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QUESTION & ANSWER
Q: How can you dissolve gallstones without surgery?

By  Ashley Festa
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A:

Nonsurgical ways to dissolve gallstones include:

  • Dissolving cholesterol gallstones with medication called ursodiol

  • Lithotripsy to break up gallstones, making them easier to dissolve with ursodiol

  • Endoscopy

Do not try to dissolve gallstones naturally, including apple cider vinegar, which does not dissolve gallstones.

More About Gallstones

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Digestive Health

About The Author

Ashley Festa Healthgrades Contributor
Ashley Festa
Ashley Festa is a Greenville, S.C.-based freelance writer and editor who has been writing professionally for nearly two decades. In addition to Healthgrades, she also has written for Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing and Health Innovation, and Fit Pregnancy magazine.
Last Updated: August 1, 2019
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THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
  1. Treatment for Gallstones. National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gallstones/treatment
  2. What to do about gallstones. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/what-to-do-about-gallstones