Gallstone Dissolution Agents: Understanding Treatment Options

A gallstone dissolution agent is a medication used to dissolve gallstones (stones that develop in the gallbladder). These medications may offer relief from gallstones for some, although they are not the top treatment for this condition.

Identification

• Two medications, called chenodeoxycholic acids (CDCA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, or ursodiol), are used to dissolve gallstones, according to Medline Plus.

Types

• In most cases, gallstone dissolving medications are given in pill form, although they can also be passed through a catheter into the gallbladder, according to Medline Plus.

Time Frame

• Gallstone dissolution agents can take a long time (as much as two years) to work; drugs passed through a catheter work more quickly, but Medline Plus reports that they may be toxic.

Considerations

• Gallstones often come back when treated with medications, and surgery is often a better treatment option for gallstones, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Potential

• In the future, doctors may be able to inject gallstone dissolution agents directly into the gallbladder, according to the Mayo Clinic; as of 2010, this remains an experimental treatment.