# I'm cured! Everyone that suffers from IBS-D must read!



## HighlandAnne (Apr 24, 2010)

Hello,

I have suffered from what I was told was IBS-D for the last 8 years. It was extremely debilitating, chronic diarrhea 10-15 times a day, chronic pain, nighttime diarrhea, vomiting, low grade fever,mouth sores. I had every medical test the doctors could think of ultrasound, upper GI series, colonoscopy Ect. All came back negative. I was on various drugs, SSRI's, buscopan, anti anxiety meds none which helped. Tried evry diet known to man, low carb, high carb, vegetarian, the IBS diet etc.Being only 27 I had to give up career opportunities relationships and any sort of fun due to my "IBS". Until the general surgeon who did my colonoscopy took a shot in the dark and prescribed me a drug called Olestyr. It is a bile acid binder that is used to treat high cholesterol. And WOW my life is back! It took effect imediately! Out of a process of elimination and the drugs having such an amazing effect I was subsequently diagnosed with Bile Acid Malabsorption. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bile_acid_malabsorption. I urge anyone suffering from IBS-D to ask their doctors to try Olestyr or some sort of bile acid binding drug. There are minimal side effects and the reward could be potentially life altering. As long as I take my medication faithfully everyday I am symptom free! I can eat and drink anything I want, coffee, beer, fried chicken and don't have to worry about having an accident in public. I hope this information can help someone. I've got my life back.


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## urbanfresh (Aug 31, 2009)

Thanks for sharing. Can you get that drug in the UK?? And are your BMs normal now or still loose?


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## jackt (Mar 31, 2013)

Did you have the "urgency" too? Like thinking about toilet all the time when not at home?

What about anxiety symptoms?, have any?


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## HighlandAnne (Apr 24, 2010)

The clinical name of the drug is Cholestyramine. I'm not sure about the availability in the UK. I would ask your doctor. My BMs are now normal even to the more constipated side which is fine with me compared to how things were before! I developed anxiety about going places and worrying about bathrooms. I had had accidents in public before which amped up my worries about hoping it wouldn't happen again. I had no anxiety problems prior to being so sick and now have none again after feeling better.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

It may be known as Welchol or colesevelam hydrochloride or Questran or Colestid in the UK. They are simply bile salt binders. Ask your Dr about them... via prescription only in the US. I would just ask your Dr.


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## Sheila O (Apr 23, 2013)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002596/ Here is some information that may help and I am happy for your diagnosis!


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## PollyH (Oct 17, 2009)

Cholestyramine is sometimes prescribed to stop diarrhea. However, there is more to it than just absorbing bile. Another property of Questran is that it absorbs and helps the body eliminate very small toxins, like from Clostridia and Lyme. *http://www.chronicneurotoxins.com/* Dr. Shoemaker has written several books about how the cholestyramine can help get rid of chronic fatigue, mold poisoning and various diseases.

However, there is a problem with cholestyramine. Cholestyramine interferes with the absorption of your fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, K. When you become too low on these, you get gut problems, including possibly a very intense diarrhea caused by the lack of these vitamins. You need those fat soluble vitamins to keep your gut healthy and the dysbiosis at bay. So, if you are going to use cholestyramine, be sure and take a lot of fat soluble vitamins at a different time of the day than the medication. Also, since Questran absorbs cholesterol, you might want to increase your intake of cholesterol. Cholesterol has many important functions in the body, including preventing intestinal infections and the absorption of bacterial toxins from the gut. Cholesterol is very important for nerve function and is needed to form T cells. Another suggestion: consider using some pregnenolone while on this medication. If cholesterol is low, your ability to create pregnenolone may be compromised. You need cholesterol to make pregnenolone. You also need the precursor of cholesterol to make vitamin D. Here is a video about some of the problems with low cholesterol . 



 Your cholesterol should be kept above 160 mg / dl.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Not sure any of the above can be true for everyone... so please seek the advice of your physician regarding any medication... and/or treatment. All of us have different needs and are unique... so .... ASK your Dr!


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## Aelise (Feb 10, 2012)

I love my Questran. Didn't help with the bloating, but I recently posted in the bloating section what helped with that (eliminating fruits and raw vegetables). But with the urgency/frequency, total life changer. I mix the Questran with applesauce because thick liquids disgust me.


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## Christina1993 (Mar 25, 2012)

How did your Dr. come to this diagnosis?

