Oral Vancomycin/Cholestyramine
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Vancomycin attaches to cholestyramine inside the body causing vancomycin not to work as well as it could.
What might happen:
Vancomycin may take longer to get rid of the infection that it is treating.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medications together. Your doctor may want to change one of the medications or change how you are taking them.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
References:
1.King CY, Barriere SL. Analysis of the in vitro interaction between vancomycin and cholestyramine. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1981 Feb; 19(2):326-7.
2.Pantosti A, Luzzi I, Cardines R, Gianfrilli P. Comparison of the in vitro activities of teicoplanin and vancomycin against Clostridium difficile and their interactions with cholestyramine. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1985 Dec;28(6):847-8.
3.Bartlett JG. Treatment of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis. Rev Infect Dis 1984 Mar-Apr;6 Suppl 1:S235-41.
4.Taylor NS, Bartlett JG. Binding of Clostridium difficile cytotoxin and vancomycin by anion-exchange resins. J Infect Dis 1980 Jan;141(1):92-7.
5.George RH, Youngs DJ, Johnson EM, Burdon DW. Anion-exchange resins in pseudomembranous colitis. Lancet 1978 Sep 16;2(8090):624.
