Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), also known as ursodiol, is a secondary bile acid, produced in humans and most other species from metabolism by intestinal bacteria. Ursodiol is in a class of medications called gallstone dissolution agents. It works by decreasing the production of cholesterol and by dissolving the cholesterol in bile to prevent stone formation and by decreasing toxic levels of bile acids that accumulate in primary biliary cirrhosis. What is ursodiol? Ursodiol capsules are used to dissolve small gallstones that cannot be removed with surgery, or to prevent gallstones that may occur during rapid weight loss. Ursodiol is a bile acid that helps prevent and dissolve certain gallstones. It works by lowering how much cholesterol your gut absorbs and how much cholesterol your liver releases into bile. Ursodiol (ursodeoxycholic acid, UDCA) is a naturally occurring bile acid found in small quantities in normal human bile and in larger quantities in the biles of certain species of bears. Ursodiol is used to dissolve gallstones in patients who do not need to have their gallbladders removed or in those in whom surgery should be avoided because of other medical problems. What is this medication? URSODIOL (ER soe dye ol) prevents and treats gallstones. It works by stopping your liver from making cholesterol, a substance that causes some types of gallstones to form. It also breaks down the cholesterol that makes up the gallstone. Detailed Ursodiol dosage information for adults. Includes dosages for Gallbladder Disease and Biliary Cirrhosis; plus renal, liver and dialysis adjustments. Ursodiol is a bile acid that acts in the liver, bile, and gut. It reduces cholesterol made and released by the liver and blocks some cholesterol absorption in the intestine. Ursodiol is a type of bile acid that your body naturally forms in small amounts. When you take ursodiol as a medicine, it changes your bile so that cholesterol (a main component of gallstones).