Everyone Healthy Library
Cholelithiasis
Also Known As: Gallstones
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
8Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
1Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
8Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Endoscopic procedures
1Medical therapy
2Alternative and complementary therapies
2Alternative medicine
2Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
9These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- amylase concentration
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Concentration
- Fecal Fat Determination (Fat Absorption Test, Fecal Fat Stain)
- Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) Concentration
- haptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Prothrombin Time (PT)
- Urine Amylase Excretion Rate
- Urine bilirubin Concentration
- Urine Urobilinogen Concentration
Biological and test markers
9This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
9- AmylaseReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 25–125 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1amylase concentration
- Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 10–25 units/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 10–35 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) Concentration
- Fecal FatReference range exampleAll: 1,000–7,000 mg/24hrsLinked diagnostic tests1Fecal Fat Determination (Fat Absorption Test, Fecal Fat Stain)
- Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 6–30 units/L; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 6–38 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT) Concentration
- haptoglobin (Hp)Reference range example45–200 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1haptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Prothrombin TimeReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 10–13 secondsLinked diagnostic tests1Prothrombin Time (PT)
- Urine AmylaseReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 400–6,700 nkat/dayLinked diagnostic tests1Urine Amylase Excretion Rate
- Urine bilirubinReference range exampleAll: 0–0.02 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Urine bilirubin Concentration
- Urobilinogen (Urine)Reference range exampleAll: 0.1–1 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Urine Urobilinogen Concentration
Often decreased
0No markers in this group.
Other associated markers
0No markers in this group.
Introduction / full article
Cholelithiasis
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Comfrey (Blackwort, Symphytum Officinale) [1, 4, 5, 6]:
Please note, this herb is TOXIC IF TAKEN ORALLY, OR IF APPLIED TO AN OPEN WOUND. Can cause severe liver or kidney damage and lead to death. May ONLY be used as a cream over intact skin, and does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: Strongly Against (ONLY TO BE USED AS A CREAM OVER HEALTHY SKIN. If taken orally to treat gallstones, Comfrey can lead to severe liver and kidney damage, and can even lead to death.)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Celandine (Ukrain, Chelidonium Majus) [1, 2, 3]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: weakly against (There is insufficient evidence that Celandine helps to cure or treat cholelithiasis. In addition, the plant is mildly poisonous to humans. It may cause hepatitis as well as symptoms of pain, nausea, thirst, and fever.)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Chel
3. http://www.naturalstandard.com/index-abstract.asp?create-abstract=/monographs/herbssupplements/greatercelandine.asp
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19460762
5. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/comfrey
6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2103401