Gallbladder Medications

There are some medications that can be prescribed to treat gallbladder problems, but when they are ineffective, surgery may be required to treat the gallbladder and a cholecystectomy will be performed.

Medication to treat gallbladder surgery pain may be prescribed after the surgery.

Some people with other health issues may not be a candidate for surgery and will only be able to have their gallstones treated with medication.

Medication Used to Treat Gallbladder

Often by the time that there is severe gallbladder pain, the gallbladder may be so full of stones that treatment with medication may be ineffective. Reducing the size of the gallstones with medication will take time, but in some cases it will be the only option to get relief. Medications are used to dissolve certain types of gallstones and to prevent gallstones from forming in obese patients who are rapidly loosing weight. These are some of the medications that may be prescribed:

  • Ursodiol
  • URSO Forte
  • Actigall
  • URSO 250

Chenodiol is often tried in patients that are at high risk of complications from gallstone surgery. It is a bile acid that is used to dissolve non-calcified gallstones. For gallstones to be completely dissolved, it can take up to two years. Relief is usually experienced before that though.

After surgery, over the counter pain relief medication may be used or the doctor may prescribe stronger medication to relieve the pain.

Reasons to Treat with Medication

Not everyone who has an acute gallbladder attack will be able to be treated with surgery, so medication will need to be used to treat it. These are some of the conditions that may prevent a person from having a cholecystectomy:

  • Compromised immune system
  • Liver damage or disease
  • Heart problems
  • Lung disease
  • Advanced age

A medical professional will need to weigh the risks of surgery against the risks of treating the gallstones with medication to determine which will be the most effective and safest route for treating the gallbladder.

Managing Side Effects

Diarrhea is a common side effect of the medications that are used for gallbladder treatment. The risk of it occurring is reduced by starting out with small doses and gradually increasing the medication dosages to therapeutic levels. When the following worsen, you will need to notify your doctor:

  • Stomach pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Being informed of the side effects of the medication that is being used to treat a gallbladder will help in being able to manage the side effects.

Whenever possible it is best to have gallbladder problems diagnosed early because when diagnosed early, often medications to treat gallbladder stones will be successful and the need for surgery can be avoided.