CHOLESTYRAMINE LIGHT 4 g/5.7g Powder, For Suspension, 60 pouches
🆔 Identity & classification
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🏷️ RxNorm drug class
This medicine belongs to the Bile Acid Sequestrant class.
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🏭 Manufacturer & labeler
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🩺 Clinical
Patient education
Supplement & herbal interactions
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💊 What it looks like
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🧪 Inactive Ingredients / Excipients
Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.
💡 Tap an ingredient (hover on desktop) to see what it is and why it’s used.
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UNII 3VRD35U26C
A natural extract from licorice root, ammonium glycyrrhizate is used as a flavoring agent and sweetener in medicines. It may also help soothe irritated tissues in the mouth or throat.
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UNII XF417D3PSL
Anhydrous citric acid is a sour, crystalline powder derived from citric acid with water removed. In medicines, it acts as a buffer to control pH, adds tartness to improve taste, and helps tablets disintegrate.
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UNII Z0H242BBR1
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener made from amino acids. It's added to medicines to improve taste, making bitter or unpleasant-tasting drugs easier to take.
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UNII 35SW5USQ3G
A synthetic yellow dye used to color medicines. It helps make tablets, capsules, and liquids visually distinct so patients can easily identify their medication.
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UNII H77VEI93A8
A synthetic yellow dye used to color medications. It helps identify the drug and make it visually distinctive, with no effect on how the medicine works.
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UNII 6YSS42VSEV
Fructose is a natural sugar derived from fruits and plants. It's used in medicines as a sweetener and filler to improve taste and add bulk to tablets or syrups.
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UNII 3OWL53L36A
A natural sugar alcohol derived from seaweed or synthesized in the lab. It's used as a filler to add bulk, a sweetener in sugar-free formulas, and a disintegrant to help tablets break apart in the stomach.
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UNII 5EVU04N5QU
A natural or synthetic colorant that gives the medicine an orange hue. It helps identify the medication and may improve appearance.
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UNII 89NA02M4RX
Pectin is a natural fiber extracted from fruit and plants. It's used in medicines as a thickener, binder, and gelling agent to create the right texture and help the product hold together.
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UNII 26CD3J2R0C
Propylene glycol alginate is a thickening agent made from seaweed extract. It stabilizes and thickens liquid medicines, helping them achieve the right consistency and preventing ingredients from separating.
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UNII ETJ7Z6XBU4
Silicon dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral used as a glidant and anti-caking agent. It helps powder ingredients flow smoothly and prevents clumping during manufacturing and storage.
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UNII 506T60A25R
Sorbitol is a natural sugar alcohol derived from glucose. It serves as a sweetener, humectant, and bulking agent in medications to improve taste and help maintain moisture in the product.
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UNII TTV12P4NEE
Xanthan gum is a thickening and stabilizing ingredient made from fermented corn or other sugars. It's added to medicines to improve texture, prevent separation of liquids and solids, and help the product stay consistent.
13 inactive ingredients listed in the exact product block matched to this NDC.
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ingredient classCode="IACT" elements from the exact product block matched by this NDC. Label-section narrative from DailyMed / the openFDA label index is shown separately when available.Inactive ingredient FAQ
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💲 Pricing
A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.
| Price system | Per ea | Per package |
|---|---|---|
| Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly | $0.803 | $48.20 / 60 pouches |
| Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo | $0.5005 | $30.03 / 60 pouches |
| Medicare drug plans payPart D · Q2 2026 | $1.24 | $74.48 / 60 pouches |
Where does this data come from?
