this plan. It is not time for me to go shopping yet so I am barely eating / drinking anything, just water and organic veggies. I did have some strawberries that weren’t organic. Does the organic factor really make that much of a difference? Thanks again…
Hello again!
The next question was “Should we start taking our Ox bile during our elimination diet or wait until after since we aren’t having full meals yet?” Since ox bile emulsifies fat so it can be absorbed and absorbing healthy fat is critical for health, my thought is the sooner the better. Allow me to tweak on the “aren’t having full meals” part of the question also… During the elimination period, you are encouraged to eat all the quantity you feel like eating. Just stick to food that was alive recently that doesn’t have any non-food additions. If you have any extra storage in adipose tissue (lbs to shed), you can encourage that along by increasing healthy fat and reducing carbs until you get where you need to be.
The most common foods people are sensitive to are dairy (proteins) and gluten. A standard elimination diet also eliminates sugar for a variety of reasons, but one is to give your liver a break so it can deal with chemicals that’ll get released from fat cells. Fructose in sugar also does no favors for cravings, brain and heart, so it just needs to be out of the way. So I suggest eliminating those three IF there are no autoimmune issues. In your specific case, it won’t hurt to also eliminate eggs (so 4 items at the same time).
Because of your IBS symptoms, there’s a good chance going low FODMAP for awhile will give you control of your symptoms. You don’t necessarily have to eliminate FODMAPs; just reduce them to the point that your symptoms subside. FODMAP sensitivity can subside considerably as your gut heals.
The main thing to keep in mind is that there’s a healing process to facilitate. If you broke your legs, you would intuitively understand that there are intrinsic restrictions during the healing period. You can’t run a marathon during that time, but it doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to run one. You just have to do the right things during healing-time. Elimination, sensitivities and gut healing are like that.
I’ll get to your other questions soon!
Thank you very muchd Jeff, as always. Not sure I know what FODDMAP even is… I will try and google it. I re=looked at the proposed elimination diet and foods we can have several times and couldn’t find organic chicken anywhere. Does that mean we can’t have any chicken on this food plan? For my wild caught tuna fish can I mix it with Veganese, a vegan Mayo? Those are the only other questions I have for now, thanks on answering the Ox bile question as it Amazon is telling me it is actually supposed to come in today.
Sensitivity to eggs is heavily associated with gallbladder problems, so they should definitely be on your list of foods to eliminate temporarily. Also, I would recommend reintroducing them last since you’ve observed a previous sensitivity to them.
Since you’re diving into the elimination diet (GOOD FOR YOU!), I wanted to be sure you saw the full detailed version in my elimination diet blog post.
Thanks for sharing your story! My favorite word for working through health restoration is “untangling”. You’re story illustrates why.
Have a blessed day!
Having tummy aches from the Ox bile — I have read that is possible. Should I get some enzymes with papya; bromeliad; HCI but no Ox bile? Also I had one diarrhea episode too since being on them. I had one last night and two today.
So glad you took the time to say hello and bring awareness to the struggle of identifying food sensitivities! Also, I hope you don’t mind if I brag on you a little to the other folks who read this. I read the story in your WordPress Gravitar profile and decided to Google you. Ya’ll, look what Kristina did!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/20/i-lost-weight-kristina-mondo_n_4638563.html
Awesome.
It’s funny you should mention ACV. For many years, I was certain vinegar gave me a stomach ache. I would reliably get one every single time I had vinegar. And it was 100 times worse if there was any amount along with turkey for some reason. What I eventually learned through eliminating and reintroducing food, was that the problem all along was gluten. Without the gluten, I now drink AVC and water to FIX a tummy ache. That said, vinegar is fermented and fermented food can be a problem for folks with SIBO. Treating SIBO with antibiotics (herbal or otherwise) comes up later in the roadmap. For now, you can just hold off on anything you think may be causing symptoms.
As you’re playing “food detective”, it may be helpful to keep a food journal for a few weeks. Reactions can often come 48 or more hours after exposure, so misdirection is par for the course.
Some folks can eliminate gluten, dairy and sugar and see an almost immediate turnaround from hundreds of chronic conditions. Others have more sensitivities at the beginning and the untangling process takes longer. A general benchmark I hear the doctors give is to think in terms of 6 month of healing for every year you’ve experienced symptoms. The takeaway isn’t that it’ll take a long time. The takeaway is: It’s not a life sentence. There’s hope within an amount of time you can easily imagine!
Yes, organic is very important. I documented why here.
You may have seen the analogy about sitting on tacks. But if not, it goes like this…
If you sit on two tacks, taking a pain killer isn’t nearly as helpful as removing the tacks. Also, only removing one tack won’t make you feel 50% better. You need to find and eliminate all causes of the problem.
Chemicals in food are some “tacks” (causes). So can be chemicals in personal care products, food sensitivities, infections, environmental exposures like EMF, insufficient sleep, nutrient deficiencies and more. The goal is to figure out what the tacks are for you and remove all of them at the same time. It’s doable, but takes some methodical detective work.
I think one of the more important pages for you to add into your experimentation would be this one on FODMAPS. Keep in mind that organic FODMAPs ferment in your stomach and cause IBS symptoms just as readily as non-organic with the added payload of chemicals.
Here’s a list of FODMAPs. Basically, they are foods (even really healthy ones) that are getting fermented in your gut, probably due to an overgrowth of bacteria, parasites or fungal infection. Sometime, the infections clear up with a standard elimination diet. Other times additional treatment with antibiotics is needed.
Yes, organic Chicken is cool. It is higher in omega 6 fat, so I try to go easy on it compared to better fat sources in wild caught salmon and grass fed beef.
I’m glad you asked this! It’ll be a good opportunity to point out how a perfectly healthy food may be exactly opposite of what you need at any given point in your wellness repair. Probiotics are the perfect example. They can be incredibly helpful to some, especially if they don’t have SIBO. But if you already have a bacterial overgrowth that’s fermenting most of your food and causing IBS symptoms, prebiotics and probiotics can make the symptoms worse (until after the infection is taken care of).
If you tolerate it well, the ingredients look great!
A few quick diagnostic questions…
– What product containing ox bile did you go with? I want to see what other ingredients are included.
– What was your dose of that product?
– What exactly did you eat along with the product you took?
– How long after the meal did you have the episode?
– Did you feel any heartburn almost immediately after taking the product?
Let’s see where these questions lead.
Jeff, Did you get my answers that i sent from my inbox?
Hi Alicia! Sure did. I just double checked and they are in my Sent folder. Check your spam folder maybe?
Just wanted to double-check since I answered all of your questions and didn’t get another e-mail from you. Also, I believe it is definitely the Ox bile giving me my problems. However, I will say I seem to have problems with or without the Ox bile. I have really nasty stomach cramps now, way worse than before I started the Ox bile. I also am having still having diarrhea as well. I also feel so weak everyday and with my essential tremor and over-all weak muscles that is the last thing that I need. I could have done a diet like this possibly back in 2010 but I have way to many health issues and it makes me feel half dead when I go to bed at night. I think I will just skip the elimination part and go gluten free and watch my dairy. On my oils I was only having expeller- pressed Canola oil and extra virgin olive oil and sometimes coconut. I have gleaned a lot from this blog but for now I just have to eat what I like that I can keep down that won’t be unhealthy for me so I can gain some more strength. PS: My computer is in the shop right now — I am doing this on a friend’s computer.
Hi Alecia,
I re-sent the emails you didn’t see. I never received any kind of alert that the first emails were not delivered, so I still suspect they’re sitting in a spam folder or something.
I guess what I’m hearing is that you feel eliminating sugar and dairy have made you feel worse. What if your IBS symptoms are caused by a bacteria or fungal infection in your small intestine? Eliminating sugar, gluten and dairy will deprive the infection of their favorite food and they can begin to die off. Adding any kind of acid like bile or ACV also can inhibit the ability of the infection to thrive.
If you decide to give it another look, Google “Herxheimer reaction”.
Also, ditch the canola oil entirely. Never heat extra virgin olive oil (but you can pour it on heated food). Increase coconut oil, especially while trying to rebalance your gut flora.
If we can get emails to you and you’d like to continue, let’s proceed via email since we’re getting off into untangling that is specific to your lineup of meds and symptoms.
Thanks to your friend for the computer access! 🙂
Just sent you two replies Jeff. I have my computer back now…
I have been taking Solaray Super Digestaway which has porcine bile. It this as good as the oxbile?
Hi,
I regrettably had my gallbladder removed 14 months ago, and have since developed SOD, still experience pain, have had so much trouble digesting nearly everything, and have gained 6 kilos rapidly.
I have never ever had a problem with my weight, and have always been the same weight for the past 5 -7 years, so to me, putting on 6 kilos so quickly is petrifying.
All of the weight is around my belly, and working out and being strict with my diet has not helped me with the weight gain whatsoever.
I have also noticed that i am constantly getting sick and feeling horribly run down and tired all of the time, so had my doctor take a blood test yesterday to let me know if I am deficient in anything.
After reading this, I am considering taking the ox bile and digestive enzymes – do you think this will help me with the weight gain?
Any advice would be amazing right now as I am feeling so lost.
Hi Cynthia!
Let me mention for others that porcine bile comes from pigs. From what I’ve read, it tends to be more popular in Europe.
There’s a study from 2014 that noted only a few kinds of animal bile have survived 2500 years of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are ox, porcine (pig) and bear. I’ve also read that each kind of bile can effect gut bacteria slightly differently. It might be worth some experimentation if you have access to both kinds. I’d love to hear what you find!
Thank you for the reply. I will order enzymes with the oxbile next time and see how they work.
Great to meet you, Bec!
First I want to acknowledge your courage to investigate and ask questions! Symptoms like these can be overwhelming, especially when some of the symptoms are feeling tired. And the abundance of contradictory advice on the internet only amplifies the overwhelm. I’ve been there. This blog is basically everything I would tell myself if I could go back in time and have a chat with sick me.
Here’s a clinical sounding answer on the ox bile. Evidence points to ox bile being beneficial for proper fat absorption in folks who don’t have a gallbladder on duty. Think of it as one piece in a puzzle.
Based on your symptoms at the moment, it sounds like your doorway into nutrition and lifestyle evaluation may need to begin with a focus on thyroid. Here’s a post I’d like you to consider. I’ll be glad to answer any questions if I can.
For others that read this, here’s some info on SOD.
I believe you can feel youthful energy again, Bec!
Have a blessed day!
Hi Jeff! I have been looking for this information for a very long time and very glad to have found it I really appreciate it. So I had my gallbladder removed 8 years ago and gained so much weight and tried many diets with no success. So now I’m trying the keto diet I’m doing intermittent fasting on one meal a day. So my questions are do I only take my Ox bile with my one meal? or do I have to take Ox bile during the day? and if I take any fat or water soluble vitamins do I have to take Ox bile with them also? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I had a surgerie 6 months ag to get my gallbladder remove but since the surgerie i’ve been feeling a lot of pain.i went to the doctor and they prescribed me omeprazole and zantac for acid reflex but neither functioned. So i was wondering how could u help me to level down those horrible pain that im feeling.
