Questran: What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider?
- Stomach problems
- Gallbladder disease or gallstones
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hemorrhoids
- Constipation
- Biliary obstruction
- Phenylketonuria
- Recent surgery
- Bleeding problems
- An allergy to Questran or any other medications, foods, dyes, or preservatives.
It is also important to let your healthcare provider know if you are:
- Pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant
- Breastfeeding
- A frequent user of alcoholic beverages.
Tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you are currently taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Some Questran Precautions and Warnings
Some precautions and warnings to be aware of while taking Questran include:
- Questran can interact with certain medications (see Questran Drug Interactions).
- Questran can cause constipation. It is important to let your healthcare provider know if you have any kind of stomach problem, because Questran could make your condition worse. You should also drink plenty of water, increase the amount of fiber in your diet, and exercise to prevent constipation.
- Questran may cause a slight increase in triglycerides. It has not been well studied in patients with triglyceride levels greater than 300mg/dL. If you have high triglycerides and are taking Questran, your healthcare provider may choose to monitor your progress more closely.
- Questran has been shown to cause a decrease in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in animal studies. Therefore, Questran should be used with caution in people with vitamin deficiencies.
- Sipping or holding the medicine in your mouth for long periods of time may cause teeth problems, including discoloration, tooth decay, or erosion of enamel.
- Questran is considered a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning it has not been studied in pregnant women. However, when studied in animals, it did produce a negative effect on the fetus. If you are pregnant, you should only take Questran if the benefit outweighs the possible risk to your unborn child. If you become pregnant while taking Questran, contact your healthcare provider immediately (see Questran and Pregnancy).
- Since Questran is not absorbed into the body, it is likely that it doesn't pass through breast milk if you are nursing. However, it can affect absorption of certain types of vitamins. Therefore, you should let your healthcare provider know if you are going to breastfeed. Together, you can decide what makes most sense for your particular situation.