🔁 Therapeutic equivalents
| Product | Labeler | Pack | NADAC/unit | TE | Status | Price vs. this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholestyramine Light 4 g/5.7g 24658-0271-97 | PURACAP | 239.4 g | $0.114 | AB | Availability likely | save 86% |
| Cholestyramine Light 4 g/5.7g 42806-0271-97 | EPIC | 239.6 g | $0.114 | AB | Availability likely | save 86% |
| Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension 4 g/5.7g 62135-0937-54 | Chartwell | 239.4 g | $0.114 | AB | Availability likely | save 86% |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/4.8g 68094-0906-10 | Precision | 201.6 g | $0.145 | AB | Availability likely | save 82% |
| Prevalite 4 g/5.5g 00245-0036-23 | Upsher-Smith | 231 g | $0.162 | AB | Availability likely | save 80% |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/5.5g 68382-0529-42 | Zydus | 231 g | $0.162 | AB | Availability likely | save 80% |
| Cholestyramine Light 4 g/5.7g 24658-0270-95 | PURACAP | 60 pouches | $0.803 | AB | Availability likely | — |
| Cholestyramine Light 4 g/5.7gthis 42806-0270-95 | EPIC | 60 pouches | $0.803 | AB | Availability likely | — |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/5g 49884-0466-65 | Par | 60 packets | $0.803 | AB | Availability likely | — |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/5.7g 33342-0319-70 | Macleods | 60 pouches | — | — | FDA listed | — |
| Cholestyramine Light 4 g/5.7g 42806-0269-98 | EPIC | 5.7 g | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Questran 4 g/5g 49884-0937-67 | Par | 210 g | — | AB | Discontinued | — |
| Cholestyramine Light 4 g/4.8g 51224-0009-10 | TAGI | 201.6 g | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/5g 63629-2162-01 | Bryant | 210 g | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Choleystyramine Light 4 g/5.718g 63629-9466-01 | Bryant | 60 pouches | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Choleystyramine Light 4 g/5.718g 67877-0422-24 | Ascend | 240.156 g | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/5.5g 70771-1070-01 | Zydus | 231 g | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
| Cholestyramine 4 g/5g 72162-1505-02 | Bryant | 210 g | — | AB | FDA listed | — |
Where does this data come from?
⏳ Availability & generic status
This product is an FDA-approved generic. Other versions of the same drug are listed under Therapeutic equivalents, least expensive first.
Where does this data come from?
🗺️ Medicaid utilization & spend
📊 Medicare Part D spend CMS · PART D · 2026 (Q1)
🔬 Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Top reported reactions
Age at onset
Reporter sex
Serious outcomes
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📦 Packaging — all sizes for this product
| Package NDC | Description | Marketing start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42806-0270-95 You're viewing this | 60 POUCH in 1 CARTON (42806-270-95) / 5.7 g in 1 POUCH (42806-270-98) | 2021-12-15 | Active |
📄 Full prescribing information FDA SPL
🎯 Indications and Usage ▾
INDICATIONS AND USAGE 1) Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light 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. Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder may be useful to lower LDL cholesterol in patients who also have hypertriglyceridemia, but it is not indicated where hypertriglyceridemia is the abnormality of most concern.
Therapy with lipid-altering agents should be a component of multiple risk factor intervention in those individuals at significantly increased risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease due to hypercholesterolemia. Treatment should begin and continue with dietary therapy specific for the type of hyperlipoproteinemia determined prior to initiation of drug therapy. Excess body weight may be an important factor and caloric restriction for weight normalization should be addressed prior to drug therapy in the overweight.
Prior to initiating therapy with cholestyramine resin, secondary causes of hypercholesterolemia (e.g., poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, dysproteinemias, obstructive liver disease, other drug therapy, alcoholism), should be excluded and a lipid profile performed to assess Total cholesterol, HDL-C and triglycerides (TG). For individuals with TG less than 400 mg/dL (<4.5 mmol/L), LDL-C can be estimated using the following equation: LDL-C = Total cholesterol - [(TG/5) + HDL-C] For TG levels > 400 mg/dL, this equation is less accurate and LDL-C concentrations should be determined by ultracentrifugation.
In hypertriglyceridemic patients, LDL-C may be low or normal despite elevated Total-C. In such cases cholestyramine resin may not be indicated. Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels should be determined periodically based on NCEP guidelines to confirm initial and adequate long-term response.
