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| Questran |
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Review
Summary |
Most of us know that most prescription medications have side effects associated with their use, and these side effects may range from mild to severe. Most of us will put up with these side effects, because they alleviate a condition that is causing us some discomfort or pain, which is worse than the side effects associated with the medication we are using. However, some medications may actually cause worse side effects than the condition they are addressing, and this is the case with many pharmaceutical-grade medications prescribed for lowering cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels don’t usually produce any symptoms, and it is usually discovered during the course of a regular doctor’s visit that includes a complete blood panel. At this point, a doctor may prescribe a medication to try to rein in cholesterol levels. We have read reports by people who use these medications that indicate that the side effects usually cause more problems than the condition itself.
Cholestyramine is the generic name for a medication which is known on the market as Questran. This medication has recently gained more popularly with health care providers, if not consumers themselves. Let’s take a more in-depth look at this formula to see what it may have to offer, and how it works.
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 | Medication at a Glance |
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Questran belongs to a generation of drugs commonly known as Bile Acid Sequestrants, which are used solely to lower levels of “bad’ cholesterol. They are used alone, but they are also used with other medications, such as Statins, to create a multilevel approach to this issue. However, this tactic is reported to increase the potential side effects associated with this medication. Questran is said to have many possible side effects, as may Statins, which is an issue that is often brought up by individuals who are using both of these medications.
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 | Medication in Focus |
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Cholesterol is created in the liver, as well as being derived from dietary sources. While it is true that the body uses cholesterol for a wide variety of functions, such as cellular creation and generating hormones, it is also used to make bile, an acid that plays an integral role in the digestive process. It is at this point that Bile Acid Sequestrants, such as Questran, come into play, working solely in the intestines, where it lowers cholesterol levels by increasing its disposal.
Questran actually binds to the bile, which sets into motion a chain of events in which it can’t be used during the digestive process. This then gets the liver to push out more bile by using up additional cholesterol, effectively devouring the “bad” cholesterol, so that there is less of it left to circulate through the bloodstream.
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 | Lifestyle |
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Many of us may abide side effects of medications that alleviate a condition that has been plaguing us, but it may be harder to accept them if we feel okay, or even good. This is one of the issues that come up a lot with cholesterol-lowering medications that are fraught with possible side effects. Like most of these medications, Questran is said to have numerous side effects associated with its use for some people, most of which take place in the gut, because this is where this medication is localized.
People who use this class of medication often report that they experience side effects which compromise the gastrointestinal tract. These side effects may include constipation, diarrhea and flatulence, as well as other issues. At first glance, these side effects may not seem like they are that big of a deal, but according to our findings, many individuals who use this medication report that these issues have really compromised their quality of life. We all know how badly we feel when we have the stomach flu or some kind of stomach issue, and these medications may severely impact the gut in some people.
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 | Positives |
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• May lower cholesterol levels
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 | Negatives |
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• Said to have many possible side effects for some individuals
• Often used with other side effect-laden medications
• Some people report experiencing constipation, abdominal pain, vomiting, weight loss and deficiency of essential vitamins when using this medication
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 | Final Thoughts |
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Health care providers may prescribe this medication by its generic name, Cholestyramine, or by its brand name, Questran. This medication only addresses one method of lowering high cholesterol, and is often used with other medications. We only note this because this adds another layer of potential side effects into this equation. Many people who use these medications report feeling overloaded by these side effects.
For this reason, many individuals have started seeking holistic methods of keeping their cholesterol in check and ways to get it into balance when it is high. Studies show Plant Sterols are one of the most researched holistic cholesterol-lowering extracts on the market, and these studies have found that it is highly effective in lowering levels of bad cholesterol by 20-40% in some people – without side effects.
In fact, one of the more remarkable aspects of this element is that some studies have shown that the worse a participant’s diet is, the better their results were in terms of lowering cholesterol levels – so the more fat they ate, the better results.
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| Our
Reader's Poll Top Choice: |
Week
of: Tue Jan 06th, 2009 |
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CholesterClear®:
CholesterClear® -
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