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How to Calm Chronic Diarrhea with Fenofibrate

Some readers have found that taking fenofibrate, a cholesterol-lowering drug, helps calm chronic diarrhea when other methods have failed.

Chronic difficulties with the digestive tract can be extremely challenging. Inflammatory bowel disease is notorious, of course, as a potentially life-threatening condition. But even problems that are less severe can wear a person down. That’s why so many people are searching for a way to calm chronic diarrhea.

A Different Use for a Cholesterol-Lowering Drug:

Q. In a recent article you mentioned that fenofibrate could help calm chronic diarrhea. I have had bouts of diarrhea for months, and in recent months it had become very frequent.

I have been using fenofibrate for four weeks with amazing results. I still have some gas and bloating due, I think, to recent gallbladder removal, but the diarrhea is mostly under control. Thank you for this great tip which none of the doctors had suggested.

Using Fenofibrate Off-Label:

A. Fenofibrate is prescribed primarily to treat elevated blood lipids such as LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It is not approved for treating diarrhea. We could find no research on its use for diarrhea following gallbladder surgery, but we are happy it was helpful.

Some people experience diarrhea as a side effect of this lipid-lowering drug, so we really do not know exactly how it is working. Nor do we know how often it will work to calm chronic diarrhea for others who have this problem. It is worthwhile to discuss the possibility of an off-label prescription for fenofibrate with a physician.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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