Drug & supplement interaction

Eleuthero + Colesevelam

Colesevelam brand names: WelChol, Lodalis.

No Known Interaction

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026

The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Eleuthero and Colesevelam in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Colesevelam states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

Know someone taking this? Share

Facebook Post Reddit Email

On this page

Interaction report

Eleuthero and Colesevelam

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Colesevelam and Eleuthero in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Eleuthero safety at a glance

Eleuthero overall Use caution Often well tolerated for short-term use, but evidence on long-term safety is limited.

Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Colesevelam and Eleuthero? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›

How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Colesevelam

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Colesevelam is filed under a single classification — oral drugs. Eleuthero has documented interactions with 10 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) — and none of Colesevelam’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Eleuthero Does Interact With Other Medications

Eleuthero has 679 moderate, 461 minor known drug interactions in our database — Colesevelam isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 679 Minor 461 No known interaction 1,690 (incl. Colesevelam)

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Eleuthero

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Eleuthero. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Eleuthero and Colesevelam May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

Raised blood pressure Worth acting on Additional detail
Eleuthero
“Orally, increased blood pressure has been reported in children with hypotension taking eleuthero in one clinical study. Eleuthero has been reported to cause tachycardia, hypertension, and pericardial pain in patients with rheumatic heart disease or atherosclerosis.”

Eleuthero · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in atherosclerosis.
4 sources cited

74980. Kaloeva, Z. D. [Effect of the glycosides of Eleutherococcus senticosus on the hemodynamic indices of children with hypotensive states]. Farmakol.Toksikol. 1986;49(5):73.

12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

797. Awang DVC. Siberian ginseng toxicity may be case of mistaken identity (letter). CMAJ 1996;155:1237.

6500. Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. London: Churchill Livingstone, 2000.
Colesevelam

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Colesevelam. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Stomach upset / Nausea Additional detail

Eleuthero

“Orally, eleuthero has been reported to cause dyspepsia, nausea, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal upset in some patients.”

Eleuthero · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

Colesevelam

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Colesevelam. Read the label on DailyMed ›
Headache Additional detail
Eleuthero
“Orally, headaches have been reported in 9.8% of people taking eleuthero in one clinical study.

In one case report, a 53-year-old female developed spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage associated with the use of an herbal supplement containing red clover, dong quai, and eleuthero. It is unclear if this event was related to the use of eleuthero, the other ingredients, the combination, or another cause entirely.”

Eleuthero · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in subarachnoid hemorrhage.
2 sources cited

11099. Hartz AJ, Bentler S, Noyes R et al. Randomized controlled trial of Siberian ginseng for chronic fatigue. Psychol Med 2004;34:51-61. PubMed

70419. Friedman, J. A., Taylor, S. A., McDermott, W., and Alikhani, P. Multifocal and recurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage due to an herbal supplement containing natural coumarins. Neurocrit.Care 2007;7(1):76-80. PubMed
Colesevelam

Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Colesevelam. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Eleuthero but not commonly for Colesevelam: mood changes or irritability, anxiety or restlessness, a fast or pounding heartbeat and low blood pressure.

Effects for Colesevelam come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Eleuthero come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 2,014 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Colesevelam that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Colesevelam Products Have a Food Rule — Eleuthero Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Colesevelam says to take it with food. If you take Eleuthero on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Colesevelam with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Colesevelam products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Colesevelam hydrochloride should be taken as follows ( 2.2 , 2.4 ): Tablets Take 6 tablets once daily or 3 tablets twice daily with a meal and liquid.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Colesevelam — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Colesevelam Is Prescribed For, and What Eleuthero Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Colesevelam is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Eleuthero is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Colesevelam is prescribed for: Colesevelam is used alongside diet and exercise to reduce high LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in adults with primary hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). It is also approved to lower LDL cholesterol in boys and girls aged 10–17 who have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) — an inherited condition that causes very high cholesterol — when diet and lifestyle changes alone haven't worked. Colesevelam tablets and oral suspension (Welchol and colesevelam hydrochloride products) are also used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as an add-on to diet and exercise. Colesevelam is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Eleuthero has been studied for:

Diabetes studied, not established Eleuthero has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

Eleuthero for diabetes

It is unclear if oral eleuthero is beneficial for improving glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Colesevelam on your own; if you are taking Eleuthero for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Eleuthero or Colesevelam

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Eleuthero or Colesevelam, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Colesevelam

This page covers Eleuthero only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Colesevelam page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Colesevelam page

“Colesevelam (WelChol, Lodalis) lowers cholesterol by binding bile acids in your gut, and every one of the 17 supplements on this list can interfere with how oral medicines are absorbed in that same territory. I would treat this list with genuine care, and the place to start is activated charcoal, the only major-rated entry.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Colesevelam interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Eleuthero as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 3,795 real supplement products containing Eleuthero, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Eleuthero. Even though Eleuthero itself has no known interaction with Colesevelam, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Eleuthero and Colesevelam Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Eleuthero

Top 5%

#66 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Medication Colesevelam

Steady interest

#2,468 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?

Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Eleuthero reference on this page ↓
Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Eleuthero and Colesevelam records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.

Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS.

Supplement

About Eleuthero

What is Eleuthero?

Fatigue and low energy
Physical and athletic performance
Stress resistance (adaptogen)
Immune support
Mental focus and alertness

Eleuthero is an herb traditionally used as an 'adaptogen' to fight fatigue, boost energy, and help the body handle stress. The scientific evidence behind these uses is limited and mixed, so it should not replace proven treatments. It is generally well tolerated short-term, but pregnant and breastfeeding people and those with certain conditions should avoid it or check with a healthcare provider first.

Eleutherococcus senticosus · Araliaceae · Root and rhizome (sometimes the stem bark) · Capsules, tablets, dried root powder, liquid extracts (tinctures), and teas

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Eleuthero is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Eleuthero record says about it on its own.

Eleuthero: dosing

There is no official standardized dose for eleuthero, and products differ widely in strength and form (dried root, extracts, tinctures, and teas).The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Eleuthero monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Eleuthero monograph & all interactions

Medication

About Colesevelam

What Is Colesevelam Used For?

Brand names: WelChol, Lodalis

Colesevelam is used alongside diet and exercise to reduce high LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in adults with primary hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol). It is also approved to lower LDL cholesterol in boys and girls aged 10–17 who have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) — an inherited condition that causes very high cholesterol — when diet and lifestyle changes alone haven't worked.

Colesevelam tablets and oral suspension (Welchol and colesevelam hydrochloride products) are also used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as an add-on to diet and exercise. Colesevelam is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Colesevelam

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (2,014 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Diarrhea 241 reports

Dyspnea 172 reports

Cough 169 reports

Muscle spasms 163 reports

Nasopharyngitis 150 reports

See full Colesevelam drug information

Keep checking

Other Drugs & Eleuthero

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Eleuthero — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major

679Moderate

461Minor

1,689No known interaction

679 Moderate 461 Minor 1,689 No interaction

Moderate

679 interactions

Showing 60 of 679 moderate interactions — see all 679 on the Eleuthero page.

Minor

461 interactions

Showing 60 of 461 minor interactions — see all 461 on the Eleuthero page.

No interaction 1,689 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Eleuthero against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,689 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Eleuthero list.

