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Condition

Biliary Dyskinesia

Biliary dyskinesia is a condition in which the gallbladder does not empty bile well, even without gallstones, which can cause pain in the upper abdomen after meals. Sincalide, a gallbladder-stimulating agent used in scans, has the strongest evidence: 12 studies helped define normal emptying, with readings below roughly 35 to 40 percent pointing to poor function. Those findings describe how the problem is measured, not whether any supplement changes symptoms.

Sources: PMID 20124048; PMID 12869076

Supplements studied
0
Medicines and peptides
1
Graded outcomes
3
No supplement studies yetWe haven’t found supplement studies for Biliary Dyskinesia. The medicines and peptides studied for it are listed below.

Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context

These are not supplements. Most need a prescription, and some are research compounds with no approved use.

1 medicine or peptide

Sincalide (Kinevac)

Sincalide (Kinevac): outcomes studied for Biliary Dyskinesia
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Gallbladder Ejection Fraction

Standard 60-min sincalide infusion establishes GBEF normal values. Lower limit of normal: 38% at 1% CI. GBEF <35-40% indicates gallbladder dysfunction. Coefficient of variation 19% for 60-min protocol.

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect12 studies

Studies that measured gallbladder ejection fraction

and 9 more on the Sincalide (Kinevac) page

Gallbladder Contraction

Reduces gallbladder radiographic size by ≥40% in normal patients. Enables visualization of gallbladder function via cholescintigraphy. Gold standard for acalculous cholecystitis diagnosis.

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect12 studies

Studies that measured gallbladder contraction

and 9 more on the Sincalide (Kinevac) page

Surgical Outcome Prediction

81.4% complete symptom resolution after cholecystectomy in low GBEF patients. Systematic review of 1,710 patients. GBEF alone may not reliably predict outcomes; other factors contribute.

Improves (the measure goes up)Moderate effect9 studies

Studies that measured surgical outcome prediction

and 6 more on the Sincalide (Kinevac) page

Key findings

  • Gallbladder Ejection FractionSincalide (Kinevac)Improves (the measure goes up)
  • Gallbladder ContractionSincalide (Kinevac)Improves (the measure goes up)
  • Surgical Outcome PredictionSincalide (Kinevac)Improves (the measure goes up)

Shop the evidence-backed picks

Support alongside medical care. These supplements are not a treatment for Biliary Dyskinesia. If you are being treated for it, talk to your clinician before adding one: supplements can interact with medicines.

Fullscript collectionGut and digestion: evidence-graded picksOpen on Fullscript

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Studies cited

29 studies from PubMed

  1. Gastrointestinal cholecystokinin signaling pathway drugs modulate osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells.Journal of dentistry, 2025 · PMID 40032153
  2. Ojeok-san enhances platinum sensitivity in ovarian cancer by regulating adipocyte paracrine IGF1 secretion.Adipocyte, 2024 · PMID 37993991
  3. HDAC1-Mediated Downregulation of NEU1 Exacerbates the Aggressiveness of Cervical Cancer.Critical reviews in eukaryotic gene expression, 2024 · PMID 38505872
  4. Defining Biliary Hyperkinesia and the Role of CholecystectomyDig Dis Sci, 2023 · PMID 37366537
  5. C1QTNF6 Targeted by MiR-184 Regulates the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.Molecular biotechnology, 2022 · PMID 35578071
  6. Cholescintigraphy may have a role in selecting patients with biliary dyskinesia for cholecystectomy: a systematic reviewSurg Endosc, 2020 · PMID 32479706
  7. Utilizing the Cholecystagogue, Ensure Plus, Results in Similar Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy Study Results and Patient Outcomes Status Post Cholecystectomy, in Comparison With Sincalide.Clinical nuclear medicine, 2020 · PMID 31789906
  8. Sincalide: A Review of Clinical Utility, Proper Infusion Methodology, and Alternative Cholecystogogues.Journal of nuclear medicine technology, 2019 · PMID 31019045
  9. Endoscopic Pancreatic Function Test using Combined Secretin and Cholecystokinin Stimulation for the Evaluation of Chronic PancreatitisGastrointest Endosc, 2015 · PMID 25773097
  10. Pain provocation and low gallbladder ejection fraction with CCK cholescintigraphy are not predictive of chronic acalculous gallbladder disease symptom relief after cholecystectomySurg Endosc, 2014 · PMID 24852884
  11. Classification schema of symptomatic enterogastric reflux utilizing sincalide augmentation on hepatobiliary scintigraphy.Journal of nuclear medicine technology, 2014 · PMID 25033884
  12. Optimum utilization of cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy (CCK-HIDA) in clinical practice: an evidence based reviewJ Gastrointest Surg, 2012 · PMID 22655428
  13. Dicyclomine: cause of abnormally decreased gall bladder ejection with sincalide-stimulated hepatobiliary scintigraphy.Clinical nuclear medicine, 2012 · PMID 22157036
  14. Sincalide-Stimulated Cholescintigraphy: A Multicenter Investigation to Determine Optimal Infusion Methodology and Gallbladder Ejection Fraction Normal ValuesJ Nucl Med, 2010 · PMID 20124048
  15. Extended application of 99mTc-mebrofenin cholescintigraphy with cholecystokinin in the evaluation of abdominal pain of hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal origin.Nuclear medicine communications, 2010 · PMID 20147863
  16. Diagnosis of BD relied in great measure on gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF) after sincalide stimulation on hepatobiliary scintigraphy.Journal of pediatric surgery, 2009 · PMID 19853777
  17. Biliary dyskinesiaCurr Treat Options Gastroenterol, 2008 · PMID 18992594
  18. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for biliary dyskinesia: correlation of preoperative cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy results with postoperative outcomeSurg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech, 2004 · PMID 15054652
  19. Systematic review and meta-analysis: does gall-bladder ejection fraction on cholecystokinin cholescintigraphy predict outcome after cholecystectomy in suspected functional biliary pain?Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2003 · PMID 12869076
  20. Effect of atropine and sincalide on the intestinal uptake of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose.Clinical nuclear medicine, 1999 · PMID 10595478
  21. Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8): a negative feedback control mechanism for opioid analgesia.Progress in brain research, 1995 · PMID 7568886
  22. Hemobilia presenting as intermittent gastrointestinal hemorrhage with sincalide confirmation. A case report.Clinical nuclear medicine, 1995 · PMID 7628138
  23. Abnormal gallbladder nuclear ejection fraction predicts success of cholecystectomy in patients with biliary dyskinesiaAm J Surg, 1993 · PMID 8273847
  24. Cholecystokinin enhanced hepatobiliary scanning with ejection fraction calculation as an indicator of disease of the gallbladderSurg Gynecol Obstet, 1991 · PMID 1985336
  25. Kinevac (sincalide for injection)/Squibb DiagnosticsRadiology, 1991 · PMID 1932168
  26. Sincalide-augmented quantitative hepatobiliary scintigraphy (QHBS): definition of normal parameters and preliminary relationship between QHBS and sphincter of Oddi (SO) manometry in patients suspected of having SO dysfunction.Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 1990 · PMID 2395012
  27. Dopamine neuronal tracts in schizophrenia: their pharmacology and in vivo glucose metabolism.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1988 · PMID 2904785
  28. Cholecystokinin and pain.Pain and headache, 1987 · PMID 3317368
  29. Practical hepatobiliary imaging using pretreatment with sincalide in 139 hepatobiliary studies.Clinical nuclear medicine, 1985 · PMID 4017380