Gallstones case study
I recently took the case of lady in her early 50s who was suffering with acute cholecystitis – inflammation of the gallbladder. This uncomfortable and potentially serious condition can present with a number of symptoms, and for those following an allopathic route, would normally be treated in hospital with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. As we know, hospital stays have a big effect on your life; interfering with home life and work commitments. Antibiotics come with their own side effects, not least, affecting the delicate balance of microbes that live in our guts which help keep us healthy. Choosing to take the homeopathic approach for your gallstones will allow minimum disruption to your life and overall health.
6 symptoms of gallstones
- Severe pain in the upper right or centre abdomen.
- Pain that spreads to your right shoulder or back.
- Tenderness over your abdomen when it’s touched.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Fever.
What are gallstones?
Gallstones are small stones, usually made of cholesterol – or in rarer cases, calcium – that form in the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small pouch-like organ found underneath the liver. Its main purpose is to store and concentrate bile produced in the liver.
In most cases, gallstones do not cause any symptoms and do not need to be treated. However, if a gallstone becomes trapped in the bile duct, blocking it, a build-up of bile can trigger the 6 inflamed gallbladder symptoms listed above. Gallbladder pain is also known as biliary colic.
Presenting symptoms an inflamed gallbladder
During our consultation, my patient, ‘CC,’ a lady in her early 50s explained that she woke up at 1:30am with intense pain in the gallbladder area. Her sister had been diagnosed with gallstones two weeks earlier, so she had a suspicion this was the same. CC vomited a few times. The pain deep, gnawing, aching and stabbing, and she could not touch the area.
CC had been on a liquid fast for 1 month, and had her first weekend on solid food.
On being admitted to A&E, CC was given morphine & paracetamol for the pain. She had blood in urine. A CT scan later found 3 broad bean sized gallstones.
CC revealed she is always ‘on the go,’ and has ‘no time to be ill.’ She developed a temperature and was put on antibiotics for a week. The doctor recommended removal of gallbladder, which was something CC wanted to avoid.
Homeopathic prescription for CC’s gallstones
After taking CC’s case, I prescribed the following homeopathic remedies to be taken for 1 month:
• Colocynthis
• Cholesterol
• Calcium
• Carduus marianus
• Chelidonium
Additionally, I advised:
• Apple cider vinegar, in salads, and/or as a drink in water.
• Sodium Ascorbate Vitamin C – to help with infection, inflammation & constipation: 4-8g a day, spaced throughout the day, in water.
• Probiotics for gut microbiome to help rebalance the healthy gut flora after taking the antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.
• Echinacea tincture (natural antibiotic)
• Celery juice, mornings before breakfast
Follow up 1 month after taking homeopathic remedies
When I saw CC again a month later to review, she looked well and was much brighter. CC said she felt ‘100% better’ and that she had been running. In fact, she had done a 5k run at the weekend. She had felt a ‘bit of a twinge’ at the end of her run, but other than that, no other issues, and importantly, CC still has her gallbladder.
“After suffering from a nasty, painful bout of cholecystitis, I reached out to Mia to help me get back on track with my gut health. I knew that Mia would be able to help. Her assessment was thorough and extensive, which led to a few months of homeopathic treatment along with advice to make some changes and additions to my diet and fluids.
I am absolutely sure Mia’s homeopathic prescriptive expertise got me back on track, and so far I have not suffered any more problems with gallstones.
Having Mia to refer to has also given me the confidence to avoid surgery that would have been automatically offered to me, and I know now there is so much more that Homeopathy can help me with, whether in times of wellness or illness.
Thank you, Mia.”
‘CC’