Hi George!
Thank you for your kind feedback! Ox bile is only needed to replace bile that used to get squeezed from gallbladder-storage. A working gallbladder squeezes in response to eating fat, so to simulate the missing gallbladder, you would just take the ox bile replacement just prior to a meal or snack with fat (which would be most meals or snacks on a keto diet).
I believe you’ll find keto combined with intermittent fasting quickly effective! Let me offer my Wellness Repair Plan (all free) as a means of helping shortcut the keto and weight loss learning process.
Please let me know if I can assist on the journey, George! Have a blessed day!
Hello Natacha!
The prescriptions of omeprazole and zantac suggest the pain is from heartburn. If that is the case, here’s something you can try for a couple meals to see if it makes an immediate difference:
– Eliminate gluten, dairy and added sugar 100% (Again, this is only for a couple meals to see what happens to the heartburn)
– If you have heartburn anyway, mix a splash of apple cider vinegar into a cup of water and drink it in place of the medication. Many find a little apple cider vinegar faster and more effective than proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s). And unlike PPI’s, ACV doesn’t participate in causing an environment that can foster future heartburn.
I hope that helps you quickly, Natacha!
Thank you very much for your feedback I’ll read up on the information you provided and I’ll keep you updated on my progress.
Jeff Apthorp I have the opposite problem, I have constant constipation now, I’m literally full of … I had gallbladder removal 1 month ago. I tried the Zenwise digestive enzymes and they made me feel anxious odd after a few weeks, so I don’t know what to take for digestive enzyme. I bought Ox Bile 125 mg 180 Capsules Nutricology, but scared to take them. Everything makes me feel off. I’ve been taking DrFormulas Best Nexabiotic Probiotics for Women before bedtime too. I had Grave’s Disease, but had my thyroid ablated so now I have Hashi and take Synthroid. Eating has been okay, but the chronic constipation is am overall day killer. What do you think?
Hi Ang!
A lot of folks here can relate to what you describe. Me included. IBS-C (constipation) and IBS-D are the top symptoms I hear about from folks in various stages of gallbladder trouble. Thyroid related symptoms are also very common. Dr. Amy Myers MD reversed her own Graves Disease. She reports her patients usually don’t report one symptom. Typically it’s five or more.
A few thoughts…
The most prevalent cause of IBS-C is small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO – a treatable infection). It’s not guaranteed to be just that, but that’s the low hanging fruit. I have two pages for you to take a look at:
STOP IBS With This Natural SIBO Protocol – explains how SIBO causes IBS-C
FODMAPs – A list of foods that feed SIBO and exacerbate symptoms.
SIBO would be consistent with the reaction to the Zenwise digestive enzymes, because that product contains inulin, a favorite food of bacteria. It can be great for you if you don’t have an infection. But if you have too much bacteria, it can help the overpopulation flourish.
I hope that helps quickly, Ang!
While I agree with the need for some type of supplement to help after your gallbladder is removed, I felt that the article could include a few details about why a gallbladder would NEED to be removed. Such as in my and my 3 year old daughter’s case, blood disorders that cause large amounts of hemolosis that causes gallstones. It was not caused by diet and could not be reversed. Also once you have a blocked bile duct from these gallstones there is an increased risk of it happening again which can cause long term damage to the common bile duct.
I felt that some people reading this could misinterprete the information and try to self treat when it can cause major issues if not treated properly. This is just my opinion.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! I’m sorry to hear of your daughter’s encounter with gallstones. I know how painful they can be and it breaks my heart to hear of a 3 year old having to feel that.
Your perspective reflects many on both sides of surgery. Dr. Mercola does acknowledge that sometimes it really is necessary to remove a gallbladder. He estimates about 1000 out of 1,000,000 per year are truly necessary. For sake of discussion, allow me to use his estimate. I’m right with you on the 1000 having necessary surgery. Then we would have 999,000. What if some of the 999,000 are 3 years old?
I am grateful for the pleasant discourse!
Any advice on what exactly warrants a removal? My wife was in the hospital this week with a gallstone that blocked the bile duct and inflamed the pancreas. She has had at least four gallbladder attacks in the last ten months (until now mistaken as muscular skeletal pain after a car accident). Everyone in the hospital (including a nutritionist) recommended removal ASAP, but my wife is hesitant. She is seeking a second opinion from a functional medicine specialist, but I fear they will invariably recommend keeping the gallbladder, much like traditional docs invariably recommend removing it.
Also, “What Must You Do if You Keep Your Gallbladder With Threatening Stones”? Will this require just as much supplementation and nutritional travail? It seems as though she would need to continually visit a supportive functional medical doc (not covered by insurance), as a “DIY” approach to something so serious seems unwise.
My wife wants to make a decision in the next week or two. Any input is appreciated!
Hello, I had my gallbladder removed may 2014
I have had diarrhea almost every day since.
( some occasional heart burn after drinking alcohol)
I have been eating a quite high fat diet since I did not mind because anyways always diarrhea.
Now the last half year i have had stomach aces just under the left rib. A lot of problem with gas pressure on the chest and a lump feeling in the throat. Heartburn almost every day. And a feeling of vomiting constantly.
I did a endoscopy 1 week ago and they diagnosed me with esophagitis.
I have been eating PPI since then but not feeling any difference.
I have another problem that keeps happening.
When the the pain in the stomach starts it’s usually comes with a pain on the left side of my throat same kind of pressure pain as in the stomach, it have made all my muscles in neck, throat and shoulder very stiff and acheing.
This have lead to many other different symptoms
But only on the left side
For a month I have been avoiding
Alcohol, smoking, spicy and fat food.
I plan now to start a zero sugar diet and take Now Super Enzymes
Do you think it’s a good I idea
Thankfull for any tips
Thank you
Hi Alex!
I’m so sorry to hear of the trouble your wife is experiencing. I’m not able to offer medical advice, but it does sound like your consultation with a physician aligns with the most recent advice from Dr. Mercoala (who I noticed has GREATLY sanitized his comments over the past year or so). He says to consult a physician immediately if you have any of the following:
he says, “Some gallstone symptoms can be similar to conditions such as appendicitis, ulcers, pancreatitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease.”
I’ve noticed that many functional medicine doctors don’t operate according to familiar medical paradigms. Their approach tends to look more like going to college than going to the doctor. The office my wife goes to puts people on an 8 month program, with the goal of teaching them how not to need the doctors any more. They assist with treatment, but the idea is to assist patients through the immediate healing and then train them how to avoid the underlying causes induced by lifestyle and environmental exposures within their control. So “continuously” may not be something that is inevitable.
I pray you and you wife will have wisdom, Alex.
Hello Patrik!
I’m going to point you to Dr. Michael Ruscio. Check out:
This podcast on bile acid diarrhea
and Dr. Ruscio’s book, Healthy Gut Healthy You
It’s safe to say you won’t have just one thing to do for a fix. But Dr. Ruscio is great at helping people untangle!
Hi Jeff,
I am super thankful for what you have done here my friend. I would like to know how I can partner with you to get the word out more as I am about to become a developer and would be more love to make a site with some partnership of other that will contain as much information as possible for people with or without gallbladders.
I just got mine removed by being rushed and pressured after one attack, this is the start of my journey. I was looking for information, education, collaboration and support/guidance for people without gallbladder and was unable to find much. It’s almost like no one is really talking much about this subject as if this is how human were suppose to be which would mean that our design is flawed something I can not agree with.
I would like to know when it comes to ox bile can you use it for every meal even when you are not eating meat and what side effect will someone experience if they do? I tried betaine hcl before but it used to give me heart burn with only the smallest dose, do you know if I would now need to do so? And have you heard any good reviews about the gallbladder formula that I keep seeing online. Looking for a condensed list of vegetables that would be good for vitamins A, D, E and K? And is choline good to use regularly for energy generation and brain function protection (with the addition of inositol).
I know that you are not a health practitioner but this questions are from mate to mate in order to gather information and better all of our lives.
Thank you for all you have done, my family and I have rallied in prayer. You are a light and would like to help. For everyone who reads this, I have just launched a meetup group in Portland Oregon for support, ideas/information exchange and education. Whatever is beneficial for one could be beneficial for another even in small quantity.
Pleased to meet you, Pierre!
I am grateful for your generous encouragement. All praise to God! That’s great about your meetup group too! I hope it results in many being helped!
Okay, here are some thoughts related to the ox bile and other questions.
Since ox bile supplementation is meant to be a replacement for organ function, and since the gallbladder would usually squeeze out bile whenever you consume food (especially fat), then you would want to supplement just prior to every meal.
Betaine HCl is powerful stuff, so it’s best to introduce it slowly and increase until you feel a warm sensation in your stomach (not anything unpleasant though). It’s also possible to get ox bile without HCl. Pure Encapulations makes “Digestion GB“. If you’re not sure which ingredient is causing discomfort, you can also try ox bile all by itself. Seeking Health makes a ox bile only supplement.
You’ll have to help me with “gallbladder formula that I keep seeing online”. Can you tell me the brand and product name?
To know what veggies are high in fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), I recommend this page on my site: Vegetable Nutrition
It’s one of the pages under the “Food Facts” menu. The center column details vitamin content of significance.
Choline is an essential nutrient and easily obtained by eating egg yolks (preferably from pastured chickens that don’t eat any GMO corn or soy).
This issue needs both prayer and increased public awareness. You seem to be bringing both and I applaud your zeal, Pierre!
Thank you super much Jeff for all this great resources that you have freely provided to people, I am really glad that I was led here.
1. I have bought the ox bile from Nutricology 125mg but every time I took it (only twice so far in the past 2 days), I like it’s making me sneeze or give me an uncomfortable feeling in the throat not sure if it’s because I am opening the capsule up and mixing it with water.
2. What’s your take on Amalaki, Brahmi Brain, Neem, Horehound Herb, Apples(working wonders for me and prune juice), Lemon Juice and probiotics for no gallbladder people?
3. In your opinion what will be the best top 4 Adaptogenic herbs to use daily?
4. Still okay to have a big breakfast and then smaller 3 other meals during the day or flipped?
5. Are the following good sources of vitamin D3 for no gallbladder?: Cod liver oil, Sardines, Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna, Raw Milk, Eggs, Mushrooms. Or using vitamin D3 supplements is a better way to go than the above and which brands would you recommend?
6. When it comes to the FODMAPs what is the best way to reintegrate them into one’s diet once you know some of the ones that are causing issues. How long would you say is a amount of time to wait before starting to reintroduce them. I had h-pylori and was on antibiotic for 3 weeks (the triple therapy, I think it’s called). Than was on a super high dose of probiotics for 2 weeks after and noticed that things I could and couldn’t eat before flipped.
