Colestyramine
Colestyramine is an active ingredient of the class «bile acid sequestrant».
Pharmaceutical drug
What it is used for
- Hypertriglyceridemia
- Arteriosclerosis
- Familial hyperlipidemia
- Pseudomembranous colitis
- Coronary artery disease
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Cardiovascular disease
1) Cholestyramine for oral suspension, USP powder is indicated as adjunctive therapy to diet for the reduction of elevated serum cholesterol in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia (elevated low density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol) who do not respond adequately to diet.
How it works
- Bile acids sequestering agent
Class: bile acid sequestrant
Common side effects
The most common adverse reaction is constipation. When used as a cholesterol-lowering agent predisposing factors for most complaints of constipation are high dose and increased age (more than 60 years old).
Who should not take it
Cholestyramine for oral suspension, USP powder is contraindicated in patients with complete biliary obstruction where bile is not secreted into the intestine and in those individuals who have shown hypersensitivity to any of its components.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Category C There are no adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant women.
Caution should be exercised when cholestyramine resin is administered to a nursing mother. The possible lack of proper vitamin absorption described in the “Pregnancy” section may have an effect on nursing infants.
Interactions
- Amiodarone
- Benzylpenicillin
- Calcitriol
- Deferasirox
- Dexamethasone
- Digoxin
- Ezetimibe
- Folic acid
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Levothyroxine
- Naproxen
- Phenobarbital
- Pravastatin
- Prednisone
- Propranolol
- Spironolactone
- Tetracycline
- Ursodeoxycholic acid
- Warfarin
Brand names
United States
Questran · Questran Light
Canada
Cholestyramine-Odan · Jamp-Cholestyramine · Olestyr
Other trade names
Cholestyramine light · Cholybar · Duolite ap143 resin · Locholest · Locholest light · Prevalite
Approval status
- US Food and Drug Administration
- prescription · since 1973
- Health Canada
- prescription · marketed
- First approval anywhere
- 1973
Codes
- ATC
- C10AC01
- RxNorm CUI
- 2447
- ChEMBL
- CHEMBL1201625
- PubChem CID
- 70695640
- UNII
- 4B33BGI082
- Wikidata
- Q418006
Frequently asked questions
What is Colestyramine used for?
Colestyramine is used for: Hypertriglyceridemia, Arteriosclerosis, Familial hyperlipidemia, Pseudomembranous colitis, Coronary artery disease, Hypercholesterolemia, Nephrotic syndrome, and Hypothyroidism.
What kind of medicine is Colestyramine?
Colestyramine is an active ingredient of the class «bile acid sequestrant».
What are the brand names of Colestyramine?
Brand names of Colestyramine include Questran, Questran Light, Cholestyramine-Odan, Jamp-Cholestyramine, Olestyr, Cholestyramine light, Cholybar, and Duolite ap143 resin.
Sources and licences
- ChEMBL (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0)
- openFDA / DailyMed (public domain)
- Health Canada Drug Product Database (Open Government Licence – Canada)