Patricia,
It's hard to knock out stress in your life. I'm on Ancestry trying to find my grandfather Olson's birth parents. It also has my mother's ancestors. I have thousands of relatives on my Mom's side. I have 11 aunt and uncles, 53 1st cousins and the number keeps getting bigger. I have more relatives than Carter's little liver pills. Most are in Texas. Who would have thunk? This guy wants to know me since we are 4th cousins. He's retired military so I thought he wanted to get together and talk, but he's unreliable. I would be glad to help but he has turned into an enraged monster.
My stomach went wild and I told him I had diarrhea and had to run to the toilet. I want nothing to do with this guy and he's got my number. Where did he get it? I am now scared. He could be dangerous and my stomach is on fire.
I have decided in my best interest to let Dr. Fine go
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
-
dolson
- Gentoo Penguin
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:35 pm
- Location: Hilton Head, SC
- Contact:
Susan
Hi Susan, I had my gall bladder removed in 2000. No problems until recently. Does Colestipol help? I have chronic diarrhea and it's getting worse. I need help. It's so back I can't send a sample to Enterolab. I can't continue living like this. Thanks, Dorothy
Hi again!
I was just lurking and saw the more recent responses on this thread. Don't have time to respond now - am on the run - but will return tonight to share more of my thoughts. Dorothy, I believe there is hope for you - will explain later!
Hi Sue777!!! So good to hear from you again. We do go back a long way, don't we?
Stay tuned.
Polly
I was just lurking and saw the more recent responses on this thread. Don't have time to respond now - am on the run - but will return tonight to share more of my thoughts. Dorothy, I believe there is hope for you - will explain later!
Hi Sue777!!! So good to hear from you again. We do go back a long way, don't we?
Stay tuned.
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Dorothy,
One of the groups most likely to need and benefit from a bile acid binder (like cholestyramine or Colestipol) are those who have had their gallbladders removed and have developed chronic diarrhea. I think you are a prime candidate for it! I noticed that Gabes started a separate post to you that highlighted some of our earlier discussions about this. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about this medication.
Also, re stress.....YESSSS - it is definitely our enemy. I noticed in your original ancestry thread that you mentioned disagreeing politically with a relative. IMHO, all of us with MC or ANY kind of GI disease should simply avoid any and all political discussions. Politics does NOT define who we are.....in fact, it divides us like nothing else and is a huge source of stress in our society. And no one has ever been convinced to change allegiance by anyones else's political rantings. No one is 100 % right or wrong politically. It is all "grey", a challenge for compromise. For several years now, I refuse to listen to any politics on the TV, radio, or anyone's lips. And my stress level (and gut issues) has been greatly reduced. Just sayin'.......
Love,
Polly
One of the groups most likely to need and benefit from a bile acid binder (like cholestyramine or Colestipol) are those who have had their gallbladders removed and have developed chronic diarrhea. I think you are a prime candidate for it! I noticed that Gabes started a separate post to you that highlighted some of our earlier discussions about this. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about this medication.
Also, re stress.....YESSSS - it is definitely our enemy. I noticed in your original ancestry thread that you mentioned disagreeing politically with a relative. IMHO, all of us with MC or ANY kind of GI disease should simply avoid any and all political discussions. Politics does NOT define who we are.....in fact, it divides us like nothing else and is a huge source of stress in our society. And no one has ever been convinced to change allegiance by anyones else's political rantings. No one is 100 % right or wrong politically. It is all "grey", a challenge for compromise. For several years now, I refuse to listen to any politics on the TV, radio, or anyone's lips. And my stress level (and gut issues) has been greatly reduced. Just sayin'.......
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
-
UkuleleLady
- Gentoo Penguin
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 4:45 pm
- Location: Texas
Gluten, dairy, soy free, very simple diet, lots of lamb and turkey instead of my usual beef and fish worked for me. I ate a LOT of meat. helped me calm things down.
The tests helped me narrow some things down but I figured out I had a problem with rice on my own, and turned to millet, quinoa instead. I ate a lot of mushy vegetables and smoothies made with hemp seed powder for protein.
Whatver carb you can tolerate eat it.
I think getting in touch with the disease, automatic writing, using Louise Hay's affirmations from "Heal your Body" for various colitis illnesses helped. My true wellness came when I stopped drinking alcohol and developed a spiritual side. I pray a LOT and meditate daily. I actively redirect my thoughts to reduce stress.
I thought I was going to die in puddle of poop from this disease I was so sick for about a year. I got better slowly. it's practically nonexistent at this point and I'm merely gluten free now.
It's going to happen. Believe and trust in the universe and believe you can be better. Fall in love with your new normal whatever it is and be grateful for periods when youre well and thank the universe.
The tests helped me narrow some things down but I figured out I had a problem with rice on my own, and turned to millet, quinoa instead. I ate a lot of mushy vegetables and smoothies made with hemp seed powder for protein.
