Colestipol User Reviews & Ratings

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 2, 2025

"Pills are the size of vitamins: 1g each. Suffered from frequent and severe diarrhea for years after gallbladder removal. Took many years to get a referral to GI, who told me that bile acid malabsorption is a VERY COMMON side effect of this surgery. I have been on this med since before the pandemic, and only have a return of GI symptoms if I forget to take it (usually 12 hours after a missed dose). If you take colestipol less than an hour after another med, or you take another oral medication less than 4 hours after taking colestipol, it reduces the effective dose of the other medicine. No need for me to space out doses of colestipol since the side effect of constipation is not a problem... I just take less colestipol at the next dose, and I am normal (like before surgery!). I take it at night, and my other meds in the morning. No other side effects for me. Insurance has a high copay because it's not their favorite cholesterol therapy? Colestipol 10/10, US Healthcare System 3/10."

• Sur...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 27, 2021

Colestipol "I was on Crohn's meds for decades. Telling my old GI about yellow, runny, and sometimes painfully acidic bowel motions didn't point him to any other diagnosis than Crohn's disease. Because of a move, I needed to change to a GI specialist that came to my small city. Her nurse practitioner put me on Colestid, and the change has been amazing. Stools no longer bright yellow. Stools firmer and about half what they were without it. Although previous surgeries have made it that my digestion will never be normal, it has certainly helped me. Plus, no liver damage caused by it. I rate it 10 out of 10."

• Rio...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 26, 2021

"I take colestipol for chronic diarrhea after gallbladder removal. Increased frequency of taking 1 g colestipol tablets has resulted in normal bowel movements. Started with 2/day, then 3/day, now 4/day, resulting in normal BM without constipation. 5-year experience post-cholecystectomy."

• Lov...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 22, 2021

"Had my gallbladder out and had been dealing with loose stools for years. Finally read about this and the positive reviews in a Facebook group for those who have had their gallbladders out. It's changed my life! The first few weeks, I had an upset stomach and nausea, but it's been amazing ever since. Went from going to the bathroom urgently 5-6 times a day to one or two nice movements. Traveling is so much easier now, and I don't always have to look for a bathroom. Give it a shot!"

• KCM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2024

For High Cholesterol "The drug was prescribed to me 1 g per day for urgent diarrhea a few years after having my gallbladder removed. This has helped tremendously, sometimes causing the opposite effect of constipation, however, the bonus for me is I have not had normal cholesterol levels, specifically LDL, for over 20 years, and this medication shot me into somewhere I’ve not been since my 30s-40s. It’s amazing for lowering cholesterol, specifically for me the bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides - if you can tolerate the side effects, if you have any, I highly recommend it."

• Unk...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 25, 2022

For Hyperlipoproteinemia "I'm 80 years old, had my gallbladder taken out many, many years ago, around 1975. I too had very bad diarrhea for years. Around 2015, I was put on the medication, along with this, I drink at least 16 oz of water and fiber. So far, everything is going well. One question: if someone is having the same problem, the colestipol tablets I take sometimes will actually split open. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem with this medication."

• Anonymous
• April 30, 2024

"Colestipol has helped me get back to a normal life. I had terrible diarrhea, and it has helped me to have more normal controlled stools. In some comments, they mention that the pill absorbed moisture and even cracked, making it so difficult to swallow. I also had this problem at first, but upon changing pharmacy, the manufacturer changed. The pill went from a chalky-looking white pill to a yellow pill that looked to have a shiny coating. I feel the yellow pill was a much better quality."

• EmB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 21, 2023

"After the removal of my gallbladder, I was miserable for over a year, every day. I had constant nausea and diarrhea. I hated going places and always had to be near a bathroom. This medication was a game changer for me. I no longer have constant daily diarrhea and I'm not as miserable. I have not had the pills split like some say, but they are large pills, totally worth it though for me."

• BBB...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 1, 2023

"I take 2 g a day, early in the morning so as not to interfere with other meds later in the day but still be present to deal with meals. It has returned my life to me, but the pills are very difficult to swallow even with copious water. I've had two incidents now where I'm pretty sure a pill got stuck - not pleasant. I wish they manufactured 500 mg pills. I wouldn't mind taking more for the same effect and not having to worry if they're going to go down smoothly."

