Gallstones vary in size and number and have the potential to cause liver, pancreas and gallbladder damage. Some gallstones are as small as a grain of sand; others are much larger. The common bile duct connects the gallbladder, liver and small intestine. When stones migrate into this tiny structure, they can block it, which can cause a backup of digestive juices and result in elevated liver enzymes. Decreasing these elevated liver enzymes will potentially save your liver from long-term damage.
Step 1
Modify your diet to decrease the chance of developing further gallstones. Diets high in cholesterol and fats may increase the size or number of stones. Animal products including dairy, beef and eggs are high in cholesterol.
Step 2
Start a sensible diet if you are overweight. Overweight people have an increased incidence of gallstones, but those who employ 'crash' diets, or those where weight is rapidly lost, also raise their chances of developing stones.
Step 3
Monitor for symptoms suggestive of a gallstone attack. Abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant may occur up to 30 minutes after you eat a fatty meal. These pains can also occur in the back, which are called referred pains. Referred gallstone pains may occur in the right shoulder or in between your shoulder blades.
Step 4
Visit your doctor and discuss your options. Oral solutions and injectable medications may break up and dissolve gallstones without invasive procedures. Blood tests can be ordered to monitor for a decline of liver enzymes after stone dissolution.
Step 5
Avoid substances that increase the strain on the liver. The liver cleanses the blood by filtering out waste. Alcohol, prescription medications and over-the-counter supplements may increase the level of liver enzymes that are released into your blood, as does smoking cigarettes.
Step 6
Talk to the doctor about procedures sometimes used for gallstones that impact the liver and other organs. The doctor may offer an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, in which a small tube is passed down your throat into the common bile duct to remove stones. Surgery to remove the gallbladder may be needed if the stones are large or causing acute damage.
