Homeopathic Medicine for Liver and Gallbladder Cleansing and Toning

Chelidonium Majus is a homeopathic remedy that may be indicated when there is constant pain under the lower and inner angle of the right shoulder blade.

The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. It has a variety of functions, including the vital role of flushing toxins such as chemicals, drugs, hormones, and alcohol from the body. The liver also plays a role in blood sugar stabilization, along with the pancreas.

And in concert with the gallbladder, the liver makes bile to aid in digestion of fats. (The gallbladder’s job is simple, it stores and adds bile to the small intestine to help one digest fats from the food they eat. Bile also acts as a stool softener.) The liver also controls the blood and Qi (aka life energy).

People with sluggish liver and gallbladder function may feel perpetually constipated despite eating a lot of fibre and drinking adequate water. On the other hand, those who don’t digest fats very well may have soft, mushy stools due to excessive fat content in the stool. And according to Chinese Medicine theory, a congested liver can trigger emotional extremes such as high stress and angry outbursts, sometimes for no apparent reason.

Some symptoms indicating that one may need liver and/or gallbladder cleansing include:

• coated tongue
• craving for junk food and alcohol
• yellow eyes or skin
• unusually mushy or light-coloured stools
• a feeling of indigestion after eating fats
• constipation
• irritability, depression
• fatigue, sleeplessness
• waking at 3:00 a.m.
• intolerance to alcohol
• nausea and/or vomiting
• swelling in legs, ankles
• itching skin, acne rosacea, and redness
• tendency toward bruising and easy bleeding
• broken capillaries
• loss of appetite
• pain or discomfort under the right side of the ribs
• pot belly or difficulty losing weight despite eating very little
• fatty liver
• gallstone colic

If there are more than a few of these symptoms present, it may be a prudent to be screened medically to determine if there is any underlying issue that needs to be diagnosed and properly addressed.

The Role of Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a 200-year-old system of medicine practised throughout the world. It is based on the principle of ‘like cures like’. This principle means that highly diluted homeopathic remedies are made from substances that in a crude dose can actually cause the same symptoms that one wants to cure. Remedies are made from a variety of substances such as plants and minerals. They are prepared in a way that makes them very safe, diluted, and gentle. The beauty of homeopathy is that if a person takes a remedy that is not suited to them, it simply doesn’t work and there is no harm.

Typically, remedies are prescribed in a 30CH potency, taken as four pellets under the tongue, between meals, every two hours for an acute condition or twice daily for an ongoing chronic condition.

Homeopathic medicine is excellent for treating symptoms of liver and gallbladder problems because, compared to other medicinal or herbal treatments, homeopathic medicines higher than a dosage of 6CH have no side effects and are safe and gentle. When a person’s symptoms are properly matched to a homeopathic remedy, it stimulates their own healing ability. Some common remedies for liver and gallbladder issues and their symptoms are listed below:

Berberis Vulgaris – this remedy is indicated when symptoms of colicky pains from gallstones are present. A small area may have sticking or spasmodic pains that are worse from pressure. These types of people may suffer with constipation, jaundice, and dark urine. Stools may be clay-coloured.

Bryonia Alba – may be indicated when pains are present that are worse from moving and better when resting. These types of people may be thin, dry, and irritable. Their lips, tongue, and stools are dry, despite their great thirst. They also tend to suffer with bursting headaches. Stools tend to be hard, large, dark and dry.

Carduus Marianus – is a remedy that supports the liver, but also helps with problems that typically follow a gallbladder surgery, such as diarrhea or discomfort. There may be a crawling sensation like the passage of something through a canal on the posterior side of the liver from the right to the left, extending to the stomach. The liver region may also be sensitive to pressure.

Chelidonium Majus – is a remedy that may be indicated when there are symptoms of constant pain under the lower and inner angle of the right shoulder blade. These people may suffer from hepatic and gastric symptoms. Their tongue may be coated thick and yellow. They have stools like round hard balls that alternate between diarrhea and constipation. They desire hot drinks and all symptoms are right-sided. These types usually have liver disease and gallstones.

Dolichos Prur – is a remedy that is useful for itching skin that is related to liver problems. The skin has no eruption or rash present.

Lycopodium Clavatum – is a remedy that is suited to the symptoms of those who tend to suffer from flatulence. These types are worse in the late afternoon, from 4 to 8 pm. They tend to feel unrefreshed and irritable on waking in the morning. They prefer warm drinks and food rather than cold. They feel full after a few mouthfuls and feel bloated. They also dislike belts or anything tight around their abdomen due to distension and flatulence.

Nux Vomica – is a remedy suited to those who are called “debauchers” in the homeopathic texts. They tend to overindulge in alcoholic drinks, smoking, eating, caffeine, drugs, and so on. They tend to be in sedentary occupations, and may be irritable, thin, and nervous. They can suffer from hemorrhoids due to ineffectual urging for stools, or painful spasms from chronic constipation. They are overly sensitive and irritable to noise, odours, or any other external impression. These types tend to wake up at 3 or 4 am, which leaves them feeling tired in the morning. They sometimes feel nauseated and may wish they could throw up to feel better. They tend to be chilly, and feel better resting, lying down, and in the evening.

Phosphorus – is a remedy used for people who tend to be fair, lean, and tall. They may suffer from anemia, morning diarrhea, and be nervous and oversensitive. The symptom of burning pain between the shoulder blades is a common indication for this remedy. It is also indicated for the symptoms of fatty liver. These types tend to love cold foods like ice, ice cream, or popsicles, which help with stomach pains. They may become nauseated and vomit when drinks warm up in the stomach. They have unusual stools that are slender, rope-like, and can be hard. Phosphorus types may also suffer with diarrhea that is profuse and watery. It comes out like a water hydrant. There is a sensation as if the anus is open and stools may be involuntary. They feel better with cold drinks, lying on the right side, and from being massaged. They feel worse from lying on the left side, during weather changes, and during storms.

Case Study

Homeopaths are only able to say they can treat a person’s symptoms, not cure any disease. To highlight how homeopathy is prescribed, here is a case of an elderly woman with gallstones who was treated effectively. A lady, named Mrs. Q, aged 82, has had only two bouts of gallstone colic over the past 10 years. She was advised to have her gallbladder removed but refused this treatment. Over this time, she had many symptoms of gallstone problems like discomfort after eating, pain under the right ribs, and chronic constipation. She was using a lot of ‘milk of magnesia’ to help her comfortably pass stools. She didn’t attribute any of these symptoms to her gallbladder issue. She also had arthritis of the knees. After reviewing her history, I recommended a simple prescription to alleviate her symptoms: Chelidonium 6X was prescribed, 10 drops three times daily in between meals and Calcarea fluor 3X, two tablets twice a day. Mrs Q reported an improvement over the course of two months and stopped taking laxatives. The discomfort under the ribs diminished to zero.

Homeopathy is one of the best forms of medicine for treating a person’s unique symptom picture. As Gandhi once said, “Homeopathy cures a greater percentage of cases than any other method of treatment. Homeopathy is the latest and refined method of treating patients economically.”