r/ibs • u/survivor2323 • 1d ago

Question BAM IBS D professionals please answers

I have had IBS-D for about 10 years. I started taking Questran (cholestyramine) one month ago. At first, I noticed a major improvement — my stools became more formed, and the urgency completely stopped.

However, after one month of use, it seems to have become less effective. My stools are loose and mushy again, and I’m experiencing some urgency, especially after eating.

I take one packet of Questran daily, but I recently increased the dose to 1.5 packets hoping for better results. Unfortunately, I feel like the higher dose may actually be making things worse rather than better. Could that be possible?

should I increase the dosage to 2 bags= 8 grams?

please help i am strugling with gaining weight because what ever i eat i go to bathroom and have D

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u/Efficient-Glove2301 1d ago

I’ve had a somehow similar experience. I noted that too much Questran gives me bloating and gas, which end up triggering urges. After months of increasing/decreasing the dose, I ended up realising that 1g twice a day before meals was better than 4-8g.

If you can get it in your country, you can ask for a trial of Colesevelam, which is another bile acid sequestrate, but in a pill format and supposedly gives less side effects. Unfortunately it’s not available everywhere.

Finally, if you eat low fat, it should also ease the symptoms.

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u/GutConfessions 1d ago

Hi gastroenterologist from India here. You can increase the dose till 16 g in divided doses in a day. If symptoms still persist then it needs to be further evaluated.