Depending on your history and severity of your gallbladder disease, your doctor will suggest a treatment plan. Your treatment plan can include watchful waiting, diet modifications, medication, shock-wave therapy, or elective surgery. Fasting and starvation diets can make your illness worse because they make your bile even more likely to turn into gallstones. You might need to get IV (intravenous, or into your vein) fluids so you don’t get dehydrated. If you have an infection in your gallbladder, you will need antibiotics. Take them exactly as prescribed. Your doctor may also give you pain medication to make you more comfortable. Use these only as directed, and don’t take more than your doctor tells you to. Cholecystitis often comes back and can sometimes be severe, so you may need surgery to remove your gallbladder. When you have surgery will depend on how serious your symptoms are – sometimes it will be within two days of seeing your doctor, but other times you may be able to wait a little while. If a tumor is causing your gallbladder problems, you will need to have it removed.  Most gallbladder surgeries are done with small instruments and cameras through tiny incisions (laparoscopic surgery), so you won’t even have big scars. You don’t need your gallbladder! Other parts of your body can take over your gallbladder’s job once it’s removed. You should be able to return to your normal activities in about two weeks if you have laparoscopic surgery. In the meantime, take time off of work to rest. Don't drive for the first week. Incorporate slow walking into your day after a few days of rest, and gradually increase your activity. Start eating a normal, healthy diet when you get home from the hospital. Ask your doctor if you have any specific questions about recovery. Ask your doctor for recovery guidelines if you have open surgery. Open surgery requires more extensive recovery than laparoscopic surgery. If you can’t have surgery for some reason, ask your doctor about medications. The medications ursodiol (Actigall) and chenodiol (Chenix) can dissolve some kinds of gallstones, but this can take months or even years to work. Your gallstones might also return once the treatment is stopped, so this options isn’t the best choice if you can have surgery instead. Only about 15% of people with gallstones can successfully use shockwave treatment, called extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. This uses painless shock waves to break up stones while you sit in a bath. Ask your doctor if this may work for you. It’s most effective if you have only one gallstone that’s smaller than 2cm in diameter. Alternative medicine practitioners suggest a gallbladder cleanse to break up gallstones – a mix of olive oil, herbs, and fruit juice (there’s no set specific recipe). There’s no data showing these work, and they may be risky to your health. Talk to your doctor first if you're interested in trying one.
Follow up with your doctor. Avoid fasting and starvation diets. Take your medications as directed. Have surgery, if necessary. Take it easy for two weeks after surgery. Take medicine to dissolve gallstones if you can’t have surgery. Ask if you qualify for shock wave treatment. Discuss the risks and benefits of a gallbladder cleanse with your doctor.