I had an endoscopy and my Dr. said I had high acid.

I'm thinking if acid/bile is my problem something like this could help me.

I too have IBS-D and often have yellow BM's and lots of burning, pain, urgency, gurgling, gas, food sensitivities, etc...

Any side effects to this medicine?

I'd like to try to convince my Dr. to prescribe it! Worth a try.


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## Aelise (Feb 10, 2012)

Christina1993 said:


> How did your Dr. come to this diagnosis?
> 
> I had an endoscopy and my Dr. said I had high acid.
> 
> ...


Christina not sure if you're talking to me or the original poster but I'll respond anyway . I was diagnosed via endoscopy which showed presence of excess bile. Did more tests to rule out other things then came to the conclusion that the bile was the problem as it was the only thing present and it certainly can cause damage and digestive problems. Official diagnosis is biliary dyskinesia. It sounds like you might have problems with bile based on the yellow BMs and other things... all classic bile problems. Ask your doctor about trying Questran. It's VERY low risk with virtually no side effects, and it's cheap to boot. I don't have rx coverage on my insurance and the stuff only costs me $4. It is SUPER constipating, that is the only side effect, but for many of us that is a blessing. I recommend starting with taking it every other day, not daily. You'll have to play with the dosage to find what works for you. Currently, even 1/2 a package every other day is a little too constipating for me! Some people take very small amounts of it and still see results. Good luck!


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## HighlandAnne (Apr 24, 2010)

I mix my olestyr with orange juice and blend it with a hand held mixer. It makes it much more tolerable to drink. 
The listed side effects is constipation which is the most common. Which for IBS-D sufferers is almost welcome. Also listed is the less common side effects of distension,bloating,nausea,vomiting,diarrhea,anorexia,heartburn,indigestion,rash, irritation of tongue and perinatal area. Most of the less common side effects for me were actual symptoms when I was still undisgnosed/untreated which the Olestyr has now gotten rid of. In my opinion it is well worth a try as it is life changing for me.


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## juve7777 (Apr 29, 2013)

I was diagnosed with bile acid malabsorption after 9 years of GI visits with mostly clueless doctors. I ended up suggesting them to check me for the condition after having read about it on this website. I had to travel to London, UK to have a SeHCAT test performed, and I ended up being diagnosed with severe bile acid malabsorption. I was literally releasing yellow bile acid with every bowel movement, and I ran to the bathroom 10-15 times a day. Had previously been diagnosed with IBS. I would suggest people who have unexplained IBS to see if they can get the SeHCAT test done. It is not available in the USA. I take Welchol/Cholestagel to control it now and it works OK, even though I am afraid my GI problems are not limited only to bile acid malabsorption. All my problems started when I had my gallbladder taken out in 2004.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeHCAT


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## threeheadedmonkey (Aug 9, 2006)

I've made a post in the prescription area but I'll ask here too, anyone using questran or olestyr (think it's a power to) how smooth does the liquid get when you mix it? I've just started on it and the best I've been able to mix it still has a granular texture of powder in it is that normal?


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

This was discussed some time ago and also called "Habba Syndrome". IIRC.

I've tried it and I can't say if it did helped one way or another. I still have a tub of the stuff and may try it again. These types of posts are encouraging.

I started living on Imodium. NEver really took it before but it seems to help. Still have bad days, though. Even taking 2 every morning.

I may try seeing a psych as it's taking over my life more and more. But that all seems like quackary too.


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## Aelise (Feb 10, 2012)

threeheadedmonkey said:


> I've made a post in the prescription area but I'll ask here too, anyone using questran or olestyr (think it's a power to) how smooth does the liquid get when you mix it? I've just started on it and the best I've been able to mix it still has a granular texture of powder in it is that normal?


I never got the liquid smooth it was always gritty and grainy. That's why I mix it with applesauce and eat that followed with some water. Much easier. Applesauce is already kind of a gritty texture so it blends right in. Mixing it with water really grossed me out I couldn't do it.


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## ibscripple (May 7, 2013)

I take colestipole and it has helped tremendously but I am still spending 1/3 of my day in the toilet.I still have cramping and pain.


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## janjan (May 14, 2013)

How long did it take you to get results on this?do you still.have your gallbladder


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## ibscripple (May 7, 2013)

janjan said:


> How long did it take you to get results on this?do you still.have your gallbladder


I'm not sure who exactly you are addressing.Since I am above your post,I'll give my best anwser possible.

