Do I need to take medicine for long term for gallstones?

Gallstones do not require long-term medication in all cases. Whether medication is needed depends on the size, location and symptoms of the stones. For small stones without symptoms, medication is usually not needed, but if symptoms such as biliary colic occur, or if the stones cause complications, drug treatment or even surgical intervention may be required.

Gallstones are the result of abnormal precipitation of cholesterol or bile pigments in bile, which gradually form solid particles. Many people may not have any symptoms throughout their lives, while others may experience severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and other problems due to stones blocking the bile duct. The purpose of drug treatment is to dissolve stones or relieve symptoms by adjusting the bile composition, but the effect of drugs varies from person to person, and not all stones are suitable for treatment with drugs.

Common drugs currently include ursodeoxycholic acid, which can help dissolve cholesterol stones, but it is only suitable for cholesterol stones smaller than 2 cm, and the patient's gallbladder function must be normal and there are no obvious symptoms. This type of drug is slow to take effect and usually takes several months or even years to take effect. Drugs cannot cure stones, and stones may recur after stopping the drug. If stones cause serious complications such as cholecystitis, cholangitis, or pancreatitis, it is usually recommended to surgically remove the gallbladder to fundamentally solve the problem.

For asymptomatic gallstones, the risk of disease can be reduced through diet control. For example, reduce the intake of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods, increase the intake of dietary fiber, drink plenty of water, exercise moderately, and maintain good weight management. If severe pain in the right upper abdomen, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, fever, etc. occurs, you should seek medical evaluation as soon as possible to avoid serious complications.