QUESTRAN (CHOLESTYRAMINE PWD)

Questran Description

Found out you have high cholesterol levels? Your doctor may prescribe Questran and recommend a healthier life style that includes being more active, eating healthier, and giving up smoking. Lowering your cholesterol reduces the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Taking Questran or generic Cholestyramine Pwd also helps relieve the itching for those with liver or bile duct disease as it accelerates the elimination of bile acids from your body and skin. The generic alternative is not manufactured by the company that makes the brand product.

Trap and Remove Excess Cholesterol in Your Body

Questran is an oral medicine you drink after mixing it with water. Your body does not absorb Questran but instead it stays within your intestinal tract where it does the most good. When taken as directed, Questran works as a bile acid sequestrant to increase the removal of bile acids from your body as it passes through your intestines, trapping and carrying out the excess in your stool. Due to the loss of bile acids, your liver then increases the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids resulting in less cholesterol in your body so there are lower levels circulating in your blood.

Although Questran is not a cure for liver disease, it will reduce the itching that feels like it is on the inside of your skin. This is believed to be a result of bile acids accumulating in your skin because your liver or bile ducts are unable to eliminate bile acids properly. As Questran works to help one problem, it eliminates two.

Conditions Treated by Questran

Your body needs cholesterol which is made by your liver and then travels into your bloodstream to certain organs and tissues to carry out a variety of functions. It is required to strengthen cell membranes, to create bile salts that digest fat, and as a foundation to steroid hormones.

If your diet exceeds the amount of cholesterol your body needs, it can become deposited on the walls of your arteries as a plaque build-up. This can cause your heart to work overtime trying to supply blood to other organs and tissues because it is not receiving a proper blood flow. As the build-up continues, your risk of a heart attack or stroke is increased.

Before Questran is Prescribed

Ask your doctor about any risks with taking Questran while you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breast feeding. To determine if Questran is safe for you to take, tell your doctor about other medical conditions or allergies you have. Questran can bind to certain drugs in your intestines and prevent their absorption so list any OTC or Rx drugs you currently take or use, including herbal remedies and dietary or vitamin supplements.

Questran Precautions

While taking Questran, do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any of your medications without first talking to your doctor. Periodic blood tests should be carried out to monitor your progress. All medications should be securely stored out of children’s reach and never shared with anyone else.

Possible Side Effects of Questran

• Bloating
• Weight loss
• Excessive gas