Urso (Ursodiol)
Urso (Ursodiol) Dosage and Side Effects
URSO has been prescribed for you by your physician for the management of cholestatic liver disease.
Proper Use of this medication
Usual adult dose:
Your doctor would have prescribed the amount of URSO you should take each day for your medical condition. URSO should be taken in 2 to 4 divided doses with food. It is easier to remember to take your medication, if it is taken at the same time each day. Setting up a routine to take your medication helps this activity become a normal part of your day.
Take URSO for the full duration of treatment, even if you begin to feel better.
To prevent leakage of the active medicinal ingredient (ursodiol) from the cut tablets onto the surface of whole tablets and spreading the bitter taste, it is recommended that cut tablets be stored separately from whole tablets.
This medication should only be used as instructed by your doctor. Follow your doctor's instructions. Do not change the dose or stop the treatment without your doctor's advice.
Your doctor will ask you to have regular medical checkups, and will likely require liver tests. It is important to respect the dates proposed.
Overdose:
If you take more medication than you have been told to take, you should contact your doctor, hospital emergency department, or nearest poison control center immediately, even if you do not feel sick or you have no other symptoms.
The most severe symptom of overdosage would likely be diarrhea.
Missed dose:
If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose.
Side Effects
Common Side Effects of URSO
Tell your doctor if any of the following side effects become severe or don't go away:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Upset stomach, indigestion, or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Cough or sore throat
- Runny nose
- Back pain
- Muscle or joint pain
- Hair loss
- Dry skin or skin rash
- Headache
- Metallic taste in mouth
- Tiredness
Serious Side Effects of URSO
Tell your doctor right away if you experience any of the following serious side effects:
- Cough with fever
- Painful or frequent urination
- Signs of an allergic reaction (may include hives, rash, itching, chest tightness, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat)
Warnings and Precautions
Before you take URSO tell your doctor if:
- You have taken URSO before and it was not well-tolerated or caused an allergy.
- You have liver problems, or are in need of a liver transplant.
- You have a partial blockage of bile flow due to disease outside of the liver.
- You have variceal bleeding (bleeding from swollen veins, arteries, or lymph vessels).
- You have ascites (swelling in the abdomen).
- You are taking other prescription or non-prescription medicines.
- You are using any new medicine (prescription or non-prescription) such as bile reduction medicines (cholestyramine or colestipol), aluminum based antacids (Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, and many others), and cyclosporine, nitrendipine, or dapsone.
- You develop any new medical problem while using this medicine.
- You have severe stomach pain.
- You are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.
- You need other medical treatment by another doctor, let him or her know that you are taking URSO.
URSO is not recommended for use in children.
You should discuss with your doctor the benefits and risks of taking URSO for your medical condition.
This medication is prescribed for a particular health problem and for your personal use only. Do not give it to another person.
Keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children.
Interactions with this medication
The following medicines may decrease the amount of ursodiol that is absorbed into your body:
- Medicines that reduce the amount of bile acids such as cholestyramine or colestipol
- Antacids that contain aluminum such as Rolaids, Maalox, Mylanta, and many others.
The absorption and metabolism of the following medicines may be affected by taking ursodiol:
- Cyclosporine
- Dapsone
- Nitrendipine
Use of these medicines with URSO may require patients to be closely monitored and the dose of their medicines adjusted.
Other related products
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.