Welchol

(colesevelam)

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Lowers cholesterol and helps lower blood sugars.

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Can be taken as a tablet or as a sprinkled packet that's mixed with water, juice, or diet soft drinks.|Welchol (colesevelam) may be a good option for people who have high cholesterol and diabetes.|Welchol (colesevelam) is another option for people that can't tolerate statin medications.|It's able to be used in children over the age of 10.

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Quick facts about Welchol
  • Drug class: Cardiovascular
  • Rx status: Prescription only
  • Generic status: No lower cost generic available

Upsides

  • Can be taken as a tablet or a sprinkled packet that's mixed with water, juice, or diet soft drinks.
  • Welchol (colesevelam) may be good for people with high cholesterol and diabetes since it can help with both conditions.
  • Welchol (colesevelam) is a good option for people that can't tolerate statins.
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What to expect from Welchol, on one page

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Downsides

  • Welchol (colesevelam) can make you feel really constipated.
  • Welchol (colesevelam) doesn't lower cholesterol as well as other drugs.
  • It interacts with many other medications by reducing their absorption in the body.
  • Welchol (colesevelam) can increase the amount of triglycerides (fats) in some people, so your doctor may perform blood work to check your triglyceride levels.
  • It's not recommended for use in children under 10 years of age.
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What to expect from Welchol, on one page

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How it works

Welchol (colesevelam) is a bile acid sequestrant that reduces the amount of cholesterol your body absorbs from food.

Quick facts about Welchol
  • Drug class: Cardiovascular
  • Rx status: Prescription only
  • Generic status: No lower cost generic available

Used for

  • High cholesterol
  • Diabetes
  • Hereditary high cholesterol (Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia)

Dosage forms

  • Pill
  • Powder
Tried Welchol? Write a review!

Prices and coupons

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What to expect when you take Welchol (colesevelam) for High cholesterol

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  • First few hoursHours
    First few daysDays
    First few weeksWeeks
    First few monthsMonths
  • Effectiveness
  • Starts to kick in
    Full effects
  • First few hoursHours
    First few daysDays
    First few weeksWeeks
    First few monthsMonths
  • Possible side effects
  • Constipation
  • Upset stomach
  • Nausea
  • Reduced vitamin absorption
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Side effect rates for Welchol (colesevelam)

From 2025 clinical trials of Welchol when taken for diabetes
  • Constipation
    7%7%
    2%2%
  • Low blood sugar
    3%3%
    3%3%
  • Indigestion
    3%3%
    1%1%
  • Nausea
    3%3%
    2%2%
  • High blood pressure
    3%3%
    2%2%
  • Back pain
    2%2%
    1%1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Where we got our data »

The placebo bar shows how common a side effect was for people taking a sugar pill instead of Welchol.

Welchol (colesevelam)
Placebo

People taking Welchol felt side effect more

People taking Welchol felt side effect less

No difference

Risks and Warnings for Welchol (colesevelam)

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    • Higher risk if:
    • › Gastrointestinal tract surgery
    • › Gastroparesis
    • › Gastric motility disorders

    Welchol (colesevelam) can lead to constipation, so in people with gastrointestinal issues (such as gastroparesis/GI motility disorders), this can lead to problems like bowel obstruction. Therefore, it's important that your doctor knows about these problems before they prescribe Welchol (colesevelam).

Pharmacist Q&A

Welchol (colesevelam) questions for

Frequently Asked Questions

This medication treats hyperlipidemia (high lipid levels) in adults.

Who is this drug for?

This medication treats hyperlipidemia (high lipid levels) in adults.

Common concerns from people taking Welchol (colesevelam)

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Pregnancy

Research studies with animals haven’t found a risk to unborn babies, but it hasn’t been properly studied in humans.

See the FDA package insertSee pregnancy safe medications
Tip: Always talk with your doctor before you take any medication while pregnant.
FDA pregnancy category for Welchol
BProbably safe
Interactions
  • Many medications interact with Welchol (colesevelam), so check with your doctor or pharmacist which ones need to be taken at different times of the day.
  • It interacts with many other medications by reducing their absorption in the body.