Questran

Mina1, yes, as DebraD said, simply up your dose. Are you taking twice a day? AM and PM. If only 1/2 pack each time then do 1 pack each time. If you are only doing once a day; then take twice a day and even it out. I've been on it about a month also, and the last few days I've had to up my dose (because I've changed my diet too, I've added more veggies and roughage) so now I'm taking 1 full pack at night and still kept the dose in the AM to roughly 1/2 pack. I'll up that one too if need be. I hope this works for you. There's one or two posters, I believe HereIam is one of them, that's been on Questran for a couple of years, so... it doesn't just lose its effectiveness, I noticed even before the Questran, with taking nothing, I'd have "good" days, and bad days. DebraD, I'm glad to see this is working for you.

To Calif123 and others: Let's clear up a big misconception here. Just a note to all of you who are under the impression that Questran is only for "bile salts D" or those with GallBladder problems. Questran was NOT developed for IBS'D or "bile-saltD" or other Board discussion disorders. Questran is a cholesterol reducing drug. It was developed and is still prescribed and used mainly for that purpose; NOT for relieving "bile-salts D". The reason that it helps some of us- and the ONLY reason it is prescribed for us is that its main side effect is constipation. In fact, in clinical trials for Questran's development some users (in the cholesterol lowering trials) had to discontinue use because the constipation was so bad for them. THIS IS WHY QUESTRAN IS EFFECTIVE FOR US WITH D! When Questran is prescribed for us--it is said to be used: "OFF-LABEL" which is a Pharma and an FDA term for use of drug for which it was NOT originally developed; BUT has shown signs to help people for other symptoms unrelated to the original drug development; sometimes by the very reason of it's side effect profile. This is clearly the case with Questran for those of us whom it helps. NOW, about the "bile-salt D" problem, the reason it helps this condition is two-fold, it acts in the intestines as an absorbant for those of us which pump out too much bile AND it is constipating.

Hello Queen, I'm well aware of questran beginning as a cholesterol-lowering drug that turned out to be constipating for some. But why is it constipating? The articles below all discuss bile salts, but that can happen with or without a gallbladder. I'm a little confused about why you feel the need to tell me and others we are wrong and seem to get angry about it. I really believe you're arguing semantics here. Take care. http://www.ivillagehealth.com Diarrhea after Gallbladder SurgeryI had my gallbladder removed three weeks ago. I am having diarrhea, and it is pale yellow. Is this common? P.B.Ronen AraiDr. Arai is Senior Fellow in Gastroenterology at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.Diarrhea after gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy) is common. The function of the gallbladder is to store bile, which contains digestive salts made by the liver. During meals, the gallbladder releases the stored bile salts into the intestine to help with digestion. After food is digested and absorbed in the intestine, the bile salts are also reabsorbed and recycled. Following a cholecystectomy, the liver must make more bile salts, and more are released between meals because there is no place to store them. The increased amount of bile salts can sometimes overwhelm the intestines' capacity to absorb them. In turn, the unabsorbed bile salts can prompt the colon to secrete fluids, leading to diarrhea. This scenario is benign, and it does not get worse. http://remedyfind.com Questran (Cholestyramine)Questran (Cholestyramine) is a cholesterol lowering drug - especially good at lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Cholesterol lowering drugs like Cholestyramine and Colestipol may be helpful for the diarrhea-dominant type of IBS. These medications bind bile acids, which are chemicals made by the liver and secreted into the intestine. These bile acids may have effects on the way the muscle of the bowel functions. By binding these bile acids, Cholestyramine and Colestipol affect the muscles of the intestines which may be responsible for diarrhea. Cholestyramine can cause gas, bloating, cramps and constipation. http://www.rxmed.com/ Cholestyramine resin is indicated as a symptomatic control of bile acid induced diarrhea due to short bowel syndrome. http://www.online-medical-dictionary.org QuestranA strongly basic anion exchange resin whose main constituent is polystyrene trimethylbenzylammonium as Cl(-) anion. It exchanges chloride ions with bile salts, thus decreasing their concentration and that of cholesterol. It is used as a hypocholesteremic in diarrhea and biliary obstruction, and as an antipruritic.

Calif123, I don't recall being angry when I wrote the post. My motivation was to inform and to clear up what appears to be a common misconception among some people trying to find relief, that Questran was ONLY for "bile salt D". In fact, I refer you to your very own quote from your posting: "My GI said if bile salts are not a problem, Questran will not work". I, personally do not believe that this is absolutely true for everyone, therefore, I did not want those who could be helped by this and may want to give this a try to think that, Oh, this can't help me, because I'm not "bile-salt D" --I just read this posting that if I didn't have bile salt D, this will not work for me. This just MAY help some people, and I would not want them to eliminate this remedy based on a belief that it would work ONLY for "bile-salt D". And that was the point of my last posting- I do already know that it does help those of us WITH excess bile; If you look at my posting, I referred to it as helping those of us with gallbladder problems or removals because it is "absorbing" the excess bile. So, while I appreciate all your links and references to prove the fact that it does help this condition, I can assure you that I already know this. This has been my own personal experience. Point is, If someone is truly suffering, and has tried other remedies, even if they do NOT have gallbladder problems, it MAY be worth a shot, it MAY help. What's the harm in trying? Personally, I did not want others to be discouraged by one quote from your GI doctor. As many of us know from experience, there are as many varied and contrary opinions from GI docs as there are GI docs out there. Take care,

