Due to modern diet, inflammation, stress and poor stomach function, bile can sometimes deposit and form stones. Sometimes these stones are caused by infection in the bile ducts where normal intestinal flora gets up through the sphincter of Oddi into the pancreatic and bile duct system. Each of these problems is discussed elsewhere or will be soon, so they are not discussed here. Here we are dealing with stone flushes to get the stones out.

Sometimes stones get calcified and can be visible on x-ray but far more commonly people will have the fat and cholesterol type of stone which just lumps together and which will float in the toilet when they pass.

Smaller or newer stones may be passed out just by using basic liver herbs and a healthy diet or a juice or water fast for 3 days. Larger stones need help. We have shown that you can pass any stone up to the size of your own thumb. In all our years of doing this, we have never had a problem with a stone getting stuck and we know of no one who has had this problem while doing a stone flush. This is probably because as long as the tubes are dilated and relaxed (which our flush accomplishes) the beginning of the bile duct is no larger (usually smaller) than the end near the sphincter of Oddi where it must pass to get into the small intestine. In other words, it should not be possible to get a stone into the bile duct which cannot pass all the way through it and out into the intestines. While stones occasionally get stuck when passing spontaneously, most natural healers agree that this is either extremely rare or does not actually happen at all (a theoretical, potential problem, but not a real one) during a stone flush.

In no small part this is due to the lemon or grapefruit juice and the magnesium, both of which relax and dilate the duct and sphincter muscles during the flush.

Before giving the instructions for the flush, I would like to point out that many people get gall bladder and bile duct spasms/colic (an "attack") without having stones. This can happen due to food sensitivities and infection (friendly flora, but where it does not belong). This program may not help those cases at all because it does not address the problem of small intestine bacterial overgrowth and poor stomach function. These are or will be addressed in other blogs.

Here are the essentials:

1 gallon of apple juice

3 heaping tablespoons of magnesium citrate powder

1/4-1/2 cup olive oil (I recommend extra light from Bertolli)

The fresh juice from 2 lemons or 1 grapefruit

Here are some helpful provisions which are a good idea:

Enema:

Enema bucket or bag

Distilled water

3 tablespoons of ginger powder

Ginger Hot Toddy:

2 inches of ginger root, finely chopped/minced (best to peel it first, but not necessary)

2 tablespoons of ginger powder

2-4 tablespoons of honey

Juice of one lemon

Massage for the gall bladder, pancreas and sphincter of Oddi:

Cayenne Heat Ointment

1 tablespoon of castor oil

If already in an attack:

2 Aleve

So here is how to use the essentials:

For that day, drink only apple juice and water but have no food.

At 6 pm, stop all juice. Drinking water is still okay. Drink the first dose of magnesium--add one heaping tablespoon of magnesium citrate powder to 12 ounces of warm to hot water.

At 7 pm, drink the second dose of magnesium, mixed the same way as the first.

At 8 pm, drink the third dose of magnesium, mixed the same way as the first.

***If bowels have not moved loosely yet, consider a ginger enema now, using 3 cups of distilled water with 3 tablespoons of ginger root powder stirred in. Lubricate the tip with vaseline or an herbal ointment and cover the bottom near the anus with this also to protect from the heat of the ginger. Put in all 3 cups if possible and then void. Repeat until the contents are loose and not formed at all.

At 9 pm, drink the flush drink--add the juice of the lemon or grapefruit to 1/2-1/4 cup of extra light Bertolli olive oil and blend briefly. Drink it quickly!

Normally, you should go straight to bed. However, in the event that a person is sensitive, easily nauseated, etc., it is best to have prepared and sitting by their bedside the Ginger Hot Toddy and the Cayenne Heat Ointment with castor oil.

These help facilitate movement of bile and ease nausea.

The Hot Toddy is made by adding the minced fresh ginger root, ginger powder, juice of one lemon and honey to taste to a pint of very hot water (just cooler than sipping temperature). Keep sipping this every few minutes for 30 minutes or so (chew up the ginger pieces when they come) and then try to go to sleep.

The Cayenne Heat Ointment and castor oil may be pre mixed or applied in turn to the abdomen. If pre-mixed, use 1/4 teaspoon (approximately) of the ointment to 1 tablespoon of castor oil. Massage this well and deeply into the abdomen barely to the right of midline, just an inch below the edge of the ribs. If there is enough of the mixture, you may massage the left side over toward the right at the same level, but starting on the left side of the front and then the same starting on the right side of the front, moving it toward the midline. This will help facilitate relaxation and activity in the bile ducts and pancreatic duct. Massage deeply and for 2-5 minutes.

The Aleve is only if there is actual acute pain in the right side below the ribs in front. I have found that taking two Aleve can be helpful to the flush in this case. Obviously, this is a drug, it probably puts some burden on the liver and should be taken under the direction of a physician, though it is an over the counter drug. Even so, I have seen it really help when there is pain present.

Hopefully you will get a good night's sleep.

At this point, I do get some questions from people about other things they have heard to do or try. My advice is based on my clinical experience. If something creates a problem or if something does not appear to directly help anyone, I drop it out or replace it. The whole stone flush experience will certainly cause some problems with electrolytes and should not be done too often, even if there is a need to do it several times. My rule is two weeks apart the first time then two months apart thereafter. Some common practices are either problematic (such as using epsom salts instead of magnesium citrate) or not really useful (such as doing a parasite cleanse with the flush). It is possible that some people really do benefit more from those programs and that is why they exist, but I have not had those people in my practice.

By 10 am, the bowels should empty almost pure liquid. As they do, you will see many floating bright and dark green stones. Light green sandy looking stuff is probably just bile mixed with oil. Dark green stones which appear to have a membrane around them are old stones and should be considered important to remove. My own opinion is that flushes should be done until no more of those stones appear.

If the bowels have not emptied by 11 am, it is best to go ahead and do (or do another) ginger enema according to the instructions above. Clean the bowels out completely until you see the floating stones.

Sometimes the intestinal microbiome needs a little help recovering. If this is the case, it is best to use Dandelion root (which we carry in the store on the website) to restore proper growth. You can read here about how this works and how to use it.

Happy stone flushing!