Generic Name: Cholestyramine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (cholestyramine)
Cholestyramine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome Reviews
"I have been dealing with IBS-D for 22 years. I was taking Imodium like candy for each dose to only last 4 hours or less. I know where every bathroom is because I was going 7-8 times a day. I've lost relationships, and starting having anxiety about eating because I knew I'd be running to the bathroom before I even finished. 2 days ago, I broke down and went to yet another GI doctor. She started me on the 4mg cholestyramine powder. I took it for the first time yesterday. I went out to eat yesterday evening expecting to run. I did not!! Wasn't expecting it to work for a few weeks. I will gladly deal with the chalky taste if I can actually be 'normal'. Where was this 22 years ago, lol? Can't comment on side effects... only on day 2."
"I have Crohn's Disease, IBS-D, had a bowel resection, gallbladder removed, diagnosed with lactose intolerance, and have a hiatal hernia. I had issues after having my gallbladder removed in 2018. I started using cholestyramine almost a year ago. It's been a life changer! Highly recommended for those suffering!"
"About eight years ago, I got chronic diarrhea for no apparent reason, but I thought it would go away. It didn't. I finally relented and saw a doctor who put me through the usual 'elimination of other problems' testing and announced I had IBS-D largely because I had all the symptoms and nothing else was the matter with me. There is no clear cause, no cure, and no real treatment. He prescribed Cholestyramine and told me some success is found using it. It worked in just a few days. I could leave the house. If I quit using it, I had to stay within three long strides of a bathroom like before. And then one day, months and months later, I felt different for some reason and I stopped using Cholestyramine. I was well again! That was two years ago, and last week IBS-D returned with a grudge. I'm back on the powder and under control again, already. My preferred way to take it is twice a day with four to five ounces of cranberry juice, well shaken."
"I’m 43 and I’ve had terrible IBS-D since I was 10. It’s impacted every aspect of my life. I had tried everything and honestly had given up. After reading an article about this drug - I decided to give it a chance because the symptoms matched mine. My primary doctor was fine sending me an RX. I took two doses as prescribed, and my life immediately changed. After 33 years of misery - of diarrhea taking the cholestyramine I have a completely normal bowel system. No joke. It’s been a true miracle for me. I take 16gs a day, and I live a completely normal life."
"I have an undiagnosed bowel disease. I literally couldn't eat ANYTHING without it triggering my bowels to release like a dam breaking, but with this stuff, I can't believe it! I drink a couple of pinches of it in a coffee cup of cold water right before I eat and nothing happens. Now I have one to two normal bowel movements instead of 5 to 7. Whatever was wrong with me affected my work, married life, and being a parent. I couldn't even go hunting or fishing. But now I live a normal life, albeit I MAYBE have 1 episode a month."
"If you have IBS-D and do not take this medication (if you can), you don't know what you're missing... as in getting your life back! After gallbladder surgery, I developed IBS-D. I waited as my doctor went through everything else it could be, as he did his charting. He diagnosed it and then put me on the Cholestyramine Powder to take in the morning and at night before bed. My symptoms immediately improved, and I got my life back... didn't have to be close to a bathroom at all times. I find it's best to take it with diet or non-diet Ginger Ale... put it in the bottle with about 3-4 oz and shake really well... makes it foam up and goes down more easily! Good luck!"
"Four years ago I developed chronic diarrhea, and 2 years ago I became housebound as I had to stay close to a bathroom. I only made it to doctor's appointments by not eating for two hours before and taking 3 or 4 Imodium. Three doctors later and several scopings, top and bottom, showed nothing. Finally, a gastro specialist prescribed Cholestyramine (cholestyramine) one packet in the morning. It took the urgency out of going. We increased the dose to 2x a day, and I started having regular movements. I still have a few trigger foods that cause a problem, but a single Imodium keeps me good for 12 hours. I am no longer under 'house arrest' and am enjoying going out for the day."
