Prescription medicine
Cholestyramine Brand names: Questran, Prevalite
Cholestyramine (Questran) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1973. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 15 generic labelers, and pharmacies paid $0.834 per packet (Cholestyramine packet) in the October 7, 2026 NADAC survey.
- Generic listed
Check it at the source: the cholestyramine FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 20, 2026, AiPing Pharmaceutical, Inc.); the NDA 16640 record on Drugs@FDA; every cholestyramine label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of August 20, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026; NADAC October 7, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usageCholestyramine for oral suspension, USP 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.
Forms and strengths
- 4 g/9g
- 4 g/5.7g
- 4 g/5g
- 4 g/8.78g
- 4 g/5.5g
- 4 g/4.8g
- 4 g/5.718g
- 4 g/8.3g
Powder for suspension; powder.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- August 3, 1973 Questran, Bristol Myers; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 23 first February 22, 1996; 17 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 15 of which 15 under generic applications, 0 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- $0.834 per packet Cholestyramine packet
- Shortage (FDA)
- No current entry
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 12,024 through July 30, 2026
What is cholestyramine used for?
From the label: indications and usageCholestyramine for oral suspension, USP 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 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. […]
Conditions named in the indications of cholestyramine's FDA labels, with every medicine labeled for each:
From other cholestyramine labelsHigh cholesterol: 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.
FDA pharmacologic class: Bile Acid Sequestrant.
Source: FDA drug label (Cholestyramine), AiPing Pharmaceutical, Inc., effective August 20, 2026 (SPL set 214ea05f-de81-4026-9df9-4ce3820668ee), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for cholestyramine (Questran)?
The FDA approved the first generic cholestyramine on February 22, 1996. 23 generic applications are approved; 17 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists cholestyramine from 15 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1973 earliest approval on file
- 1996 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
What do pharmacies pay for cholestyramine (Questran)?
In CMS's NADAC survey of October 7, 2026, pharmacies paid $0.834 per packet (Cholestyramine packet), down 5% from $0.875 on October 8, 2025. The chart's scale runs from the lowest to the highest price shown, not from zero. NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid their wholesalers, per unit, in CMS's monthly survey; what a patient pays depends on insurance and the pharmacy.
- Cholestyramine powder (generic)
| Strength and form | Brand or generic | Pharmacy cost | 30 tablets, or one pen or vial | 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cholestyramine light packet | Generic | $0.833 per packet | n/a | -8% |
| Cholestyramine light powder | Generic | $0.113 per gram | n/a | -14% |
| Cholestyramine packet | Generic | $0.834 per packet | n/a | -5% |
| Cholestyramine powder | Generic | $0.0924 per gram | n/a | +6% |
| Prevalite packet | Generic | $0.833 per packet | n/a | -8% |
| Prevalite powder | Generic | $0.170 per gram | n/a | +15% |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) survey, October 7, 2026: what retail pharmacies paid per unit; not a counter price
What does the cholestyramine label say about other medicines?
The cholestyramine label names 5 other medicines in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The labels of 48 other medicines name cholestyramine. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Penicillin g | 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. |
| Phenobarbital | 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. |
| Propranolol | 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. |
| Tetracycline | 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. |
| Warfarin | 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. |
Other labels that name cholestyramine
- Amiodarone
- Calcitriol
- Chenodiol
- Chlorothiazide
- Cholic acid
- Colestipol
- Deferasirox
- Dexamethasone
- Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol and levomefolate
- Ezetimibe
- Folic acid
- Hydrochlorothiazide
- Hydrocortisone
- Maralixibat
- Methylprednisolone
- Naproxen
- Odevixibat
- Pravastatin
- Prednisolone
- Raloxifene
- Spironolactone
- Teriflunomide
- Tinidazole
- Torsemide
- Triamcinolone
- Ursodiol
- Valproic acid
Source: FDA drug label (Cholestyramine), AiPing Pharmaceutical, Inc., effective August 20, 2026 (SPL set 214ea05f-de81-4026-9df9-4ce3820668ee), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for cholestyramine?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 12,024 reports that list cholestyramine among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 834 are coded as a death and 4,058 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
Reports received each year
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What else is labeled for the same conditions as cholestyramine?
15 other medicines are given the same way (oral) and in the same FDA class as cholestyramine or labeled mainly for the same use (high cholesterol), the same class first. High cholesterol lists all 25 medicines labeled for it, by any route. The first 8 are below. They are listed as records, not as substitutes: whether one can replace another is a prescriber's decision.
| Medicine | Shared indication | Generic labelers (oral) | Pharmacy cost | Shortage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colesevelam | High cholesterol | 15 labelers | $0.262 per tablet 625 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Colestipol | High cholesterol | 8 labelers | $0.658 per tablet 1 g tablet | No current entry |
| Atorvastatin | High cholesterol | 61 labelers | $0.0228 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Fenofibrate | High cholesterol | 54 labelers | $0.103 per tablet 160 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Lovastatin | High cholesterol | 19 labelers | $0.0436 per tablet 20 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Gemfibrozil | High cholesterol | 27 labelers | $0.104 per tablet 600 mg tablet | A presentation being discontinued |
| Pitavastatin | High cholesterol | 12 labelers | $0.954 per tablet 2 mg tablet | No current entry |
| Ezetimibe | High cholesterol | 23 labelers | $0.0667 per tablet 10 mg tablet | No current entry |
Every medicine labeled for the same conditions as cholestyramine
Source: FDA drug labels (indications), NDC Directory, NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages (October 8, 2026)
How does cholestyramine compare with medicines for the same use?
2 side-by-side pages set cholestyramine beside a medicine whose label shares a use: approvals, generics, pharmacy cost, warnings and supply.
What next?
- Alternatives to cholestyramine
- 15 medicines for the same use
- Other bile acid sequestrants
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Cholestyramine side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other