OpenClaim

Cholestyramine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cholestyramine include diarrhoea, off label use, and fatigue, based on 13,650 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.1% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cholestyramine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for cholestyramine.

1
Diarrhoea12.3%1,676
2
Off Label Use8.3%1,134
3
Drug Ineffective7.1%972
4
Fatigue6.5%882
5
Nausea5.6%768
6
Arthralgia4.6%624
7
Headache3.9%539
8
Abdominal Pain3.8%513
9
Weight Decreased3.8%513
10
Pain3.5%478
11
Vomiting3.5%478
12
Dyspnoea3.4%467
13
Asthenia3.1%429
14
Malaise3.0%415
15
Constipation2.9%398

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that cholestyramine caused these reactions.

Report severity

67.4%Serious9,195 reports
34.5%Hospitalizations4,708 reports
7.2%Fatal977 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cholestyramine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cholestyramine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Lenalidomide10.2%1,397
2
Adalimumab7.1%971
3
Infliximab5.1%696
4
Vedolizumab4.2%573
5
Teduglutide2.3%310
6
Dexamethasone2.0%273
7
Pomalidomide1.9%266
8
Pantoprazole-sodium1.9%260
9
Omeprazole1.6%222
10
Prednisone1.5%201
11
Sodium-oxybate1.4%196
12
Loperamide-hydrochloride1.4%185
13
Obeticholic-acid1.3%177
14
Esomeprazole1.3%171
15
Methotrexate1.2%168

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen17.5%2,392
2
Ergocalciferol17.0%2,319
3
Aspirin15.7%2,138
4
Omeprazole13.0%1,772
5
Levothyroxine-sodium12.9%1,757
6
Loperamide-hydrochloride11.8%1,605
7
Pantoprazole-sodium10.5%1,437
8
Furosemide10.1%1,381
9
Amlodipine10.0%1,365
10
Cyanocobalamin9.9%1,353
11
Prednisone9.9%1,349
12
Gabapentin9.7%1,327
13
Ondansetron8.9%1,216
14
Metoprolol8.9%1,215
15
Albuterol8.4%1,140

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports cholestyramine side effects

57.6% of cholestyramine adverse event reports involve female patients and 34.7% involve male patients. The largest age group is elderly at 49%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female57.6%
Male34.7%
Unknown7.7%

Age group

< 20.7%
2–111.1%
12–170.8%
18–6448.1%
65+49.3%

What is cholestyramine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking cholestyramine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal DiscomfortAbdominal DistensionAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain UpperAbnormal FaecesAcidosisAdjuvant TherapyAdverse Drug ReactionAdverse EventAdverse ReactionAlcohol UseAlopeciaAnal IncontinenceAngina PectorisAnorectal Disorder

Showing 15 of 463 indications

Cholestyramine brand names and reporting trend

Cholestyramine is sold under the brand name Locholest Light.

Brand names

Locholest Light10,286

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking cholestyramine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.