Medicines for the Treatment of Gallbladder Stones

Definition

Cholelithiasis, or more commonly "gallbladder stones" is a common disease affecting the biliary tract: it is a pathology associated with the formation of stones starting from the concentration of some residues or constituents of the bile. Gallbladder stones are small solid aggregates composed mainly of calcium salts (20% of cases) or cholesterol (80% of cholelithiasis patients).

Causes

The causes of gallbladder stones are generally attributable to an "alteration of the balance" of the bile composition which can lead to the precipitation of cholesterol and / or bile pigments contained in it. The causes of this and the risk factors can be many. Gallstones are often associated with other diseases: abscesses, gangrene, inflammation of the gallbladder, chronic diseases of the gallbladder, polyps in the gallbladder, gallbladder or biliary tract cancer.

Symptoms

It is not uncommon for gallbladder stones to be diagnosed randomly: in fact, in some patients, cholelithiasis occurs completely asymptomatically. In other cases, the disease can cause: chills, digestive difficulties, abdominal pain, fever, pale stools sometimes with the presence of fat, loss of appetite, jaundice, nausea, dark urine, vomiting. In some cases, the gallbladder stones move, blocking biliary outflow (biliary colic).

Complications: biliary colic, acute pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction

Diet and Nutrition

Information on Gallbladder Stones - Medicines to Treat Gallbladder Stones is not intended to replace the direct relationship between healthcare professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Gallbladder Stones - Gallbladder Stones Medication.

Medicines

When the gallbladder stones show no symptoms, the pathological condition - at least for the majority of cases - tends to self-resolve without leaving complications; however, pharmacological treatment, even for asymptomatic cases, is recommended when the patient is young, has diabetes or is immunocompromised.
Naturally, the doctor will prescribe, if necessary, the most suitable treatment for each patient.

The following are the classes of drugs most used in the therapy against gallbladder stones and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the most suitable active ingredient and dosage for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment:

Ursodeoxycholic acid or ursodiol (Ursobil ®, Ursacol®, Litursol®): the administration of these drugs has proved particularly suitable for the dissolution of cholesterol stones in the gallbladder. More specifically, ursodeoxycholic acid is administered to those subjects who still have full functionality of the gallbladder, albeit suffering from small / medium, transparent stones; to be used with extreme caution in patients suffering from hepatic insufficiency. The usually recommended dosage of the acid ursodeoxycholic is the following: 5-10 mg / kg orally per day, in a single dose or in two or three divided doses. The duration of treatment can vary from 4-6 up to 12 months. In no case should the treatment be prolonged for more than two years. For the prevention of calculosis, doses of 300 mg of the drug per day are generally sufficient. The use of ursodeoxycholic acid during pregnancy is generally not recommended except in cases of real necessity.
Chenodeoxycholic acid (Leadiant® Chenodeoxycholic acid): is the most important bile acid produced by the liver. This active ingredient is indicated for the treatment of inborn errors of primary bile acid synthesis due to sterol 27-hydroxylase deficiency. Chenodeoxycholic acid can be used in the presence of gallbladder stones in order to favor their dissolution. Consult your doctor for the dosage and method of administration.

Other Drugs

In addition to the specific drugs used to favor the elimination of gallbladder stones, the doctor may prescribe the intake of other medicines in order to counteract the main symptoms that could occur in these cases. For example, the patient may be advised to take pain relievers to control pain, antispasmodic drugs to relax smooth muscle, or anti-emetic drugs if vomiting occurs.

Surgical Treatment

We have seen that gallbladder stones are closely related to biliary colic; the odds of returning colic and gallbladder stones - after the first episode symptomatic - are quite high. To reduce the risk of aggravations and relapses, surgical treatment (traditional cholecystectomy or videolaparosurgery) represents the best solution in the vast majority of patients suffering from gallbladder stones.