Whatver carb you can tolerate eat it.
I think getting in touch with the disease, automatic writing, using Louise Hay's affirmations from "Heal your Body" for various colitis illnesses helped. My true wellness came when I stopped drinking alcohol and developed a spiritual side. I pray a LOT and meditate daily. I actively redirect my thoughts to reduce stress.
I thought I was going to die in puddle of poop from this disease I was so sick for about a year. I got better slowly. it's practically nonexistent at this point and I'm merely gluten free now.
It's going to happen. Believe and trust in the universe and believe you can be better. Fall in love with your new normal whatever it is and be grateful for periods when youre well and thank the universe.
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ~The Dalai Lama
Susan, hello to a fellow "binder" user!
I use the powder form of cholestyramine and take one packet twice a day, first thing in the AM and last thing at night. It is the one with sucrose, since I react negatively to the "phony" sugars. Currently on the Upshire brand, which has replaced the Sandoz brand at my pharmacy. I prefer the powder because I have trouble taking big pills (and the Colestipol IS huge!!!). Also because it is easier to "titrate" (use partial doses) with the powder. I find that the amount I need varies occasionally - especially during periods of increased stress, when I need more.
I think that the vitamin absorption issue is more of a "potential" problem and not a real one. I could find almost no cases of vitamin deficiency b/c of the med. Likewise, I could find only one example of rotted teeth with the sucrose prep, altho it is always cited as a problem. Go figure! (from my research I think there are only 7 gms of sugar per packet - a lot less than a candy bar, for example). That said, I would still recommend that the vitamins be taken according to the product recommendations. I did notice that while the med. did not lower my vitamin levels, it did lower my LDL, which is a plus and is the original indication for using this med. Using it for D is off-label, even though it has given myriads of folks their lives back.
I have also found that it takes longer to find the right dose than the manufacturer claims - up to 4-6 weeks and that larger doses may be needed initially.
One unanticipated benefit may be that some have used cholestyramine for detox - apparently it is thought to bind and remove certain toxins, like some molds. And that may be a good thing, given all of the toxins we are exposed to.
I am a huge proponent of this med., in case you can't guess. LOL! It is totally non-absorbed and safer than almost any other med.!
What has been your experience? Would love to know.
Love,
Polly
I use the powder form of cholestyramine and take one packet twice a day, first thing in the AM and last thing at night. It is the one with sucrose, since I react negatively to the "phony" sugars. Currently on the Upshire brand, which has replaced the Sandoz brand at my pharmacy. I prefer the powder because I have trouble taking big pills (and the Colestipol IS huge!!!). Also because it is easier to "titrate" (use partial doses) with the powder. I find that the amount I need varies occasionally - especially during periods of increased stress, when I need more.
I think that the vitamin absorption issue is more of a "potential" problem and not a real one. I could find almost no cases of vitamin deficiency b/c of the med. Likewise, I could find only one example of rotted teeth with the sucrose prep, altho it is always cited as a problem. Go figure! (from my research I think there are only 7 gms of sugar per packet - a lot less than a candy bar, for example). That said, I would still recommend that the vitamins be taken according to the product recommendations. I did notice that while the med. did not lower my vitamin levels, it did lower my LDL, which is a plus and is the original indication for using this med. Using it for D is off-label, even though it has given myriads of folks their lives back.
I have also found that it takes longer to find the right dose than the manufacturer claims - up to 4-6 weeks and that larger doses may be needed initially.
One unanticipated benefit may be that some have used cholestyramine for detox - apparently it is thought to bind and remove certain toxins, like some molds. And that may be a good thing, given all of the toxins we are exposed to.
I am a huge proponent of this med., in case you can't guess. LOL! It is totally non-absorbed and safer than almost any other med.!
What has been your experience? Would love to know.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Thanks, Polly!
The Colestipol pill is not too large for me to take. However, it is 1 gram and the packets, from what I have read, are anywhere from 4-9 grams. It's frustrating because I don't know if the pills can compare in grams to the packets. There is little advice online about cholestryamine dosage for diarrhea because, as you say, it has been used primarily to lower LDL.
I started out with 1 pill in the AM and on in the PM but was having diarrhea still so I cut back to 1 pill in the evening thinking I may be reacting to the drug. My AM stool is much better, formed but still quite soft and I can have breakthrough diarrhea. I think I probably need more of the medication and may go back to 1 pill in the AN and 1 in the PM.
Additionally, I may talk to my GI doc and switch to the powder because it can be titrated, as you mentioned.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would love to hear them. Or from anyone else on cholestryamine.
Susan
The Colestipol pill is not too large for me to take. However, it is 1 gram and the packets, from what I have read, are anywhere from 4-9 grams. It's frustrating because I don't know if the pills can compare in grams to the packets. There is little advice online about cholestryamine dosage for diarrhea because, as you say, it has been used primarily to lower LDL.
