What is Cholestyramine?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Questran Prevalite Packets Cholestyramine Light Show all
Cholestyramine is used in the management of primary hypercholesterolemia. It is also used for itching (pruritus) associated with elevated levels of bile acids; diarrhea associated with excess fecal bile acids; binding toxicologic agents; and pseudomembranous colitis.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irritable bowel syndrome | 148 | 18 | |
| Primary sclerosing cholangitis | 23 | 1 | |
| Microscopic colitis | 20 | 1 | |
| Diarrhea | 12 | 13 | |
| Chronic diarrhea | 5 | 2 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 13 | |
| Moderate | 6 | |
| Mild | 7 | |
| None | 29 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Cholestyramine
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Constipation | 11 | |
| Flatulence | 3 | |
| Abdominal bloating | 2 | |
| Headaches | 2 | |
| Jarisch-Herxeimer reaction | 2 | |
| Abdominal pain | 1 |
Duration
Stopped taking Cholestyramine
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 13 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 11 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 8 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 6 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 4 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 1 | |
| 10 years or more | 1 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Cholestyramine after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Activated charcoal | 1 | |
| Colesevelam (Welchol) | 1 | |
| Saccharomyces boulardii | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Cholestyramine and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Budesonide (Pulmicort) | 2 | |
| Colesevelam (Welchol) | 2 | |
| Dicyclomine (Bentyl) | 2 |
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