Herbal Health

The two brands of medication in this category (Questran [cholestyramine] and Colestid [colestipol]) work by binding on to the bile acids your body produces in the digestive tract and shunting them out along with your bowel movement. They are also called the resin drugs. The US National Cholesterol Education Program has also listed these medications as first-choice agents for treating those for whom dietary efforts at lowering cholesterol levels have failed.

Most typically the drugs are prescribed as a powder or in granules] which are mixed with water or juices and gulped down two or three times daily. Unfortunately, the taste is not pleasant, and patient compliance may be low as a result. And there may be some gastro<| intestinal upset.

The resin drugs may also bind on to other medications you may be taking, thus tendering them useless or at least causing them to be absorbed less efficiently. Thus you should take the two drugs with as much time in between as possible.

The combination of niacin with resin drugs has been tested a number of times and has been shown to be particularly effective.

This drug is the only one in the category. Probucol is the generic name, and the brand name is Lurselle. Once used more widely owing to its effectiveness in reducing cholesterol and its low incidence side effects or adverse reactions, probucol has dropped by the wayside because it significantly lowers levels of the protective HDL. As discussed in the chapter on cholesterol, probucol has been shown decrease cholesterol oxidation. As a result of that study, the drug has received some recent attention.

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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol