People don’t usually like to talk about their bathroom problems, but for some, it’s a huge concern. Today up to two billion people get diarrhea in a year – a colossal number. Diarrhea is not usually a disease in itself; it is a symptom of many harmful processes in our digestive system. Some people may experience chronic diarrhea, which occurs when the diarrhea lasts for more than two weeks and they have more than 3 watery stools daily.
This article focuses on chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal. Why do so many people suffer from this? Is there a non-drug, alternative medical approach to this uncomfortable condition?
The medical term for surgery to remove the gallbladder is cholecystectomy. This type of diarrhea is a symptom of postcholecystectomy syndrome; Disorder that often causes pain, gas, bloating, bile reflux, etc.
First, let’s focus on unpleasant things. Even brilliant surgical technique and surgical experience cannot prevent this complication after gallbladder removal. Statistically, about 10% of people without a gallbladder will suffer from chronic diarrhea sooner or later. In the US, 700,000 gallbladders are removed annually, so we have a large number of patients with this problem after surgery.
According to the medical literature, there is no cure for this disorder, only medication to control diarrhea. Even experts acknowledge that the cause of diarrhea after gallbladder removal is unknown. In any case, chronic diarrhea after removal of the gallbladder is what physicians refer to as “bile acid” diarrhea because the bile acids are to blame. Bile acids are essential components of bile.
Bile is produced by the liver and goes to the gallbladder for storage. When half-digested food from the stomach enters the first part of the small intestine-duodenum, the gallbladder contracts. It pushes bile through the bile duct and sphincter of oddi into the duodenum to help digest fatty foods.
Our body uses bile acids from the bile as a detergent to make fat droplets smaller. It helps the pancreatic enzyme lipase break down fats into glycerol and fatty acids that can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. This is a little complicated, but without understanding it is difficult to see how to get help.
In the normal situation when bile is alkaline, bile acids are soluble. Any abnormal acidic changes in bile pH result in precipitation of bile acids. The insoluble bile acids are highly aggressive substances that attack and irritate the gallbladder, bile ducts, sphincter of Oddi and duodenum, causing inflammation, ulcers and eventually cancer. Doctors found a higher incidence of colon cancer in humans after gallbladder removal. Acidification of the bile and precipitation of bile acids is the main reason for the development of inflammation and gallstones. You can find much more medical information on this topic in my eBook: Healthy Pancreas, Healthy You.
Incidentally, people lose their gallbladder due to acidic bile, which leads to inflammation and gallbladder stones. The gallbladder retains bile for a long time; therefore, acidic, aggressive bile acids have more time to cause damage and inflammation. No wonder the gallbladder becomes the first and most common target for surgical knives.
However, surgery to remove the gallbladder does not normalize the acid-base balance of the bile. After gallbladder surgery, irritation and inflammation remain in the bile ducts of the liver, bile duct, Oddi’s sphincter, and duodenum. Biliary/pancreatic reflux can carry this aggressive mix up into the stomach and cause gastritis, persistent heartburn, damage to the esophagus, etc. Downward bile/pancreatic reflux can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Let’s stop here and consider what can make the human body acidic? Modern foods filled with acid-forming products. They are sugar, meat, grains, milk, alcohol and unhealthy fats. In addition, antibiotics in food and as medicine kill the friendly intestinal flora; Therefore, allow yeast and bacterial overgrowth in the gut. This in turn creates constant fermentation and produces many acidic substances.
Therefore, keeping bile alkaline is extremely beneficial for people without a gallbladder.
There are three natural ways to do this: eating alkaline diets, taking alkaline minerals, and drinking alkaline healing mineral water. Drinking healing mineral water is very popular in Europe.
Surgeons have been performing cholecystectomy for 150 years. Therefore, since that time, doctors have been aware of the consequences of gallbladder operations, such as pain, indigestion and diarrhea. European doctors have been recommending drinking healing mineral water for centuries. The small town of Karlovy Vary was a sacred place for people suffering from diseases of the gallbladder, liver and pancreas. For over 250 years, Europeans have been drinking this water from thermal springs or preparing it at home from vaporized geyser salt. Many articles and books in German, Czech and Russian support the healing effects of Karlovy Vary medicinal mineral water after gallbladder removal.
Drinking healing mineral water prepared from real Karlovy Vary thermal salt can have some beneficial effects. Karlovy Vary thermal salt can:
• Provide the body with basic minerals, bicarbonate and trace elements that are essential components of bile and pancreatic juice
• Make bile liquid and alkaline so it is less aggressive
• Reduction of Oddy’s sphincter spasms (Ody’s sphincter dysfunction)
• Decrease bile/pancreatic reflux
• Normalize bowel movements
• Promote proper digestion
This is a safe and effective natural remedy for those with postcholecystectomy syndrome, but it takes time to see the positive results. I suggest tracking saliva and urine pH at home to see the changes. The pH of saliva and urine is a window for us to see into the body’s acid-base balance. “I eat healthily”, “I don’t drink alcohol”, “I do sports”, I often hear from my patients. They are actually surprised when their saliva and urine pH is below 6.6 (acidic condition).
Hyperacidity, the medical name is chronic metabolic acidosis, is now widespread. Today, nutrition experts consider metabolic acidosis to be at the core of various digestive and metabolic disorders.
Another natural way to neutralize acidity in the body is to take alkaline mineral supplements. The best thing for this job is cellular magnesium-potassium.
Exacerbation of chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal is highly dependent on dysbiosis (Candida yeast overgrowth and/or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Antibiotics and some other medications, poor eating habits, heavy metal toxicity and alcohol disrupt the normal microbial balance in the gallbladder Intestine small and large intestine.
When friendly gut flora is absent, opportunistic infections such as harmful bacteria, yeast, and parasites take over the gastrointestinal tract. According to medical research, dysbiosis leads to the precipitation of bile acids and consequently aggravates chronic diarrhea.
Contrary to popular belief, eating yogurt and taking low-quality probiotics usually cannot restore the natural balance between a friendly gut flora and opportunistic infections. The use of antibiotics and antifungals cannot restore the proper, natural balance in the gut. The “kill and destroy” approach is not suitable for this case.
Restoring friendly intestinal flora is a time-consuming process that involves healthy eating, colon hydrotherapy, drinking healing mineral water made from real Karlovy Vary thermal salt, and taking proven-quality probiotics and dietary supplements. Colon hydrotherapy by flushing the colon can eliminate bile acids and create an environment for beneficial bacteria to live in.
Diarrhea after gallbladder removal is nothing new. People have suffered from this type of chronic diarrhea for a long time. Currently, scientific research and basic clinical evidence support the effectiveness of herbs for digestive disorders, particularly chronic diarrhea. Herbs can promote liver bile release; Make bile liquid and basic.
Chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal leads to digestive problems, pain, loss of fluid, minerals, trace elements, vitamins and essential fatty acids. It can cause many symptoms that are very distant from the colon. These problems can include depression, immunodeficiency, skin, adrenal, thyroid, heart, and vascular disorders, cause additional symptoms, and require different treatments. Just about where the bathrooms are, waterproof pads and diapers aren’t the main solution for chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal.
Don’t give up seeking help. It is necessary to find a knowledgeable, licensed health practitioner to work with.
The information contained herein is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is not to be used to replace the services or direction of a physician or qualified health practitioner.
Thanks to Peter Melamed Ph.D.
