Colesevelam (Welchol) is an oral drug that lowers cholesterol levels in the blood. It also has the effect of improving control of blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. Colesevelam binds bile acids in the intestine and causes more of the bile acids to be excreted in the stool. This reduces the amount of bile acids that returns to the liver and forces the liver to make more bile acids to replace the bile acids lost in the stool. In order to make more bile acids, the liver converts more cholesterol into bile acids, and this lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood. Colesevelam (Welchol) is not absorbed into the body.

General characteristics of colesevelam are as follows:

GENERIC: No

PRESCRIPTION: Yes

PREPARATIONS: Tablet: 625 mg, white

STORAGE: Colesevelam should be stored at room temperature, away from heat and light, and out of the reach of children.

PRESCRIBED FOR: Colesevelam is used to treat high blood cholesterol levels, especially high levels of LDL-cholesterol ("bad cholesterol"). It does not lower cholesterol as much as the statin class of drugs, but when used in combination with a statin, it lowers cholesterol levels further than the statin alone.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Colesevelam reduces the absorption of cyclosporine, glyburide (Micronase, DiaBeta, Glynase, Prestab), levothyroxine sodium (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid), and oral contraceptives containing ethinyl estradiol or norethindrone by binding to them in the stomach and preventing their absorption into the body. Colesevelam (Welchol) also may reduce the activity of phenytoin (Dilantin) and warfarin (Coumadin). Drugs that interact with colesevelam should be administered four hours before the administration of colesevelam and, when possible, drug levels should be monitored.

USES: This medication is used along with a proper diet and exercise to lower cholesterol in people with high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Lowering cholesterol decreases the risk of heart disease and helps prevent strokes and heart attacks. Colesevelam is also used along with a proper diet and exercise to lower high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes).