Has anyone ever taken Welchol? For after gallbladder removal issues.......

Hi there! Thanks for the update.

As I mentioned, I am trying to do my changes thru diet. I cannot even look at cheese or it constipates me.:sad2:

I have been eating healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinner. No "going" but having the opposite, not going enough. UGH.....

I sure hope the tag fairy isn't reading this thread. ;)
 
One poster mentioned she takes Caltrate 600 D for her "going" problem and that it has worked for her, so I started taking it yesterday. I'm wondering if it will work for me, and if so how long will it take until I notice a difference in my "going problem." :guilty:

I bought a 60-dose bottle so will take it for 2 full months. If I don't notice any difference, I think I will talk to my doctor about Welchol or Questran and see if I could be put on one of those. I have never mentioned my "going problem" to my doctor simply because I do not want to go through any more "tests", but if he could prescribe a medication that would take care of it I would be ecstatic!!!
 
joining in here! I had my gall bladder taken out in 2002 and still suffer from having "to go" soon after eating.............like everyone else here...........

I am going to a GI doctor for the 1st time in November, will bring the info I am learning from this thread to him!
 
The caltrate took about 3 days to start working for me. You have to try it in different ways to see what works best for you. For me, a whole pill made me constipated. I only need to take half a pill once a day before the first thing I eat. Also it is very important to change your diet. No fried food, no fast food, nothing acidy, no soda. Good luck, I really hope it helps you find some relief!
 

Just an update on my going/non going gassy problems. :blush: I've now been on the rantindine (prescription Zantac) twice a day for about a week. I'm still having episodes of painful bloating but they are not as severe as they were before I started this medication. I have not had any more "Going" problems.

I just wanted to add a comment about the calcium twist. I have to take mega doses of calcium citrate. When my thyroid was removed, they got my para thyroids too. :( Without them I cannot maintain a calcium level so I take 630 mg of calcium +D three times a day. Because I was having that going problem a couple of weeks ago, I wonder if calcium really helps. :confused3 I mean it would seem that if it did, I wouldn't have been "Going". KWIM?

If I continue to have painful stomach episodes, I'm going back to the doctor and see what he says. Maybe an upper GI series might be in order. My mother had ulcers and I don't want to go down that road. :sad2:
 
I appreciate all the comments and information everyone is providing....and I agree I hope we don't attract the attention of the Tag Fairy! ;)

May I suggest that, along with the fiber, you go for a brisk walk. When I am 'experimenting' and things get slow....I find a walk helps. I think the abdominal muscle movement has something to do with it. :goodvibes

I will be checking back to see how everyone is doing.
 
I'm so glad I started this thread. I was a little embarrassed, but there's safety in numbers. :rotfl:

I'll definately be starting the Welchol back tomorrow, it's funny how things change. This morning I was having the not going problems, this afternoon after I ate lunch it's turned into the old where's the bathroom problem. :sad2:

So I'll start with 1/2 a pill tomorrow morning before breakfast and see where that leads me.
 
Wow!!! I'm not alone!!!
I'm having an ah-ha moment here!
Listening (I say that because I can almost hear you telling your stories, as I have said all this myself) to you all talk about this, it is if you are describing me!
I had my GB out 10 years ago. I had the "going" issue" before the operation and it still continues. I have good days and bad days, but no warning as to which day it will be. For me it's mostly the first thing of the day that I eat that triggers it. So if I have something to do in the morning that brings me out of the house, I don't eat.
The reseach thats been done here makes so much sense to me!
Years ago when I went on a diet and began eating better, much lower carb intake, tons of water (which normally, I drink in a week what most do in a day, that's a whole 'nother topic!), and little fat, I found that had my "issues" (I called them fat attacks) much less if any. When I reached my weight loss goal and integrated more regular food back into my diet, they came back. I also have thyroid issues and the whole calcium info makes total sense, because you are supposed to take calcium supplements (which I don't, no excuse, I just don't) when on thyroid relacement therapy drugs.
I am going to try this, since I should be anyway. Thanks for all this info and your stories! I'm not weird!!! There are more like me out there somewhere!!
Can't wait to make my husband read this, so he'll know it's not just me. I'm sure he gets pretty frustrated with my "issues".
I feel like I just went to a therapy session! Who do I owe?