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 29, 2024

"Great med! I go to the restroom less now and doc is still tweaking it. I'm taking 2 with each meal and have only a small amount of stomach discomfort from meds. Only had 1 pill open from moisture, and that was because I had it in a plastic pill container that didn’t seal well."

• KKa...
• March 25, 2019

"This drug vastly improves my quality of life. After having my gallbladder removed at 22, I developed severe pain and frequent diarrhea after eating. Common in young people with cholecystectomy. The surgeon prescribed the powdered and sugar-free formulation of this. I don’t tolerate aspartame, so it did not help. Opiates helped pain, since they constipate you, it helped me. Lost my insurance, couldn’t afford doc. Issues returned. In 2011, I had an appendectomy. The surgeon recognized the problem of bile acid diarrhea after the cholecystectomy and said, 'colestipol will help.' I have not continuously taken it since. A high fiber diet works quite well to prevent the bile dumping issues. I had to go back on this after I developed a partial small bowel obstruction, a consequence of the initial surgery and autoimmune issues (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis). You will need to drink a lot of water, and I keep a stool softener on hand. I’ll gladly accept this over the utter inconvenience of remaining within dashing distance of a bathroom."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 23, 2025

"This has changed my life. Seriously, this is magic! I have an underlying autoimmune condition, which probably didn't help my case, but I had my gallbladder removed, resulting in chronic urgent diarrhea probably 5-6 times a day. I lost 42 lbs in 6 months and was on the verge of not getting out of bed, completely bedridden. I wouldn't travel, go to the store, I could barely make it through work. I was prescribed colestipol, 1 gram twice a day, morning and night, and I swear I go maybe once a day and solid. Sometimes if I eat something I know isn't going to settle right, I'll have to go twice, but besides that, amazing. 10/10 recommend to anybody who's lost quality of life due to bathroom issues."

• CMC...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 14, 2024

"On colestipol, 4 tablets per day for 5 years. Colestipol helped relieve my chronic diarrhea after eating. My only complaint is some of the pills have split open and made them impossible to swallow. I brought the pills back to the pharmacy, and they said they would replace them. Has the manufacturer been notified of this problem? The pills are very expensive."

• Sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 27, 2021

"Dr. put me on this colestipol to help with diarrhea caused by Crohn's disease. Apparently, she's had luck with other patients. It actually increased the bowel movements, caused debilitating cramping, nausea, and shot my blood pressure through the roof. I told her that I'd rather deal with the diarrhea. It may help some people, but for me, it was horrendous."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 15, 2022

For Hyperlipoproteinemia "The pills disintegrate. It is awful. The pharmacist is useless and tells me it is due to 'moisture'... but we have close to 20 medications in this household, and this is the only one that splits open and falls apart into dust. This has been ongoing for 6 months. I have contacted Amneal, the manufacturer, but have not received any help. We are discontinuing use. Additionally, it did not help my loved one with her issues."

• Don...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 8, 2018

For Hyperlipoproteinemia "I hate this medication. It makes me feel like absolutely garbage. I'm online now trying to find something different that won't make me feel like this. I hope there's an answer from someone. Medication shouldn't make you feel bad. It should help you feel better."

• Chu...
• January 20, 2021

For Hyperlipoproteinemia "I can't take statins. Have been on so many different meds to try and control cholesterol. I watch my diet, exercise. How in the world can something make you feel this crummy? Horrible medication. It also messed up my thyroid medication. Double whammy! Horrible."

• Boo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 2, 2017

Colestipol for Hyperlipoproteinemia "Have been taking colestipol granules for years because I can't take statins. Today, 2/9/17, have been told by my chemist that they are out of manufacture (the firm Alliance was mentioned). Need to follow this up with my GP."

• She...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 25, 2020

"Colestipol is a lifesaver for me for IBS-D (Irritable Bowel Syndrome with diarrhea). I had tried drug after drug, no relief from IBS-D. Colestipol works."

• Chr...
• May 17, 2023

"I suffer from constipation, and I got this medicine through the VA. I noticed that several of the pills split open because of humidity."

• Mar...
• November 16, 2019

For Hyperlipoproteinemia Type IIb, Elevated LDL VLDL "This drug is very dangerous and makes you have to take other drugs to function half normal. Still have the diarrhea but can't take the other bile binders due to fissures, hemorrhoids, etc."