So wandering how to get the stomach to realign so I can eat properly again and start getting the liver to produce the right right amount of bile or good continues flow with proper diet reintroduced early on in this new journey.
What is your take on tumeric, milk-thistle and glutathione? Better to use supplements or food source or both or none?
Thank you my friend and really nice meeting you as well. And yes, I refuse to stay silent and I accept to be part of the change that needs to take place, especially since I am close to this one cause. The more we speak up and educate by bringing awareness the better and greater the impact we can make.
Glad to help, Pierre!
Ox bile is a powerful acid, so opening the capsule and stirring into water would allow the acid to make contact with your throat and cause irritation. I’m guessing it tastes pretty nasty also. If you are able to get the capsules down without opening them, that should take care of the throat irritation.
Rather than going into individual herbs, let me offer the general principle that we were designed to get nutrients from food. Herbs in therapeutic doses warrant careful consideration. Some are very effective antibacterials that are perfect for killing off a parasite infection – right along with beneficial gut bacteria. The goal most consistent with our original design would be to aim for nutrition via food and use highly targeted supplements only to treat a specific problem or to replace organ function. Apples and lemon juice are food, so excellent if tolerated. Targeted probiotics can be beneficial to help re-balance the gut, but the right combo is highly individual-specific. After blowing a huge amount of money on probiotic supplements, I learned to just experiment with foods that contain probiotics. The concentration of active bacteria seems to be far higher in foods and I have to eat anyway, so it’s far less expensive and much more sustainable.
Check this post out for adaptogenic herbs. You’ll have to experiment to see which one(s) work best to help you get through a given issue.
That’s all my available time for the moment. I’ll get back to you on the rest soon, amigo.
Hi Jeff,
Do you think using a blend like the following: Gaia Herbs Adrenal Health Daily Support Liquid Phyto-Caps
is beneficial and sufficient or individual herbs is a better way to go (pros and cons). Currently looking for cost effective ways to do this.
As always many thanks,
PS: What are some questions would you advise me to ask my surgeon when I meet with him this week as part of the touch base post surgery appointment?
Continuing…
Meal frequency would depend on your specific goals, food choice and where you’re starting from health-wise. So we’re on the same page, I’m considering a meal to always be of food that has no chemicals added.
If you are lean and athletic without any autoimmune issues, four meals of healthy food and snacking on fruit may be just the ticket. Someone who is pre-diabetic with adrenal issues, may want to shoot for three low-glycemic meals without the fruit until adrenals are working and insulin sensitivity is restored. If your adrenals are okay, intermittent fasting (basically skipping breakfast and only eating two meals) may help you restore health more quickly. Various infections in the digestive tract can also be factors to account for.
There can be a lot of variables and untangling to do. My Wellness Repair Plan is designed to help people work through the untangling in an individualized way.
Great question!
For Vitamin D3 – Think sun. There’s no substitute. Check out this podcast and this other podcast. Let me point you to google for the amount of vitamin D in the various food. You can search on “amount of vitamin D in ******” and it’ll show the amount at the top of the search results. That way you can search 100 if you want, without waiting for me.
The best way to reintroduce FODMAPs (or anything else temporarily eliminated) is one at a time. Start with a small amount and increase slowly over a couple days. Also, keep track of how you feel, including moods over the next several days. Sometimes a reaction can be non-digestive and delayed by a few days. For example, depression is reported as the leading symptom of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (true of me also). But someone focused solely on bloating might easily miss the connection.
My elimination diet has folks stay off eliminated foods for 30 days.
I touched on this before, but will reiterate in relation to tumeric, milk-thistle and glutathione. The goal is to get nutrients from food. But a high quality supplement can be very useful as a shortcut in getting past a specific problem.
Hi Pierre!
FYI – I edited the name of the supplement to make it more readable for other readers.
Gaia Herbs is a brand I use and find to be excellent. I personally found I needed to try various adaptogens separately. In my specific case, I was getting headaches until I learned that Ashwagandha is a nightshade. When I tried the herbs in isolation (hundreds of dollars worth while researching for my post), Ashwagandha reliably gave me a headache. But it’s one of the best for people who don’t have issues with nightshades at their particular place in their journey. More on the merits of various adaptogenic herbs in this post.
I hope the visit with the surgeon goes great! 🙂 No questions come to mind.
Hi Jeff,
If someone has gone through 3 weeks of antibiotics for H-pylori but has a hard time with FODMAPS foods would you advise them to do the elemental diet for 2 weeks to get the stomach back into alignment? I am also wondering if it is a good idea to go a head and do a parasite cleanse….
Thank you my friend and happy Easter!
Hi Jeff,
Do you know if the parasite treatment and the natural SIBO treatment can be done a the same time ? And if there is a need for liver support supplements while doing both and also would it be a good idea to do a colon cleanse after the elemental diet if one opts to follow the diet?
As always, thank you my friend,
Thank you and happy Easter to you as well!
That’s a good question! In my SIBO post, it gets into when you would do an elemental diet. The timing would be instead of, or right after the round of antibiotics. Check out that section of the post (there’s a doctor video also) to see if that would be the right fit for you.
In the meantime, you can probably reduce FODMAPs and increase more tolerated whole foods in their place to make you more comfortable.
On the parasite cleanse… The protocol to zap parasites is basically identical to the ones for SIBO and SIFO. The only difference is the parasite cleanse has you take a week off in the middle. I’m not qualified to advise on overlapping protocols, so will need to point you to a physician for that one. That would be especially important if your current round of antibiotics is a pharmaceutical.
Hey, may I ask a favor? You could help me with something I’ve been wanting to do. Would you mind posting your next question in my new forum instead of in the Gallbladder post? I’d like to establish that as a place where people can post questions and also interact. You would also have the honor of being the very first one ever to use it. No problem if you’d rather not. Just seeing a potential opportunity.
The herbs listed in my parasite protocol are also antibacterial, so you’ll achieve some impact against SIBO at the same time. Liver support is an excellent idea. One caution would be that herbal antibiotics are still antibiotics. If you get beyond a couple rounds of herbal antibiotics, it would be wise to check in with a functional medicine physician to find out if there’s more going on. Maybe get some testing done also.
I’m not sure how to advise on the colon cleanse. That has never been mentioned by any of the doctors I’ve run across in my research.
Hi Jeff, just wanted to say a huge thank you for writing this informative piece. I have been suffering from gallbladder symptoms for years. Discovered I have gallstones a year ago and have my pre-op Assessment next week for gallbladder removal. I would rather not have the surgery though! I have just ordered the Now Super Enzymes, so hoping they help! In your experience, can the gallbladder be ‘cured’ once there are stones?
Thanks, Laura
Hello Laura!
You’re asking exactly the right question! I’m not legally permitted to use the “C word”, but I’m delighted to point out there are doctors who help patients resolve gallbladder trouble without surgery.
A quick summary… The path to a healthy gallbladder is the same as the path that leads to a healthy liver, brain, heart or skin. Let me point you to my Wellness Repair Plan. It’s free and you can read through all of it in about an hour. None of it is original with me. Rather, once I noticed functional medicine doctors using nearly identical steps to resolve most chronic illnesses (digestive or otherwise), I began collecting their plans. Mine is merely a summary of theirs.
Dr. Josh Axe is a functional medicine practitioner that publishes a tremendous amount. Here’s a post he published that will answer your question directly from a guy with lots of letters after his name. 🙂
I’m praying for you to have wisdom and to get to exactly the right solution for you, Laura.
I see this article is 2 years old, but I’m hoping that Jeff Apthorp can still answer a question. I looked for an email to contact him to ask the question, but didn’t see one. My question is – What if you have gastritis that is not healing and you have no gallbladder? I am sure I have a deficiency of the fat soluble vitamins – probably not helping my digestive lining to heal. But if I take Ox Bile – it makes the gastritis worse. What can I do? I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. Any suggestions?
I had my gallbladder removed 5 years ago- I have still been having trouble. I have been diagnosed recently with bile in my stomach and I am on Prilosec to try to relieve the burning of it. I do not have acid reflux just the bile. Would the super enzymes help this problem?
Welcome Lizzz!
Yes, I’m still here. 🙂 I keep the post updated and do my best to answer questions.
You’re describing one of the most common scenarios that led me to assemble the Wellness Repair Plan. It’s free and comes entirely from doctors. I recommend beginning at chapter 1 and working through it in order since the order matters.
To more directly answer about the use of ox bile… It sounds like you have some foundational work to do before you’re ready to supplement bile. Much of that untangling is covered in chapter 8 (Gut Infections / Gut Function). But don’t jump ahead! 🙂
Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you along the way.
Hi Kristi,
First, I’m so sorry you’re suffering with this. I’m not an expert on bile reflux, but have read up on it a bit because of your question. Since one possibility is a physical blockage, I’d need to point you to a physician for guidance on that.
I’m not a physician, so can’t give medical advice. But I can tell you what I would do for myself in a similar situation.
1. Follow the Wellness Repair Plan. Start at chapter 1 and work my way through.
2. After researching gut infections like SIBO, SIFO and parasites, I noticed a common thread of the worlds leading scientists finding that proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s), like Prilosec, are listed as a leading risk factor. I would try substituting a splash of raw apple cider vinegar in a cup of water instead. ACV won’t be your friend if you have certain infections, but it is a non harmful way to get relief as quickly as a PPI for many (me included).
3. I would hold off on a bile supplement until the bile already being produced was no longer backing up into my stomach. Ironically, the bile reflux may actually allow there to be enough to come in contact with food.
Praying for your relief, Kristi.
Thank you for your help but I am confused what you are saying in your third point. Is it bad for bile to come in contact with food? I also am wondering if you are saying I should do the apple cider vinegar and not start the super enzyme. Thanks for any help. I am not suffering terribly- I have been to a doctor and had a scope done and that’s when they saw the bike in the stomach. I sleep on a bed that’s propped up and take Prilosec and it helps. I do not want to keep taking it if I can take something that’s more natural.
Hello Jeff.
First of all, congrats on your article, It really helped me a lot.
My gallbladder was removed 2 years ago and just last week I heard about all the things you must do when you remove it. Im from Brazil and almost every doctor here says that gallbladder do not do nothing and you dont need to take nothing after removing it.
For the last 2 years im facing tendinits (both elbow, both shoulders and my left knee) and I’d like to ask you if all these inflammations could be related to my gallbladder removal? I did physiotherapy for 8 months and did not solve anything!
I looked for ox bile here in Brazil and every where says that 300mg per meal is the “ideal” but NOW FOODS SUPER ENZYMES only has 100mg. Is it enough? How could I know if my body is absorving it correctly?
I just bought the NOW FOODS SUPER ENZYMES (since I always buy supplement from USA) and last week and bought from JARROW FORMULAS BILE ACID FACTORS (it will be delivered in 2-3 weeks probably)
Since I bought them both I’ll try them separately.
Every day I take my NOW FOODS MULTIVITAMIN, should I take other things?
Well, if you could help on baby stepping me what I should do now?