A favorable trend in cholesterol reduction should occur during the first month of cholestyramine resin therapy. The therapy should be continued to sustain cholesterol reduction. If adequate cholesterol reduction is not attained, increasing the dosage of cholestyramine resin or adding other lipid-lowering agents in combination with cholestyramine resin should be considered.
Since the goal of treatment is to lower LDL-C, the NCEP4 recommends that LDL-C levels be used to initiate and assess treatment response. If LDL-C levels are not available then Total-C alone may be used to monitor long-term therapy. A lipoprotein analysis (including LDL-C determination) should be carried out once a year.
The NCEP treatment guidelines are summarized below. Definite Atherosclerotic Disease * Two or More Other Risk Factors † LDL-Cholesterol mg/dL (mmol/L) Initiation Level Goal No No ≥ 190 (≥4.9) ≥ 60 (4.1) No Yes ≥ 160 (≥4.1) ≥ 130 (3.4) Yes Yes or No ≥ 130 (≥3.4) ≥ 100 (‑2.6) * Coronary heart disease or peripheral vascular disease (including symptomatic carotid artery disease). † Other risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) include: age (males 45 years; females: 55 years or premature menopause without estrogen replacement therapy); family history of premature CHD; current cigarette smoking; hypertension; confirmed HDL-C <35 mg/dL (<0.91 mmol/L); and diabetes mellitus.
Subtract one risk factor if HDL-C is 60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L). Cholestyramine resin monotherapy has been demonstrated to retard the rate of progression 2,3 and increase the rate of regression 3 of coronary atherosclerosis. 2) Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder, is indicated for the relief of pruritus associated with partial biliary obstruction.
Cholestyramine resin has been shown to have a variable effect on serum cholesterol in these patients. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis may exhibit an elevated cholesterol as part of their disease.
⏱️ Dosage and Administration ▾
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended starting adult dose for Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder is one pouch or one level scoopful (5.7 grams of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder contains 4 grams of anhydrous cholestyramine resin) once or twice a day. The recommended maintenance dose for Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder is 2 to 4 pouches or scoopfuls daily (8 to 16 grams anhydrous cholestyramine resin) divided into two doses. It is recommended that increases in dose be gradual with periodic assessment of lipid/lipoprotein levels at intervals of not less than 4 weeks.
The maximum recommended daily dose is 6 pouches or scoopfuls of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder (24 grams of anhydrous cholestyramine resin). The suggested time of administration is at mealtime but may be modified to avoid interference with absorption of other medications. Although the recommended dosing schedule is twice daily, Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder may be administered in 1 to 6 doses per day.
Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder should not be taken in its dry form. Always mix the dry powder with water or other fluids before ingesting. See Preparation Instructions.
Concomitant Therapy Preliminary evidence suggests that the lipid-lowering effects of cholestyramine on total and LDL-cholesterol are enhanced when combined with a HMG-COA reductase inhibitor, e.g., pravastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin and fluvastatin. Additive effects on LDL-cholesterol are also seen with combined nicotinic acid/cholestyramine therapy. See the PRECAUTIONS, Drug Interactions for recommendations on administering concomitant therapy.
Preparation The color of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder may vary somewhat from batch to batch but this variation does not affect the performance of the product. Place the contents of one single-dose pouch or one level scoopful of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder in a glass or cup. Add at least 2 to 3 ounces of water or the beverage of your choice.
Stir to a uniform consistency. Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder may also be mixed with highly fluid soups or pulpy fruits with a high moisture content such as applesauce or crushed pineapple.
⛔ Contraindications ▾
CONTRAINDICATIONS Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light 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.
⚠️ Warnings ▾
WARNINGS PHENYLKETONURICS: CHOLESTYRAMINE FOR ORAL SUSPENSION, USP LIGHT POWDER CONTAINS 22.4 mg PHENYLALANINE PER
5.7GRAM DOSE.
🤒 Adverse Reactions ▾
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, 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.
