Colestid

Country: Australia

Language: English

Source: Department of Health (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Active ingredient:

Colestipol hydrochloride

Patient Information leaflet

COLESTID(R)
1
COLESTID(R) GRANULES
FOR ORAL SUSPENSION
_Colestipol hydrochloride_
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION
WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET
This leaflet answers some common
questions about COLESTID.  It does
not contain all the available
information.
It does not take the place of talking
to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and
benefits.  Your doctor has weighed
the risks of you taking COLESTID
against the benefits this medicine is
expected to have for you.
IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT
TAKING THIS MEDICINE, ASK YOUR
DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST.
KEEP THIS LEAFLET WITH THE MEDICINE.
You may need to read it again.
It is important to remember that
COLESTID is a PRESCRIPTION
ONLY MEDICINE - you should
only use COLESTID as directed by
your doctor.
WHAT COLESTID IS
USED FOR
COLESTID helps to lower blood
cholesterol levels.
Everyone has cholesterol in their
blood.  It's a type of blood fat needed
by the body for many things, such as
building cell walls, making bile acids
(which help to digest food) and some
hormones.  However, too much
cholesterol can be a problem.
COLESTID does not reduce the
amount of cholesterol that comes
from the fat in food.  Therefore, you
should also follow a low fat diet and
start other measures, such as exercise
and weight control.
In most people, there are no
symptoms of high cholesterol.  Your
doctor can measure your cholesterol
with a simple blood test.
HOW COLESTID WORKS
COLESTID helps to lower blood
cholesterol levels by reducing the
amount of cholesterol absorbed from
the bowel into the body.  The
COLESTID granules are not
absorbed into the body, but pass
through the intestine, drawing
cholesterol out in the process.
Your doctor will have explained why
you are being treated with
COLESTID.  Follow all directions
given to you by your doctor
carefully.  They may differ from the
information contained in this leaflet.
Your doctor may have prescribed
COLEST

Summary of Product characteristics

 
Version: pfpcolep10913 
Supersedes: pfpcolep11106 

Page 1 of 9 
PRODUCT INFORMATION 
COLESTID
®
 (COLESTIPOL HYDROCHLORIDE) 
NAME OF THE MEDICINE 
COLESTID (colestipol hydrochloride) 5 g granules for oral
suspension. 
DESCRIPTION 
COLESTID  Granules  for  Oral  Suspension  consist  of  colestipol  hydrochloride  which  is  a 
hypolipidaemic agent for oral use.  COLESTID is an insoluble, high molecular weight basic 
anion-exchange  copolymer  of  diethylenetriamine  and  1-chloro-2,  3-epoxypropane,  with 
approximately  1 out  of  5  amine  nitrogens  protonated  (chloride  form).    It  is  a  light  yellow 
water-insoluble  resin  which  is  hygroscopic  and  swells  when  suspended in  water or aqueous 
fluids.  COLESTID is tasteless and odourless. 
Inactive ingredient:  Silicon dioxide. 
PHARMACOLOGY 
Cholesterol  is  the  major,  and  probably  the  sole  precursor  of  bile  acids.    During  normal 
digestion, bile acids are secreted via the bile from the
liver and gall bladder into the intestines. 
Bile acids emulsify the fat and lipid materials present in food, thus facilitating absorption.  A 
major portion of the bile acids secreted is reabsorbed from the intestines and returned via the 
portal  circulation  to  the  liver,  thus  completing  the  enterohepatic  cycle.    Only  very  small 
amounts of bile acids are found in normal serum. 
COLESTID binds bile acids in the intestine forming a complex that is excreted in the faeces.

This  nonsystemic action results in a partial removal of the bile acids from the enterohepatic 
circulation, preventing their reabsorption.  Since COLESTID is an anion-exchange resin, the 
chloride  anions  of  the  resin  can  be  replaced  by  other  anions,  usually  those �