Well, thank you very much for your article and for your help!
God bless you
I’m glad to clarify, Kristi. Thank you for the opportunity.
Bile emulsifies fat, so it’s purpose is to come in contact with food. I take the bile supplement because my gallbladder isn’t there any more to squeeze out bile onto my food. Though not desirable for other reasons, a bile backup into your stomach at least allows there to be some present for emulsifying fat.
I wasn’t thinking of ACV instead of the bile supplement. I was thinking of ACV (if tolerated) as a replacement for Prilosec.
Did that help?
Bom dia, Matheus!
I’m so glad you found the information helpful.
It’s likely that the joint pain is related, but not in the sense that gallbladder removal led to the joint pain. Rather, consider that the same underlying cause could have led to both gallbladder and joint pain. I used to suffer from severe pain in my wrists and lower back. As many will attest, I found both to go away when I eliminated a food I was sensitive to (gluten for me). I’d encourage you to give my Wellness Repair Plan a try. You should have a sense of whether it’s working within a couple weeks. The plan begins with a self-test for food sensitivities. And it’s also anti-inflammatory.
About bile dosage… 100mg isn’t enough for most people. I take anywhere from 2-4 with each meal. Some doctors recommend titrating (increasing) the dose until you start to feel a little heartburn and then backing off a little.
I’ve noticed most of the functional medicine doctors are not big proponents of multi-vitamins. The general recommendation I see is to supplement only when there is a specific deficiency and work on getting the rights foods into your diet along with proper absorption. The goal is to use supplements only to get you past temporary deficiencies and transition to getting all your nutrients from food. There are strong absorption / co-factor reasons for this, but I’ll add it’s also a whole lot less expensive!
I have enjoyed my visits to Brazil! I spent some time in Curitiba and Taubaté building radio stations. 92,3 FM in Curitiba and 93,5 FM in Taubaté. You can listen online also, if you care to.
Have a blessed day, friend!
Thank you very much for your answer.
Bom dia! (Its almost 10am here right now)
Actually, I live in Curitiba, downtown, it’s a great city. I was born in Londrina (north Paraná) and live here for the past 21 years
About Gluten, these past 2-3 weeks I heard a lot about it and now im trying to get it out of my house. My grandma read a book about it and told me.
I’ll take a look at your Wellness Repair Plan, it’s always good to learn something new and when it comes to health Im all ears.
Again, thank you very much for your help.
I wish you all the best.
Um grande abraço,
Matheus
Hi Jeff,
I apologize if you’ve addressed this previously. I had my gallbladder removed many years ago and have been using various digestive enzymes for most of that time. I’m sure they’ve been of some help, but developed severe osteoarthritis, degenerative disk problems, etc., though there is some hereditary tendencies for those. Since I also have had GERD for many years, I have avoided taking HCL or other acid type supplements. I’m wondering if the digestive enzymes (1,500 FCCFIP of lipase/cap), are adequate or if there is something else I should add that will help my digestion, but at the same time not relax the LES and aggravate my GERD?
I have been following the Blood Type diet for about 2 months and as an ‘A’, it became obvious that even with a gallbladder, digesting red meat wasn’t likely, so my proteins are fish/seafood, some poultry, certain nuts, nut butters, and various vegetable protein sources. This deletion of red meat has definitely been a wise decision, but I’m still looking for suggestions for helping to break down the proteins that I continue to eat. I’ve taken various vitamin/mineral supplements my entire adult life, but wonder if my body has been able to utilize those that are fat soluble. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much.
Sharon
Having same problems after whipple surgery cannot find right kind of bile supplement also have gluten sensitive nothing sseems too right for me len
Um grande abraço, Brother!
Jeff
Hi Sharon!
First, let me give you some words from Dr. Tom Cowen.
“A recent study examined this very question. Much to their amazement, researchers reported that in spite of continuing to smoke, drink coffee, and other GERD-unfriendly habits, in each case the symptoms of GERD were completely eliminated within one week of adopting a very low-carbohydrate diet (about 20 grams per day). The patients were able to stop all antacids and prescription stomach medicines and this improvement continued even after they liberalized their carbohydrate intake to a more tolerable 70 grams per day.
The researchers were unable to definitively say why this had occurred but they postulated that the lower-carb intake influenced the activity of various hormones that open and close the value between the esophagus and the stomach.
By the way, this therapy is particularly appropriate for a diabetic, for it stabilizes the blood sugar.
To address the question of the long term effects of taking antacid drugs, the main problem is simply that our stomach acid is not only necessary for protein digestion, but it protects us against a variety of gastrointestinal infections. Long term blocking of this acid is a very poor strategy indeed.
I have used this low-carbohydrate approach for the treatment of GERD for many years and with many patients. I can report that it is one of the most effective interventions that I use. It is not unusual for people to report relief even within a few days. There is no longer any doubt in my mind as to which of the above theories is correct.”
I’m zeroing in on the notion that there’s a hormonal influence on the LES. Perhaps you’ve already tried this, but if not, eating ultra low carb for a week or two is a fairly simple way to find out. I have a post that can guide you through how to do that. The post doesn’t focus on counting carbs, so just use it to get all the other helpful details while replacing carbs with healthy fats and proteins.
If the GERD goes away, then normal stomach acid could take over the job of supplements.
Thoughts?
Jeff
Hi Lena,
Wow, whipple surgery is no small event. For others reading this, let me offer the Mayo Clinic definition:
“A Whipple procedure — also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy — is a complex operation to remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine (duodenum), the gallbladder and the bile duct.”
Lena, I’d like to delay focussing on finding the right supplements until we have a better idea of what led to the whipple procedure in the first place. My tool for that diagnostic is the Wellness Repair Plan. I won’t promise it’s easy, but it’s free (other than the cost of food from your grocery store) and you’ll cover a lot of ground in a month. I’ll be glad to answer any questions I can.
Hi Jeff – Thanks for your quick response.
I am looking over the Wellness Repair Plan – right now I am not able to eat at all. I’ve been living on sips of ginger ale, then added a few Tb of frozen vanilla nf yogurt, and graduated to clear chicken broth. I can’t find a doctor to work with. My primary care wants me to have a lot of GI tests done and food allergy tests. I’ve had them in the past with no diagnosis that helped at all. Had my gallbladder out almost 15 years ago. Have symptoms of deficiencies of fat soluble vitamins and B12 and my Vitamin D was 28 last week. My billirubin was up last week and my doc said maybe I am having bile sludge. How can I have that w/o a gallbladder and where is it? In my liver? And I should have asked him, why he said that.
Thanks for you help and I’ll take a look at the WRP and see if there is anything I think I can do.
Hi again,
I did a little digging on high bilirubin and found it may be increased as a protective measure as an antioxidant. If that is the case here, an anti-inflammatory diet (only healthy fats and eliminate fructose especially) are going to be the low hanging fruit you can try first. You can read more about it here about half-way down the page.
If bile sludge is an issue, reduction of bilirubin may play a role in solving it since one property of the sludge is calcium bilirubinate pigment.
And get lots of sun on skin to convert cholesterol to vitamin D3. 🙂
Here’s a little more assigned reading for you:
Fructose and Metabolic Syndrome
Why Cholesterol is not Bad
Have a blessed day, Lizzzy!
Hi again Jeff.
This is your friend from Curitiba-Brazil.
Just a question: How many minutes before the meals should I take the ox bile?
I just read your article again and saw that. Im taking ox bile with the food and not before, because I never saw someone saying to take it before, every supplement i found says “with food”.
Well, thank you very much!
I wish you an excellent weekend.
Hello Matheus!
Great to hear from you again!
On ox bike timing, I hear both “before” and “with” from doctors. I’ve experimented with both and can’t tell any difference, so I don’t have any evidence that timing is that critical. I hope it works great for you!
Jeff, excellent discussion..
I am male 52. I have a gallbladder that’s “completely filled with stones seen as wall echo shadow sign”. In the 3 weeks since I had the ultrasound, I have dropped 8 lbs.. with a low fat low carb diet, and I feel great.
No coffee and no alcohol in 3 weeks. Blood sugars are down to excellent levels.
Question: can I avoid surgery? And will Actigall work with a gb full of stones?
Thanks much!
Hi Peter!
Sorry about the gallstones! I can’t advise on surgery, but it sounds like if your doctor has you on Actigall (also known as Ursodiol or Ursodeoxycholic acid) then there’s already a non-surgical direction afoot. For anyone else reading… Ursodiol works as a fat emulsifier while also reducing the rate at which the intestine absorbs cholesterol.
The last part is a flag for me. In February of 2015, the USDA Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Committee reversed the cholesterol recommendation. Here’s the latest official guideline:
“Previously, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that cholesterol intake be limited to no more than 300 mg/day. The 2015 DGAC will not bring forward this recommendation because available evidence shows no appreciable relationship between consumption of dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol, consistent with the conclusions of the AHA/ACC report. Cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.”
Here’s what I would do for myself to avoid surgery if I found myself in the same situation:
1. Read my post: Why Cholesterol Is Not Bad – Note the real culprits are oxidized fats (“bad” fats like vegetable oils), fructose, grains for some, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle and stress.
2. Stop eating food and exposing myself to chemicals that cause inflammation. Simultaneously start eating foods that are anti-inflammatory. The Wellness Repair Plan is free and exactly that, but you can also use the plan of any Functional Medicine doctor. I got the plan from Functional Medicine doctors.
3. Since I’m not comfortable with inhibiting cholesterol absorption, I’d switch myself to an ox bile product for help with fat emulsification. But even ox bile supplementation only needs to be a temporary help while the digestive system is repaired.
Gallstones are one symptom of a greater ecosystem issue. Digestion, hormones and more will all play a role in reversing the symptoms. But I’d be celebrating the fact that I still had my gallbladder (said from the perspective of someone who now has to pay for ox-bile supplements for life).
It sounds like you are already taking excellent steps like no alcohol. Let me know if you have any questions as you look through the plan.
Have a blessed day, Peter!
Jeff, thank you again.
After much consideration and advice from multiple surgeons and my primary physician, I had my gallbladder taken out yesterday. So far so good.. Hopefully I can continue traveling for work like I used to. I’ll now follow your recommendations on what and how to eat after gallbladder removal..:)
I wish you a speedy recovery, Peter! Glad to answer any questions I can on the nutrition adjustments.
Hi Jeff, I have had digestion problems my whole life, I’m now 55. This problem seems to be hereditary as my father had the same problem I have my gallbladder but have suffered with diarrhea my whole life. Sometimes it comes on so fast I’m afraid I won’t make it to the bathroom. There are times that it’s very acidic. One evening I looked up acidic diarrhea on the internet and found that ox bile could help. I bought bata plus and started using it when ever I couldn’t get it ti stop or when it was acidic. It has helped. Lately I decided to use it with meals while I was on a trip to prevent problems, and it worked – to my joy! My question is because I have a gallbladder am I causing a problem. Will my body stop making it? Is that a legitimate concern? I also read something about having too much of it being a risk for cancer. Any truth to that? My life would be so different without this worry all the time. Thanks for any thoughts on this.
