Lemon Juice For Gallbladder Problems

Some people use lemon juice combined with olive oil as an alternative treatment for gallstones. But little evidence suggests that a lemon and oil gallbladder cleanse will help you pass gallstones. The stones can block the duct from your gallbladder, causing life-threatening problems. Traditional therapy for gallbladder problems includes drugs and surgery. Talk to your doctor before trying a lemon juice cleanse or any alternative treatment for gallstones.

Gallbladder Flush

Lemon juice, mixed with olive oil, is an alternative gallbladder or liver flush. Users theorized that the mixture can break up gallstones that can be problematic in your gallbladder and can flush them out through your stool. This unproven treatment method is recognized, but not recommended, by western medicine, according to gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Picco, writing for MayoClinic.com. Prescription drugs also might not work. A drug called ursodeoxycholic acid, prescribed to dissolve gallstones no larger than 15 millimeters in diameter, helps 40 percent of patients who try it, according to the University of Maryland Medical Clinic.

Possible Side Effects

Consuming lemon juice and olive oil as a gallbladder flush may cause unpleasant side effects. These include possible nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The lemon juice and olive oil cleanse might also cause abdominal pain. If the remedy you want to try includes anything other than olive oil and lemon juice – some people add herbs – this could cause additional side effects. Milk thistle, used to treat gallbladder and liver problems, also can cause allergic reactions, particularly if you're allergic to plants in the same family as daisies and ragweed. It might also lower blood sugar levels.

Lemon Oil

Another homeopathic remedy to break up gallstones is consuming lemon oil, rather than lemon juice and olive oil. Lemon oil contains D-limonene, which can dissolve cholesterol. In a September 2007 article in “Alternative Medicine Review,” author J. Sun said that the D-limonene in lemon oil and other citrus oils has had clinical use to dissolve gallstones, which contain cholesterol. Talk to your doctor before trying this remedy.

More Traditional Treatments

If gallstones are causing you pain, your doctor might recommend surgery to remove your gallbladder. Gallstones can cause extreme pain. If a gallstone blocks a gallbladder duct, the problem could become life threatening. When traditional drug therapies work, they might take up to two years to dissolve your gallstones completely. Another treatment option is shock wave therapy to break up gallstones. If you opt to have your gallbladder removed, the surgery is a minimally invasive procedure usually performed with a laparoscope. You do not need your gallbladder to maintain your health, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.