How my Medication works

When I picked up my Octreotide (Sandostatin) today, I noticed the excellent list of uses for Octreotide. Nurses are aware that it is used for diarrhea, but most people don't know it is the treatment for some rare cancers.

This is a quote from the brochure that comes with the prescription when the Rx is purchased at Rite Aid.:

"Octreotide is used to treat watery diarrhea and sudden reddening of the face and neck caused by certain types of tumors (e.g. carcinoid tumors, vasoactive intestinal tumors) that are found usually in the intestine and pancreas. The symptoms occur when these tumors make too much of certain natural substances (hormones). This medication works by blocking the production of these hormones. By decreasing watery diarrhea, octreotide works to reduce the loss of body fluids and minerals... This drug is not a cure for these conditions. This medication is usually used with other treatment (e.g. surgery, radiation, other drugs). "

Since I wrote last I have added Welchol to my treatment. Last week on Monday as I was telling my cardiologist about my increased carcinoid symptoms, he suggested that I use Welchol to combat the diarrhea and decrease my LDL a little more. (It's at 69, yes, 69. The man's a fanatic about low LDL. Actually, he wants my LDL low because my HDL is at 39, and my triglycerides stay above 150 unless I am being REALLY good. Also, the people having heart attacks now have LDL at 130.) I the idea about Welchol past my internist, and he thought it was a great idea. He said patients complain bitterly about how constipating Welchol is, and he had used it before in a patient before who suffered from a nasty digestive disease.

So, what is Welchol? It comes in a packet and you mix it with water. It is tiny resin beads that absorb cholesterol from the intestine. Having used it for 9 days, it seems to be working like a great little plug. I continued to have diarrhea for 8 days after starting Welchol, but it slows everything down, so I didn't get as dehydrated. Also, once I begin to get sick, I take the Welchol, and it seems to work in about 90 minutes. Before this, it was taking 2-3 hours before I would stop being sick. So I am better.

Thank you for your prayers. I am sure prayer and God's influence helped Dr. Chen come up with the idea of the Welchol. Also, The Lord has been blessing me with some days that are either really good all morning up until 1 pm like yesterday. Or a day like today when my cognitive function was impaired until the afternoon,and then I began to feel better. How I would like to get by brain, prayer, and Bible study all together, so I write a blog that is worthy of Him.

Love,
Sharon