Many people, including children, may experience attacks of pain at the right upper quadrant. This is the kind of abdominal pain that sometimes radiates to the upper back or shoulder blades. Usually it occurs after eating fatty or fried foods, heavy meals and is accompanied with nausea/vomiting and/or bloating, followed by loosening of stools.
Typically, even when you have all this symptoms, the tests results may come in normal, which would leave the doctors thinking that the disorder you contain is called biliary dyskinesia. “Biliary” means bile, “dys” means abnormal, and “kinesia” means motion, movement. Abnormal moving of the bile can occur in the gallbladder, in the bile ducts inside and outside the liver, and also in the valve between bile duct and duodenum; the first part of the small intestine. This valve is named sphincter of Oddi. In the medical literature doctors consider biliary dyskinesia and type 3 sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, as similar conditions.
If tests reveal no structural abnormalities, there are no severe inflammations or gallbladder stones biliary dyskinesia is often misdiagnosed with IBS, functional dyspepsia, stomach flu, reflux, psychosomatic diseases, etc. When patients are given the medication, it modifies or covers the symptoms. More specific tests may show low ejection fraction that means low gallbladder function; <35% EF is considered abnormal. When the detailed tests reveal that patients have a low ejection fraction, they are referred to the surgeons' for gallbladder removal.
So, the question remains… to remove or not to remove the gallbladder in case of biliary dyskinesia?
The excess build up of pressure in the bile ducts or irritations are thought to be accountable for these typical biliary dyskinesia symptoms. Unfortunately, there are many other reasons.
On one hand, gallbladder, liver, bile ducts, sphincter of Oddi, stomach, and duodenum work together as a team. Nervous system and digestive hormones (blood messengers) conduct their interrelated work. Very often, it can be a setback with proper regulation of the digestive organs.
On the other hand, bile is extremely complicated solution that consist of water, minerals, bicarbonate, cholesterol, lecithin, and bile salts. It also has highly aggressive bile pigments, and bile acids, various fat-soluble toxic substances. Changes of biochemistry of the bile make it very aggressive and irritating fluid. In turn, it can cause spasms and irritation of the gallbladder wall.
A number of parasites, which reside in the gallbladder and bile ducts, are difficult to spot. For example, Giardia lamblia can be responsible for some cases of the biliary dyskinesia and type 3 sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, in especially in children.
It appears that hepatitis, fatty liver, Candida-yeast overgrowth, parasites, congestion, inflammation, infection, high acidity levels, and poor eating habits can cause the bile to be thick, acidic, and aggressive. Such things make it difficult for the bile to move through the ducts. Toxic substances in the bile, parasites, irritation, and food allergy can restrain the proper motion of the gallbladder, bile ducts, and sphincter of Oddi.
Whole body acidity can change the bile pH. Because of precipitation of the extremely aggressive bile acids, acidic bile irritates gallbladder, bile ducts, sphincter of Oddi and duodenum causing spasmodic contractions with pains. Aggressive, acidic bile irritates small intestine and even stomach, causing nausea and vomiting. I explained this in more detail, in my EBook and articles.
By putting in account scientific research, clinical evidence and common sense, the treatment in case of biliary dyskinesia should be started with the non-invasive approach. Some methods of the complementary or alternative medicine can be particularly useful in this situation. Let’s focus on some of them.
First, what we need to do is to make bile more liquid and less congested. It can be done by drinking plenty of water, fresh vegetable blends or juices, eating vegetable soups, drinking Karlovy Vary healing mineral water, herbal teas, etc. Avoiding dehydration is mandatory.
Second, it is necessary to promote liver to produce more bile. Some herbs such as barberry, rosehips, fennel, corn silk, peppermint have choleretic actions, which lead to producing more bile. Clinical studies of the European doctors proved that drinking Karlovy Vary healing mineral water can help the liver to produce more bile.
Third, we need to reduce congestion in the gallbladder by opening the passages such as bile ducts and sphincter of Oddi. Many people don’t know that acupuncture and electro acupuncture decrease the spasms and pains in case of the biliary dyskinesia.
Moreover, Mother Nature positioned most of the digestive organs in the abdomen. And each of our organs needs its space to work. The most difficult position holds the gallbladder, due to the fact that it is squeezed between the liver, stomach, duodenum, and large intestine. There is not enough room in this area. If a person suffers from belly fat, gas, or constipation, the pressure inside the abdomen increases, just like when we wear tight clothes or belts. This, in its turn, causes more restrictions in gallbladder moving. Gentle abdominal massage, point massage, or chiropractic manipulations may decrease adhesions, release freely movements of the gallbladder, and lessen spasms of the sphincter of Oddi.
Fourth, many Americans have congested gallbladder because they are afraid to eat fatty food products. Because of wrong propaganda, people stay away from eggs, avocados, sour cream, butter, fatty fish, and cold pressed olive oil. These food products are natural stimulants of the bile ejection. Opposing, animal fats, trans fats, combination of fats and sugars, alcohol, unhealthy eating habits such as eating on the go, irregular meals, overeating leads to gallbladder congestion and, in case of biliary dyskinesia, needs to be avoided.
Fifth, this is virtually unknown even for health professional. The bile’s acidity and toxicity are primary factors for biliary dyskinesia. Natural, alkaline diet, various cleansing techniques, herbs, restoration of the friendly intestinal flora, fighting with parasites and Candida-yeast overgrowth can decrease symptoms of this condition. As I mentioned before, and it is explained in details in my book, acidity makes bile aggressive and irritated.
In the case of the biliary dyskinesia, the European doctors recommend drinking Karlovy Vary healing mineral water either from thermal spring or at home. This water is not simple mineral water that people drink when they are thirsty. Karlovy Vary healing mineral water has been used as a healing remedy for 500 of years. Dissolving genuine Karlovy Vary thermal spring salt in the plain water makes possible to drink healing mineral water at home.
Minerals, bicarbonate, and trace elements neutralize the acidic compounds in the bile and water helps to eliminate them from the body. According to medical literature, thousands of people with biliary dyskinesia improve the motility of the gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi by using this healing mineral water. Taking some mineral supplements such as cellular magnesium-potassium also neutralizes acidity, decreases spasms, and abdominal pain.
Females either in puberty or in perimenopausal age suffer more often from biliary dyskinesia. It may be due to hormonal involvement in women. Other factors that make symptoms of the biliary dyskinesia worse are anxiety and stress. Acupuncture, herbs, self-hypnoses by listening to custom CD’s at home, nutritional supplements, healing exercises can be useful in this situation.
Mother Nature does not make mistakes. Gallbladder is an important member of the digestive team. When there are no stones or severe inflammation in the gallbladder, especially in children and young adults, or otherwise healthy persons, the removal of the gallbladder may be unnecessary. Perhaps, it makes sense to try to improve its sluggish function, decrease congestion in the bile ducts. By analogy, if there is congested traffic in the tunnel, police officers won’t blow up the tunnel, they will try to resolve the traffic jam by organizing a smooth movement inside this tunnel.
Medical statistic shows, gallbladder surgery does not give warranty that pain would disappear. For some people, life without gallbladder is getting miserable. Searching for “postcholecystectomy syndrome” in the internet may perfectly illustrate my concern.
The information on this article is presented for educational, informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, and advice of a qualified licensed professional.