# Anyone else take Cholestryamine for IBS? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 14, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-take-cholestryamine-for-ibs/625150 "2012-06-14T15:57:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-take-cholestryamine-for-ibs/625150/1 "2012-06-14T15:57:58Z")
So, my doctor put me on it and it is certainly working which makes me very happy. 🙂 The problem is, she put me on four doses a day for a week and then said to reduce down to the point where I am comfortable. Well, that’s not going so well. My question for you is: 1. How much do you take? 2. What time(s) of day? 3. Before or after meals? Any tips are appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-take-cholestryamine-for-ibs/625150/2 "2012-06-14T16:40:53Z")
I was taking cholestryamine for bile salt diarrhea after having my gall bladder removed. My experience may or may not be relevant to yours. I was taking two doses per day, but I don’t recall at what times. It worked, but it was inconvenient to use the powder and I found it somewhat distasteful. I asked my physician about taking a pill instead, and was prescribed colestipol hydrochloride tablets. That works as well, I suspect because it specifically addresses bile salts. I find it easier to deal with than the cholestryamine powder. “Not going so well” doesn’t give me a clue as to what problem(s) you’re experiencing. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-take-cholestryamine-for-ibs/625150/3 "2012-06-14T17:56:02Z")
I reduced down to two times a day and I think I chose unwisely. Once in the morning and once around 5 pm. I then had mild diarrhea at 9 pm. I was hoping to get down to twice a day but maybe I timed it wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-take-cholestryamine-for-ibs/625150/4 "2012-06-14T18:33:51Z")
I don’t know if the timing is significant, other than to space the doses out fairly evenly. It may be that two a day isn’t quite enough for your particular condition. My thought is to go back to three a day for a long enough period to feel secure in that, then perhaps try to reduce slowly. You could cut out the third dose every third day for a while, then every other day, etc. I think you’ll have to experiment to get it just right for you. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-take-cholestryamine-for-ibs/625150/5 "2012-06-16T18:01:42Z")
As a tangent: I never wound up needing it, but was given some “just in case” when a gallbladder attack caused cholestasis and intolerable itching. I was cautioned to take it well before or well after other meds because it impedes absorption of the other medications. That, in my mind, would be a reason to try to reduce use of the stuff if possible (if the OP is on other medications). Beyond that, I’ve got nothing to offer.