Hello Karen!
I’m so glad you’ve found an improvement! It’s a bigger deal than someone would realize if they haven’t experienced having to plan around digestive difficulty.
Also great news that you still have your gallbladder! As a general principle, I’ve learned to view supplementing to either help get past a temporary set of conditions or to replace permanently lost functionality. Since you still have your gallbladder, but also experience the symptom of diarrhea, we’re probably on the right road to think along the lines of gut healing and rebalancing.
Let me give you two links of equal importance:
It’s common for Functional Medicine doctors to recommend digestive supplements, like ox bile and enzymes, during the early phases of gut healing. The idea is to get a patient digesting again, so their body can absorb and convert all the good nutrients coming from the whole foods that are also advised. But ideally, once you get beyond some work on the gut, all aspects of your digestion will come back online – including bile distribution from your gallbladder. I know I’m not answering your question directly about whether your body will stop making it. I want to shift the focus to optimizing natural function in time.
Let me look into the cancer piece more carefully and get back to you on that. Do you have a particular study that has come to your attention on that?
Have a blessed day, Karen.
Jeff
7 weeks in without a gall
Bladder and I am vegan I wondering what to take or need. There are a variety of enzymes to take? Have digest gold work atpro. What to take
Hi Rosemary,
I hope you’re all healed up from the surgery.
Pleases allow me to borrow from some previous replies to get you pointed in the right direction.
Digest Gold has most of the ingredients I look for.
The same manufacturer I get my ox bile from has a companion version for strict vegans. It’s called NOW Foods Plant Enzymes.
Neither one contains betaine.
Dr. David Williams has published quite a bit related to gallbladder function. Regarding betaine, he says, “Beets and beet juice are often used as substitutes for bile supplementation. While beets may be very beneficial for your health, they are not a substitute for bile acids and salts. Beets are rich in betaine, which stimulates liver cell function and provides a protective effect for the liver and bile ducts.”
Artichoke leaf is among the list of digestive bitters that help promote bile production. Artichoke is choleretic, meaning it increases the volume of bile produced by the liver. One possible downside is that effectiveness will depend on good liver function, where the ox bile is a guaranteed and measured bile source to replace missing bile.
Bitters are always a great idea as part of a digestion strategy. The caveat is I don’t have any evidence to suggest they stimulate enough bile production to eliminate the need for a bile supplement. We can be thankful for whatever help we can get though. 🙂
God bless you Rosemary!
Hi, and thank you so much for staying up to date and answering question! I am impressed! Quick question – I am doing research for my patient who has no gall bladder (10 years and running). She is experiencing all the symptoms that scream vitamin deficiency, indigestion, bloating, etc. I came across the sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction and was wondering if I should touch on this with her. I am a health and wellness coach, not a doctor, so I just want to be sure my feedback for her is correct, but she is in the “at-risk” category. Do you have any idea what this is and are there any other symptoms than upper abdominal epigastric pain? Thanks again!
Thank you for the kind words Anna!
Thank you in advance for some latitude as I attempt to formulate some helpful thoughts without the benefit of intake forms. 🙂
My observation has been that most functional medicine doctors start everyone, regardless of symptoms, on some form of the Functional Medicine Four R Program. I’ve heard a few describe this as “going after the low hanging fruit first”. The order of the overall plan might look very close to this (permit me to copy/paste from my Wellness Repair Plan, chapter 4):
– WHAT FOLLOWS IS MOSTLY PASTED –
The diet and lifestyle foundation
The goal is to remove substances that are causing injury while fostering gentle detoxification. It’s necessary to ease into expelling things like chemicals, pathogenic critters and heavy metals. Your liver and hormonal balances need to be prepared to handle it. In the Four R Program, this is part of the Remove step.
Digestive Support
Some people experience bloating, reflux, vertical ridges on your fingernails, poor hair quality, dry skin, undigested food particulate in stool, stool looks grayer or stool floats. These are all symptoms of not digesting food optimally. Supplements can be taken to bolster digestion while your metabolism comes back online and takes over.
Hormone Testing
This is advised, depending on symptoms. The longer someone has been sick, the more likely they will want lab data to help fine tune the plan of action. If you have been sick for only a few weeks or months, it’s better to go after the low hanging fruit and run fewer labs. Many times the previous steps will resolve the problems, making expensive tests unnecessary.
Gut function / Gut infections
This is the beginning of more active detoxification and usually requires the previous steps to be in place first.
Detox / Methylation
Once good digestion is happening, you’re absorbing minerals and eliminating waste properly, the stage is set to get any nastier stuff out of the body. For this step, your liver needs to be ready for battle. That’s why it’s last.
– END OF PASTED CONTENT –
For upper abdominal epigastric pain, it would be relatively easy, non-invasive and low risk to treat for SIBO. Here’s some further info and a SIBO protocol I use for myself. I got this notion from Dr. Michael Ruscio who often says something to the effect of, “If there’s no risk in a treatment, then use the treatment to find out if it fixes the problem (rather than ordering a test – which still leads to the same treatment anyway but costs hundreds of dollars more)”. I know coaches have rules to follow, so please take that as me relaying what Dr. Ruscio often says in his podcast. 🙂 SIBO would be a common source of all the symptoms you mentioned.
But if you’ve already worked on all the Four R steps, you may be right on track.
I applaud you for your diligent research, Anna! Your patient is blessed to have you working for her!
Is it normal to feel like your body is detoxing when u first start taking super enzymes
Had gall bladder removed 20 years ago
I get lots of gas bloating and acid reflux after meals and nightime.
Should I start slow with super enzymes
Thanks ❤
I’ve had R n Y bariatric surgery and then later had my gallbladder removed. Would it be safe for me to take the Now Super Enzymes?
Hello Anne,
If you’re dealing with gas, bloating and acid reflux, it would be good to give my SIBO post a perusal.
You guessed well about starting slow with the Super Enzymes. 100mg isn’t enough for most people. I take anywhere from 2-4 with each meal. Some doctors recommend titrating (increasing) the dose until you start to feel a little heartburn and then backing off a little.
I’m not sure what detoxing feels like for you, so I’m afraid to do more harm than good if I try to guess on that. Let me do this though. I’d like to invite you to read through my Wellness Repair Plan. It’ll give you the low hanging fruit to go after for reversing the symptoms you described.
I’d love to hear how it goes for you, Anne!
Jeff
Hello again Denise!
Looks like we gave this one a whirl almost exactly a year ago. Here’s what I sent back then in case you missed it.
This is a great question since most folks here have some kind of surgery-induced malabsorption that has to be compensated for somehow. Here are some thoughts.
I don’t have enough info to assume this, but generally folks take on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass as a means of addressing extra weight. As with stones, excess weight is a result of food and chemical instructions to hormones. So whether pre or post surgery, the first goal would be to get some basic understanding of what the food is telling your body systems to do.
Here are a couple posts I’ve written that go into how those food instructions work.
The Most Important Thing to Know For Fat Loss – Especially look for “The Broccoli vs. Soda Showdown”.
Why You Should Forget Counting Calories
Once you decide to go after the root cause, the Wellness Repair Plan can provide a shortcut to changes you’ll want to consider.
You’ll see this in the Wellness Repair Plan, but after removing the root cause(s), a subsequent step is to work on maximizing nutrient absorption. For someone without a gallbladder, that means supplementing bile and enzymes. For someone with bypass happening, attention to maximum nutrient density is more important than ever.
In the same circumstance, I’d try this for myself:
I hope that’s not too much at once to “absorb”. 🙂
Thanks again for your question, Denise!
Hi there
What probiotics should I take just orders the Now foods Super Enzymes
Thanks
Kim
Hi Kim!
Allow me to paste in a paragraph from the Wellness Repair Plan (on this page).
“Also important, are enzyme-rich lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments (probiotics). Sauerkraut and kimchi are fantastic sources that are inexpensive, but be aware that heating kills the good bacteria. The probiotic that will work best for you is highly personalized. Pay attention to how you feel after you take them. Be prepared to adjust occasionally as the populations in your gut change. Also, be aware that many people with symptoms like diarrhea or constipation may in fact be better off trimming the bacteria population and actually avoiding probiotics for awhile.”
I wish probiotics were simple, but they require personal experimentation. I’m a fan of getting my probiotics from food sources because I have to eat anyway and the cost ends up being vastly less expensive than supplements. The downside is that you don’t know exactly what probiotics you’re getting with fermented foods. But if I have to experiment anyway, I’d rather begin with the $5 option than the $75 option.
Have a blessed day, Kim!
Jeff
I had my gallbladder removed almost three months ago. My liver enzymes and bilirubin are still above normal. My doctor isn’t concerned as he thinks they will go back to normal. My other issue is that I’m still losing weight and can’t seem to level my weight out. At this point I’m getting close to being underweight. I’ve been trying to take in a lot of calories but it doesn’t seem to help. After reading this article I’m guessing that I may need to start the Now Super Enzymes to help absorb the fats and vitamins better.
Also, I keep reading about Tudca as an alternative to ox bile and I’m wondering your thoughts on it.
Also, I’m breastfeeding my seven month-old. Are these enzymes ok for breastfeeding?
Hello Kristi!
First, I apologize for taking so long to reply. I ran into a snag with my sites connection to send email. I wanted to make sure you received the reply.
I’m going to assume the presence of gallstones prior to your gallbladder surgery. Stones and inability to maintain weight suggest our best place to start would be a careful look at nutrition. I’ve put together a plan (all free and online) called the Wellness Repair Plan. Like many chronic conditions, correcting digestive issues is like patching a roof with 36 holes. It can be corrected or improved greatly, but many things have to be attended to simultaneously. The Wellness Repair Plan will take you through the things that matter most.
You are correct about the enzymes being a necessary part of the effort. Specifically, the ox bile ingredient is to replace functionality no longer present after gallbladder removal. It may be possible later to switch to a different supplement produce that is ox bile only. But the Now Super Enzymes are a good place to begin.
I have not encountered any contraindications for breastfeeding.
I’m not as familiar with TUDCA, but it looks very promising as another bile source. For anyone else who wants to learn more about TUDCA, here’s some info.
If you’re into reading, you may also enjoy The Better Baby Book: How to Have a Healthier, Smarter, Happier Baby.
Have a blessed day and congratulations on your pregnancy!
Jeff
One addendum to what I said before about no contraindication for breastfeeding. The label says to consult with a physician if breastfeeding. It doesn’t say NOT to use it when breastfeeding and I have not encountered a doctor saying not to use it when breastfeeding.
Also… I meant to congratulate you on having a baby this year. Sorry about that.