After numerous blood tests,colonoscopy,and endoscopy,the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me and came down with the IBS-D diagnosis.It took about a year to get everything done as my health care will only provide for me to visit my docotrs every 3 months.Once this diagnosis was given to me I started taking colestipole and mexium for chronic diarreha and sever acid reflux with blistering.The meds took roughly 48 hours to take effect on me.I asked my doctor about my gall bladder.He said that if it was taken out,my diarreha would worsen greatly.They reroute the bile duct/tube dirrectly back into the small intestine allowing a constant flow of bile into the digestive tract.This causes really bad diarreha in most IBS-D patients from what my doctor tells me.


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## RWWooden (May 15, 2013)

Hey, new to this site. Just found this discussion. For the last 8 years, I have been dealing with IBS-D to a milder extent and have tended to deal with it by staying away from certain foods (oats, wheat, glutens, citric/ascorbic acid) making me think until now that I was gluten sensitive. The last time I went to the dr she told me to try Prilosec to help with acid production. It has helped only slightly. I have even taken Prozac to alleviate anxiety symptoms such as quivering sensations near my liver. I also have bloating under my ribcage area primarily near my liver.

This discussion has me doubly interested as I am a caretaker for my dad (85 yo) who has had his gall bladder out about 10 years ago and has had progressively worsening IBS-D symptoms. He eats and within 10 minutes has urgency to void and is having accidents more and more with less and less control. Sadly, I found this discussion today after his monthly visit to his internal med dr. And even more sadly, the dr in the past has only suggested him going off of dairy products. He has been taking Prilosec twice a day for years to help with his regurgitation problems.

So......how do we get our dr's to listen to these ideas? Do you think both my dad and I would benefit from Questran? Have any of you had any success with probiotics? I don't know which way to turn.

Another question.......what causes all this? Is there a possibility of a bacteria or virus causing this? In other words, can it be passed from one person to another? Mainly, because my son and his wife have within the last year been experiencing similar gastric problems....and they live in Chicago. Or does it begin after a full course of antibiotics? All of us have had huge doses of antibiotics in the past 8years....for different reasons.

Okay......just saying that we are tired of these problems....there must be a cause and/or a cure. Too hopeful?


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## ibscripple (May 7, 2013)

RWWooden said:


> Hey, new to this site. Just found this discussion. For the last 8 years, I have been dealing with IBS-D to a milder extent and have tended to deal with it by staying away from certain foods (oats, wheat, glutens, citric/ascorbic acid) making me think until now that I was gluten sensitive. The last time I went to the dr she told me to try Prilosec to help with acid production. It has helped only slightly. I have even taken Prozac to alleviate anxiety symptoms such as quivering sensations near my liver. I also have bloating under my ribcage area primarily near my liver.
> 
> *Please visit a gastroenterologist.This could be a sign of colon or gall bladder problems.Mine is colon related and I take dicyclomine every six hours to control spams which cause me to have accidents.I was wearing diapers because of it and I am only 36 years old.*
> 
> ...


My IBS-D was started by antibiotics and modern foods.If I eat from the family garden and butcher my own meat,my symptoms almost completely go away.Stress is one trigger for me as is acid foods and drinks.Excessive caffine intake also triggers my IBS-D.I am on a glutten free diet and I have some discomfort and occassionally diarreha when I eat products with glutten.I gave over a oint and a half of blood for testing over an eight month period to try and nail down my IBS-D cause.I also had a colonoscopy and endoscopy along with seven different stool tests.Everything came back normal,so it had to be diet and/or stress related.It is both in me.


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## RWWooden (May 15, 2013)

Ibscribble, I have been to a gastroenterologist and various other doctors that know zilch about IBS. What a joke! All he wanted to do was do a colonoscopy. $$$$ were his main interest. I had just previously endured a sigmoidoscopy which yielded no information. I am now with Kaiser Permanente. They have a clinic or class that addresses IBS...but I had more information thru my own research than they gave. Another Joke! I have had an ultrasound of my liver. I have taken dicyclomine only when I have severe cramping......severe. I don't have urgency to void, though my elderly father does. I also have tried fluoxetine (Prozac) to calm my nervous system as I attributed the quivering near the liver to be an anxiety condition.....and considering the gut has such a connection with the brain, I felt this would slow down my intestinal speed. I can eat something and within 3-4 hours, I expell it. With all these intestinal issues, I also have high cholesterol and hyperlipidemia. The meds for these conditions do nothing......I think that if I solve this IBS issue...all the other issues will fall into line.

