Gallstone disease: current pharmacotherapy options

Introduction. Gallstone disease is one of the most common diseases of the digestive system, its prevalence rate averaged to 10–15%, which is associated with high healthcare costs for patient management such as diagnosis, cholecystectomy with over 500 000 operations performed per year in the Russian Federation, and pharmacotherapy, which is increasingly used for the combined treatment. Aim. To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of hymecromon, a domestic drug, in patients with dyspeptic form of GSD. Materials and methods. A total of 30 patients (14 men and 16 women) with gallstones in their gallbladders were observed in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 included 15 patients who received hymecromone at a dose of 600 mg/ day; Group 2 included 15 patients who received hymecromone at a dose of 1200 mg/day. The course of therapy was 21 days. Results. Intensity of all GSD symptoms significantly decreased by the end of hymecromone therapy in patients of both groups. Almost all patients reported a stool normalization. The use of hymecromone at a dose of 400 mg three times a day did not result in loose stools, and in patients who had loose stools before initiation of treatment, hymecromone contributed to the normalization of its frequency and nature. Vomiting, urge to retch and loss of appetite were completely discontinued in patients who received hymecromone at a dose of 1200 mg/day, however, there were no significant differences between Groups 1 and 2 in the changes in symptoms. No adverse events or side effects were observed during therapy. Conclusion. The therapy had a beneficial effect on upper gastrointestinal symptoms and bowel dysfunction (flatulence, diarrhoea, constipation). A significant improvement in the patients’ quality of life based on GSRS questionnaire scores was noted. The domestic drug Odecromon is considered to be effective in the treatment of dyspeptic GSD.