News from dookie

OliveOilAndLemonJuiceFilter: Gallbladder "flushes" or other non-surgical techniques to get rid of accumulated gallstones - quackery? effective? safe? icky? First-hand accounts and opinions sought... Due to a congential red blood cell disorder, I`ve had "sludge" building up in my gallbladder since early childhood (confirmed by ultrasound), which has since become actual gallstones in adulthood (confirmed by CT scan). The disorder causes my blood cells to break down faster than normal, and the leftover cell bits get stashed in the gallbladder and turn into the sludge - so it`s not really a "rich and fatty living" kind of problem. My diet is decent and cholesterol levels are good - 180 as of a few months ago. But the gallstones persist and are probably accumulating. Luckily, I`ve been totally asymptomatic...so far. But my risk factors are rising that I`ll eventually start having attacks and need to have my gallbladder removed, sooner rather than later. I`m female (three times as likely to have a gallbladder attack as a male), I`m approaching my 30`s (prime age), I`m hoping to get pregnant early next year (which definitely ups the chances of an attack), etc. Various doctors over the years have all basically said, `well, your gallbladder has a good chance of needing to be removed some day, and there`s not much anyone can do about it. We basically have to wait until you have an attack, and then give you emergency surgery.` Gee, thanks. That`s especially discouraging since the first attacks could well hit while I`m pregnant, and therefore probably couldn`t get the surgery or even take pain meds until after delivery. So before I decide to sacrifice up another bodily organ on the altar of resigned inevitability, I want to at least try getting rid of some of the accumulated gallstones sans scalpel. At the very least, maybe it can delay the onset of attacks and subsequent surgery. So, that`s where this wacky idea about a gallbladder "flush" comes in. Folk medicine and the Internet are full of stories about using epsom salts, olive oil, and lemon juice to force your gallbladder to dump out some of the stones and sludge. (Typical examples of the genre here, here - slightly NSFW or the squeamish.) But most reputable medical sites think this is bunk, and that the stones passed are actually fatty acids. Are gallbladder flushes safe and/or effective? Any first-hand accounts here? Any other suggested naturopathic techniques for breaking down gallstones and avoiding gallbladder removal as long as possible? (Yes, as mentioned, I have talked to doctors about this subject already. But I want to hear what the HiveMind has to say about it. You are not a doctor, I absolve you of all medical liability, blah blah blah.)