Questran

Chris...there are some people who are taking now. i would check some of the old posts as I remember several discussions. I took Questran Light a long time ago and had missed it. It really made a difference for me---going to potty once a day versus every time I ate. The thing is I am changing in symptoms right now and think it would not be a good thing for me.

Hi Chris,

I take Questran to help with the large amount of bile running through my system since I had my gall bladder removed. I was getting diarrhea from many foods and was unable to eat much of anything, and it didn't leave my bottom feeling very pleasant. :/

I am actually really bad about taking it because I can't stand the sandy texture. I started out mixing it with water, and couldn't stomach it, so my GI gave me Carafate suspension to mix it with. That makes it a little easier to drink, it lessens the nasty taste and makes the texture a bit better. I mix the Carafate and a little water with a packet of Questran. It really does make a big difference for me; I don't get as sick when I eat something that will bother me, and it seems to fill me up. My only issue is that sometimes it doesn't want to stay down, and I end up vomitting and not eating at all!

If you have issues with the texture you can now get the same med in pill form. But if you have B12 issues you need to be careful. It binds to the B12 so it makes it even harder to absorb the B12. I only take the questran when I have to travel because I can't stand the texture or the side effects (gas, cramping, bloating) but it does do a good job of stopping the constant running to the bathroom. I have the pills now as well as the powder, so at least the texture issue is resolved. But my doctor, not the one who Rxed it, doesn't want me taking it because my B12 is so low.

I hated the sandy texture when Questran was prescribed to me as well. I switch to Colistid tablets instead. Now, as medications I don't care for either, I'd rather have D as they both push me too far in the other direction, but if I liked what those meds did for me, I'd go with Colistid just to not have to drink that nasty Questran! =o)

I like the powedered cholestyramine because I can tailor my dose more easily than with pills. Along with a low-fat diet I am able to manage the worst of my diarrhea by only taking a quarter of a packet every two or three days. Maybe it is because i take so little that I don't mind the taste or texture. It has been a life-saver for me, but if i took it as prescribed -- a four gram packet every day, I would be unable to function because of the pain, bloating and distention. Taking it as i do, I almost never have really nasty symptoms. I do find that it occasionally makes me gassy and the gas is the room-evacuator kind. P-U!!!

For all of you wondering about how I can manage on such a low dose, it is important to note that its primary use is to lower cholesterol in patients at risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. It's use for crohn's patients is an off label use. We are using it for a completely different reason than its intended recipients so dosing should be tailored to match symptoms and symptom-control.

For anyone suffering from steatorrhea I would encourage you to play around with the dose. Start with just a tespoon or less and work up or down from there until you find the dose that slows down the diarrhea but doesn't leave you feeling eight months pregnant.