Hello Queen, I have always assumed that when people use a lot of caps in their postings that they are annoyed, angry or otherwise feel they need to get their point across so that's why I made that comment. And unless you are a doctor, you don't know anything more about Questran than I do, except that it worked for you. That's great and I hope it will work for others. Yes I quoted my GI about bile salts and that is my perogative. Medicine is not about belief, it is about facts and what can be proven--what we choose for treatment is a whole different story. I doubt that anyone has missed what you have to say about Questran. I was just making the point that after a certain period of time, if it doesn't work, odds are it won't. And by the way, if someone is going to make their total decision about medical treatment based upon one posting from an absolute stranger (which we all are)about what their GI said, that person is going to have a really rough time in life. I hope this board gives people things to consider and discuss with medical professionals--since most meds are only available by prescription--and then see where that leads. I don't consider myself any kind of expert or guide, I just try to relate what my experiences have been. Take care.

Calif123, You are absolutely right. What may work for one person may not work for others. And, "medicine is based on facts not beliefs", I agree with you on that point also. But, my the intent of my posting was to let others (who may not be clear on this) 1) to know what Questran is actually for (fact) and 2) why its side effect profile (fact) may actually help them in their quest for a remedy. There have been posters who are under the "belief" that if they don't have gallbladder/bile problems this won't help them; and, possibly, it may not. But they shouldn't be discouraged, based on one docs opinion, from trying just one more remedy. There are many here who have tried many solutions, and have still not found one thing which works for them. And, I agree with you on the point that, If it hasn't worked within a month's time; even after adjusting the dose up, then it probably won't. You are absoutely right! What we need to remember, is that we are all here for pretty much the same reasons; we need help and for many of us; this is our ONLY help. I have been through more docs and more meds than you can imagine and it was ONLY THROUGH THIS BOARD,that I found what works for me. NONE of my docs ever suggested Questran; not one! It was ONLY through this board that I even heard of Questran and for me; it's saved my life! Same goes for the calcium treatment which has helped so many others. When I told my doc about it; he poo-pooed (no pun intended) the idea as nonsense. he "never heard of such a thing and blah, blah, blah." and in a strict scientific sense he is right. Technically, and based on "medical facts and not beliefs", calcium in these quantities is used mostly by women for the prevention of osteoporosis. BUT, it is being used, with success, by many here, primarily for its "side-effect" profile and that is constipation. And they have found relief with this remedy, regardless of the lack of scientific data supporting this fact. Xanax worked for you to help control this condition, but you will not find IBS-D listed on the package insert as one of the "Indications" for which it was developed or should be prescribed. Many drugs are prescribed and used, as I said, "off-label" for uses other than their original development. I am not "pushing" Questran; I will not benefit in any way whether someone uses it or not. I am perhaps overly excited because it did work for me and I've seen through this board that it did work for others; and being a fellow sufferer just want to pass along a remedy which just MAY change someone's life. Therefore, I would not want to see anyone discouraged from trying a possible remedy because they think it will NOT work simply because it was not originally intended for use in this disorder. I would always suggest that someone try something more accessible and non-prescription first, like calcium. No, I am not a doctor either~but, thank god for me that I found this "non-doc" board for suggestions, for had I relied soley on doctor's solutions, I'd still be suffering from this debilitating condition. I did review my original post, and although I was not angry, perhaps I was little more "emphatic" in my language than I had intended. My intention was to inform and not to insult. Thanks for the interesting discourse. Hope you have a Happy Holiday!

quote:No, I am not a doctor either~but, thank god for me that I found this "non-doc" board for suggestions, for had I relied soley on doctor's solutions, I'd still be suffering from this debilitating condition.

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Amen to that. My husband took just about every darn thing imaginable prescribed by his doc before convincing him to let him try the Questran. The doctor had �never heard of such a thing� and poo-pooed the whole idea. But, he wasn�t the mailman walking down the street crapping in his mail truck or his pants 3-4 times a day. When you ask them what they�re going to do to make it all stop, they stand there with that dumb look on their face. My husband has a gallbladder. He doesn�t care one bit how it works. All he cares about is that it does work. Sure, it�s not going to work for every person on earth with diarrhea, but what do you have to lose? I would ditch a doctor faster than a hot potato that wouldn�t let me try things that he is not sure about when he can�t come up with any solutions. I�m going to school to be a medical transcriptionist. You wouldn�t believe some of the things doctors say on their dictations about you after your visit. It has surely opened my eyes to just how �human� they are. They use you for a �test dummy�. It�s like being a mechanic, they try something, if that doesn�t work, they try something else. Some are open to suggestions, some think they�re GOD. Hey, they�re just a person who went to medical school; doesn�t mean they passed with an A, you can be a doctor and get all D�s.