Which Medication Is Used To Dissolve Gallstones? (2023)

1. Ursodiol (Oral Route) Proper Use - Mayo Clinic

  • Descriptions. Ursodiol is used to dissolve gallstones in patients who do not need to have their gallbladders removed or in those in whom surgery should be ...

  • Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

2. Ursodiol: MedlinePlus Drug Information

  • Mar 15, 2023 · Ursodiol is used to dissolve gallstones in people who do not want surgery or cannot have surgery to remove gallstones. Ursodiol is also used ...

  • Ursodiol: learn about side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more on MedlinePlus

Ursodiol: MedlinePlus Drug Information

3. Gallstones (Cholelithiasis) Medication - Medscape Reference

  • Apr 1, 2019 · Ursodiol (Actigall, Urso 250, Urso Forte) ... Ursodiol (ursodeoxycholic acid) is indicated for radiolucent noncalcified gallbladder stones smaller ...

  • Cholelithiasis is the medical term for gallstone disease. Gallstones are concretions that form in the biliary tract, usually in the gallbladder (see the image below).

4. Ursodiol (Actigall): Uses, Side Effects, Dosage & Reviews - GoodRx

  • The capsule form of ursodiol (Actigall) is used to dissolve gallstones in people who cannot have or do not want gallbladder surgery and to prevent ...

  • Thanks for visiting! GoodRx is not available outside of the United States. If you are trying to access this site from the United States and believe you have received this message in error, please reach out to legal@goodrx.com and let us know.

5. List of Gallstone solubilizing agents - Drugs.com

  • Gallstone solubilizing agents are used to dissolve small non-calcified gallstones. They suppress the amount of cholesterol synthesized by the liver or ...

  • Compare gallstone solubilizing agents. View important safety information, ratings, user reviews, popularity and more.

List of Gallstone solubilizing agents - Drugs.com

6. Ursodiol | Side Effects | Dosage | Precautions | Medicine

7. Gallstone-dissolving agents: Nursing Pharmacology - Osmosis

  • Gallstone-dissolving agents include ursodiol, also known as ursodeoxycholic acid, or UDCA for short, as well as chenodiol, also known as chenodeoxycholic acid, ...

  • Gallstone-dissolving agents: Nursing pharmacology Videos, Flashcards, High Yield Notes, & Practice Questions. Learn and reinforce your understanding of Gallstone-dissolving agents: Nursing pharmacology.

Gallstone-dissolving agents: Nursing Pharmacology - Osmosis

8. Ursodiol: Uses & Side Effects - Cleveland Clinic

  • Ursodiol is a capsule or tablet that contains ursodeoxycholic adic. This medication helps your body dissolve gallstones if surgery isn't right for you.

  • Ursodiol helps your body dissolve gallstones. Gallstones are hardened collections of bile materials that develop in your gallbladder.

Ursodiol: Uses & Side Effects - Cleveland Clinic

9. Treatment (medication) - Gallstones - HSE

  • You can take medicine to dissolve your gallstones. But only if your gallstones are small and don't contain calcium. The medicine is called ursodeoxycholic ...

  • You may be able to take medicine to dissolve gallstones. But it depends on your gallstones. Read about medicine to treat gallstones and possible side effects.

Treatment (medication) - Gallstones - HSE

10. Treatment - - - Gallstones - NHS

  • Medicine to dissolve gallstones ... If your gallstones are small and don't contain calcium, it may be possible to take ursodeoxycholic acid tablets to dissolve ...

  • The treatment plan for gallbladder conditions will depend on how the symptoms are affecting your daily life.

Treatment - - - Gallstones - NHS

11. What to do about gallstones - Harvard Health

  • Jul 20, 2023 · Ursodiol dissolves only those gallstones made of cholesterol, and it may take several months before it has an effect. Drug therapy is ...

  • Women under 40 are at much greater risk of developing gallstones than men, due to the actions of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. More than 25 million people in the United States have gallst...

What to do about gallstones - Harvard Health

12. How Do Gallstone Solubilizing Agents Work? - RxList

  • Jul 6, 2021 · Gallstone solubilizing agents are a class of medications used to dissolve small noncalcified gallstones (made up of cholesterol) in adults ...

  • Gallstone solubilizing agents are a class of medications used to dissolve small noncalcified gallstones (made up of cholesterol) in adults who do not want to or cannot have gallbladder surgery, to prevent gallstones in overweight or obese patients undergoing rapid weight loss and to treat primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC-an autoimmune liver disease).

How Do Gallstone Solubilizing Agents Work? - RxList

13. Reltone Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures ... - WebMD

  • Ursodiol is used to dissolve certain types of gallstones, to prevent gallstones from forming in obese patients who are losing weight rapidly, and to treat a ...

  • Find patient medical information for Reltone oral on WebMD including its uses, side effects and safety, interactions, pictures, warnings and user ratings.

