Just diagnosed with Habba Syndrome
#341685 - 02/05/09 09:59 AM
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Just wondering if I am the only one here being treated for Habbas syndrome? Actually , I am not sure why my doctor decided I have Habbas. The only thing indicating it is sudden severe diarrhea after eating. I have 6-8 trips to the bathroom after eating breakfast in the morning. I had a colonoscopy on Monday and there were 4 colon polps.
Linda
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I don't know about the colon polys but it's very good that you have a doctor who even knows what Habba syndrome is.
Sudden post meal D is a classic Habba Syndome sign and there's more information at http://habbasyndrome.com/_wsn/page4.html. You should ask for your gall bladder function to be tested via radiological testing to confirm the diagmosis. If it is Habba's you should have a excellent response to bile acid suppressors.
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Stable IBS D
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I have been taking Questran just once in the morning and things are clearing up nicely. I am supposed to take it twice a day but the restriction that you must take it two hours after medication or take the medication 4 hours after the Questran means i won't get to bed until after midnight. The only side effect has been terrible gas an hour or so after swallowing that gritty stinky stuff . Bleck..but it seems to be working thats all I care about.
Linda
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Oh my goodness finally someone else that is taking this stuff. I have taken it once in the morning and once at night but after taking it for 2 weeks I got uncontrolable and really bad stinky gas. I couldn't do it anymore after having the gas for about 4 days I quit taking it and the gas went away. I was bummed though cause this medicine was the first to actually work for my diarrhia. Have you been able to find anything to take the gas away?
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IBS-D, Diverticulosis
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Is it possible to find another bile acid suppressor. Since you both responded well (apart from the gas) this suggest you have habba and not IBS. If so IBS treatments aren't going to help. In fact a common sign of habba is a lack of response to treatment for IBS.
It's possible to confirm habba's via radiological testing of the gallbladder. Ask your GI doc to do this if they haven't already.
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Stable IBS D
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When I switched to my new Gi doctor the first thing he did was check my gallbladder. I had a ultra sound done and cat scan with iodine done and he said it came back ok. He said there was nothing like this med except for the one I was taking and to try gas X or pepto to relieve the gas. Gas X didn't work and pepto will stop me up so I just quit taking it all together. Is there any other way to be checked for Habba? Thanks for your help.
IBS-D, Diverticulosis
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According to Dr Habba's website you check for Habba Syndrome via
by an abnormal radio-nuclear test that studies the function of the gallbladder (DISIDA scan with CCK injection).
I don't know if this is what you've already had. Habba wouldn't show up on a ultrasound as it's a problem with the function of the gall bladder not the structure.
I don't know if this atol feasible but Dr Habba has a office in New Jersey. Google his name to find him.
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Stable IBS D
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I'm hardly ever here anymore but happened to see this ... take Colestipol instead!! It is the generic form of Colestid, which is a lovely beautiful PILL you can take. No more mixing up and choking down orange swill!! I too started out on Questran, and hated it plus had yucky side effects (including, yes, socially unacceptable gas). Colestipol is a generic so it's cheap (I pay $10 for a one-month supply with my crappy insurance), and it works WAY better than Questran with no side effects. I take two 1 gm tablets.
I have no idea why any doctor prescribes the disgusting horror that is Questran when they can prescribe Colestipol. Maybe they just want you to suffer so you keep coming back?
hope that helps, ask your doctor about it!!
PS The HIDA scan is really the test you need to do to test your gallbladder -- it tests your gallbladder function. If you have pain the test should trigger it and therefore show that the gallbladder is the source. Although technically my gallbladder function was normal according to the numbers on the test, I had a gallbladder attack exactly at the expected moment, so they ended up taking it out.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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I am the mother of a young woman I believe to have Habba Syndrome.Can't find a gastroenterologist who is familar with it or can test for it in Nova Scotia.Does anyone know a doctor in Canada who can help and a hospital equipped with the HIDA scan?
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I had my doctor prescribe this to me and I will be getting it on Monday. I hope this will do better without the gassy side effects. He had originally told me there was nothing out there like Questran to take and then when I called him about this medicine I think he was a little shocked I knew about it. Sometimes I think they do just try keeping you coming back.
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Colestipol
#343093 - 03/10/09 09:07 AM
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mrae
Reged: 02/05/09
Posts: 481
Loc: California
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I am having a hard time getting this medicine. My doctor prescribed it to me but the pharmacys are having trouble getting it from the manufactured. Has anyone ever had this problem and if so do you know what the problem is?
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Well I am facing the fact that I will probably have to stick with the cholystermine(Questran)cause they are having issues getting colatipol in. So I see you take just one packet in the morning. I was taking one in the morning and one at night. So maybe if I just take one in the morning my gas issues won't be so bad. Is it still working good for you and has your side effects gotten better?
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I am not sure why you'd have problems. I have no problem getting it from Wal-Mart & Target pharmacies. The brand name is Colestid -- perhaps they'd have better luck if they ordered the brand and not the generic??
I hope you're able to find it, this drug completely saved my life!!
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Re: Colestipol
#343203 - 03/12/09 08:30 PM
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mrae
Reged: 02/05/09
Posts: 481
Loc: California
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Well I only live about 30 minutes from a Wal-mart so maybe I can change my prescription there and get it. I will have to check into that. Thanks so much.
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Re: Colestipol
#343217 - 03/13/09 10:53 AM
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mrae
Reged: 02/05/09
Posts: 481
Loc: California
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Ok so they finally got my prescription in so I will be starting it tomorrow. Thanks to the great insurance I have I get to pay a little over a 100.00 for it. I sure hope this works so it is well worth it and not just a waist of money. Was anyone else covered on ins or did you have to pay to?
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I don't know of any doctors in Canada with experience of Habba's. I think the best course of action is to educate the GI doctors in NS about Habba`s. I`d start with taking in the some of the following journal articles as well as the pages from Dr Habba`s website. If they can`t do a scan you could trying the bile acid suppressors if your daughter`s symptoms fit. Of course you need to talk to a doc about doing this.
http://www.nature.com/search/executeSearch?sp-q-9=AJG&sp-q=habba&sp-x-9=cat&sp-a=sp1001702d&sp-sfvl-field=subject'ujournal&sp-x-1=ujournal&sp-p-1=phrase&sp-p=all&submit=go
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Stable IBS D
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$100???  WITHOUT insurance, a 30-day supply (sixty 1 gm pills) of Colestipol from the Target pharmacy costs me about $18. Did they give you the brand instead of generic? I have no idea why you'd have problems with this -- I live in Iowa, not exactly cutting edge of civilization, and I've never had any problems. Maybe before you pick up your prescription you should call around to other pharmacies. That's a LOT to pay for a medication, particularly if you don't even know yet if it'll work. Good luck.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Re: Colestipol
#343366 - 03/17/09 10:15 AM
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mrae
Reged: 02/05/09
Posts: 481
Loc: California
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I went ahead and picked it up and it is a 60 day supply of the powder. Why my doctor prescribed me poweder I have no idea. But it is disgusting but I do see an improvement. I am however going to ask for it to be switched to pills on my next refill.
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Re: Colestipol
#343463 - 03/19/09 02:54 PM
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mrae
Reged: 02/05/09
Posts: 481
Loc: California
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Finally, I got the Colstipol pills 15.00 much cheapier and less nasty. I will start them tonight so I hope they work.
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When you started taking Colestipol how long before it started working? I take 2 1gm tablets a day one in the morning and one at night and it doesn't seem to work as well as the Cholystermine. However I do not have any side effects which is great but I am hoping it will start working soon. I have only been taking it for about a week so I still have 3 weeks before I get the full affect.
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I started out taking 1 pill in the morning and one at night, but it didn't seem to be working that great, so I switched to taking both pills first thing in the morning. This was what did the trick for me -- it only took a couple days to work. If this still doesn't help you, you might need a higher dose. 2 is usually the lowest dose -- my doctor said that I could go higher if I needed to but 2 is what works for me.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Oh ok I didn't realize I could take them at the same time but I will definately try that tomorrow morning. Thanks so much for your quick reply.
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How long have you been taking it? Also do you have to take anything else to help you or has this the only thing that you take?
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I went to the gi doc yesterday and he uped my colestipol to 4 pills a day but instead of taking them one at a time I take 2 first thing in the morning and 2 around 1:00 or so. So we will see how this works.
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