Thanks!
 
I will share an observation I have had with my situation. I have noticed that I don't seem to digest foods the same, or as well, as before my GB removal. Some foods don't digest at all but go right through. Because of this, I try to take a multi-vitamin every day.

A couple of weeks ago, I spent about an hour looking at vitamins in a drug store. I found a calcium softgel that is 1200mg plus vitamin D, is liquid filled, and the label says "absorbable calcium". I had never seen that before. That was about the amount of calcium that I had been trying to take in a dry pill.

I also found a chewable acidophilus tablet, also never seen before. They are strawberry flavored and the instructions say to take 3 a day with meals.

I had been taking 1 fish oil capsule a day and I increased that to 3 per day.

It has only been a couple of weeks that I have been trying this change in vitamin intake but I have noticed not so much trouble with my stomach and I feel a lot better overall.

Now, after reading all of these posts of observations you all have made with dietary changes, I am going to look at how I can change my diet to get more even results and perhaps manage to stay the same day to day.

...Can't wait to make my husband read this, so he'll know it's not just me. I'm sure he gets pretty frustrated with my "issues".....
Mine does too. :goodvibes
 
I force myself to eat high fiber and fruit EARLY in the morning. Esp. oatmeal. I saw Dr. Oz on TV explain that oatmeal will absorb bile & cholesterol, hence why it lowers your cholesterol...a-ha....
No cheese at all.
Low fat diet.

So far it is helping, however not a cure by any means.

My Gastro told me to cut out ALL dairy. I am not ready for that right now. I want to see if modifying my diet in other ways helps.

I really need to quit coffee as well, but I am hanging onto that albatross.:lmao:
 
Just an update on my going/non going gassy problems. :blush: I've now been on the rantindine (prescription Zantac) twice a day for about a week. I'm still having episodes of painful bloating but they are not as severe as they were before I started this medication. I have not had any more "Going" problems.

I just wanted to add a comment about the calcium twist. I have to take mega doses of calcium citrate. When my thyroid was removed, they got my para thyroids too. :( Without them I cannot maintain a calcium level so I take 630 mg of calcium +D three times a day. Because I was having that going problem a couple of weeks ago, I wonder if calcium really helps. :confused3 I mean it would seem that if it did, I wouldn't have been "Going". KWIM?

If I continue to have painful stomach episodes, I'm going back to the doctor and see what he says. Maybe an upper GI series might be in order. My mother had ulcers and I don't want to go down that road. :sad2:


About the calcium.... You have to really read the ingrediants. A lot of calcium pills contain magnesium which will INCREASE diarrhea. You have to find one that doesn't contain magnesium and also make sure whatever vitamins you are taking doesn't contain it either.
 
About the calcium.... You have to really read the ingrediants. A lot of calcium pills contain magnesium which will INCREASE diarrhea. You have to find one that doesn't contain magnesium and also make sure whatever vitamins you are taking doesn't contain it either.

Very interesting.
 
I force myself to eat high fiber and fruit EARLY in the morning. Esp. oatmeal. I saw Dr. Oz on TV explain that oatmeal will absorb bile & cholesterol, hence why it lowers your cholesterol...a-ha....
No cheese at all.
Low fat diet.

So far it is helping, however not a cure by any means.

My Gastro told me to cut out ALL dairy. I am not ready for that right now. I want to see if modifying my diet in other ways helps.

I really need to quit coffee as well, but I am hanging onto that albatross.:lmao:
We eat a lot of cheese at our house in the winter months...I didn't realize it could be adding to the problem. Milk upsets my stomach now but I can drink soy milk. I drink soda and I know that increases the going! Also, any hot drink first think in the morning, whether it has caffeine or no, will bring on the stomach cramps.

Interestingly, I just checked and all of the calcium pills in the house have magnesium except the softgels I just started taking.
 
I force myself to eat high fiber and fruit EARLY in the morning. Esp. oatmeal. I saw Dr. Oz on TV explain that oatmeal will absorb bile & cholesterol, hence why it lowers your cholesterol...a-ha....
No cheese at all.
Low fat diet.

So far it is helping, however not a cure by any means.

My Gastro told me to cut out ALL dairy. I am not ready for that right now. I want to see if modifying my diet in other ways helps.