Reltone Oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures ... - WebMD

14. Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Gallstones - Everyday Health

  • Apr 26, 2018 · Thinning Bile With Acid Pills Can Dissolve Gallstones ... In some cases, gallstones can be treated with medicine. Certain chemicals, such as ...

  • If you want to avoid gallstone surgery, there are some nonsurgical options available. Learn about nonsurgical gallstone removal.

Nonsurgical Treatment Options for Gallstones - Everyday Health

15. Gallstone Dissolving Therapy - Melbourne Gastroenterologist

  • UDCA is a hydrophilic bile salt medication that has the power to dissolve cholesterol gall stones. The mechanism of action for UDCA is multifactorial. First, ...

  • Patient information for gallstone dissolving therapy Dr Paul Froomes, gastroenterologist, Melbourne as an alternative to surgery.

16. Gallstone Disease Treatment | Johns Hopkins Medicine

  • Another percutaneous method is called contact dissolution therapy. During this procedure, a catheter is inserted into your gallbladder, and a solvent is ...

  • f you experience symptomatic gallstones, there are a number of different treatment options available. Your exact course of treatment will depend on your symptoms and the characteristics of the gallstones you have.

Gallstone Disease Treatment | Johns Hopkins Medicine

17. Drugs for Treatment of Gallstones - Medindia

  • Pitofenone is an antispasmodic (spasmolytic) drug that is used to relieve pain and spasms of smooth muscles. ... Ursodiol is a bile acid, prescribed for ...

  • View list of generic and brand names of drugs used for treatment of Gallstones(Gallstones ). Find more information including dose, side effects of the Gallstones(Gallstones ).

Drugs for Treatment of Gallstones - Medindia

18. Non-Surgical Treatments for Gall Stones at Rhode Island Hospital

  • Actigall (Ursodiol) is the primary drug used to dissolve gallstones. It is a naturally-occurring bile acid. This drug has almost no side effects but can rarely ...

  • Observation The risks of developing symptoms or complications from gallstones in patients who have no symptoms is on the order of 20% over 20 years. Thus, patients ...

19. How can medication be used to dissolve gallstones? - Gov Capital

  • Sep 18, 2023 · One of the medications commonly prescribed for gallstone dissolution is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). This bile acid is naturally produced by the ...

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20. Medication for Gallstones - Western New York Urology Associates, LLC

  • Prescription medications. Bile. Bile acids. Ursodeoxycholic acid; Chenodeoxycholic acid. Bile acids are only used to dissolve cholesterol gallstones when a ...

  • by Editorial Staff and Contributors

21. Efficacy and safety of a novel topical agent for gallstone dissolution

  • Jun 10, 2019 · Of all the gallstone-dissolving compounds, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a representative solvent and the only such drug currently used.

  • Although methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is the only clinical topical agent for gallstone dissolution, its use is limited by its side effects mostly arising from a relatively low boiling point (55 °C). In this study, we developed the gallstone-dissolving compound containing an aromatic moiety, named 2-methoxy-6-methylpyridine (MMP) with higher boiling point (156 °C), and compared its effectiveness and toxicities with MTBE. The dissolubility of MTBE and MMP in vitro was determined by placing human gallstones in glass containers with either solvent and, then, measuring their dry weights. Their dissolubility in vivo was determined by comparing the weights of solvent-treated gallstones and control (dimethyl sulfoxide)-treated gallstones, after directly injecting each solvent into the gallbladder in hamster models with cholesterol and pigmented gallstones. In the in vitro dissolution test, MMP demonstrated statistically higher dissolubility than did MTBE for cholesterol and pigmented gallstones (88.2% vs. 65.7%, 50.8% vs. 29.0%, respectively; P < 0.05). In the in vivo experiments, MMP exhibited 59.0% and 54.3% dissolubility for cholesterol and pigmented gallstones, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of MTBE (50.0% and 32.0%, respectively; P < 0.05). The immunohistochemical stains of gallbladder specimens obtained from the MMP-treated hamsters demonstrated that MMP did not significantly increase the expression of cleaved caspase 9 or significantly decrease the expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen. This study demonstrated that MMP has better potential than does MTBE in dissolving gallstones, especially pigmented gallstones, while resulting in lesser toxicities.

Efficacy and safety of a novel topical agent for gallstone dissolution

FAQs

Which Medication Is Used To Dissolve Gallstones? ›

Ursodiol

Ursodiol
Ursodeoxycholic acid or ursodiol is a naturally occurring bile acid that is used dissolve cholesterol gall stones and to treat cholestatic forms of liver diseases including primary biliary cirrhosis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books › NBK548309
link (Actigall) and chenodiol link (Chenix) are medicines that contain bile acids that can break up gallstones. These medicines work best to break up small cholesterol stones. You may need months or years of treatment to break up all stones. Shock wave lithotripsy.

