Questran & meal times?

[Grant]

I've been using Questran for 10yrs now but even after all this time the best timing when to take Questran eludes me. Some say take with meals, just causes the most awful painful bloating for me. I've heard never ever take it on a empty stomach etc. Timing appears critical with this stuff so I would appreciate any other experiences on how to take it successfully without getting the awful bloating.
Tks
Grant

 

[Grant]

Anyone??

 

[Grant]

I give up!!

 

[crohnsinct]

Sorry Grant, my daughter took that drug but only for two weeks. They thought she might have bile acid malabsorption but it didn’t help her diarrhea so nope it was just her Crohn’s. She didn’t have the problem with bloating that you mention but it is listed as a side effect. She did however get very sick from it. I think it might have aspartame in it and she can’t process aspartame.

 

[Grant]

I have been taking Cholestyramine Powder for 20 years ! I am totally sick of drinking the stuff, especially because it can inhibit the absorption of medications. Because of the Cholestyramine I have a medicine schedule each and every day. I have tried drinking it with meals and without meals. Or I will drink a gulp or two and then wait a few minutes and drink another gulp or two. If I chug it all down at once I get a stomach ache. I too suffer from bloating, but I cannot pin it down to the Cholestyramine itself, my bloating could be caused by many things. I take two packets a day. I put the powder in a water bottle that is half full of Arrowhead bottled water and then shake it up thoroughly. I sometimes wait a short while until it's completely dissolved so it's easier to swallow. It does not seem to dissolve properly if use bottled water that is processed by using reverse osmosis. Last November I skipped one day of my Cholestyramine Powder and I ended up going to the ER ! I had uncontrollable watery diarrhea, vomiting and dry heaves ! Holy Cow !

Take Care

Tks Lynda, its a fine balancing act with this stuff. I tried taking it with meals-result was horrible painful bloating. I ow take it 30-60mins before meals. I use one & a half sachets a day.
Rgds
Grant

 

[Guerrero]

Hi Grant , i’m in the Questran dependence club too. With less experience than you (6months). Do you confirm the 30/60 minutes timing is the best one for you?

 

[Guerrero]

@Grant

 

[Grant]

Hi Grant , i’m in the Questran dependence club too. With less experience than you (6months). Do you confirm the 30/60 minutes timing is the best one for you?

Hi there Guerrero. I now take it 90mins before a meal. Things have improved for me & I now only take 1x Questran sachet daily. I've also introduced some milled Flaxseed daily & this sems to help on the bloating front. I hope this helps you.
Rgds
Grant

 

[Soraya]

I take Questran after gall bladder removal and intestinal resection
I take it morning and night .. half a sachet at a time
I’m a few years in …
It does affect my absorption of A,D,K,B12 and folates … I’ve recently started taking these supplements at lunchtime and I can feel the improvement
Some foods help me have a good day .. inc oats , sweet potato and beetroot

 

[dazigster]

Hi - I've had to take Colestryamine for 28yrs after my 2nd ileocecal resection.

Other than spacing from other medicines and roughly 12hrs (so breakfast and before bed) between doses, I haven't found timing an issue, or proximity to meals; frankly just it's lucky I remember at all, or am not too sleepy in the evening to take it at all (particularly as I'm unconsciously looking for any excuse to not do)

Personally I take one sachet in just enough water to make something gel like, like wallpaper paste, then chug it in 2 gulps, each followed by a bug swig of tea, like I'm taking horse pills. Imho theres no way to make it remotely palatable, so I take "just get it over with as quick as possible" approach.

HOWEVER about 5 years ago I started to get extreme bloating and cramps but with no white blood cell markers indicating active disease. When acid reflux symptoms (heartburn, difficulty swallowing) later added to that, I was prescribed omaprosole, which also happened to clear up the bloating and cramps.

It seems for me I now need BOTH the omaprosole to limit acid production to start with AND Colestryamine to mop up the minimised bile salts after, otherwise my bowel is extremely unhappy. Something to try, maybe?

FWIW I also eat about a litre (not all at once!) of unflavoured (but with honey) probiotic yoghurt a week to try and keep the biome happy, and I think that does also have very minor but detectable calming effect as well.

If I get all of the above just right (along with Adalimumab to keep out of remission) somedays I can almost pass for normal.