I really need to quit coffee as well, but I am hanging onto that albatross.:lmao:

I too try to eat oatmeal every morning. I think it makes a big difference and it fills me up for the morning.

I gave up soda which I think makes a difference. Looking at the high fructose thread (on the budget board I think) makes me believe I made a very good choice in giving up the soda.

I also WILL NOT give up my morning java. No way no how.

Immodium has been my savior many times over. I keep them at home, in my purse and in my car. I cannot tell you what a difference one little pill makes. I have to take them a few times a month but without taking one I sometimes cannot leave the house.
 
As far as I know the quick way to recovery from gall bladder surgery is to have proper diet after the surgery. Whether you are in the hospital or at home, you have to take the diet that will keep you normal and lessens the burden on the digestive system. Also exercises like stretching would put pressure on the abdominal muscles the body. Hence such exercises should be avoided during recovery period from gall bladder surgery.
G o o d a r t i c l e I h a v e e n j o y t h a t . . G o o d d y
G o o d a r t i c l e I h a v e e n j o y t h a t . . G o o d d y . . . . . . . . ..
 
I have recently discovered oat bran. Works better than eating oatmeal every day (although there is nothing wrong with that). About a tablespoon a day has replaced my prescription medication. I don't have the stomach cramping and pain I once had. I can put the bran in a variety of foods and never taste it. :thumbsup2
 
It's late and I am tired so I didn't read the whole thread but I highly recommend asking your dr's about bile salts "D". Here's an article:

A shock to your system

All abdominal surgery is a shock to your system. But, in most cases, these changes are temporary and improve within a few weeks of the operation. Some individuals, however, are troubled by persistent diarrhea after their gallbladder is removed. The symptoms may vary, but most patients complain that they often experience urgency and watery diarrhea shortly after eating. The diarrhea may even force them to stop and head for the closest bathroom before they finish the meal. This is especially embarrassing when it occurs at work or when dining out with friends. Many patients with this problem become reluctant to eat away from home.

Bile salts are the culprit

Bile is a thick yellow fluid made by the liver. It helps you digest the fat in your diet. Between meals, liver bile is stored in the gallbladder, a little sac beneath the liver. When you eat, the gallbladder squeezes and releases the stored bile salts into the small intestine to help with digestion. After food is digested and absorbed, the bile salts are reabsorbed at the end of the small intestine and recycled to be used over and over again. When the gallbladder is surgically removed, the liver must make more bile salts, and more are released between meals beca use there is no place to store them. The increased amount of bile salts can sometimes overwhelm the small intestines' capacity to reabsorb them. The excess spills over into the large intestine, or colon, where bile acts somewhat like a laxative, leading to diarrhea.

How can this side effect be prevented?

It can't. Why some patients develop this side effect after gallbladder surgery and others do not is still a mystery. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict before surgery who will develop this problem afterwards. Having this side effect does not reflect on the skill of the surgeon or how the surgery was done. It is really just bad luck. Fortunately, the vast majority of patients do not develop bile salt diarrhea after gallbladder surgery. The exact risk is not well studied but estimated to be about 5% of patients.

How does your doctor know?

Since there is no specific diagnostic test for this condition, your doctor must confirm his suspicion that bile salt diarrhea is the culprit by ruling out other possible causes of diarrhea such as infection, colitis, cancer, and others. To do so the doctor will ask questions about your health history in general and specifically about the change in bowel habits. A physical examination is then performed. Special tests of blood and stool samples may be requested. In most cases, the doctor will need to examine the lining of the colon with a "scope" test such as colonoscopy to be sure that colitis and cancer are not present. Every case is a little different and it is the doctor's job to determine which tests are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

How is this treated?

There is no cure for this problem, but treatment is available. Once it has been established that bile salt diarrhea is the problem, treatment is usually prescribed to lessen the symptoms of diarrhea and urgency. The mainstay of treatment is a powder called cholestyramine resin (Pronunciation: kole ESS tir a meen). This medication is primarily marketed as a drug for patients with high blood cholesterol. It comes as a powder that is mixed with about 6 ounces of water. Several formulations are available such as Locholest, Locholest Light, Prevalite, Questran, Questran Light. It also comes in a tablet form called Colestid. Much like a chemical "sponge," this medicine lowers blood cholesterol by trapping and inactivating bile salts in the intestine, preventing their reabsorption. By trapping bile salts, cholestyramine also helps patients with bile salt diarrhea. The dose required to treat this condition is usually only once daily.

