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Colestipol for IBS-D
I’m confused about when to take my colestipol. I have been using it for over a month and taking it with my evening meal or right after I eat. I have been having IBS-D symptoms for about 17 years. I am gluten and dairy free except for butter, (it’s the casein in dairy that bothers me and butter is low in casein). Like everyone, I have good days/weeks and bad. I also have been using IBgard for about a year and that has definitely made a difference.
I have been working with Functional Medicine Doctors for about 20 years and am on my third one. He prescribed colestipol for my diarrhea symptoms. I think it is helping, but it there are still issues. My doctor told me to take it with a meal and since I take supplements with breakfast I have been taking it with my evening meal, but do I take it before, while I’m eating or after? What works for you? I have been taking two pills only once a day. Should I split it up?
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Sorry to hear that you've been dealing with mystery diarrhea. Colestipol reduces diarrhea by binding up bile acid, which is produced during food digestion, but primarily fats. However, it can also bind up medicines and supplements, making them much less ineffective. It can definitely be tricky juggling these two constraints.
The few studies done show that having medication one hour BEFORE colestipol, and/or four hours AFTER colestipol, is probably safe. So if you have things you want to take with food, probably best to just not have colestipol for that meal. In my experience, taking colestipol without a meal can cause diarrhea on its own, so you need to avoid this.
Generally speaking, people take one pill per meal or fewer. So if your GP Rx'd you two daily, try with one at lunch and one at dinner, and take your meds at breakfast. If you find this to be too much, try just one daily, with whichever meal is the largest for you. You will probably need to do some experimentation, so keep a food journal and include colestipol time as an entry. Good luck.
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2 ReactionsIs it better to take the colestipol before the meal, during the meal, after or doesn’t it matter?
In my experience, you got to take it with the first bite. Some people have reported taking it at the end, or 40 minutes after they start eating, but that timing did not work out for me - it would negatively impact my bowel movements and cause pain. But feel free to explore on your own. Just, again, recommend documenting things so that you're not guessing or trying to remember weeks later.
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1 ReactionThank you! I’ve been keeping a food diary off and on, mostly on lately, for years. That is great advice.
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1 ReactionHi, @fiddler2 - wondering how things are going with your IBS-D symptoms? Is the colestipol helping you?
Yeah, it’s still a work in progress, trying to dial it all in. Right now I’m taking one at the beginning of my evening meal, but thinking I will try one more with lunch. I also upped the IBgard I was taking twice a day to three times, which is the recommended amount. IBgard is triple coated peppermint oil and recommended for IBS symptoms, but it hasn’t been enough to alleviate my symptoms on a daily or weekly basis. Hoping the colestipol will pull up the slack.
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1 ReactionI had a bowel resection for colon cancer about 6-7 yrs ago. They removed my ascending colon. I have had diarrhea since then. Last month, I visited my G-I doctor, and he prescribed Colestipol. It was life changing. The only side effect is heartburn, which I will gladly take as an alternative.
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1 ReactionWelcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @kittykay. Thanks for sharing your experience with a bowel resection.
Glad to hear the colestipol really helped the diarrhea you had after the surgery. You mentioned it was life changing. Has taking the colestipol changed what you are able to do on a day to day basis?