Bile Acid Sequestrants

This page contains educational material primarily about Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome due to a water damaged building (CIRS). This is a biotoxin illness that is caused by mold and the interaction between mold, bacteria and chemicals used in building materials. Other biotoxin illnesses have similar signs and symptoms. They are also treated similarly. Some of them are discussed on this site. Additionally, there is imformation on this site about Nutrigenomics and Biotransformational pathways as you really can't treat someone with a biotoxin illness without including analysis and treatment of these pathways. This information is for educational purposes only. Nothing in this text is intended to serve as medical advice. All medical decisions should be made only with the guidance of your own personal medical authority. I am doing my best to get this data up quickly and correctly. If you find errors in this data, please let me know.

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Bile acids are amphiphilic (having both a polar, water-soluble group and a nonpolar, water-insoluble (lipophilic) group) molecules. This means that one part of them loves water and another part of them loves fats. They are synthesized from cholesterol in the liver; in their transit through the intestines they emulsify dietary fats, aiding in their absorption. This is very similar to how we use soap to emulsify fat when washing dishes which helps us remove it from the dishes and wash it down the drain. Bile acids when emulsified are then reabsorbed by active uptake in the ileum (part of intestine). The fats/oils are used and the bile acids are recycled through the enterohepatic circulation back into the liver. Bile acid sequestrants, such as cholestyramine are anion exchange resins that bind bile acids in the intestinal lumen and do not allow it to be taken up by the enterohepatic circulation. Anything attached to the bile acids will go where the bile acids go.

This interruption of the enterohepatic circulation increases fecal excretion of cholesterol-rich and mycotoxin laden bile acids, leading to the depletion of intrahepatic cholesterol as well as the mycotoxins.

However, the side effects of gastrointestinal intolerance to bile acid sequestrants can include bloating, abdominal pain, reflux and constipation, as well as the inhibition of the absorption of medications like levothyroxine or warfarin, reduced absorption of fat soluble vitamins and reduced patient compliance. Therefore, bile acid sequestrants need to be taken exactly as a patients doctor prescribes to decrease the possibility of these side effects from taking place. Use this link to learn more about how to safely use a bile acid sequestrant, read about the use of cholestyramine.

A list of different types of Binders and research links on them can be found here.

For information on other biotoxin removers click here.

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