Drug & supplement interaction

Lotus + Colesevelam

Colesevelam brand names: WelChol, Lodalis.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Lotus 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.

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Interaction report

Lotus 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 Lotus 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.

Lotus safety at a glance

Lotus overall Use caution Common as a food, but supplement safety has not been well studied in humans.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data for medicinal amounts, so avoid concentrated supplements.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety has not been established, so avoid supplement use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Colesevelam and Lotus? 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. Lotus has documented interactions with 3 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), antidiabetes drugs (moderate) and pentobarbital (nembutal) (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

Lotus Does Interact With Other Medications

Lotus has 212 moderate 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 212 No known interaction 2,618 (incl. Colesevelam)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Lotus

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Lotus 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.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    Lotus

    “Orally and topically, lotus root can cause allergic reactions such as urticaria and contact dermatitis. In a case report, a 6-year-old female developed urticaria after ingesting lotus root. She had also developed contact dermatitis on body areas that had been in contact with the lotus root.”

    Lotus · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 99738. Hiraguchi Y, Tokuda R, Gen M, et al. Identification of a novel food allergen in lotus root. Allergol Int. 2018;67(1):141-143. PubMed

    Colesevelam

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

  • A skin rash Additional detail

    Lotus

    Recorded for Lotus in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

    Colesevelam

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

Reported for Lotus but not commonly for Colesevelam: hives.

Effects for Colesevelam come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Lotus 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 — Lotus Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Colesevelam says to take it with food. If you take Lotus 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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Lotus 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 Lotus 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 Lotus 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 Lotus as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 256 real supplement products containing Lotus, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Lotus. Even though Lotus 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 Lotus 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 Lotus
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Colesevelam
Steady interest

#1,988 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 Lotus reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Lotus 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 .
Supplement

About Lotus

What is Lotus?

Lotus
  • Digestive upset and diarrhea
  • Anxiety and relaxation
  • Sleep support
  • Blood sugar and cholesterol support
  • Skin and general wellness

Lotus is an edible aquatic plant used in food and traditional medicine across Asia, with parts like the seeds, leaves, and flowers taken for digestion, calm, and overall wellness. Most health claims come from laboratory and animal research rather than strong human studies, so its benefits as a supplement are not well proven. Eating lotus as food is generally safe, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines.

Nelumbo nucifera · Nelumbonaceae · Seeds, leaves, flowers, rhizome (root), and stamens · Tea, capsules, powders, dried seeds, extracts, and culinary foods

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

Lotus: dosing

There is no standardized or officially established dose for lotus supplements. The right amount depends on the part of the plant used, the form, and how concentrated the product is.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed them. Because human research is limited, no proven "effective dose" exists.

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

Read the full Lotus 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 & Lotus

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

0Major
212Moderate
0Minor
2,617No known interaction
212 Moderate 2,617 No interaction
Moderate

212 interactions

Showing 60 of 212 moderate interactions — see all 212 on the Lotus page.

No interaction 2,617 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,617 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Lotus list.

See the full Lotus interactions page
See every supplement checked against Colesevelam, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Lotus References

The 5 references that drive our Lotus 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.

  1. Yu, J. and Hu, W. S. [Effects of neferine on platelet aggregation in rabbits]. Yao Xue.Xue.Bao. 1997;32(1):1-4.
  2. Yang, J. and Zhou, K. NMR spectroscopic analysis of neferine and isoliensinine. Magn Reson.Chem 2004;42(11):994-997. PubMed
  3. Mukherjee, P. K., Saha, K., Balasubramanian, R., Pal, M., and Saha, B. P. Studies on psychopharmacological effects of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. rhizome extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 1996;54(2-3):63-67. PubMed
  4. Mukherjee, P. K., Saha, K., Pal, M., and Saha, B. P. Effect of Nelumbo nucifera rhizome extract on blood sugar level in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1997;58(3):207-213. PubMed
  5. Hiraguchi Y, Tokuda R, Gen M, et al. Identification of a novel food allergen in lotus root. Allergol Int. 2018;67(1):141-143. PubMed

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 Lotus and Colesevelam Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Lotus with Colesevelam?
We do not list a known interaction between Lotus 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 Lotus and Colesevelam have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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 Lotus 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 Lotus 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.
How was the Lotus and Colesevelam combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Colesevelam is filed under 1 classification, and Lotus has documented interactions with 3 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 Lotus interact with any other medications?
Yes. Lotus has 212 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 — Lotus 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

Lotus 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 5 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Colesevelam and Lotus?

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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.