🔄 Drug Interactions ▾
Drug Interactions Cholestyramine resin may delay or reduce the absorption of concomitant oral medication such as phenylbutazone, warfarin, thiazide diuretics (acidic) or propranolol (basic), as well as tetracycline, penicillin G, phenobarbital, thyroid and thyroxine preparations, estrogens and progestins and digitalis. Interference with the absorption of oral phosphate supplements has been observed with another positivelycharged bile acid sequestrant. Cholestyramine resin may interfere with the pharmacokinetics of drugs that undergo enterohepatic circulation.
The discontinuance of cholestyramine resin could pose a hazard to health if a potentially toxic drug such as digitalis has been titrated to a maintenance level while the patient was taking cholestyramine resin. Because cholestyramine binds bile acids, cholestyramine resin may interfere with normal fat digestion and absorption and thus may prevent absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. When cholestyramine resin is given for long periods of time, concomitant supplementation with water-miscible (or parenteral) forms of fat soluble vitamins should be considered.
SINCE CHOLESTYRAMINE RESIN MAY BIND OTHER DRUGS GIVEN CONCURRENTLY, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PATIENTS TAKE OTHER DRUGS AT LEAST 1 HOUR BEFORE OR 4 TO 6 HOURS AFTER CHOLESTYRAMINE RESIN (OR AT AS GREAT AN INTERVAL AS POSSIBLE) TO AVOID IMPEDING THEIR ABSORPTION.
🤰 Pregnancy ▾
Pregnancy Pregnancy Category C There are no adequate and well controlled studies in pregnant women. The use of cholestyramine in pregnancy or lactation or by women of childbearing age requires that the potential benefits of drug therapy be weighted against the possible hazards to the mother and child. Cholestyramine is not absorbed systemically, however, it is known to interfere with absorption of fat-soluble vitamins; accordingly, regular prenatal supplementation may not be adequate (see PRECAUTIONS, Drug Interactions ).
🧒 Pediatric Use ▾
Pediatric Use Although an optimal dosage schedule has not been established, standard texts( 6,7 ) list a usual pediatric dose of 240 mg/kg/day of anhydrous cholestyramine resin in two to three divided doses, normally not to exceed 8 g/day with dose titration based on response and tolerance. In calculating pediatric dosages, 70.2 mg of anhydrous cholestyramine resin are contained in 100 mg of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension USP Light. The effects of long-term drug administration, as well as its effect in maintaining lowered cholesterol levels in pediatric patients, are unknown.
Also see ADVERSE REACTIONS .
🆘 Overdosage ▾
OVERDOSAGE Overdosage of cholestyramine resin has been reported in a patient taking 150% of the maximum recommended daily dosage for a period of several weeks. No ill effects were reported. Should an overdosage occur, the chief potential harm would be obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. The location of such potential obstruction, the degree of obstruction and the presence or absence of normal gut motility would determine treatment.
🧬 Clinical Pharmacology ▾
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY Cholesterol is probably the sole precursor of bile acids. During normal digestion, bile acids are secreted into the intestines. A major portion of the bile acids is absorbed from the intestinal tract and returned to the liver via the enterohepatic circulation.
Only very small amounts of bile acids are found in normal serum. Cholestyramine resin adsorbs and combines with the bile acids in the intestine to form an insoluble complex which is excreted in the feces. This results in a partial removal of bile acids from the enterohepatic circulation by preventing their absorption.
The increased fecal loss of bile acids due to cholestyramine resin administration leads to an increased oxidation of cholesterol to bile acids, a decrease in beta lipoprotein or low density lipoprotein plasma levels and a decrease in serum cholesterol levels. Although in man, cholestyramine resin produces an increase in hepatic synthesis of cholesterol, plasma cholesterol levels fall. In patients with partial biliary obstruction, the reduction of serum bile acid levels by cholestyramine resin reduces excess bile acids deposited in the dermal tissue with resultant decrease in pruritus.