I had my gall bladder out in 2009 and have had nothing but trouble since. I, of course, started with the typical no nuts, no lettuce, no veggies with a cellulose exterior such as corn, some beans, etc. But then things started getting even worse. Slowly over time, I began becoming intolerant to a lot of foods (mostly nightshades), I developed a consistently high platelet count, psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune thyroid problem, high cortisol,and Barrett’s esophagus (oddly enough, I rarely experience reflux). I was also deplenished (yes, deplenished) in vitamin D and low in trace minerals. The doctors tried to get me to take PPIs for the Barrett’s esophagus, but I could not tolerate them at all, so I take no medication for it and just try to control it with supplements and diet. I take no actual prescription medication other than nabumetone. The supplements I currently take are Magnesium, Curcumin, and a probiotic. In the past, I have taken B complex, Royal Jelly, Ashwaganda, and a Wild Oil of Oregano. I still have great trouble with digestion and am very sensitive to food and supplements (which is why I am currently only taking the supplements I am). It feels like I have either stomach pain or abdominal bloating and diarrhea most every day. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Hi Jodi!
First, you get extra points for using a word I had to look up. I am adding “deplenished” to my lexicon.
The list of supplements you’re taking looks very good. Only one flag there and that’s the Ashwaganda. It’s a nightshade, so I would recommend one of the alternate adaptogenic herbs.
You’re thinking in the right direction. Often, these kinds of symptoms have multiple underlying causes. For example (not that this applies to you, but to illustrate), it could be off-gassing from new carpet, fluoride in your water, aluminum from deodorant and gluten that you are breathing when pouring dog food. Some untangling is required, but there’s a systematic way to do it so it’s entirely doable. And you already know the word deplenished, so you’re off to a great start! 🙂
I’m going to refer you to my (all free always) Wellness Repair Plan. It conveys the steps used by functional medicine doctors to get to the root cause(s) of chronic issues. It’s what I wish I had before I spent years untangling my own issues. Start at the beginning because the order matters. And I’ll be glad to answer any questions as you go along.
The Wellness Repair Plan
I hope you have a blessed and Merry Christmas, Jodi!
Jeff
Hi Jeff, I had my gallbladder removed 3 years ago. Thank god I found this website. I started to take Now Plant Enzymes a few months ago after I read the article here. Now my digestion system is getting so much better. Recently I ordered another Now supplement at Amazon, but I realized I mistakenly ordered a different one. what is the difference between Now Super enzymes and Now Plant Enzymes? which one works better for the patients like me who had their gallbladder removed? Also, I am thinking to add GNC liver health supplement to my plan. Is liver supplement a good combination to the Now Enzymes?
I hope you have a blessed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Michelle
I am thankful for your kind words, Michelle. Thank you for being a blessing!
The NOW Plant Enzymes are very similar to the NOW Super Enzymes. The main difference is that the vegetarian version does not contain betaine HCl, ox bile or papaya fruit powder. My understanding is that there’s no plant substitute for bile, so one of the bile salt supplement options is most suited to simulate the function of our missing gallbladder.
I like the ingredients of the GNC liver supplement (mostly), but have a concern about the ingredient FD&C Blue #1. It may not be much, but there’s an unpublished study that reported a connection to kidney tumors in mice.
While of big fan of appropriate supplements to promote specific healing, I always like to offer that it’s okay to aim to get the majority of what you need from food (ox bile being an unavoidable exception). It’s cheaper, more fun in your mouth and food comes ready-made with all the cofactors needed for absorption. So arugula (and other bitters and leafy greens), organic beets, pastured eggs, berries, herbs used in cooking and salads, avocados, coffee, green tea, lemon water, garlic, salmon… Am I making you hungry yet?
We did indeed have a blessed Christmas and I hope you did also! Great to meet you and I hope you and your family have a very blessed New Year!
Jeff
Is kombucha similar to digestive enzymes
Hello Robyn!
Probiotics in kombucha and enzymes are different. Borrowing from the article referenced below:
“Enzymes are biologically active proteins, while probiotics are living bacterial organisms. Enzymes are present throughout the body while probiotics are concentrated in the digestive system. Enzymes can be naturally produced in the body but probiotics cannot.”
Here’s an article that explains in greater detail if you would like to know more.
Have a great day!
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I’m so glad I have found this page but I’m feeling very overwhelmed by all the information lol
I’m almost 32 and had my gallbladder removed while I was pregnant, with my now 5 year old. I started having attacks at 10 weeks pregnant and almost had them weekly no matter what I ate, I was basically living off toast and water and had lost 14kg very rapidly because I was terrified to eat. Which of course was not good for the baby so they took it out. I’ve had problems ever since, yellow stools mostly very lose and can then often get weeks of full on the runs. I have bumps on my upper arms and on my cheeks as well. I generally just feel awful all the time. (I also have low ferritin levels which I need to have an iron infusion for) which adds to me feeling so bad all the time.
I’m in Australia though so have no idea what supplements I can get here or what type of dr I should see.
I’m getting desperate now as I’m finding it difficult to get though every day tasks and being a mum of 4 I can’t go on feeling like this.
G’day Amie! (Did I get that right?)
I empathize with the sense of overwhelm and also the symptoms. They do indeed add up to feeling bad. If you’re up for a little reading, I can point you to my Wellness Repair Plan. The best place to begin is Page 1. Then go in order because the order matters. But being a busy mum (of FOUR!), you also have the option to skip all the WHY pages and go straight to the last page (currently page 11). It only has the steps without explanation.
Think of reversing these problems like fixing a roof with 5 or 10 or 20 leaks. Taking care of one leak doesn’t fully correct the problem. Reestablishing health often involves removing multiple causes. For example, the bumps are very common among people with a food sensitivity. I get them too when I eat the gluten protein in wheat. But there are several other common food sensitivities, so the plan begins with a standard elimination diet where you will fully eliminate a list of foods for 30 days and then reintroduce them. The digestive issues may be caused by the same food sensitivity so that’s why we start there. But if stools don’t improve, later steps help find and eliminate other possible contributors.
You can email me any time along the way. I’ll be glad to answer any questions or help find the doctor that can. There’s also a podcast from Australia that comes to mind. It’s by Rebecca Coomes. She may be able to point you straight to a doctor that can help. She also does coaching herself.
May God bless you, Amie!
Jeff
HI My gallbladder was removed 2 weeks ago. I’m taking 1 ox bile capsule and two Pure Encapsulations digestive enzymes with HCi Peptin just at dinner everynight. My stools are too loose, not diarrea, just loose. I eat almost fat free. Is the fat free part whats giving my loose stools since I’m taking the above supplements ?
Also, I forgot to mention….I’m gluten intolerant. Don’t know if that makes a difference or not
Hello Vicki,
I hope your recovery from surgery is going well. Good for you for figuring out the necessary supplements! The fact that you did… and also that you are aware of a gluten intolerance… and also that you are on my website suggests you are hot on the trail of getting to the root of the digestive issue. Here’s my take (with limited knowledge of your specific situation because we’ve not done a full evaluation with labs and everything).
Gallstone attacks occur because there was a favorable environment for them to develop. The same is true for virtually any chronic condition (cancer, diabetes, arthritis and hundreds of others). The favorable environment is generally most influenced by food but other factors can also play a role (chemical and EMF exposures, stress, sleep, light, infections). Prior to gallbladder surgery, something(s) cause(s) the digestive issues that lead to symptoms. Surgery removes the organ where symptoms have accumulated enough to produce pain, but doesn’t address the root cause(s) that created the environment.
The over-simplified plan to correct the root cause(s) is to remove harmful foods, exposures, stress and infections. Then replace with health-producing alternatives. The bad news is, most folks have to go through a process to learn what matters. But the good news is, you can do it rather quickly (weeks or months) and there are many plans to follow. My Wellness Repair Plan is a culmination of the plans of many Functional Medicine doctors and it’s free.
One of the recommendations will be to eat healthy fats. So your homework is to ready the brief section about fats on this page of the plan (the longest page, by the way).
I’ll be glad to answer any questions I can as you go along. Above all, don’t give up! You’re so close to answers that will change your life.
Jeff
I had my galbladder removed 10 years ago and have been increasing struggling with multiple issues since. Immediately after removal started getting short sharp pains in upper left ab area just above liver. Over time this turned into pain in esophageal area. My traditional docs diagnosed me with GERD and have been putting me on H2 and PPI meds. They have helped to a degree but each time I try to wean off them the symptoms come back. I am also taking carafate. I am reluctant to take betaine, I have tried it before and it made my ‘GERD’ symptoms worse.
Other than the GERD symptoms and occasional pain, my health is outstanding, I exercise almost daily and am fit and full of energy most of the time.
I am looking for an opinion on those with GERD and taking betaine, is that a good combination to try?
Thx
Gar
Hello Gary,
I have a sense of what you’re dealing with. I went through decades of daily H2 and PPI meds. Since you mentioned Carafate, is there an ulcer involved also?
I found the meds to be a catch 22 for me. Taking them calmed the symptoms, but simultaneously contributed to the condition that caused the symptoms to persist (gut dysbiosis) . The fix for me looked like this…
First, I removed gluten, dairy and sugar from my diet for a couple weeks. At the time, I was trying to correct a sleep issue and it helped. What I didn’t see coming was a lifetime of allergies going away (never to return as long as I eliminate gluten and dairy). Other things that went away included arthritis and heartburn. Heartburn is extremely rare for me these days. I get it maybe one or two times per year. And whenever I do, I mix about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and it goes away in a few seconds.
Over time, I assembled the plans of many functional medicine doctors into a plan called the Wellness Repair Plan. It’s all free and I’ll be glad to try to answer any questions.
I use the Now Super Enzymes, which don’t have much Betaine. Like you, I find too much Betaine to make me not feel well. But I have no problem with the dosage in the Now Super Enzymes. There are also other brands without Betaine. For example: Pure Encapsulations – Digestion GB – Digestive Enzyme Formula with Extra Support for Gall Bladder Function and Fat Digestion.
The amount of ox bile needed varies with a number of digestive factors. The recommendation I picked up from Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Radio podcast is to start with two per meal. If you don’t get some heartburn or indigestion, increase to 3 and then 4. Keep going until you feel some heartburn and then back off one. I take two prior to any meal with fat, but you may need more or less than me. Also, you may have to readjust in the future.
I hope the info will help contribute to your heartburn free future!
Jeff
Hi, Real interesting comments here about gerd
I had surgery 8 years ago, due to what they later found was an inflammatory cyst Was pre-prepared with beta plus, lecathin, pro-greens and diet information on coconut oil and tumeric for protecting the intestines etc. And coming from an organic whole food diet.
However had been struggling with dispepia and silent reflux, despite trying to avoid PPIs and mainly treating it the natural route. However recently tried a restriction diet- only organic meats/nuts,good fats, probiotics and bone broth …. Apart from sauerkraut dropped all fruit and veges rest and bingo the sore throat from reflux practically disappeared overnight and the dyspepia (constant burping) greatly reduced.