Precautions

Avoid ingesting or breathing in the dry cholestyramine powder. Do not take cholestyramine if you are constipated, stop it and call your doctor. Take other medications at least 1 hour before or 4 hours after taking a dose of cholestyramine. Cholestyramine can decrease the effectiveness of many other drugs if they are taken too close to one another. Cholestyramine decreases the absorption of certain vitamins. If you are on this medication chronically, simply take a multivitamin capsule every morning. Do not take cholestyramine without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. If you miss a dose just take the missed dose as soon as you remember, but not with other medications. Do not take a double dose of this medication.

What else can you do?

In addition to using cholestyramine, some patients with bile salt diarrhea seem to do better on a low-fat diet. Others find that they are helped by the use non-prescription medications to lessen diarrhea such as Imodium. Imodium can be safely taken several times a day. The main side effect, of course, would be constipation. Some patients find that the use of fiber supplements may help make the bowel movements more formed. A packet of Citrucel daily is often of benefit.

Will this problem eventually go away? Probably not. While some individuals do get better over time, most patients who have bile salt diarrhea that persists longer than 3 months after gallbladder surgery have it for life. It can usually be controlled with treatment. However, if the cholestyramine is stopped, the diarrhea quickly returns. The whole goal of treatment is to prevent attacks of diarrhea and make your life normal again. Take whatever medications your doctor prescribes to control the urgent bowel movements so that your "bowels don't run your life."

http://www.gihealth.com/html/education/bilesaltDiarrhea.html
 
After dealing with this for years, everything I tried stopped working for me. The calcium pills no longer helped me.
Went back to a different Dr who finally believed me and diagnosed me with the bile salts problem. I started taking the Questran as mentioned by the PP. It was horrible! The most disgusting thing I have ever had to drink. Also, since it is like a sponge it absorbs everything, even your vitamin intake so you have to make sure you take it hours before or after any vitamins. It didn't work for me anyway, so we tried Welchol.

Currently and for the past 2 years I have been taking 1 multi vitamin in the morning with breakfast, and then 3 welchol pills with lunch. It worked well in the beginning. Now I am seeing a GI to try to get to the bottom of this. What could be happening is yes I have the bile salts issue but I could have something else going on too. All my blood work was normal, except my vitamin D was low. Right now my Dr has me trying a Gluten free diet. He has had patients with the same issues as me and this worked for them Sometimes after having your gallbladder is removed your whole digestive system changes. So, I don't have celiac disease according to the blood work but I may be allergic to gluten. Also there are enzymes you can take to help with the digestive system. Gluten free has been really hard for me because all I eat is bread and pasta! The gluten free kind is gross, especially the bread. Also, for me it only has made a difference in bloating which has gone down, but I still have stomach isssues.

Next thing my Dr suggested is an MRI to see if any stones are left in my bile duct. It so then he will remove them. If that isn't the case then he wants to do a colonoscapy. That is the only way to know for certain what is going on. Sometimes Celiac doesn't show up in a blood test. Same thing for Chrones disease, the only way to know for sure is to go in and see.

This has been a hellish journey for me that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I just want to be normal again and the whole thing really stinks! I am at the point where I am just ready for the colonoscapy because I really can't take it anymore. My days have to planned around these stomach issues. :sad2:
 
Yes, I take Welchol. I had my gall bladder removed back in 2005 and on top of that I also suffer from IBS. My IBS got much worse after the gall bladder removal. Welchol saved my job. I was spending an hour or more a day in the mens room back then and was looking into going out on disability.
 
I've had my gallbladder out too, and if I eat more than just a small amount of beef or pork, or if I eat foods that are rich, then I do have 'going' problems (as in..where's the nearest bathroom). For me, I think it is a kind of bile issue. That certain foods trigger an excess amount of bile in my system.

I try to watch what I eat, but sometimes still end up eating food that I probably shouldn't (due to the going problem).

It's quite inconvenient, and when around other people, can be embarrassing (at least for me it is, can't speak for others).

Some good information on this thread. Hope you can find some solutions for your situation, op.
 














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