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20 years and ibs may have finally been solved

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 6/8/2013 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
I have had digestion problems for 20 years. I was told I had IBS, I was told I cant digest milk, Later on in life I was with Colon cancer, had a resection and still I had issue with digestion. Most recently I was diagnosed with ulcers and H-pyloic. Had regular appointments with my colon surgent and he always said more fiber and basically ignored my plea for help. Fiber did absolutely nothing for me. Probiotics did nothing, change in my eating habits nothing. Nothing worked!!!

My primary doctor had asked me if I had a gastrologist. At this point I had not seen a gastrologist for years. I figured the colon surgent knew my problems why bother. Well the colon doctors office has been so bad for years I decided to go to a gastro dr.

I found one that had reasonable reviews and went on Monday. As usual I gave him all my records in advance and he appeared not to have read them prior. But the amazing thing is as I told him about my problem he figured out my problem that has been going on for two decades.

This next section should not deter you from my solution. I may not have special circumstances.

He told me since I am missing half my colon, I no longer have a valve and the food expels quickly. That my livers bile system cant react fast enough. He prescribed me Welchol a bile sequestriant. I read up on the drug before taking it. It basically forces our liver to make more bile and this also has the added advantage of helping control your cholesterol and blood sugar.

I took my first dose that day and no longer had the urge to go immediately. I had been going 6-8 times a day prior. It has been 5 days and I go once or twice a day now and the stools are looking better. It is amazing, I can not believe It took so long to get this? All these years of pain and discomfort and surgery.

I would suggest if you have problems like I have get a colonosopy, and an edoscopy to make sure it is not something fatal. If you have problems that cant seem to get solved try Welchol.

Also although my colon is half the size it used to be I believe this medication would have helped me prior to that procedure. I want to help those that have this problem and let people know what I did.
Posted 6/9/2013 1:04 PM (GMT 0)
I am starting to stop altogether soda drinking altogether this week. Just water no sugar drinks period. I agree with another writer about flutose etc. I have been cutting back on those drinks anyway as well because I noticed I get pain in my fingers and toes when I drink them. Even though my sugar levels are ok.
Posted 6/9/2013 1:29 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, ibsolved, your post was nearly identical to mine. I was born with a milk allergy, nearly died as a newborn. My mom had to me on soy milk. This was decades ago, when mothers were discouraged from nursing, so in hindsight I probably should have received breast milk. Ah, but my mom was a smoker back then and drank strong tea each day. So maybe it's best I didn't get her milk. lol Anywho, I didn't really have bowel issues growing up except for occasional C, but I chalk that up to not eating vegetables and being an extremely picky eater. Remember many nights being trapped by the dinner table because I wouldn't finish my then cold peas (probably canned peas at that!). My mom had the dishes done, put away and still I sat. So my diet wasn't ideal and I don't think doctors/parents gave intake much thought, I was told to drink prune juice for regularity (and I despised it). At age 43, I was diagnosed with rectal cancer and needed my 90% of my sigmoid removed, where my tumor was located. This was 14 years ago, I haven't been the same since (after my temp ostomy was reversed). I am currently taking cholestyramine but it's not always helping me. Tell me, welchol is the same thing, correct? I have so many bm's each day, as long as I continue to eat. I did go to a top notch colon surgeon and she drew me a diagram of what's left of my colon, she kept stressing the fact that my reservoir is non-existent, gone and stool will always be expelled at rapid rates, unless I fast (which I often do for social events).

I probably should have had a perm colostomy.

But I sometimes wonder if Welchol would be better for my touchy GI tract? Do you take it in pill form?

I should add that I did outgrow my infancy milk allergy by age 3 but milk is something I really never want to drink.
Posted 6/9/2013 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on it for six days and six days my stools are good, and I only go twice a day now. I was being conservative about going 6-8 times a day. I haven't been that way for many years. Although the drugs have similar ingredients I have found even generics don't work the same.

So I would try Welchol, its worth a shot at feeling better.

It cost me fifty bucks even on my prescription plan.

On the welchol site they have a discount card, that can save you 25 bucks per prescription, I am also supposed to take two pills before lunch and dinner, but i can take one and it works. So it saves me half.

here is an article about Colesevelam:

Colesevelam is also used along with a proper diet and exercise to lower high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes). Controlling high blood sugar helps prevent kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems, loss of limbs, and sexual function problems. Proper control of diabetes may also lessen your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Colesevelam belongs to a class of drugs called bile acid-binding resins. Bile acid is a natural substance the liver makes by using cholesterol. This medication works by removing bile acid from the body. This causes the liver to make more bile acid by using cholesterol, which reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. It is not known how colesevelam works in lowering blood sugar.


Here is article about frutose that may help us:

I was reading a small article buried in the back of my local paper regarding the use of Fructose in many foods and a huge amount of drinks such as all soda, lemonaide, limeaide, Hi-C, gatoraide, etc. (read all labels). The article stated that Fructose is very difficult to digest and that there is a portion of the Fructose that is ingested that stays in the intestine undigested and then in return attracts bacteria. I put two and two together and it dawned on me that I had been drinking 2 to 3 cokes a day for 15 or so years. My IBS was totally out of control and getting worse. I have been a prisoner of IBS for literally 8 years. I have tried everything with no luck, with the exception of Imodium which I lived on. I could not eat breakfast or lunch because I would risk a flareup or accident which I had many times at work (a jr.high school). So in my desperation I decided that I must stop drinking coke and see if that could be the culprit. The first two weeks I was sick more that I ever was but I persisted to refrain from the cola. The third week I only had diarrhea twice in a week. The fourth and fifth (which is where I am at now) I am perfectly normal and my insides feel wonderful. I can't believe it. My brain has not adjusted yet for I still have that fear or anxiety response but it is slowly going to get there. I always thought there was a common thread that caused a lot of the IBS and I truly believe Fructose is the enemy. Please read all labels before drinking or eating anything and try and see if this has a positive outcome. Give it a month. Write your responses, help other people. I hope this is a true breakthrough.
Posted 6/14/2013 3:05 PM (GMT 0)
I may have spoked to soon, the Welchol worked great for a little over a week, it still slows down my digestive system, but doesn't seem to control the stool type anymore. Still not drinking sodas or flutose drinks, hoping that helps, it takes a while for that stuff to get out of you system.
Posted 6/15/2013 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
I know about speaking too soon... I did that, I was all like, "oh, yeah, a low-FODMAP diet has gotten rid of my symptoms." Nope, I just have different symptoms now. Before I was constipated and cramping all the time. Now I have diarrhoea, nausea and belly grumbling all the time :( which is more problematic in public situations than the constipation was
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