Katie G

Hi whiskey. Harry's right - I've suffered from bile salt diarrhea since having my GB out. I've had IBS-D for years, but worsened after my gall bladder was removed. I too couldn't always hold my bowels even if I was at home! Going to work or out socially was a nightmare and caused me much anxiety worrying about whether my bowels would behave and where the nearest bathroom might be.

I found out about Colestid on this board, and now have formed stools every or every other day. I've posted many times on the digestive disorders board to other bile salt diarrhea sufferers and told them about the wonders of Colestid. I can't remember one posters' name, but she reported her doctor had put here on WelChol due to her bile salt diarrhea, and it sounds like it acts the same as Colestid. I don't have high cholesterol, and the amount of WelChol you need to take should not be as high as needed to control cholesterol. The medication acts like a "sponge" and absorbs bile released from the liver - the Colestid I take just sits in my stomach and absorbs bile (which acts like a laxative for those of us who suffer from bile salt diarrhea) rather than being absorbed into the bloodstream.

So I really don't know much about WelChol, but from another poster who talked about it, it sounds very much like Colestid. Scroll through some of the other posts related to gall bladder problems on the Digestive Disorders site and you'll see my posts to others.

I wish you well, and hope the WelChol does the trick for you. After 5 years of bile salt diarrhea, my life was turned around for the better within 2 days of taking the Colestid. I've been on it for over a year now, and never plan to go off it.

Good luck and keep us posted,
Katie G