The information on this site is intended to supplement and enhance, not replace, the advice of a physician who is familiar with your medical history. Decisions about your health should always be made ONLY after detailed conversation with your doctor.
Limited Use
[what does this mean?]
Generic drug name:
cholestyramine
(coal es TIRE am ene)
Brand name(s):
CHOLESTYRAMINE LIGHT,
LOCHOLEST,
PREVALITE,
QUESTRAN,
QUESTRAN LIGHT
GENERIC:
not available
FAMILY:
Other Drugs for High Cholesterol
Find the drug label by
searching at DailyMed.
Pregnancy and Breast-feeding Warnings [top]
Pregnancy Warning
Cholestyramine is known to interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and even vitamin supplementation may not be adequate. Because of the potential for serious adverse effects to the fetus, this drug should not be used by pregnant women.
Breast-feeding Warning
Because the lack of proper vitamin absorption by the mother could have a harmful effect on a nursing infant, you should not take cholestyramine while nursing.
Facts About This Drug [top]
Cholestyramine was first marketed in the U.S. in 1973. It is used primarily to lower cholesterol, specifically low-density lipoprotein (LDL). It works by binding bile acid in the intestines and therefore increasing the breakdown of cholesterol in the body. In middle-aged people it is clear that lowering cholesterol lessens the risk of coronary artery disease, but no cholesterol-lowering drug has been shown to lower overall death rates in this age group. In older adults the extent to which...
Cholestyramine was first marketed in the U.S. in 1973. It is used primarily to lower cholesterol, specifically low-density lipoprotein (LDL). It works by binding bile acid in the intestines and therefore increasing the breakdown of cholesterol in the body. In middle-aged people it is clear that lowering cholesterol lessens the risk of coronary artery disease, but no cholesterol-lowering drug has been shown to lower overall death rates in this age group. In older adults the extent to which higher cholesterol levels contribute to heart disease and should be treated with drugs is much less clear. Cholestyramine helps control high cholesterol, but does not cure the condition. Besides removing cholesterol, cholestyramine may remove needed nutrients and medicines from your body, and actually increase triglycerides.[1] People over age 60 and those who take high doses are more likely to experience harmful effects from cholestyramine.
The first, safer, and less costly measure to lower cholesterol for people under 70 is to eat a low-fat diet, using mostly polyunsaturated fats (such as canola, corn, safflower, and sunflower oils) or monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil). A change from animal to vegetable proteins often corrects high cholesterol. However, it is inadvisable to go on a very low-fat diet. The main focus on cholesterol-lowering diets has been on saturated fat and cholesterol content, not soluble fiber. (When added to the diet, psyllium or oat bran is a safe, effective way of lowering cholesterol.) Exercise and weight reduction are also recommended. Conditions that aggravate high cholesterol, such as dependence on alcohol or tobacco, diabetes, high blood pressure, low magnesium or potassium, and thyroid disease should be corrected before adding a cholesterol-reducing drug. If cholesterol remains high despite diet, add 10 grams of psyllium (METAMUCIL, PERDIEM) a day.
Before You Use This Drug [top]
Do not use if you have or have had:
Tell your doctor if you have or have had:
Tell your doctor about any other drugs you take, including aspirin, herbs, vitamins, and other nonprescription products. When taking cholestyramine it is important that your doctor knows all the drugs you take.
When You Use This Drug [top]
How to Use This Drug [top]
Interactions with Other Drugs [top]
The following drugs, biologics (e.g., vaccines, therapeutic antibodies), or foods are listed in Evaluations of Drug Interactions 2003 as causing “highly clinically significant” or “clinically significant” interactions when used together with any of the drugs in this section. In some sections with multiple drugs, the interaction may have been reported for one but not all drugs in this section, but we include the interaction because the drugs in this section are similar to one another. We have also included potentially serious interactions listed in the drug’s FDA-approved professional package insert or in published medical journal articles. There may be other drugs, especially those in the families of drugs listed below, that also will react with this drug to cause severe adverse effects. Make sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist the drugs you are taking and tell them if you are taking any of these interacting drugs:
ARAVA, CELLCEPT, COUMADIN, CRYSTODIGIN, digitoxin, EVISTA, furosemide, glipizide, GLUCOTROL, LASIX, leflunomide, mycophenolate, raloxifene, THYROID STRONG, warfarin.
If you stop taking cholestyramine, your doctor will again review doses of your other drugs. Serious harm may occur if you stop taking cholestyramine while taking other medicines.
Adverse Effects [top]
Call your doctor immediately if you experience:
Call your doctor if these symptoms continue:
Periodic Tests[top]
Ask your doctor which of these tests should be done periodically while you are taking this drug:
last reviewed April 30, 2024
Worst Pills, Best Pills is a project of Public Citizen's Health Research Group Group. As an independent, nonprofit organization, we take no corporate or government contributions and accept no advertising. Copyright © 2024 Public Citizen's Health Research Group. All rights reserved.
Login
Subscribe