Acute Cholecystitis
Clinical Report by Dr. Ivaylo Gueorguiev, DOM, DACM, AP
This is 42 year old female with Hispanic background. She has been having RUQ pain for about 3 weeks. Her pain comes and goes but recently has increased with vomiting symptoms. Lately, she has been eating some fry food and her pain increases after meal consumption. There’s no family history of any cancer. She is not taking any medications and she walks every day for about 30 minutes. She was referred to me by her medical doctor who initially wanted to send her to see a surgeon but the patient refused to see one, so the medical doctor referred her to my office.
The diagnose I have is Acute Cholecystitis which fits the same as her medical doctor and based on the physical exam with positive Murphy sign and US. From our Oriental Medicine stand point this is diagnosed as Liver-Gallbladder Damp Heat, which is expressed as stagnation pattern with yellow tongue fur and full and wiry pulse.
I also sent her for HIDA scan where her EF shows to be 39%.
Her labs show of Alkaline Phosphates is 135 U/L and total bilirubin is 0.8mg/dL.
So far, I put her on a specific diet and on herbal formulas to help her with the gallbladder inflammation and clearing the cystic and common bile duct from the sludge/clogging due to the fatty food accumulation. The herbal formula doesn’t have any side effects and can be taken on empty or full stomach based on her preference. Each herb is focused on the gastrointestinal track and specifically on relieving her signs and symptoms.
- Radix Rhizoma Gentianae: This herb enters the liver and gallbladder and will perfuse the two organs and clear the damp-heat.
- Herba Artimisiae Scopariae: This is my favorite herb for her condition because will increase the secretion of the gallbladder into the bile where will also clear any fat accumulations. It will also help to excrete bile salts and bilirubin. In addition, it will lower serum cholesterol and beta-lipoprotein.
- Herba Lysimachiae: Helps dissolve gallstones and increases bile by liver cells.
- Radix et Rhizoma Clematidis: Helps to unblock gallbladder channel (cystic and hepatic and common bile ducts) and clears it.
- Semen Litchi: Relieves abdominal and epigastric pain.
- Fructus Aurantii: Unblocks blood flow obstruction and facilitates the passage of gallstones.
- Radix Rhizoma Rhei: Lowers cholesterol and eliminates damp-heat by purgative action.
Acupuncture done for this patient; protocol discussed in different section
The is treated for two weeks now, and she is reporting no pain in her RUQ. Her nausea and vomiting are gone.
Many of the herbs listed above have long medical history in Traditional Chinese Medicine. There have been significant researches done for the benefits and outcomes. The majority of the patients who stayed with treatment reported recovery.
With her new diet and the formula I have her on, the pain disappeared within 2-3 days. However, she continues to take the formula for 15 days. After her initial 15 days treatment, she will be off the formula for 2 weeks where she will resume for 2-3 days for preventative purpose.
Due to her above 40 and overweight, I will need to follow up with her twice a month to monitor her progression and apply additional preventative methods for her well being.
This patient has been instructed to discontinue any herbal formulas in case of conceiving and needs to contact our office immediately.
