Composition:
Each capsule of Urso contains 500 mg Ursodeoxycholic acid as the active ingredient.
Description:
Urso contains Ursodeoxycholic acid that has been used successfully for oral dissolution therapy of gallstones and in the treatment of bile reflux gastritis. It also reduces the symptoms and improves hepatic enzyme levels in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. There are a number of cholestatic diseases (primary sclerosing cholangitis, the various forms of hepatitis including overlap syndrome, cholestasis occurring in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition and in cholestatic diseases of childhood such as cystic fibrosis) in which positive effects of treatment with Urso have been published.
Indications:
• For the dissolution of radiolucent cholesterol gallstones (no larger than 15 mm in diameter) in patients with still functioning gall bladder despite the gallstones
• For the symptomatic therapy of primary biliary cirrhosis, provided there is no decompensated hepatic cirrhosis
• For the treatment of bile reflux gastritis
Dosage:
For the dissolution of cholesterol gallstones:
The daily dosage amounts to 10 mg per kg body weight. Swallow the capsules whole with a little fluid, do not chew. Do take the capsules regularly. Gallstones generally take from 6 to 24 months to dissolve. If the gallstones have not become smaller after 12 months, do not continue treatment. The result of therapy should be mentioned by ultrasonography or X-ray every 6 months. At the follow-up examinations, a check should be made to see whether calcification of the stones has occurred in the meantime. Should this be the case, the treatment must be ended.
For the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC):
The daily dosage is 10-15 mg per kg body weight daily. For the first 3 months of treatment, Urso caps should be taken divided over the day. With improvement of the liver values the daily dose may be taken once daily in the evening. The use of Urso capsule in primary biliary cirrhosis may be continued indefinitely. In patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, in rare cases the clinical symptoms may worsen at the beginning of treatment, e.g. the itching may increase. Should this occur, therapy should first be continued with Urso caps 250 mg daily, and the therapy gradually increased until the dose indicated in the respective dosage regimen is reached again.
For the treatment of bile reflux gastritis:
Urso caps 250 mg should normally be taken for 10-14 days. The attending physician will decide how long treatment should be continued.
Note: It is important for the result of treatment to take the capsules regularly. Liver function parameters should be monitored several times during treatment.
For the symptomatic treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis:
The daily dose depends on bodyweight and is approx. 2 to 6 capsule (10 to 15 mg Ursodeoxycholic acid per kg bodyweight)