See the full Eleuthero interactions page

See every supplement checked against Colesevelam, ranked by severity

Evidence & sources

Eleuthero References

The 24 references that drive our Eleuthero monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
McRae S. Elevated serum digoxin levels in a patient taking digoxin and Siberian ginseng. CMAJ 1996;155:293-5.
Awang DVC. Siberian ginseng toxicity may be case of mistaken identity (letter). CMAJ 1996;155:1237.
Mills S, Bone K. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. London: Churchill Livingstone, 2000.
Harkey MR, Henderson GL, Zhou L, et al. Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) on c-DNA-expressed P450 drug metabolizing enzymes. Alt Ther 2001;7:S14.
Hikino H, Takahashi M, Otake K, Konno C. Isolation and hypoglycemic activity of eleutherans A, B, C, D, E, F, and G: glycans of Eleutherococcus senticosus roots. J Nat Prod 1986;49:293-7. PubMed
Yun-Choi HS, Kim JH, Lee JR. Potential inhibitors of platelet aggregation from plant sources, III. J Nat Prod 1987;50:1059-64. PubMed
Donovan JL, DeVane CL, Chavin KD, et al. Siberian Ginseng (Eleutheroccus senticosus) Effects on CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 Activity in Normal Volunteers. Drug Metab Dispos 2003;31:519-22.. PubMed
Hartz AJ, Bentler S, Noyes R et al. Randomized controlled trial of Siberian ginseng for chronic fatigue. Psychol Med 2004;34:51-61. PubMed
Sievenpiper JL, Arnason JT, Leiter LA, Vuksan V. Decreasing, null and increasing effects of eight popular types of ginseng on acute postprandial glycemic indices in healthy humans: the role of ginsenosides. J Am Coll Nutr 2004;23:248-58. PubMed
Dasgupta A, Wu S, Actor J, et al. Effect of Asian and Siberian ginseng on serum digoxin measurement by five digoxin immunoassays. Significant variation in digoxin-like immunoreactivity among commercial ginsengs. Am J Clin Pathol 2003;119:298-303. DOI
Takahashi T, Kaku T, Sato T, et al. Effects of Acanthopanax senticosus HARMS extract on drug transport in human intestinal cell line Caco-2. J Nat Med. 2010;64(1):55-62. PubMed
Fuchikami H, Satoh H, Tsujimoto M, Ohdo S, Ohtani H, Sawada Y. Effects of herbal extracts on the function of human organic anion-transporting polypeptide OATP-B. Drug Metab Dispos 2006;34:577-82. PubMed
Friedman, J. A., Taylor, S. A., McDermott, W., and Alikhani, P. Multifocal and recurrent subarachnoid hemorrhage due to an herbal supplement containing natural coumarins. Neurocrit.Care 2007;7(1):76-80. PubMed
Molokovskii, D. S., Davydov, V. V., and Tiulenev, V. V. [The action of adaptogenic plant preparations in experimental alloxan diabetes]. Probl.Endokrinol.(Mosk) 1989;35(6):82-87.
Schmolz, M. W., Sacher, F., and Aicher, B. The synthesis of Rantes, G-CSF, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12 and IL-13 in human whole-blood cultures is modulated by an extract from Eleutherococcus senticosus L. roots. Phytother.Res 2001;15(3):268-270.
Huang, D. B., Ran, R. Z., and Yu, Z. F. [Effect of Acanthopanax senticosus injection on the activities of human tumor necrosis factor and natural killer cell in blood in the patients with lung cancer]. Zhongguo Zhong.Yao Za Zhi. 2005;30(8):621-624.
Niu, H. S., Hsu, F. L., Liu, I. M., and Cheng, J. T. Increase of beta-endorphin secretion by syringin, an active principle of Eleutherococcus senticosus, to produce antihyperglycemic action in type 1-like diabetic rats. Horm.Metab Res 2007;39(12):894-898
Watanabe, K., Kamata, K., Sato, J., and Takahashi, T. Fundamental studies on the inhibitory action of Acanthopanax senticosus Harms on glucose absorption. J Ethnopharmacol. 10-28-2010;132(1):193-199. PubMed
Bazaz'ian, G. G., Liapina, L. A., Pastorova, V. E., and Zvereva, E. G. [Effect of Eleutherococcus on the functional status of the anticoagulation system in older animals]. Fiziol.Zh.SSSR Im I.M.Sechenova 1987;73(10):1390-1395.
Kaloeva, Z. D. [Effect of the glycosides of Eleutherococcus senticosus on the hemodynamic indices of children with hypotensive states]. Farmakol.Toksikol. 1986;49(5):73.
Martinez, B. and Staba, E. J. The physiological effects of Aralia, Panax and Eleutherococcus on exercised rats. Jpn J Pharmacol 1984;35(2):79-85. DOI
Medon, P. J., Thompson, E. B., and Farnsworth, N. R. Hypoglycemic effect and toxicity of Eleutherococcus senticosus following acute and chronic administration in mice. Zhongguo Yao Li Xue.Bao. 1981;2(4):281-285.
Freye E, GLeske J. Siberian ginseng results in beneficial effects on glucose metabolism in diabetes type 2 patients: a double blind placebo-controlled study in comparison to panax ginseng. Int J Clin Nutr. 2013;1(1):11-17.

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Eleuthero and Colesevelam Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Eleuthero with Colesevelam?

We do not list a known interaction between Eleuthero and Colesevelam. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.

Do Eleuthero and Colesevelam have any of the same side effects?

Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.

Should I take Eleuthero and Colesevelam at the same time of day?

At least one FDA label for a product containing Colesevelam says to take it with food. If you take Eleuthero on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Colesevelam with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Colesevelam products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.

Are Eleuthero and Colesevelam used for the same thing?

They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Eleuthero in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Colesevelam is being adjusted to a target.

How was the Eleuthero and Colesevelam combination checked?

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Colesevelam is filed under 1 classification, and Eleuthero has documented interactions with 10 drug classes — none of Colesevelam's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.

Does Eleuthero interact with any other medications?

Yes. Eleuthero has 1,140 documented drug interactions in our database — Colesevelam is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.

Does Colesevelam interact with any supplements?

Yes. Colesevelam has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Eleuthero is not one of them. The Colesevelam interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Eleuthero monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Colesevelam drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Colesevelam supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Colesevelam, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 24 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Colesevelam and Eleuthero?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.