plaedes
11-07-2006, 03:00 AM
Last September I had my gallbladder removed and my Gastro and the surgeon both warned me that I would have diarrhea for a while after surgery. I had IBS going into this and have had it all my life, however this was no ordinary diarrhea. I got Heather Van Vorous' books about IBS and tried changing my diet. Nothing was working. I was taking Immodium Advanced but that made so constipated I just wanted to cry all the time. I lived with the horrible pain from severe cramps and "explosive" diarrhea for a year after surgery trying everything I could to not have to take another pill. I finally went to the doctor last month and found out that my suspicions were right. I have Post Cholecystectomy Syndrome (PCS). This is a condition that keeps my small intestine from properly reabsorbing bile after a meal. My doctor put me on Colestid 1 gram before meals. This pill works great! There is also the added benefit that unlike Questran I don't have to mix it with anything, it has no taste and it has no Nutrasweet to irritate my bladder! Yvette, I highly recommend this over the Questran powder. They do make it in stronger doses that are also a powder, but there are 2 pills I believe a 1 gram and a 5 gram. The draw back with this drug and Questran as well is that they block the absorption of Vitamins A, D and K. I am trying to take either Lomotil or Pamine Forte 5 mg once a day with a vitamin and so far doing ok. I stay slightly constipated now, but it is better than not being able to finish a meal because I just have to test out bathroom facilities! I have not had bloating like I normally would with constipation either. I am starting to wear pants that I never thought I would wear again. Before this my abdomen would swell at least 4 inches making it very uncomfortable to wear anything without an elastic waistband and sometimes I would just have to come out of the bra completely. The only problems I have encountered since I began this new medication was when I didn't take my pill in time before eating. I just came back from 8 days of Vacation and had a beautiful time. No problems what so ever due to my bladder or my pesky bowels! I even took a pill while standing in line at Burger King and ate a Whopper with cheese and fries with no problems! Not even gas! For anyone who thinks this drug might benefit your situation I highly suggest you do some reading about it before hand and discuss it fully with your doctor. For anyone that does not know...blocking Vitamin K is dangerous. Vitamin K is what the body uses to help clot your blood. I was already prone to bruising easily and now even more so. This is why it is so important for me to take a different pill and a vitamin every day! This drug is nothing to take lightly, but I no longer have much of a choice. I couldn't even eat a bowl of plain white rice without having to rush to the toilet. I've only been on this drug a month, but already my life is getting back to some symbolance of normal. I am still leary of certain foods and trying to be careful. I was terrified to eat a steak, baked potato and salad, but I tried it and I was fine. I couldn't believe I could eat steak again. This is something that was bad even before I had my gallbladder removed due to IBS. Again, I agree with all of the posts I've read that if you're having new or sudden bowel problems/changes you should consult a physician. However, do not always assume it is IBS. It could be many things that have similar symptoms. I thought mine might have just been my alternating IBS had changed to IBS-D. I have even read where people that are IBS-D have tried Questran with success. Be sure to research and become well informed of what's out there, but don't jump to conclusions and self diagnose...See a DOCTOR! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Kelley
Kelley