Clinical Studies In a large, placebo-controlled, multi-clinic study, LRC-CPPT 1 , hypercholesterolemic subjects treated with cholestyramine resin had mean reductions in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) which exceeded those for diet and placebo treatment by 7.2% and 10.4%, respectively. Over the seven-year study period the cholestyramine resin group experienced a 19% reduction (relative to the incidence in the placebo group) in the combined rate of coronary heart disease death plus non-fatal myocardial infarction (cumulative incidences of 7% cholestyramine resin and 8.6% placebo).
The subjects included in the study were men aged 35 to 59 with serum cholesterol levels above 265 mg/dL and no previous history of heart disease. It is not clear to what extent these findings can be extrapolated to females and other segments of the hypercholesterolemic population. (See also PRECAUTIONS, Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility .) Two controlled clinical trials have examined the effects of cholestyramine monotherapy upon coronary atherosclerotic lesions using coronary arteriography.
In the NHLBI Type II Coronary Intervention Trial 2 , 116 patients (80% male) with coronary artery disease (CAD) documented by arteriography were randomized to cholestyramine resin or placebo for five years of treatment. Final study arteriography revealed progression of coronary artery disease in 49% of placebo patients compared to 32% of the cholestyramine resin group (p<0.05). In the St.
Thomas Atherosclerosis Regression Study (STARS) 3 , 90 hypercholesterolemic men with CAD were randomized to three blinded treatments: usual care, lipid-lowering diet and lipid-lowering diet plus cholestyramine resin. After 36 months, follow-up coronary arteriography revealed progression of disease in 46% of usual care patients, 15% of patients on lipid-lowering diet and 12% of those receiving diet plus cholestyramine resin (p<0.02). The mean absolute width of coronary segments decreased in the usual care group, increased slightly (0.003 mm) in the diet group and increased by 0.103 mm in the diet plus cholestyramine group (p<0.05).
Thus in these randomized controlled clinical trials using coronary arteriography, cholestyramine resin monotherapy has been demonstrated to slow progression 2,3 and promote regression 3 of atherosclerotic lesions in the coronary arteries of patients with coronary artery disease. The effect of intensive lipid-lowering therapy on coronary atherosclerosis has been assessed by arteriography in hyperlipidemic patients. In these randomized, controlled clinical trials, patients were treated for two to four years by either conventional measures (diet, placebo or in some cases low dose resin), or intensive combination therapy using diet plus colestipo…
📦 How Supplied / Storage and Handling ▾
HOW SUPPLIED Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder orange flavor is available in cartons of sixty 5.7 gram pouches and in cans containing 239.4 grams. Each 5.7 gram dose of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder contains 4 grams of anhydrous cholestyramine resin. NDC # 42806-270-95 Carton of 60 pouches NDC # 42806-271-97 Can, 239.4 g (containing a scoop that is not interchangeable with scoops from other products) Storage Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].
Always replace plastic lid after using. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
📋 Description ▾
DESCRIPTION Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder, the chloride salt of a basic anion exchange resin, a cholesterol-lowering agent, is intended for oral administration. Cholestyramine resin is quite hydrophilic, but insoluble in water. Cholestyramine resin is not absorbed from the digestive tract.
Each 5.7 grams of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension, USP Light powder contain 4 grams of cholestyramine resin. It is represented by the following structural formula: Representation of structure of main polymeric groups Inactive Ingredients: aspartame, citric acid anhydrous, colloidal silicon dioxide, fructose, mannitol, mono ammonium glycyrrhizinate, pectin, propylene glycol alginate, sorbitol, xanthan gum, natural and artificial orange flavor, D&C yellow No. 10 aluminum lake and FD&C yellow No.
6 aluminum lake. structure-formula.jpg
💬 Information for Patients ▾
Information for Patients Inform your physician if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. Drink plenty of fluids and mix each 5.7 gram dose of Cholestyramine for Oral Suspension USP Light powder in at least 2 to 3 ounces of fluid before taking. Sipping or holding the resin suspension in the mouth for prolonged periods may lead to changes in the surface of the teeth resulting in discoloration, erosion of enamel or decay; good oral hygiene should be maintained.