Question:
Medication to prevent gall bladder removal?

While researching this surgery, I learned that there is a medication taken for 6 months after surgery to prevent gallstones. When I asked my doctor about it, he said that it wasn't worth the cost and that after that time period, stones would likely form anyway. Has anyone taken this medication? And, is it inevitable that I will have to have more surgery?    — [Anonymous] (posted on October 18, 2001)

October 18, 2001
I take this medicine - I am 7 months post-op and have about a months' worth left (I forget sometimes). So far, no poblems., I wondered if it was all worth it until I read the patient insert about how effective it was in preventing gallstones, specifiaclly they used WLS patients in their research. It IS expensive, before insurance 2 pills a day for 6 months is $800 from CVS. AND THAT IS FOR THE GENERIC!!! My insurance covers 75% of that. My doc wrote me a 180 supply at a time (3 months), so I only get half at a time to keep from paying so much at once. ($50 every month and a half is easier than $100 every 3 months, keep this in mind for any prescription.) You can probably find the patient info sheet online. It isn't 100% effective, but it was somehting like 75% effective. I will take those odds. I _really_ have no desire for another surgery, so I take it and cross my fingers. Gallstones are most likely to form during rapid weight loss, so if you have a lot to lose at 6 months or are still losing very fast at 6 months (2+ lbs. per week), you may want to take it longer. If your WLS doc doesn't want to prescribe it, ask your PCP. YOU are in charge here.
   — M. A. B.

October 18, 2001
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/vbowen7/ page to the bottom,it has some ans about the gall bladder http://www.bradburywebdesign.com/gall_bladder_disease.htm also this one and page to the bottom where it talks about the medication to prevent it. I don't kn the ans. but they said the meds are like your Dr. told you not too successful.
   — Jackiis

October 18, 2001
My WLS surgeon routinely removes the GB during RNY surgery. I was one of the few he left it in. I started on "Actigall" immediately after surgery. However, at 7 months, I still had to have emergency surgery to have my GB removed. This surgeon (different from WLS surgeon) was of the opinion that it was unlikely any medication would have prevented the need for this second surgery. He said it was completely related to the accelerated weight loss (for me, 100 lbs in the first 13 weeks - that was over 50% of my excess). Is it possible this medicine can allow someone's GB to stay healthy that would have had to been extracted without the medication??? Probably, but there's no way to know. If you take the medicine and your GB stays healthy, it's possible your GB would have been healthy without it. On the other hand, I'm not aware of any side-effects of taking it, so what have you got to lose (other than some cash)?? Good luck to you!!! Kevin
   — meilankev

October 26, 2001
NOW, I realize that everyone will think I am a leaunatic (sp?) butr, I had my gallbladder removed 10 yrs ago. My uncle a witchdoctor I guess you would call him says to me why would you have surgery? Anyway long story short he tells me to eat blueberries. I did i ate blueberry pie filling. I just wanted to see what it was all about. I went for my labs pre-op and my surgeon ask me what was going on BECAUSe there was gall stones crystalized in my urine!!!!!! Pretty neat huh? Had i not been sick I would ate blueberries until I could not stand them any more to avoid that surgery LOL Good Luck all!!!!
   — Cathy B.