Gallstone disease, chronic and acute cholecystitis are fairly common diseases that cause people to suffer from pain and lie on the operating table in an attempt to get rid of constant discomfort. In some cases, pathologies in the functioning of the gallbladder can be life threatening. Preparations for the gallbladder, provided they are consumed in a timely manner, can prevent the formation of stones or even gently dissolve and remove existing ones (such cases are known and recorded in medicine). Pharmacology does not stand still: choleretic medicines have long been cheap and do not have any side effects for the overall health.
Common causes of gallbladder pathologies
Cholecystitis is one of the most common biliary diseases. Almost always, if untreated, cholelithiasis begins. If the patient shows negligence to his own health and does not treat it either - over time you have to "go under the knife" - completely remove the organ. What are the reasons for the development of the initial stages of pathologies and when is it time to start taking medications for the gallbladder in order to guarantee that the disease will not progress?
- Improper nutrition is the main reason for the development of cholecystitis and the subsequent formation of stones. The abundance of fatty, high-calorie foods, strict diets and temporary hunger strikes - all this sooner or later leads to inflammation of the cells of the pancreas, impaired outflow of bile, fatty degeneration of liver cells. If the reason is improper nutrition, then it is not necessary to start taking medications for the gallbladder - it is enough to revise your diet and strictly adhere to the medical diet "Table No. 5".
- Alcohol abuse is the second most frequent factor that affects the incidence of cholecystitis, cholestasis and cholelithiasis. Almost all people who abuse alcohol at least once a month, after several years of this regimen, are diagnosed with chronic cholecystitis. After receiving such a diagnosis, you should once and for all leave your bad habits in the past and adhere to the plan of administration of drugs for the treatment of the gallbladder written by a gastroenterologist.
- Hereditary and acquired physiological factors also affect the possibility of cholelithiasis. In particular, with an inborn feature - an excess of the gall bladder - stones can form even if a person eats properly and does not drink alcohol at all. Due to the peculiarities of the anatomical form of the organ, bile stagnates, pain begins, and stones form over time. The patient, knowing his physiological peculiarity, must constantly take choleretic drugs when the gallbladder is overbent.
Symptoms of gallbladder disease: when it's time to see a doctor
Depending on the symptoms, the doctor will direct you to the necessary studies and make an accurate diagnosis.
- Dyskinesia, or dysfunction, occurs as a result of the innervation of the organ and, as a consequence, a violation of the contractility of its walls, due to which bile is excreted in the duodenum in an untimely or insufficient amount. Digestion problems begin, liver function worsens, and a person suffers from pulling pain in the epigastric region.
- Cholecystitis is an inflammatory process of an organ. The disease can develop due to exposure to pathogenic flora, bacteria. Often, malnutrition can contribute to the onset of cholecystitis. The patient feels weakness, pulling pain in the solar plexus and right side, he is characterized by asthenia and decreased performance.
- Gallstone disease is characterized by the formation of calculi due to a violation of the chemical composition of the contents of the gallbladder, in some cases due to a distortion of the composition of bile or the anatomical features of the organ. The patient suffers from indigestion and nausea, bloating - the functioning of all body systems is deformed, severe pain may begin over time.
- The gallbladder can be susceptible to parasitic infestations - these are giardia, echinococcus, and also relatively large helminths. The patient suffers from nausea, loses weight, may experience vomiting after each meal - the symptomatology of the presence of parasites in the gallbladder is always different depending on individual characteristics.
- If you experience pain in the right hypochondrium, with nausea and vomiting after eating, which are accompanied by weakness, you should definitely undergo a full examination, and not self-medicate. These can be symptoms of tumor diseases of the gallbladder - from benign polyps to malignant.
The principles of pharmacological therapy for cholelithiasis
Depending on the location and intensity of the pain syndrome, as well as on the basis of the studies (ultrasound, MRI, biochemical analysis of blood), the doctor will diagnose and prescribe a course of treatment. It is forbidden to independently diagnose and choose drugs for the gallbladder: this can provoke an outflow of bile and separation of stones from the walls, as a result of which severe pain and worsening of the condition can begin up to death.
If the disease has gone far and organ removal is necessary, do not panic. People live for decades and without a gall bladder. Of course, you will have to adhere to a strict diet and take drugs with the gallbladder removed (these are most often hepatoprotectors, as well as drugs that make up the function of bile in digestion). But in general, the patient leads a full life after surgery.
Classification of effective drugs for the gallbladder
According to the principle of action, the whole variety of pharmacological agents can be divided into several groups.
- Antispasmodics - relieve spasms and pain, allow you to normalize the outflow of bile (especially if taken in parallel with choleretic - an experienced gastroenterologist can prescribe such a ligament, it is strictly forbidden to prescribe such drugs for yourself).
- Hepatoprotectors will help not only restore the outflow of bile, but also prevent the development of liver pathologies (the functions of the liver and bile are closely interconnected, and the pathology of the second organ will inevitably begin with a “neighbor” disease).
- Antibiotic and antiparasitic drugs.
- Cholagogue teas, capsules, syrups, etc.
