Cholestyramine For Diarrhea (Page 5) (Top voted first)

I do have high cholesterol and high triglycerides(sp?) but the Cholestyramine was prescribed for me for diarrhea and such since my gall-bladder surgery. i am confused as it is not on the instructions re: what I went to the doctor to have "fixed"? I was losing my stools 3 or 4 times per day.

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I have had IBS-D since 2003, and that was the year I retook all my childhood shots to get into nursing school- so we figure thimerisol (mercury) damage to the mast cells, which are plentiful in the gut. Antihistamines help but don't cure. Pepcid is an antihistamine of sorts and helps. It is worse when fasting. My doc has pinpointed pituitary and adrenal. Studies on fasting rats stressed show they put out high histamine and this can create an ulcer- which i do have. It took a few years after the initial diarrhea to show up as a duodenal ulcer. I suspect the adrenal became involved (and the thyroid then along with it) due to B vitamin deficiency. There was a book published in 1914, when they were first discovering the vitamins and what they did, and pigeons, monkeys and rats all were made deficient in the B complex, vitamin A and vitamin E. The B deficiency caused lesions in the gut, ulcers and enlarged the adrenals, gonads and thyroid. I am negative for H pylori, tested about 5 times, including a biopsy, negative for lactose intolerance, negative for gluten intolerance (in fact eating whole wheat bread helps slow it down) . Eating in general stops or slows it. Going without eating for a few hours to all night causes it to be loose again. I used to be awakened every morning at 3 am- that was my main cortisol (adrenal/pituitary) symptom. For years. I was better than an alarm clock. I worked 2 hours away and had to get up at that time too so that worked out. Now I am unemployed from the recession, and have taken up to 100 mg of melatonin to go to sleep and stay asleep- and the diarrhea often ruined my sleep. Now the melatonin does nothing and I must take 50 mg of benadryl to sleep- and as an antihistamine it helps there too- and now the diarrhea starts at 6 am. So I get more sleep, but am still forced up by the scoots.

I cleared my gallbladder of stones with a quart of vinegar, and must keep the gallbladder clear with various GB stimulators at mealtime- vinegar pills, tumeric, cumin, fenugreek seed, beet powder, even coffee. If I don't have one, I have the other.
I have seen some improvement with berberine, maca root (which helped the thyroid and adrenal- relieved the depression and gave me some energy) whole thyroid Rx, and most recently, the 12 tissue salts. These are more gradual, but I am seeing improvement. I can use fewer gall bladder stimulants. Maybe 1 or 2 pills rather than 4-5. Stools having more brown color-more consistantly, even when diarrhea.

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My Dr prescribed the same for me for my severe IBS-D also, it didn't work for me, it just made me very nauseated. Cost me a lot of money and didn't work. Others on here swear by it. Good Luck.
Diana

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For Loreva, Jill and Rhonda - I have had this problem for years and all since my gall bladder operation in 1996. Thank God for Chlorestamine - I can finally eat. The liquid diahreha was the worst ever and kept me at home. Have faith - it really works!

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I've been taking choleststamine for the past 4 years for problems with diarrhea after removal of gall bladder. I am a nurse that also has a chronic leukemia, so I have to play that game watch my other drugs I take. I try to take it very early in am as it makes me very fatigued so if I can take it early in the morning around 5 am then I go back to bed and sleep until 930 or 10 am. It's a late start to the day but it's better than feeling sleepy for four hours. Then I don't take any meds until at night when I go to bed so it doesn't cause any problems. I'm on an oncological oral drug as well as Plavix because I had an aortal valve put in. It does work out unless I sleep later. I don't like the drug but it does stop the diarrhea!!

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If you are eating yogurt every day and having diarrhea, you could be lactose intolerant. Took me many years to figure this out. Now i use lactose free milk. It is also in cheese and ice cream, etc. Worth a try to eliminate these foods for a few days.

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Flush your body out immediately with lots of water, and Gatorade to replenish electrolytes. Go to the grocery store and get yourself several bottles of the little Dann-Active drinks (delicious little bottles of probiotics). Eat lots of GOOD probiotic yogurt (I ate Activia). I had a total hip replacement surgery 5 weeks ago, and developed C-diff a week after I was discharged from the hospital. Agony. Pure agony... Doctor prescribed Flagyl too which I refused to take. I began drinking a minimum of four bottles of water and three bottles of Gatorade per day. I drink the Dann-Active three times a day, and ate two yogurts. I also bought myself a chicken noodle soup by Lipton-it comes in a Redbox and you cook it. I also ate saltine crackers. Within 48 hours my diarrhea stopped, and my gut felt better.

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I read on line and instructions that it can discolor your teeth and as soon as you drink the solution you need to brush your teeth right away. I think I also read you are to let your dentist know you are taking this.

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This past March I lost all energy. I had the five hour glucose test, holter monitor, full blood panel, gi apt scheduled for upper gi and then to a hematologist. As it turns out I was severely anemic with a low hemoglobin. My iron was okay but my ferritin level was 8. I have been receiving ferrous through an iv once weekly for what will be five weeks. At this point the md feels that my intestines are just not absorbing the iron. I do have to receive benedryl through an iv before treatment as I did have swollen joints with pain without. Four weeks into treatment and I have my energy and few if any loose bowels.

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I have just received this today from my doctor because of horrible diarrhea. He said that this should work as long as I keep away from fatty foods - oops - no more pizza. Is this true for everyone - I would like to know because I am afraid to take it outside of my home - where I can't control exactly how a meal is served. I need help please.

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I have had IBS-D since 1983. Due to an infection during lap band surgery and removal of my galbladder I have had a flare-up of ibs-d symtoms.
The infection was mycobactrium abcessus, treated with Tygacil, which affected my smell, taste and most importantly my IBS. My DR prescribed Cholestyramine. Is this good? I'm a little gun shy about new IBS treatments.

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I got the Sandoz brand, it didn't help with diarrhea, just made my nauseated. Along with IBS-D, I also have diverticulosis. How many times a day do you take the Cholestyramine & what dose?

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