"Had stomach and bowel issues since my teen years, unpredictable and no warnings, tests done, nothing found, had gall bladder removed in my early 60s and made stomach and bowel issues ten times worse. Started taking Prevalite (cholestyramine) 1 pack a day and I can finally eat without cramping and bowel issues within two hours after eating. I take it in the morning with orange juice. I notice a little bloating but nothing else. If I miss a dose, the diarrhea comes back with a vengeance. I drink plenty of fluid to prevent constipation. This medication has changed my life. Im 69 so if I need to take it the rest of my life, its okay. Its better than being bathroom bound!"
"I suffer from IBS-D since I'm a kid. Since I'm not big on taking meds, I've lived with it and tried to accept the limitations that IBS brings to your life. After spending my wedding night in pain and diarrhea, I've decided it was enough of that and started to search for a solution. I ended up reading all these reviews about Cholestyramine for IBS-D and asked a prescription from my doctor. Now, at 58 years old, I started Olestyr once a day and IT CHANGED MY LIFE!!! I wish my gastro doc would've prescribed it to me before. For the first time in my life, I can eat what I want, go to a restaurant without rushing back home in major cramps. Thank you all for taking the time to write reviews on this forum!"
"I have had chronic diarrhea for the last 26 years. I have tried many, many different medicines, but none helped me except this. I cannot believe how good I feel now. My whole life consisted of knowing where the next bathroom was. I was prescribed to take this 2x a day. The following day after starting it, my diarrhea has stopped completely!! I am now starting my second month on the medication and I have had no side effects and absolutely no problems. I sure wish I had this many years ago."
"This drug has totally given me my life back. Before this, I was popping Imodiums like candy just to maintain a normal life, but I was still always nervous about going anywhere. Would not dissolve in liquid, but putting it in the blender made it palatable. Could not be more thankful for this drug. It’s been over three weeks with no issues whatsoever."
"I was diagnosed with IBS-D after I had my gallbladder removed. Two years later, medications, diet changes, and the 'telling me it’s stress-related... mind-body connection'. My doctor FINALLY said WHAT I’ve been saying: BAM (bile acid malabsorption). He prescribed cholestyramine. It’s only been two days, and I notice some difference. I’m hoping this works, I want a life!"
"I have suffered for years with stomach pain and after every meal needing to go to the bathroom. I did have my gallbladder removed and that didn’t help, it made things worse. I had no life, my poor family was suffering with me. They knew we couldn’t go out to eat, everything had to be brought home. I never wanted to go anywhere. I finally had enough when my son was graduating, I sat there for hours in fear of needing to go and missing such a special moment. I had seen different doctors, they always gave me different medications that never worked. I finally saw a GI doctor, had a colonoscopy done. He came and told me that I was going to live life again, and he was right, this medicine has done just that. I’m not missing out. It’s been a little weird getting used to being normal and having my life back. The first couple of days, I took 2 packs, but I only need one in the morning, I can even skip a day and I’m still okay. I haven’t had any side effects, make sure to brush your teeth right after."
"USMC vet that was in the Persian Gulf. Nothing I have taken has stopped me from going to the bathroom 6-7 times a day, plus I have had terrible stomach pains. Bad enough to send me to the hospital. This was something I thought I was just going to have to live with. After 1 dose of Cholestyramine, I noticed a huge change. I now have solid bowel movements, and only go 2-3 times in the morning. This medicine has been a miracle for me. No side effects, and I have gone 4 weeks with no stomach pain. I take the medication once a day at 3:00PM."
"I had my gallbladder removed about ten years ago. About five years ago, I started getting severe diarrhea and, after several tests, was diagnosed with IBS-D. I adjusted my diet and took a lot of Imodium, Bentyl, etc. Imodium helped, but I had to take a lot of it. About a year ago, the doctor prescribed cholestyramine. He said to take it three times a day, but that was too much. I only take one envelope a day mixed with some unsweetened applesauce. Then I drink a glass of water. What a lifesaver! I feel normal again and can actually leave the house."