Drugs from the group of antispasmodics for pain with cholecystitis
The patient may be so uncomfortable that he will not be able to reach the pharmacy. Because antispasmodics should always be present in the home medicine cabinet. They can also be used as drugs after removal of the gallbladder - but only after consultation with your doctor. In no case should you prescribe painkillers yourself. Most often, the following drugs are used for stagnation of bile in the gallbladder, which is accompanied by pain:
- "Drotaverin" or its more expensive analogue "No-shpa" - have a vasodilating, relaxing muscle of the internal organs and hypotensive effect.
- "Spazmalgon" - a combined drug, with stones in the gall bladder will help relieve pain before the arrival of an ambulance.
- "Noshpalgin" is a powerful combined painkiller, before using which it is necessary to consult with your doctor.
What medications can be used for cholelithiasis
Gallstone disease is a dangerous condition, and it is forbidden to choose drugs on your own to relieve discomfort. At any time, under the action of a choleretic agent, the stone can move away, which will lead to a worsening of the condition and increased pain. If possible, you should visit a gastroenterologist every quarter and take a referral to an ultrasound scan (and, if necessary, an MRI scan) to monitor the condition of the stones, their density, size and location in the organ.
With the timely intake of preparations for splitting stones (Ursosan has proven itself in this regard), it is still possible to get rid of them without surgery. Removal of the gallbladder can be prevented. Yes, sometimes doctors go to such drastic measures in an emergency with exacerbation. What drugs to take after gallbladder removal due to stones? Here we need a whole range of pharmacological agents: this is an analgesic, and hapatoprotectors, and antibiotic, and many other drugs.
Effective preparations with choleretic effect and reviews about them
If you deal with the disease at an early stage and regularly drink choleretic drugs, it is possible to completely avoid the appearance of stones or to contribute to their crushing and painless exit.
Most often, gastroenterologists prescribe the following drugs to dissolve gallstones with a choleretic effect:
- "Ursoliv", "Ursosan", "Exhol", "Ursodez" - drugs with ursodeoxycholic acid as an active substance. Patient reviews indicate that it is thanks to these drugs that it is possible to achieve a gradual disposal of stones.
- "Heptor", "Heptral" incorporate the main active ingredient ademetionin, which also has a hepatoprotective effect.
- "Cholenzyme" acts due to bile acids in the composition, is a means of combined action on the gallbladder. What drugs have the same effect? You can compare the effect of Essential, although it has a slightly different composition and the basic principle of action is hepatoprotective.
- "Allohol" is another choleretic drug based on plant components. In addition to choleretic, it also has a mild hepatoprotective effect. Patient reviews about this drug are positive: relief comes after a week of administration, depending on the severity of symptoms, sometimes this can happen faster.
- "Holosas" is a mild choleretic drug based on herbal ingredients, which is often prescribed even for children and adolescents, as well as for pregnant women (self-administration of the drug is prohibited, since they may suddenly come out if there are stones).
Hepatoprotectors: preparations for the liver and gall bladder
These are drugs and dietary supplements, which have as their goal primarily the restoration of liver cells. Why do gastroenterologists so often prescribe them as drugs for dissolving gallstones? The fact is that the liver and bile are nearby, and the functioning of each of these organs is in close relationship with the condition of the other.
Therefore, very often in violation of the outflow of bile, cholecystitis, it is advisable to conduct a course of hepatoprotector. If necessary, antibiotics or antiparasitic drugs are also prescribed (depending on the overall clinical picture).
Hepatoprotectors, which are advisable to take with all kinds of impaired functioning of the gallbladder:
- Karsil
- Essentiale
- "Heptral" or its analogue "Heptor";
- Essliver
- "Phosphogliv".
Antibiotic and antiparasitic drugs and reviews about them
Quite often, the causes of inflammatory processes in the bile are bacterial and helminthic invasions. As a result of this process, a person constantly feels weakness, malaise, nausea after eating, subfebrile temperature can hold for a long time. In such cases, treatment with antibacterial or antiparasitic drugs is necessary. It is impossible to prescribe them on their own in any case: only after the results of the tests are available on the hands of the gastroenterologist and he can find out which bacterium or parasite caused the onset of inflammation, it is possible to prescribe the medicine in the required dosage. Patient reviews indicate that with correctly prescribed therapy, the symptoms recede already on the second or third day from the start of treatment.
Most often, the following drugs are used as part of complex therapy for diseases of the gallbladder of a bacterial nature:
- Cefozalin;
- Cefotaxime;
- Ciprofloxacin;
- "Metronidazole".
In case the tests showed the presence of parasitic infestation, you should choose a drug for the treatment of a particular type - be it helminths, roundworms, etc.
Doctor's advice: how to prevent the formation of gallstones
A disease is always easier to prevent than to treat it. This statement is also true for pathologies of the gallbladder. Simple advice from a gastroenterologist on how to minimize the risks of developing pathology is presented below.
- Eat right - minimize the consumption of fatty foods, which require a lot of enzymes to digest, and, accordingly, a lot of bile.
- Exclude from your diet any alcoholic beverages, whether it beers, cocktails, wines or spirits. Regular use, even in small doses, is almost guaranteed to lead to the development of cholecystitis and pancreatitis.
- Regularly, at least once a year, do an ultrasound of the abdominal organs. If the bend of the gallbladder is noticeable on the monitor, then it is necessary to drink the cholagogue preparation from time to time in order to exclude the possibility of stagnation of bile and related stone formation in the future.
- Avoid eating poorly fried meat. Rinse all vegetables and fruits thoroughly before eating. Never forget to wash your hands before eating or preparing meals.