What do you take for Chronic Diarrhea without a Gallbladder?

Posted by lsmoore55 @lsmoore55, Jan 23, 2025

What do you take for Chronic Diarrhea without a Gallbladder?

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Colestid or other bile binding medication.
You probably have bile salt diarrhea which is very common after gallbladder removal.
Hope that helps

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Yes I agree with Cheryl. You probably have Bile Acid Absorption or bile acid diarrhea (BAD) which can occur after gallbladder removal, so I'm told as I have the same condition. From my research, the body can't recycle the bile used to digest food in the small intestine so draws fluid from the body to wash it out through the colon. If this continues over a long period of time can it eventually lead to bile acid deficiency. If too many bile acids are coming out in your poop instead of recycling back to your liver, your liver will start to run out of bile acids to produce bile with. For me it led to severe weight loss not to mention scared to leave the house in the morning! It also leads to malabsorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) so you might get a quality supplement of those. The best prescription medicine I have used is as Cheryl pointed out - Colestid (Colestipol). I have had a hard time finding the right dosage and it can take time to adjust to it, it can swing the other way and make you constipated. I had to go to my primary care physician after diagnosing myself, but she was onboard and prescribed the Colestid. Good luck!

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@lsmoore55

Probiotics help. I stll have dumping days. I tried several probiotics that did not help ... my husband's cousin told me that Align helped him. So I tried it and it really helped me Probiotic foods also help .. yogurt, kefir, etc. .. which I don't like.

Stay away from greasy foods and sweets. Best to keep a food journal .. the food and reaction. Sometimes it is a gassy, crampy belly and others it is the diarrhea. I have trouble with raw fruits and vegetables. … Apples, pears and other fruits .. cabbage slaw and broccoli. Most any high fiber food give me diarrhea. I avoid them. I never knew about Colestid .. the way I am with medications I would be allergic to or it would cause constipation.

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Profile picture for cheryl46 @cheryl46

Colestid or other bile binding medication.
You probably have bile salt diarrhea which is very common after gallbladder removal.
Hope that helps

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Ty. Told I may have Crohn's Disease. Had colon cancer in 1996. Carcinoid Endocrine Tumor. Have survived 8 cancers in total but I can't take the every day diarrhea I've had all my life. No gastroenterologist has found an answer for me. I get Colonoscopies every 3 years. Gall bladder was removed due to an incorrect diagnosis in 1996 but I've had the diarrhea my entire life. I am just so tired of being sick all the time. I am 76 years old. Thank you.

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Profile picture for ZeeGee @fourof5zs

@lsmoore55

Probiotics help. I stll have dumping days. I tried several probiotics that did not help ... my husband's cousin told me that Align helped him. So I tried it and it really helped me Probiotic foods also help .. yogurt, kefir, etc. .. which I don't like.

Stay away from greasy foods and sweets. Best to keep a food journal .. the food and reaction. Sometimes it is a gassy, crampy belly and others it is the diarrhea. I have trouble with raw fruits and vegetables. … Apples, pears and other fruits .. cabbage slaw and broccoli. Most any high fiber food give me diarrhea. I avoid them. I never knew about Colestid .. the way I am with medications I would be allergic to or it would cause constipation.

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Colestid is the same as questran or collision, it just comes in a pill form which helps me work with the dosage.
I'm so glad probiotics work for you, I couldn't absorb them but I also have EPI.
Good luck

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Yes, I've had all those stool tests. Everything comes back negative except for higher than normal inflammation. Colestipol makes me nauseous. Can't take it. Glad you're feeling better.

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Thank you so much for your info. I never heard of Creon before but I will Google it now and also check with my gastroenterologist.

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Profile picture for cheryl46 @cheryl46

Colestid is the same as questran or collision, it just comes in a pill form which helps me work with the dosage.
I'm so glad probiotics work for you, I couldn't absorb them but I also have EPI.
Good luck

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Hi, I had my gallbladder out in 2017 and suffered with chronic diarrhea since the operation. I have tried many presciptions over the years and thanks to Mayo I started on Colesevelam a week ago and it's a game changer! Expensive tablet but worth it. Good luck.

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