Drug & supplement interaction

Uzara + 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 Uzara 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

Uzara 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 Uzara 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.

Uzara safety at a glance

Uzara overall Use caution It contains heart-active compounds and should only be used short-term and with professional guidance.
Pregnancy Avoid Safety is not established, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid There is not enough safety information, so avoid use while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Colesevelam and Uzara? 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. Uzara has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — the most serious being digoxin (lanoxin) (major), diuretic drugs (moderate) and macrolide antibiotics (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

Uzara Does Interact With Other Medications

Uzara has 1 major, 132 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.

Major 1 Moderate 132 No known interaction 2,697 (incl. Colesevelam)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Uzara

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Uzara and Colesevelam May Share a Side Effect

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

    Uzara

    “Orally, uzara can cause cardiotoxic effects, especially in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. In one case report, a 68-year-old female with diabetes and hypertension was admitted to the emergency room with reduced left-ventricular function, pulmonary edema, and arrhythmia.”

    Uzara · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in arrhythmia.

    1 source cited
    1. 99461. Thürmann PA, Neff A, Fleisch J. Interference of Uzara glycosides in assays of digitalis glycosides. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2004;42(5):281-4. PubMed

    Colesevelam

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

Reported for Uzara but not commonly for Colesevelam: an irregular heartbeat and swelling.

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

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

How much people look this up

Where Uzara 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 Uzara
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Colesevelam
Steady interest

#2,411 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 Uzara reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Uzara 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 Uzara

What is Uzara?

  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
  • Headaches
  • Digestive upset

Uzara is a traditional African root remedy used mainly for diarrhea and stomach cramps. Because it contains cardiac glycosides that can affect the heart, it should be used cautiously and for short periods only. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have heart problems, are pregnant, or take heart medications.

Xysmalobium undulatum · Apocynaceae · Dried root · Liquid extract, tincture, tablets, drops

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

Uzara: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for Uzara, and products vary in strength. The right amount depends on the specific preparation, such as drops, tincture, or tablets.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and use it only for short periods. Do not exceed the recommended amount, since higher doses raise the risk of heart-related side effects.

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

Read the full Uzara 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 & Uzara

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

1Major
132Moderate
0Minor
2,696No known interaction
1 Major 132 Moderate 2,696 No interaction
Major

1 interaction

Moderate

132 interactions

Showing 60 of 132 moderate interactions — see all 132 on the Uzara page.

No interaction 2,696 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,696 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Uzara list.

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

Uzara References

The 7 references that drive our Uzara 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. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Trans. S. Klein. Boston, MA: American Botanical Council, 1998.
  2. Ellenhorn MJ, et al. Ellenhorn's Medical Toxicology: Diagnoses and Treatment of Human Poisoning. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1997.
  3. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
  4. Burnham TH, ed. Drug Facts and Comparisons, Updated Monthly. Facts and Comparisons, St. Louis, MO.
  5. Abd-El-Maeboud KH, Kortam MA, Ali MS, Ibrahim MI, Mohamed RM. A preliminary pilot randomized crossover study of uzara (Xysmalobium undulatum) versus ibuprofen in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. PLoS One. 2014;9(8):e104473. PubMed
  6. Schmiedl S, Ritter A, Szymanski J, et al. Cardiovascular effects, pharmacokinetics and cross-reactivity in digitalis glycoside immunoassays of an antidiarrheal uzara root extract. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2012;50(10):729-40. PubMed
  7. Thürmann PA, Neff A, Fleisch J. Interference of Uzara glycosides in assays of digitalis glycosides. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2004;42(5):281-4. 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 Uzara and Colesevelam Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Uzara with Colesevelam?
We do not list a known interaction between Uzara 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 Uzara and Colesevelam have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one 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 Uzara 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 Uzara 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 Uzara and Colesevelam combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Colesevelam is filed under 1 classification, and Uzara has documented interactions with 6 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 Uzara interact with any other medications?
Yes. Uzara has 133 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 — Uzara 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

Uzara 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 7 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Colesevelam and Uzara?

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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.