IBS - Colestyramine

I had some tests that revealed that something to do with reabsorbtion (or not?) of bile salts was the cause of my lifelong IBS. The cholestyramine worked like a magic charm! I guess it only works if that is the cause - but work it certainly did.

Hello Lucky - yes this is what the gastroenterologist said to me - though I haven`t had any tests to show this is so for me. I have just read the drug leaflet which says a common side-effect is constipation - which can be a problem for me. I really have tried pretty much everything else though so I suppose it is worth a try. Did you have to take the drug long-term?
(I see it is also known as Questran)

I took it for several years and it flipped my diarrhoea (?sp) IBS into the opposite direction. And there it has stayed - but much to be preferred to being on the loo 10 times a day! I no longer take the Questran.

The test consited of a radioactive injection followed some time later by a scan.

Thanks Lucky - I`ve just been googling it and found that the test is very expensive - which is probably why my consultant decided to let me try Questran without it!