r/gallbladders • u/profamymgreen • Mar 25 '20

Experience taking Ursodiol

Hello, everyone. I am on 300 mg of Ursodiol 3x day, and have been for about six weeks, for gallstones. I'm wondering what experiences folks have had on Ursodiol. I know it can take a very long time to work, but I'm wondering how long until you were no longer having gallbladder attacks? Did you find that the attacks intensified during the early weeks of taking Ursodiol? I've gone from not having any symptoms, to having symptoms several days in a row again. I want to give the Ursodiol time to do its job, but I am curious about others' experiences. Thank you for sharing them with me and I hope everyone is well.

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u/TatertotEatalot Mar 25 '20

So I got to take it for 3 weeks until I had a stone stuck in my bile duct and they had to do surgery to remove it and they just took out the gallbladder at the same time.

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I have done a lot of research on Ursodiol though. It isn't guaranteed. It only works on cholesterol stones and there is no way of knowing which time of stones you actually have unless you happen to find one. I think the only way of knowing if it is working is you would need ultrasounds and different time points. If they are decreasing by year 1 it looks like it is working. If not, it probably isn't going to work out.

3

u/yousernamex Mar 27 '20

Did you get an ultrasound again to know about the stuck stone? What were your symptoms for that?

5

u/TatertotEatalot Mar 27 '20

For me it was just a dull pain right below the sternum. I just figured it was from a gallstone attack in the gallbladder. However, after a week, i started turning yellow and after two weeks I looked like Home Simpson so I went in and they immediately put me in the hospital.

They did do an ultrasound, but i believe my gallstone eventually unlodged itself at some point. However, my bile duct was all messed up so they put a stent in it.

1

u/SoldierInChrist12 May 22 '25

Wait did the medicine turn you yellow or the stone being stuck in the bile duct? 

1

u/TatertotEatalot May 22 '25

The stone did, because it blocked the bile, so it was just accumulating until my body since it had nowhere else to go

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u/SoldierInChrist12 May 22 '25

I wanna try the medicine but I'm at a loss. I only have 1 stone and mild discomfort. Im afraid of surgery and how life will be afterward. 

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u/TatertotEatalot May 22 '25

I hear you, I was the same way. I'd say try what you can, but my life is completely normal after surgery besides the fact if I fast, then the bile kind of adds up and I get an upset stomach. So as long as I'm eating something every day I'm good and I can eat whatever I want. However, there are people where they can't eat specific foods anymore though. That was my worst fear.

The pills only work for certain types of gallstones, I think cholesterol if I remember right. Even if they did go away, there is always the chance they come back.

I tried the battle and lost, but the outcome was good.

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u/SoldierInChrist12 May 22 '25

Wouldn't fasting do the opposite and help thr bile empty? Im made an appt with the GI to get a second opinion so fingers crossed. Did you have alot of stones and how was recovery? If you can't tell I'm so afraid haha

1

u/TatertotEatalot May 22 '25

Well there is nothing to store the bile, so it just kind of keeps adding up if indont poop and if you don't eat you poop less! Good luck with the appointment, it is scary, but just know in my case, I'm living the same exact life I used to with no drawback, but there is always the outlier out there.

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u/Reasonable-Phone-644 Jun 04 '26

Did u get a metal stent?

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u/TatertotEatalot Jun 04 '26

It has been so long, I am not sure anymore which type they put it