Recently,I am on another journey of self discovery. I tried Triphala, an Ayurvedic herb from India, which is an intestinal toner and saw some improvement on decreasing frequency of BM's and lessened the diarrhea. However, I tried a magnesium supplement at the same time and was taking Prilosec, too. I stopped all this because I had an episode of cramping due to my adding Vitamin C to my regimen. ( I will never do that again.) I know my triggers for cramping and intestinal inflammation are Vitamin C, oats, and wheat. Vitamin C really tears apart my lower intestines. And they take a good two weeks to heal once they become inflamed.

Now I am having the quivering and fullness again around my liver area beneath my rib age.

So I am on another search.....that's why I was looking into this web and blog link.

My journey with IBS began after I had pleural pneumonia about 8 years ago. Before that I had developed some gluten sensitivity to oats and wheat. After the week long series of hard core antibiotics for the pneumonia and in the next following years, I have had IBS develop thru many ups and down. I can control most of my cramping episodes now, but my difficulty is with my other symptoms now.

My dad's IBS is manifesting itself thru urgency. Added to his gall bladder removal, he had a full-blown episode of E. Colin infection in his shoulder and was put on a month long course of IV antibiotics. Since then, as soon as a fatty meal hits his stomach and upper intestinal track, he has to void immediately. I am tempted to try probiotics for him but this drug Questran sounds like what he needs to give him thicker BM's. He hasn't tried Imodium or any other diarrrheal meds. He is also on a slue of drugs for various conditions.....statin, Prilosec, antidepressant, Coumadin, thyroid med, etc, etc. It's hard to know how to handle this......diapers. But at his age he refuses.


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## janjan (May 14, 2013)

Thanks Ibscripple i was just wondering about the quastran if it was only for people with their gall bladders out or all ibs sufferers


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## ibscripple (May 7, 2013)

RWWooden,magnesium is used to induce diarreha for colon cleanse just before a colonoscopy.It will make diarreha a lot worse.The things you mention may all be linked and causing the BM issues.There is a stool test to check fat content malabsorbtion.Fat is not bad.Only in large quantities and undigested cause other issues.I believe you are correct that fixing the BM problems will bring everything back to normal standards.It did with me as my symptoms got better.There really doesn't seem to be a real cure for IBS unless there is an aparent underlying cause.Depression and anxiety meds did nothing for me either.They actually made me worse.Never got that mystery solved.My brain doesn't like to be messed with so I have adverse reactions to meds that target it.

janjan,you're welcome.


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## Aelise (Feb 10, 2012)

About how to get doctors to listen to your concerns: I found the best thing to do is switch doctors and find one that is sympathetic, willing to listen, and consider any and all possibilities. Everyone needs to be their own advocate, and a GOOD doctor will accept any theory you propose and give you sound advice as to why it may or may not be true. A good doctor will understand that you are fighting for your health and want to work with you, not dismiss you.


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## NHow (Mar 10, 2003)

I think for many people the problem, wrongly diagnosed as IBS, starts with removal of the gall bladder. Normally, bile that's produced in the liver is stored in the gall bladder. Then it's released gradually as needed for fat digestion. When the gall bladder's removed, bile is dumped directly into the small intestine where it can cause problems by irritating the digestive tract. Too much bile can cause bile salt diarrhea, gas, cramping and bloating.

Questran, Colestid, Welchol, colestramine (sp?) are bile salt sequestrants. They bind excess bile and remove it from the body without being absorbed into the bloodstream.


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## chlorophyll (Jul 31, 2013)

NHow said:


> I think for many people the problem, wrongly diagnosed as IBS


IBS isn't a diagnosis. It's a lack of diagnosis. It bothers me when people genuinely refer to IBS as a diagnosis as though it is a tangible thing when it is not. A "diagnosis" of IBS is a diagnosis of "I don't know what the problem is".

In effect, every "diagnosis" of IBS is something else that is "wrongly diagnosed".


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## dECIBEL7 (Sep 11, 2012)

HighlandAnne,

How long have you been in remission/on the med?


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