"Reading so many of everyone's experiences reminded me of so many of my own horrible memories. Never wanting to go out to eat, having to take an Imodium before and after eating out, looking for the bathrooms at each stop just in case, never wanting to go too far out away from the house, road trips were horrible and my job requires a lot of driving, lots of abdominal pain and sometimes having to do a lot of cleaning up. When I first started taking this I actually stopped after about 2 weeks because the normal BMs and lack of abdominal pain I confused with constipation...it was such a different, weird feeling to be normal. I am back on it and once again am getting the relief I got in the beginning."
"I started using this in June of this year after having chronic diarrhea for 5 plus years. This helped me after one use. I have issues with bloating and gas and have noticed hair loss. But I have gone from 70 lbs 1 year ago to 90 lbs today. I mix it with 2 T of orange Metamucil in a large glass. Starting with a small amount of water and then adding more water slowly. I also put about a 1/4 cup of orange juice with it. I feel for the others with chronic diarrhea. I didn't think it was a life worth living either. I wish you all the best."
"I started taking this about 6 months ago, and the changes are significant. I even told my specialist that I have found my insulin!!!!!! I cannot go a day without it. I have had many accidents in the past - even not getting from my kitchen to my ensuite in time - but since being on this, I have not had ONE single incident. Previously, I had also given up working, going out, etc. as if I didn't know where the nearest toilet was, I panicked. The only problem is now that it has been in short supply for months - does anyone know where else I can get it - I am desperate!!"
"I have been dealing with IBS for 3 years. Diarrhea was a major factor in my going to my GI doctor, along with acute stomach pain. First, I went in for an upper GI scope, which found gastritis, so I got meds for that. Eventually, my diarrhea worsened. Back in for both colonoscopy and upper GI, which found IBS. The doctor put me on cholestyramine, and immediately the diarrhea subsided along with the stomach cramps. I stopped using the cholestyramine for about a year until I had prostate cancer and prostate removal. Following that surgery, my IBS returned. Severely. I started up the cholestyramine again, and boom, it works great. It seems like this medication does have other positive effects. Hopefully, it continues to work."
Questran (cholestyramine) "I am taking cholestyramine to help control diarrhea caused by irritable bowel syndrome. It is extremely helpful. The only thing I don't like is the idea that it has started to stain my teeth and can eat away tooth enamel."
"I'm so glad my doctor prescribed this, it changed my life. I can now leave my house without fear of having to find a bathroom at a moment's notice or embarrass myself when visiting friends or family. I still have to watch what I eat since certain foods affect my symptoms still, but before taking this, it was absolutely EVERYTHING I ate."
"I have had IBS-D for over 2 years, and in the end, I had to quit my job. I have had 5 doctors, upper GI, lower GI, and finally, my nurse practitioner diagnosed me with IBS. I was on Welchol for a year, it worked perfectly!!! Then it stopped working :( Took cholestyramine for 3 weeks as my doctor prescribed for that amount of time, and it didn't work. I have to run to the bathroom 14 times daily, every day for the past 2 months now, not left the house. This is no way for anyone to live."
"Glad my doctor decided to try this medicine because it has been a life saver for me! The only problem is remembering to mix up the powder every night. I wish this came in pill form. For those who are having trouble with the taste, or drinking it, I put it in 2 tbsp. of applesauce and mix it really well. It changes the flavor of the applesauce slightly, but it's not as gross as trying to drink it in water."
"I had my gallbladder removed in 2009, and after that, I had diarrhea after the first thing I ate for seven years. I never went out to eat, I never went out without knowing where a bathroom was. I never ate on road trips. There would be days where I didn't even want to eat because I knew I would be in the bathroom. So, two days ago, I was reading all these stories, and they sounded just like me. So I talked to my doctor, she prescribed me this medicine, and now I actually feel like my old self again."
"I just started on the powder form of this medication. The first night I gagged on it, but managed to drink it down at around 3 pm. I felt so much nausea that I wasn't sure I wanted to continue, but the next day I felt no urgency, had a normal bowel movement, and felt no nausea. I slammed down the whole drink and didn't gag the following few nights. I'm so glad I didn't give up and continued to take cholestyramine."
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