I started out with 1 pill in the AM and on in the PM but was having diarrhea still so I cut back to 1 pill in the evening thinking I may be reacting to the drug. My AM stool is much better, formed but still quite soft and I can have breakthrough diarrhea. I think I probably need more of the medication and may go back to 1 pill in the AN and 1 in the PM.
Additionally, I may talk to my GI doc and switch to the powder because it can be titrated, as you mentioned.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I would love to hear them. Or from anyone else on cholestryamine.
Susan
Hi again Susan,
I just learned that Colestipol comes in powder form. It didn't use to. I would guess that, if the number of grams refers to the active ingredient, that it should be the same no matter what form it is in. But I don't really know for sure. I would imagine you can't compare cholestyramine to Colestipol: apples and oranges.
I would also guess from your comment above that you do need the other pill in the PM. Have you tried it yet? Although it is possible to "react" to any drug, I think it is relatively rare with the binders. Of course, people have all kinds of issues related to the consistency of the powder, gas/bloating, difficulty timing the vitamins, etc........but I think true reactions are rare. The exception may be sensitivity to sugar substitutes used in the powders if you are using one of the non-sugar ("lite") preps.
Good luck. Please feel free to PM me any time if you have questions.
Love,
Polly
I just learned that Colestipol comes in powder form. It didn't use to. I would guess that, if the number of grams refers to the active ingredient, that it should be the same no matter what form it is in. But I don't really know for sure. I would imagine you can't compare cholestyramine to Colestipol: apples and oranges.
I would also guess from your comment above that you do need the other pill in the PM. Have you tried it yet? Although it is possible to "react" to any drug, I think it is relatively rare with the binders. Of course, people have all kinds of issues related to the consistency of the powder, gas/bloating, difficulty timing the vitamins, etc........but I think true reactions are rare. The exception may be sensitivity to sugar substitutes used in the powders if you are using one of the non-sugar ("lite") preps.
Good luck. Please feel free to PM me any time if you have questions.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Polly,
I took two Colestipol tablets last night instead of one. Bingo! This morning there was a decided improvement. So, I'll keep it up and see what happens.
Thanks for you posting about BAM. Your post spurred me to consider upping my dose of Colestipol. I appreciate your advice.
And Gabes, thanks so much for the post you sent with the great links to cholestyramine and BAM. I found them very helpful.
Susan
I took two Colestipol tablets last night instead of one. Bingo! This morning there was a decided improvement. So, I'll keep it up and see what happens.
Thanks for you posting about BAM. Your post spurred me to consider upping my dose of Colestipol. I appreciate your advice.
And Gabes, thanks so much for the post you sent with the great links to cholestyramine and BAM. I found them very helpful.
Susan
-
dolson
- Gentoo Penguin
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:35 pm
- Location: Hilton Head, SC
- Contact:
I want to clear some things up...
Dr. Fine is a caring doctor. What works for him does not work for me. I love blueberries and he recommends them highly, but every time I consumed blueberries, I got the big D. He is GREAT with his Enterolab testing! Absolutely the BEST! I think he hit my nail on the head. Ya know, he's suffering too! I feel his pain, but he's probably doing a lot better, in remission, but he has his flairs. We all need compassion with this disease. Misery loves Company! Support groups would be the best and we could have Dr. Fine speak at our first support groups. We could make it a little vacation for MCrs and learn what is new on the horizon. Then if we feel okay, we can discover the towns and cities across our country. Dr. Fine is GREAT. What works for one person makes other people make a mad dash for the bathroom. Dorothy
-
dolson
- Gentoo Penguin
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:35 pm
- Location: Hilton Head, SC
- Contact:
Susan
Susan, I obtained the information about Cholestryamine from Polly. It is wonderful! It is safe! It does not rot your teeth! It does not thin your hair! This is a miracle drug. WOW, is all I can say. Dorothy
-
dolson
- Gentoo Penguin
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:35 pm
- Location: Hilton Head, SC
- Contact:
Polly
Polly, I agree, DE-STRESS! I got off Facebook and my blood pressure went down. Best thing I ever did. I feel better. Everybody was fighting and it became a work of the devil. In fact, I'm off all Social Media and that includes GOOGLE! We are living in hard times. Everybody wants to fight. I will not fight and politics is off the table. I agree with you wholeheartedly. NO MORE STRESS! I've had to re-invent myself and be calm and s l o w. It's working! Thanks Polly, Dorothy
-
dolson
- Gentoo Penguin
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 12:35 pm
- Location: Hilton Head, SC
- Contact:
Polly
I agree, DE-STRESS! I got off Facebook and my blood pressure went down. Best thing I ever did. I feel better. Everybody was fighting and it became a work of the devil. In fact, I'm off all Social Media and that includes GOOGLE! We are living in hard times. Everybody wants to fight. I will not fight and politics is off the table. I agree with you wholeheartedly. NO MORE STRESS! I've had to re-invent myself and be calm and s l o w. It's working! Thanks Polly, Dorothy