I’m convinced that my diet high in FODMAPs, plus gluten contributed to those symptoms. Now on Paleo Fodmap for a month, then later slowly reintroducing the digestible fibre that I used to eat probably too regularly .
In hindsight, one thing I hadn’t been doing was getting lazy on taking ox bile, and not getting onto probiotics.
On another note. I’ve heard that the gallblader has a particularly important for detoxification – with toxins being stored in the gallbladder then flushed out? Without a gallbladder are you impairing your ability to detox and accumulating toxins at a greater rate then you would have with a gallblader?
Great input, Leo!
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. As I was reading along, my mind went, “FODMAPs!” in the sentence right before I got to where you wrote it. I’d say you made a great call. For the benefit of others who may read this, breads fall under the category of FODMAPs, so offer the possibility of a quadruple whammy.
Whammy 1 – FODMAPs
Whammy 2 – Autoimmune reaction if sensitive to gluten
Whammy 3 – Highest glycemic load (pumps insulin the longest of any food so you store fat longer)
Whammy 4 – Usually made from semi-dwarf wheat. Semi-dwarf wheat is not technically genetically engineered (yet). Rather, it is modified using an older process called chemical mutagenesis. The wheat is exposed to sodium azide, a toxic chemical that behaves much like cyanide in humans. Wheat embryos are also subjected to x-ray and gamma radiation that produces mutations. Mutagenesis has been studied for a very long time, with observations of it resulting in cancer going back to 1775. That’s not a typo. We’re talking pre American Revolution.
To your question… There’s a definite partnership between gallbladder and liver. Dr. Linda Isaacs, M.D. makes this connection in an article on detox:
“The liver is the primary detoxification organ in the body, and many of the wastes it processes are eliminated in bile, which travels from the liver through the bile duct to the small intestine.” She also says, “Gallstones can also travel into the bile duct and become stuck, leading to infection, or migrate into the pancreatic duct (which connects to the bile duct) and cause acute pancreatitis. Either of these conditions can be life-threatening.”
Sure appreciate you chiming in, Leo. Blessings!
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I would love some feed back / help with my approach on life without gallbladder..
I Never had any digestion issues before gallbladder removal. But food is now moving very slowly through and causing issues.
Recent tests showed very low vit d, I’ve heard this can happen too. My Other essential nutrients are also very low now. I’m very stressed and concerned for the nutrients I am missing out on.
In terms of digestive aids, I started with digestive enzymes by metagenics, but find they upset my tummy and bring the queasy feeling back. Then I recently tried ox bile by itself, and even 125mg really upsets my stomach badly, unless it’s eaten with something ridiculous like a big cheese and bacon crepe! It didn’t go down well with a lighter ‘healthy fats’ meal
Sometimes my digestion is so poor now I struggle to break down the supplements I’m taking. The capsules sit there in my stomach and cause reflux instead of dissolving and providing nutrients. It’s upsetting when I’m trying so hard to get better.
Maybe I’m trying too hard? Does the body adjust over time? Am I absorbing ANY nutrients? The mysteries of gallbladder removal that doctors can’t be bothered to investigate!
Would Betaine hcl do the same job as enzymes or ox bile? I just really want to get food down properly and get those supplements absorbed. Do you know of any good gentle blends or alternatives which don’t have a high dose of enzymes?
Thanks!!
Hello Mel!
Your experience is all too familiar. Here are some thoughts for consideration.
Restoring digestive balance is a process of untangling. The exact path differs for everyone, but there are principles that tend to work for most. The functional medicine model summarizes these principles with 4 R’s:
REMOVE
Toxins in food (synthetic chemicals, GMOs, antibiotics, heavy metals, oxidized fat)
Gastric irritants (e.g., caffeine without fat, alcohol, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
Food allergies, sensitivities, or reactions (Do a standard elimination diet to find out which ones effect you.)
Chronic low-grade infections in the gut (e.g., fungi and parasites)
REPLACE
Stomach acid (or stimulate stomach acid with bitters)
Digestive enzymes
REINOCULATE
Restore beneficial bacteria to reestablish a healthy balance of microflora in the gut.
REPAIR
Provide nutrients to heal the gut wall or lining.
Support the immune functioning of the gut.
(I pasted these in from the first page of the Wellness Repair Plan)
The order is important. I take from your comments that you have been experimenting with the second step to REPLACE missing function. That is necessary! But the effectiveness would be hampered without the foundation of the REMOVE step. The Wellness Repair Plan (all free) can help you figure out what to do in what order.
These next things are covered in the plan, but I’ll point them out specifically since you mentioned them.
Sun exposure on skin is my first choice to correct low vitamin D levels. Try to get out in direct sun as much as you can between 10 AM and 4 PM. If you live in the north, it’ll be a little harder than if you live in the south. But not impossible.
Consider a future trajectory that aims to get nutrients from food instead of supplements. There are two reasons for this. Foremost, many nutrients don’t absorb without cofactors present. For example, fat soluble vitamins don’t absorb so well without the presence of emulsified fat. Second, food nutrients are more pleasant to consume and less expensive than capsules. There’s definitely a place for supplements. But I encourage folks to aim for temporary usage to get past a rough spot.
I hear more folks mention that Betaine HCL causes an unsettled stomach. Your mileage may vary though. Food alternatives that promote digestion would be bitters before meals (a salad with arugula, for example). Sauerkraut is an abundant and inexpensive probiotic. It can work miracles or make you miserable, depending on your current gut environment. Also experiment with Kimchi, and Kombucha. And for upset stomach, some ginger is worth a try along with some apple cider vinegar (a splash in a cup of water).
Have a blessed day and may God speed your untangling!
Jeff
Thanks Jeff,
I really appreciate your reply. Your wellness repair plan makes absolute sense.
Yes I’m quite stuck on step 2. Recent stool test showed high amounts of undigested veg fibre. I’ve always loved the idea that each plate of food provides various nutrients, rather than taking supplements. But without the gallbladder, I’m stuck on the ‘replace’ step big time, to unlock the things I need. I’ve worked through a lot of the ‘remove’ step with a nutritionist recently, and need ‘replace’ to work so that I can get my fancy probiotics in! Even they are repeating on me since the surgery!
But your reply here reminds me to slow down and realise it’s all going to take some time to balance things. When your system is so out of whack due to the loss of such a special organ, all you want to do is fix it!
I did try bitters for a gentle approach but it felt like they weren’t quite doing enough. Maybe I need to have them more consistently, with every meal? And perhaps small doses of enzymes so as not to upset things too much. Maybe this will unlock some more digestion and nutrients?
I can probably stomach 1 small dose a day of the enzymes. I’m hoping that will be enough with the bitters to help me along.
I loved the idea of ox bile being a quick fix, but alas it’s not for me.
You’re exactly right about bitters before each meal. They trigger digestive enzymes needed to process the immediate food going in. If you tolerate them well, they may well provide some improvement. It’s the same with the ox bile. Ox bile is meant to mimic a working gallbladder that would squeeze out bile when fat is detected (i.e. with each meal).
Thanks Jeff. I will continue with the bitters then, and create a consistent low dose scenario for other things like enzymes and ox bile. Even small and regular amounts of those will hopefully help.It really sounds like an important part of the no gallbladder digestion puzzle! For breaking down food.
Just last night I made a wholesome chicken stew which should be good and nourishing, but I woke in the middle of the night feeling ill, as if my body just couldn’t deal with it. Never had any such problems before gallbladder removal. Like it got to the next stage in the intestines and just went, what?? Well that’s what it felt like anyway! Doctors and surgeons don’t realise that even though you can survive without a gallbladder, you won’t necessarily thrive!
So I thank you Jeff for the time you are putting in to helping people who need some decent information and advice. Your article above makes me think about the important mechanics of the body!
And as a side note, for anyone like me with a sensitive stomach, I just tipped a small amount of my enzymes capsule (protease, amylase, lipase cellulase) into a small glass of water, and drank the powder in the water. It was fine, didn’t hurt my stomach, I had it straight after breakfast and even that small amount helped. I’m happy with this! -(though I wouldn’t try that if it contained betaine)
Thanks Jeff! I’ll look into the 4 R’s more now that I have a plan moving forward with the Replace step.
One more thing, if you don’t mind?!
I am going to take some high quality vitamin e and omega supplements as I feel I haven’t been getting enough of those since gallbladder removal.
Do you think taking these with coconut oil would help their absorption?
Even if I did it without the presence of digestive aids, like enzymes etc.
Thanks!
Please pardon my delay in responding! You’re thinking correctly about having oil present when taking your vitamin E. However, the oil can only do its job when emulsified. Of course, the usual emulsifier is bile.
Avocados and olives will give you vitamin E and have the fat built in. You can also get E from bell peppers, collard greens and spinach (soaked on grass fed butter) 🙂
No problem with delay, appreciate your response!
So in theory, do you think small amounts of healthy fat nutrients can be dissolved and absorbed without a gallbladder? Such as the foods you mentioned, in small portions.
I’m guessing the bile which drips straight into small intestine can do something for this. But perhaps not enough for larger amounts, or more saturated fats.
What do you think? It’s a point that confuses me! As I don’t go so well with enzymes and ox bile, (they make me queasy) I’m hoping eating this way will still enable me to absorb some fat based nutrients.
Thanks!
Hi Jeff! It’s been awhile. I had taken a long break from taking Now Super enzymes and I’m ready to start back up again. I noticed a review that said that they’ve changed their formula and added calcium carbonate. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Are you still taking and recommending that supplement? Thanks!
Hello Kelsey!
It has been awhile. I apologize for the extra slow reply (60+ hour work week due to an annual event).
If I’m not mistaken, the low dose of calcium (20mg per tablet) is only found in the tablet form. I’m not a fan of the tablets because they taste terrible to me. The capsule form doesn’t seem to have the calcium. But if you prefer the tablets, 20mg of calcium is a pretty low amount. By comparison, a typical calcium supplement is about 1000-1200mg. If you find I’m incorrect on the calcium only being in the tablets, I’d like to know.
Great to hear from you! My family visited Minneapolis this past summer and had a great time. Not sure if you live anywhere near there, but we really enjoyed the area. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Blessings,
Jeff
You’re right, I checked the bottle I was just sent and it doesn’t have the calcium in it. I also use the capsules and agree that they are way better. Guess I’ll keep doing what I’m doing!
I live in a north east suburb of St. Paul so I am very familiar with Minneapolis! Glad you were able to enjoy our State. Have a great week!
Hi, would i use Pure encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra as well as an ox bile supplement? Thanks
Hi P,
Digestive enzymes serve a related purpose to ox bile so are often taken together. This is the case with the NOW Super Enzymes I take that contain both enzymes and ox bile. Pure Encapsulations is an excellent way to go also. You are correct that Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes Ultra would need to be paired with ox bile to have comparable ingredients to NOW Super Enzymes.
