Warning: Be careful using ginger!

[2EyeGuy]

I just discovered (the hard way) the very painful possible side-effect of ginger.

My doctor just said I have gallstones, and a gallstone probably got stuck in the tube leading from the gall bladder, which is why I had terrible abdominal pains for three weeks. (The pain is gone now, but I still have gall-stones).

Ginger is considered very suspect because it increases bile production. It's not unanimous that ginger is bad for gallstones, there is a minority that says it might be good for them, but it is definitely interferes with normal gallbladder operation in some way.

Remember, just because a drug is "natural", doesn't mean it doesn't have serious side effects, and doesn't mean it's not still a drug. Things that have an effect, usually have side-effects too.

BTW, my doctor had heard of the Oculus Rift and its kickstarter development kit. He keeps asking me about it.

[mr.uu]

I don't like ginger at all - so shouldn't be a threat for my health .
Sad to her you still have pain, hope you recover soon.
All the best!

[cybereality]

Yikes! I hope you get better.

[mobiusdt]

This is the first time I've ever heard someone refer to ginger as a drug, and I find that to be a bizarre way to think of it. Regardless, hopefully the pain is over and done with.

[TheHolyChicken]

This is the first time I've ever heard someone refer to ginger as a drug, and I find that to be a bizarre way to think of it. Regardless, hopefully the pain is over and done with.

The definition of "drug" is pretty vague and all-encompassing (from google):
A substance that has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body, in particular.

It's essentially anything that you put in your body that has some kind of affect - even food could technically be considered a drug.

[Likay]

Ginger is supposed to be a great cure to seasickness, sometimes better than the dedicated medicaments at drugstores since those in general makes you very sleepy. Source: Mythbusters seasickness episode...