Anyone taking WelChol? - High Cholesterol Message Board

modert · 03-08-2004, 06:51 PM

Is anyone taking WelChol for high cholesterol? I was just wondering what side effects people are experiencing.

I know that WelChol is not absorbed into the blood stream and supposedly it carries cholesterol out of the body through the normal digestive process. I was wondering if this changes the appearance and/or odor of urine, bowels, or other body secretions.

Sorry of this is disgusting, but a legitimate question!!!

zip2play · 03-09-2004, 07:22 AM

I haven't taken it but the consensus is that constipation is the probable main side-effect.

Don't look for huge TC results. The company claims a 7 point reduction with a dosage of six pills a day. Triglycerides will go up (and thus it's not wise for anyone with hypertriglyceremia. Best effect is an 18 point lowering of LDL (a nice drop.) A modest +3 on the HDL's, ehhh?

Brendap · 03-09-2004, 09:10 AM

I do not take WelChol, however, I took Questran Light for 10 years and regret it. I think these two drugs are similar.

It did not really lower my lipid values that much, but the Dr. thought I was too young to go on statins (I was 50 at the time) -- so I continued to take it.

I was so chronically constipated it was horrible. I stopped the Questran in 1999, and my bowels still have not returned to normal. The Dr. says I now have a motility problem, perhaps from such chronic constipation for all those years. I have had a colonoscopy and they find nothing wrong, but I now must take Miralax every morning and watch my diet like a hawk to make sure I have enough insoluble fiber to keep me moving.

In my opinion -- if you are going to take one of these types of drugs -- don't take it as long as I did -- and certainly not if your numbers don't drastically improve. The price you pay down the road may not be pleasant.

Just my opinion.
Brenda