colestipol (Colestid) Uses, Side Effects & Dosage

What is colestipol, and how does it work (mechanism of action)?

• Colestipol is an oral cholesterol-lowering drug
  that is not absorbed from the intestine into the body. Rather, it works by
  binding to bile acids in the intestine and promoting the elimination of bile
  acids in the stool. Bile acids are formed in the
  liver from cholesterol,
  secreted into bile and with the bile enter the intestine. Most of the bile acids
  are reabsorbed from the intestine back into the body to be cycled again through
  the liver and bile. By promoting the elimination of bile acids, colestipol
  forces the liver to convert more cholesterol into bile acids in order to replace
  the lost bile acids. This reduces the levels of cholesterol within the body.
  Colestipol works similarly to
  cholestyramine (Questran).
• Colestipol was approved
  by the FDA in 1977.

What brand names are available for colestipol?

Colestid

Is colestipol available as a generic drug?

GENERIC AVAILABLE: Yes

Do I need a prescription for colestipol?

Yes

What are the uses for colestipol?

• Colestipol is used together with dietary modifications for
  the treatment of high blood
  cholesterol levels.
• Other less common uses include
  treatment of
  diarrhea due to increased intestinal bile acids after some types of
  intestinal surgery and treatment of
  itching associated with partial obstruction
  to the flow of bile due to
  liver disease. The
  itching is believed to be due to
  the accumulation of bile acids in the body.

What are the side effects of colestipol?

The most common adverse effect is constipation. Other less frequent side effects are:

• Constipation

• Abdominal pain

• Abdominal cramps
• Indigestion
• Abdominal distension

• Diarrhea

• Dizziness

• Flatulence

• Nausea

• Vomiting

Rarely, ulcers, reduced absorption of nutrients, fatty stools, and
stomach or intestinal bleeding may occur.

Other serious side effects of colestipol include:

• Fecal impaction
• Esophageal obstruction
• Gallbladder inflammation
• Ulcers

• Gallstones

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What is the dosage for colestipol?

• Colestipol is most often prescribed in 2 to 4 divided doses but may
  also be prescribed once daily.
• The usual adult dose is 2-16 gm of tablets
  administered once or twice daily or 5-30 grams of granules once daily or 4 times
  daily.
• Tablets should not be cut, crushed or chewed.
• Granules should be mixed in
  three ounces of fluid (water or fruit juice).

Which drugs or supplements interact with colestipol?

• Colestipol binds many different compounds in the gastrointestinal tract, thereby inhibiting their absorption into the body. For
  example, colestipol can bind with and decrease the oral absorption of
  carbamazepine (Tegretol), diuretics such as
  hydrochlorothiazide (found in
  Dyazide, Maxzide) and
  furosemide (Lasix),
  propranolol (Inderal), tetracyclines,
  and fat-soluble
  vitamins (vitamins A, D, and K). Colestipol can bind with and
  inhibit the absorption of thyroid hormones. Colestipol also can bind with
  ursodiol (Actigall, Urso). Separating the doses of colestipol and these other compounds by
  several hours should prevent binding with colestipol. Generally, other
  drugs
  should be administered one hour before colestipol or 4 hours after colestipol is
  administered.
• Colestipol binds to
  vitamin K, a vitamin which is required by the liver to
  make the factors that allow blood to clot. Colestipol, by reducing the action of
  vitamin K, may exaggerate the effect of
  warfarin
  (Coumadin), reducing the body’s ability to
  form blood clots. This interaction could lead to abnormal bleeding. On the other
  hand, colestipol can bind with warfarin directly and inhibit the absorption of
  warfarin. To avoid this interaction, doses of warfarin and colestipol should be
  separated by at least 4-6 hours.
• Colestipol is closely related to cholestyramine. Cholestyramine has been more
  extensively studied than colestipol. Therefore, there are several drug
  interactions which have been described with cholestyramine for which data is
  lacking with colestipol. It would be prudent to assume that a similar
  interactions exist for both drugs and to separate ingestion of colestipol from
  the other drugs by several hours. These interactions with cholestyramine
  include
  • acetaminophen (Tylenol
    and others),
  • amiodarone (Cordarone),
  • gemfibrozil (Lopid),
  • pravastatin (Pravachol),
  • piroxicam (Feldene),
  • imipramine (Tofranil),
  • glipizide
    (Glucotrol), and
  • others.

What else should I know about colestipol?

What preparations of colestipol are available?

• Granules: 5 gm/ packet or bulk (5gm/teaspoonful) in canisters
• Tablets: 1 gm.

How should I keep colestipol stored?

Tablets and granules should be stored at room temperature, 20
C to 25 C (68 F to 77 F).