When this section is removed, the bile acids pass into the large bowel and cause diarrhea due to stimulation of chloride/fluid secretion by the colonocytes resulting in a secretory diarrhea. Colestyramine prevents this increase in water by making the bile acids insoluble and osmotically inactive. Colestyramine is also used in the control of other types of bile acid diarrhea. The primary, idiopathic form of bile acid diarrhea is a common cause of chronic functional diarrhea, often misdiagnosed as diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), and most of these patients respond to colestyramine. It is beneficial in the treatment of postcholecystectomy syndrome chronic diarrhea. Colestyramine is also useful in treating post-vagotomy diarrhea.Colestyramine can be helpful in the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections, to absorb toxins A and B, and reduce the diarrhea and the other symptoms these toxins cause. However, because it is not an anti-infective, it is used in concert with vancomycin.It is also used in the "wash out" procedure in patients taking leflunomide or teriflunomide to aid drug elimination in the case of drug discontinuation due to severe side effects caused by leflunomide or teriflunomide.A case report suggests that colestyramine may be useful for cyanobacterial (microcystin) poisoning in dogs.Ointments containing colestyramine compounded with aquaphor have been used in topical treatment of diaper rash in infants and toddlers.Cholestyramine also binds with oxalate in the GI tract, ultimately reducing urine oxalate and calcium oxalate stone formation. Available forms
Colestyramine is available as powder form, in 4-g packets, or in larger canisters.
Epidemiology
Bejel is mainly found in arid countries of the eastern Mediterranean region and in West Africa, where it is known as sahel. (Sahel disease should be distinguished from "Sahel", the geographical band between the Northern Sahara and Southern Sudan.) See also
Pinta (disease)
Syphilis
Yaws

References


== External links ==