Liver and gallbladder flushes

Domain XII · Complementary, energy & biofield · Andreas Moritz · 2012

What it is

A liver and gallbladder flush (also called a liver cleanse or gallbladder cleanse) is a home procedure that promoters say makes the gallbladder and bile ducts expel stones, which then appear in the stool. Moritz's publisher describes stones in the liver's bile ducts as "the most common but rarely…

Format

• Phase A: Ask and record (any session). Goal: know whether the client is planning, doing or recovering from a flush, and why. Moves on when use, intentions and any symptoms are documented.
• Phase C: Decide and coordinate (as needed). Goal: an informed, values-based decision, and with consent, the GP, specialist or pharmacist informed. Moves on when the client has the medical information they want and a named medical contact.

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Regulation and licensing. The flush is a self-administered regime, not a licensed medical treatment or a regulated profession in itself. Practitioners who suggest it are regulated only as their own profession is (for example, naturopaths are licensed in some US states and Canadian provinces and unregulated elsewhere). Ingredients sold as medicines, such as magnesium sulfate, fall under medicines regulation, and…
• Regulatory status (one line): not an approved treatment for any condition; the main regulatory touchpoints are medicines safety reporting and advertising/consumer law.

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Evidence status (one line): Mayo Clinic finds "no reliable evidence" that a cleanse prevents or treats gallstones or any other disease, and Full Fact rates it "not a proven treatment".

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• repeated purging of a child, missed medical appointments. Working if the child is medically assessed.
• the client's fear of blame or of the group's reaction. Working if the client decides with full information.
• sudden withdrawal from treatment; pressure from a seller or group. Working if the client keeps contact with their treating team.
• fear of being judged by the doctor (rehearse the conversation). Working if the doctor knows and the client feels able to raise it.
• debt, isolation from family, testimonials replacing medical advice. Working if the client can weigh the group's view against their own.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.