What dissolves gallbladder stones fast? ›

Ursodiol is in a class of medications called gallstone dissolution agents. It works by decreasing the production of cholesterol and by dissolving the cholesterol in bile to prevent stone formation and by decreasing toxic levels of bile acids that accumulate in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Can gallbladder stones dissolve with medicine? ›

Tablets containing the active ingredient ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) are used to dissolve gallstones. They need to be taken for a longer period of time (sometimes more than two years) and often don't work. New gallstones often form as well.

Can you buy ursodiol over the counter? ›

No, ursodiol isn't available over the counter (OTC). You can only get ursodiol with a prescription from your doctor.

Can you remove gallstones without removing the gallbladder? ›

Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) is a procedure that can be used to remove gallstones from the bile duct. The gallbladder isn't removed during this procedure, so any stones in the gallbladder will remain unless they're removed using other surgical techniques.

What can kick off gallstones? ›

Causes of gallstones
  • Are overweight or obese.
  • Eat an unhealthy diet, particularly a high-fat diet.
  • Have a family history of gallstones.
  • Have certain health conditions — this includes:
  • Lose weight rapidly.
  • Smoke.

What can I drink to shrink gallstones? ›

How to treat gallstones without surgery
  • Gallbladder cleanse. There are several reasons why gallstones may form: ...
  • Apple juice. Some people use apple juice to treat gallstones. ...
  • Apple cider vinegar. ...
  • Yoga. ...
  • Milk thistle. ...
  • Artichoke. ...
  • Gold coin grass. ...
  • Castor oil pack.
Aug 21, 2017

Why does apple cider vinegar help gallbladder pain? ›

Malic acid, a compound from apples, helps soften and dissolve gallstones, while acetic acid and other acids in the vinegar help to naturally reduce cholesterol production in the liver. Apple cider vinegar is so effective that drinking it during a gallbladder attack is often enough to stop the pain in its tracks.

Can gallstones be dissolved by drinking water? ›

A very effective way to dissolve gallstones naturally is by staying hydrated. Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water per day helps in keeping the bile production smooth.

How long does it take to pass gallstones with medication? ›

Medications you take by mouth may help dissolve gallstones. But it may take months or years of treatment to dissolve your gallstones in this way, and gallstones will likely form again if treatment is stopped.

Is ursodiol hard on liver? ›

There does not appear to be cross sensitivity to liver injury or adverse events between ursodiol and other bile acid therapies. Other bile acids used in digestive diseases include chenodeoxycholic acid (chenodiol), cholic acid and obeticholic acid.

Is there a natural form of ursodiol? ›

Ursodeoxycholic acid (ursodiol) is a naturally occurring bile acid found in the bile of the Chinese black bear. Black bear bile has been used for many years by practitioners of Eastern medicine and has been commercially synthesized and available for use as a hepatoprotective agent in Japan since the 1930s.

How long does ursodiol take to work for gallstones? ›

During treatment with ursodiol for dissolution of gallstones, symptoms of biliary distress began to improve after three to six weeks. Gallstones will recur in about 50% of patients, but no consensus exists on management of patients after dissolution of their stones.

Can gallstones be dissolved instead of surgery? ›

If you can't or don't want to undergo surgery and your gallstones are small, one option is to take ursodiol (Actigall, Urso), a naturally occurring bile acid that helps dissolve cholesterol stones when taken by mouth two to four times a day.

What happens if you don't remove gallbladder with stones? ›

If gallstones lodge in a bile duct and cause a blockage, it eventually results in severe life-threatening complications such as bile duct inflammation and infection, pancreatitis or cholecystitis (an inflammation of gallbladder). In addition, if left untreated, it might increase risk of “gallbladder cancer”.

What food causes gallbladder stones? ›

A high intake of fats, and especially saturated and trans fats, may put extra strain on this process. Researchers have found that people who consume red, processed meats, and egg as part of an overall unhealthful diet have a higher risk of gallstones. Unhealthful fats are present in: red, fatty meats.

Can drinking lots of water dissolve gallstones? ›

A very effective way to dissolve gallstones naturally is by staying hydrated. Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water per day helps in keeping the bile production smooth.

How do you unblock a gallstone? ›

Stones may be removed using an endoscope during an ERCP. In some cases, surgery is required to bypass the blockage. The gallbladder will usually be surgically removed if the blockage is caused by gallstones.

What is the best food to eat if you have gallstones? ›

Tips for eating less fat
Food groupLow fat (good choices)
PulsesLow fat (good choices) Beans, peas, lentils.
Starchy foodsLow fat (good choices) Bread, rice, pasta, cereals, potatoes
FruitLow fat (good choices) Most varieties of fresh, frozen or tinned fruit.
VegetablesLow fat (good choices) All vegetables and salads.
7 more rows

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