Jeff
Hi,
Had my gallbladder out in 2001 and in 2002 the symptoms started. I’ve seen so many GI docs, had just about every lab and clinical test out there- to include tests for lactose intolerance, celiac, and a host of others. Have had endoscopies, colonoscopies, and been on every elimination diet. All to no help! Today I stumbled upon ox bile. I’ve been doing some reading and think maybe this might help. My current GI doc tried me on colestipol, and while it worked, I was horribly allergic to it! Now I’m leery of trying any medications in that family for fear of having another reaction. I have many of the symptoms you listed above for various vitamin deficiencies, and I take supplemental D3 and B-complex as well as multivitamins. I have diarrhea quite often and it’s obvious from what I see that I’m not digesting my food because it comes right out. I’m a farmer and artisan cheesemaker (using raw goat milk) and keep a very busy life. It totally sucks to be stuck at the mercy of my guts, especially when they are angry at me for something I ate. I want to go back to being a normal person again!
Hi Kathy,
There are many who stop by here that can empathize with you. No one can grasp the inconvenience and pain without experiencing it for themselves. Then add on years of doctor visits and testing without solutions and it can become discouraging. GOOD FOR YOU for doing your own detective work! I encourage you to continue searching and experimenting just as you are because that’s the only way to untangle the root cause(s).
I hope the ox bile offers immediate improvement. Chances are good that it’ll be a contributor along with a handful of other efforts or changes that need to be in place simultaneously. For further tips, I’d also offer my entirely free Wellness Repair Plan. It provides an order of approach that may be helpful.
Have a blessed day and week of giving thanks!
Jeff
Kathy try lemon water and ginger
Squeeze juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lemon in 8-12 oz water warm or room temperature water not hot first thing in morning when u get up and wait 30 minutes before breakfast e very day also ginger tea or those gin gin chewy after lunch and dinner and or snacks 1 or 2 gin gin (there crystaluized ginger) or anytime your stomach feels upset or acid reflux any tummy troubles ginger tea I slice 1 or two pieces of fresh ginger root and poor boiling water over and let steep from 3-5 minutes or more depending on the strength u wish to have
It has helped me alot I couldn’t take any supplements at all
Hope this helps
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for all your information here. Its amazing how similar some experiences are here.
Can say that had a lot of success reducing GERD with FODMAPs and being more conscientious taking ox bile
I’d say you definately want to avoid food after 5pm, and get some huge european style pillows for your sleep.
You don’t have to go crazy with the paleo fodmaps, although for the first couple of weeks its best to be pedantic about eating only bone broth, fodmap friendly vege & meats plus probiotics.
Another thing am working is LDL cholesterol. Is on a warpath from about 94 six years ago to 167
I’m kind of stuck with the funny scenario where my diet is probably in the top 1% in terms of heart health, but LDL is flying through the roof.
Have some theories –
1. either absence of bile salts consistently
2. taking Vit D supplements and avoiding the sun in the past year
3. Not exercising enough
4. That the system cannot handle certain foods – and therefore need to trim back anything that boosts LDL (milk, cheese, coffee, chicken skin, chocolate)
5. Rancidity in Omega 3, nuts making good fats bad.
Or maybe a combination of all those factors, anyway going to be deep diving this with the nutritionist and hopefully find out some more info.
Jeff- I’ve given just straight-up Digestive Enzymes a try, and OMG! I feel so much better. I figured I’d start with that and then move onto ox bile if needed. With just one capsule right before a meal, no more diarrhea. In fact, I’ve kind of gone the other direction. I think it’s going to take time for my body to learn how to get the bowel muscles working again and everything moving along as it should. After 17 years of misery and a multitude of tests and failed medications, I wish someone would have told me this in the beginning. How much better my life could have been!
Hello Leo!
High LDL isn’t *necessarily* a problem. Here’s some research I did a few years ago that explains what I mean. Despite the title, it details what some of my favorite lipid experts say is going on with LDL.
Why Cholesterol Is Not Bad
Jeff
WOW, Kathy! I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! That’s truly something to be thankful for. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I encourage you to stay on your quest for digestive balance. Here’s some info for you to look through to help get some insight into what may be going on with too fast or too slow movement. Again, WOW!
Jeff
Thanks Annie! 🙂
Hi Jeff,
I had my gallbladder removed 2 months ago.
I am now Experiencing pain under my right rib.
Also I am currently breastfeeding can I take ox bile?
Hi Michelle!
Since your surgery was relatively recent and is in the vicinity of where your gallbladder was, it’s probably best to check the pain with your surgeon first. It’s not uncommon for pre-surgery symptoms to continue after surgery, but I think we would be jumping the gun to go there.
Improving digestion is always beneficial, so you can get started on that regardless of what the doc finds. If you need a place to start, the Wellness Repair Plan is free and will get your pointed in the right direction.
I checked the Now Super Enzymes bottle and they have the standard supplement warning to check with a physician if pregnant or nursing. They print the same warning on vitamin C. It doesn’t say not to.
Have a blessed day and I hope the pain goes away quickly!
Jeff
Thanks for that Jeff. Read that article and explains a lot.
Interestingly enough my nutritionist mentioned I should be aiming for HDL to triglicerides ratio of 2. And mine sits about 1. And said the pathway there is essentially a Paleo diet and exercise.Think I’m going to go midway between a Medetteranean diet and Paleo.
Jeff should you take digestive enzymes beginning or middle of meal I take the ones without ox bile my body doesn’t like ox bile it just says on label take with meal also if I take digestive enzymes should I continue my lemon water when I first wake up or it’s too much along with using digestive enzymes
Thank you ❤
So glad the article could help clarify. Sounds like you found a good nutritionist too!
Jeff
Hello Annie,
The various doctors that recommend enzymes don’t appear unified on whether they should be taken before or during a meal. As you pointed out, the label is rather general also. My takeaway is that it isn’t super critical. I generally take mine during the meal.
Lemon should still be fine also. Most people have symptoms of too *little* acid in their digestive system. But since those symptoms can include acid reflux, it isn’t intuitive to them. I used to have acid reflux daily and took off-the-shelf antacids. They would help in the short term, but didn’t do anything to resolve the cause. Now I rarely have acid reflux. When I do, I splash some apple cider vinegar (acid) in water and drink it. It works faster than the antacid tablets and I don’t end up with acid reflux again the next day.
Have a blessed day, Annie!
Ohhhh thank you Jeff.
I have acid reflux too but dont take anything for it I drink lots of water for have green tea instead. But maybe will need to try acv now that u mention it. I was asking about lemon water cause it seems to hurt my tummy sometimes maybe too much first thing in morning for stomach to handle empty. Thanks again for all you do for all of us very much appreciated.
Have a blessed day as well 🙏
Oh also do you snack or best not to snack between meals as u rely on digestive enzymes for breakdown of food tx
Hi Annie,
In the rush of life the past few weeks, I overlooked your question. I am so sorry!
I usually don’t snack between meals. The reason is because snacking triggers insulin, which instructs fat cells to open for storage until blood sugar returns to normal. When someone snacks every couple hours, insulin eventually begins to forget how to return to baseline and it becomes the path to diabetes. It’s called being insulin resistant. The way to reverse insulin resistance is to allow enough time between meals for blood sugar to go all the way back down to normal. So I don’t snack often.
I wrote a post a few years back called Why You Should Forget Counting Calories that goes into this more if you’re interested.
Have a blessed day, Annie!
No problem at all Jeff 😊 I have not had sback for past week and I cant believe how I feel better just that little change just eating my 3 meals a day. I tried digestive enzymes again and they are helping me so much but without the bile I dont do well with bile one. I’m sleeping better and feeling so much better this week stonach feels so much lighter and almost normal. TX again for all the great info and all you do. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and wishing you the all the best in 2020.
*snack not sback
Hi Jeff, thank you for all the research into writing this article to help others. Do you know anything about having your gallbladder removed due to biliary dyskinesia and NOT gallstones? My gallbladder function was only 6% and they told me it had to come out. I’m now having horrible pain where my gallbladder was and across my whole upper abdominal area all the way to the upper right side at times (liver and pancreas areas). It started a week and a half after surgery (I only got my gallbladder out 3 weeks ago). I’m fearing that I may have issues with the sphincter of Oddi which it turns out is common in people who have had gb removal due to biliary dyskinesia and women in my age group. I have my follow up apt with my surgeon on Thursday. Right now the only thing I can eat without severe pain is yogurt and my Orgain organic protein and greens shake. I have been gluten and dairy free for years. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Hi Kathy!
First, I pray for speedy healing from your surgery and relief of your pain! I’m sorry you are going through this.
I’m familiar with biliary dyskinesia but not an expert. For anyone else reading, here’s a good summary with lots of info from gallbladderattack.com.
While true that symptoms of BD can continue after gallbladder removal, it doesn’t sound like that’s the kind of pain you are experiencing. Since your surgery was so recent, it’s probably best to consult your doctor about the pain.
It seems like you have already done some homework and implemented a healthy lifestyle. Without knowing you well, I don’t have a sense of where to zero in, but let me point you to the Wellness Repair Plan I came up with. It’s free and worth perusing to see if you might be overlooking anything important that could be contributing. I’ll be glad to answer any questions I can as you go along.
Reversing chronic conditions is usually more like untangling than making a single change. So with that in mind… good hunting!
Jeff
Hello, have you heard of cholacol from standard process? It has purified bovine salts in it. If i was taking this would i need to take something else? The NOW suggestion isn’t available with ease from Amazon
Hi Jessica,
I had not heard of Cholacol, but just checked it out. I like how they describe their process and the fact that 80% of their ingredients are grown on their own organic farm. Also, the combo of Collinsonia (root) and purified bovine bile salts makes sense. I’d prefer they list the amount of each ingredient rather than lump them together and call it a “proprietary blend”. Otherwise, it looks like a product worth trying. Thanks for pointing it out!
Jeff
Hi Jeff
Thanks for all your information.
I had my gallbladder removed 17 months ago, unfortunately. Was told I had gerd and gastritis. I have recently stopped h2 blockers and ppi’s. Currently I am taking digestive enzymes. I have also developed a problem with magnesium, every time I take anything that has magnesium in it I break out in a rash on my neck and hands. I am wondering if this could be due to lack of another vitamin or mineral deficiency. I am currently on D3 and B12 shots. Any advice or insights?
I apologize for the delay, Susan.
Magnesium is tricky because it is always bonded to (chelated with) another compound when made into a supplement. Since magnesium is necessary for the human body and sometimes magnesium is even applied topically to treat a skin allergy, I usually start by experimenting with the various forms when there’s an undesirable result. Here’s a post I wrote a few years ago that goes through the various compounds combined with magnesium. My choice is the pico ionic form because it absorbs the best. Here’s the exact brand I use. I’ll mix 1 cap-full in 16 oz of water daily.
Without following lab results, it’s tough to advise on supplements. However, it’s always a good idea to attend to the fundamentals (whole foods, avoid environmental toxins like mold, no chemicals, reduce stress, exercise, etc). Here’s a list of basics to check.
Thank you for your question!
Jeff