Liver herbs

[Monique]

Hey dear Shelley!

*My best wishes go out to you*

I have a question and an issue that have troubled me for a while. My liver is very congested because of numerous reasons. I also seem to create little bile, or either my gallbladder is sluggish. But whenever I take herbs to cleanse the liver I get intense pain that radiates to the shoulder and the whole right chest, and it hurts when I move in certain positions.

I took planetary formulas artichoke pills and that's when it happened. Does is stimulate the gallbladder? And if its congested it will hurt? I am so clueless.

Are you suppose to feel anything from taking milk thistle, or is the 'reaction' dependant on dosage? What is the minimun dosage one can take but still get benefits?
I am not sure whether MT also causes this pain, I would have to wait until it goes away and try again.

Can pain from the liver itself be felt, or can only gallbladder pain be felt?

Take care dear Shelley,

M

[shelley]

Have you noticed that I rarely recommend artichoke pills? They do not solve the problem, they just force the gallbladder to work harder! That's not a good thing if it doesn't work to begin with! Choleogogues are great for people who are basically wroking fine, terrible for people who are not. Milk Thistle is different - it protects the liver and promotes the growth of new liver cells, so it shouldn't bother you when taken alone.

When you don't produce much bile, and suffer a lot of pain, then yes, chances are your gallbladder has shriveled up, poor thing. But not to worry! There's a way to fix it: Cleansing Carrot Salad, tons of ginger all the time any way you can get it - ginger tea, sushi type marinated ginger, extra ginger in Kichadi. That will take down any swelling and reduce pain. Any time there's obstruction you will feel pain, any time something doesn't work right.

Then you need to get rid of the stones - lecithin, gold coin grass, chianca piedra, malic acid are all good choices and you should take at least two.

Next you need to produce more bile: Taurine you can take right away, but most liver herb mixes have choleogogues like artichoke so you should wait until after 2 weeks of stone dissolving and gallbladder pampering first before taking them. Chinese Bitters can be taken right away.

If fats bother you, make coconut oil your main fat, but do take a tiny oil/juice cocktail occasionally.

Hope that helps!

[Monique]

Hey Shelley!

Thank you for your always so valueable input! I will give your suggestions a go! I have been juicing ginger, beets and carrot and I eat ginger at every meal, lecitihin too at the moment.

I had done 11 liverflushes by the end of 2006 and I remember that I still got pain from artichoke back then, I wonder if my gallbladder is very ill?

Another reason why I think my liver is clogged up is because I have eaten the weston a price diet which is rich in protein and fats on top of having leaky gut etc. I did ok for 6 months then I began to get a stuffed nose and by christmas brain fog and fatigue hit me like never before and it was so critical once I thought I had to go to the hospital, it was like falling into a coma. It is still bad today. I have to do liver cleansing/flushing all over again.

I guess that diet isn't for everyone.

I did some basic blood tests and liver enzymes all looked fine, I will also do an ultrasound soon.

Oh dear, what a mess.

Thank you dear Shelley,

Mon

[Monique]

Hi Shelley,

I think I have a worse liver issue than I thought. I get horrible brain fog followed by extreme sleepiness where I cant keep me eyes open and I want to sleep all the time. When I take the amino acids ornithine/arginine I get instantly better, or if I do something that will cleanse the liver and it manages to hit it good.

But these things just give temporary relief. I have tried to flush 3 times and I get no stones and I feel worse after each flush, it feels like nothing happens I just get more clogged up. I have been taking lecitin and malic acid for a long time but there is no change. I cant touch my GCG or coptis since the alcohol gives me instant brainfog.

And then this gallbladder pain.

I have no idea what to do, I want to flush but my liver is in too bad shape.

[shelley]

When your brain fog is that bad you need to be drinking liver cleansing tea every day with dandelion, taking Zinc, Taurine, Gotu Kola, a natural blood thinner like garlic, onions and EFAs, plus the Cleansing Drink. There are pill versions of the tinctures so you can easily avoid the alcohol and still dredge the liver. I especially like planetary formulas' Bupleurum liver cleanse and Livatone Plus. They are an absolute must.