Gallbladder Constipation

Gallbladder Constipation

If you’re concerned about your gallbladder, you should be careful about laxatives.

Gallbladder problems and this condition frequently go hand in hand. Constipation, light colored or chalky stools, pain or nausea after eating, difficulty digesting fats with gas and bloating, headaches, and a bitter taste in the mouth are all signs that gallstones or other gallbladder ailments have reduced the flow of bile.

Bile is the green fluid made by the liver and channeled through the gallbladder to the intestines, where it dissolves cholesterol. If there isn’t enough bile, there’s no way to for the intestines to dissolve fats. They accumulate in the stool and are excreted.

The undigested fats carry vitamins A, D, E, and K and beta-carotene with them, and they reduce the ability of the colon to process carbohydrate. Treating gallbladder problems will relieve symptoms.

But how you treat your condition can also affect gallbladder problems.

A research team known as The British-Italian Gallstone Study Group found that people who have had surgery or lithotripsy to remove gallstones are more likely to have their gallstones come back if they use laxatives.

Some components of bile are soluble in water. Other components in bile are soluble in fat.

Laxatives “flush away” fats before they are digested. People who use laxatives accumulate water-soluble components of bile, which make a “sludge” in the gallbladder. Eventually the sludge solidifies into new gallstones.

This doesn’t mean that if you have gallstones, you can’t do anything about constipation. Don’t use laxatives. Use fiber.

Psyllium (Metamucil) fibers soak up the water-soluble and fat-soluble components of bile equally. When bile salts are removed in a balanced way, gallstones don’t recur.

Just be sure to avoid laxatives. If you have gallbladder problems, keep regular by drinking eight cups of water every day, eating fruits and vegetables every day, and by taking the smallest recommended dosage of any fiber supplement. Keeping your gallbladder healthy will help you remain regular, and keeping regular will help your gallbladder stay healthy.

Also read our article about Constipation After Surgery