Cholestyramine adverse reactions

Cholestyramine
PREVALITE® FDA Package Insert
Indications and Usage
Dosage and Administration
Dosage Forms and Strengths
Contraindications
Warnings and Precautions
Adverse Reactions
Drug Interactions
Use in Specific Populations
Overdosage
Description
Clinical Pharmacology
Nonclinical Toxicology
Clinical Studies
How Supplied/Storage and Handling
Patient Counseling Information
Labels and Packages
Clinical Trials on Cholestyramine
ClinicalTrials.gov

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sheng Shi, M.D. [2]

Adverse Reactions

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). Most instances of constipation are mild, transient, and controlled with conventional therapy. Some patients require a temporary decrease in dosage or discontinuation of therapy.

Less Frequent Adverse Reactions: Abdominal discomfort and/or pain, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia, eructation, anorexia, steatorrhea, bleeding tendencies due to hypoprothrombinemia (Vitamin K deficiency) as well as Vitamin A (one case of night blindness reported) and D deficiencies, hyperchloremic acidosis in children, osteoporosis, rash and irritation of the skin, tongue and perianal area. Rare reports of intestinal obstruction, including two deaths, have been reported in pediatric patients.

Occasional calcified material has been observed in the biliary tree, including calcification of the gallbladder, in patients to whom cholestyramine resin has been given. However, this may be a manifestation of the liver disease and not drug-related.

One patient experienced biliary colic on each of three occasions on which he took a cholestyramine for oral suspension product. One patient diagnosed as acute abdominal symptom complex was found to have a “pasty mass” in the transverse colon on x-ray.

Other events (not necessarily drug-related) reported in patients taking cholestyramine resin include:

Gastrointestinal—GI-rectal bleeding, black stools, hemorrhoidal bleeding, bleeding from known duodenal ulcer, dysphagia, hiccups, ulcer attack, sour taste, pancreatitis, rectal pain, diverticulitis.

• Laboratory test changes—Liver function abnormalities.

• Hematologic—Prolonged prothrombin time, ecchymosis, anemia.

• Hypersensitivity—Urticaria, asthma, wheezing, shortness of breath.

• Musculoskeletal—Backache, muscle and joint pains, arthritis.

• Neurologic—Headache, anxiety, vertigo, dizziness, fatigue, tinnitus, syncope, drowsiness, femoral nerve pain, paresthesia.

• Eye—Uveitis.

• Renal—Hematuria, dysuria, burnt odor to urine, diuresis.

• Miscellaneous—Weight loss, weight gain, increased libido, swollen glands, edema, dental bleeding, dental caries, erosion of tooth enamel, tooth discoloration.