Drug & supplement interaction

Wild Yam + Sevelamer

Sevelamer brand name: Renagel.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Wild Yam and Sevelamer 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 Sevelamer 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

Wild Yam and Sevelamer

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 Sevelamer and Wild Yam 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.

Wild Yam safety at a glance

Wild Yam overall Use caution Likely fine for short-term use in healthy adults, but long-term safety is not well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data; avoid while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Sevelamer and Wild Yam? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sevelamer

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sevelamer is filed under 2 classifications — including oral drugs. Wild Yam has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being estrogens (moderate) — and none of Sevelamer’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

Wild Yam Does Interact With Other Medications

Wild Yam has 41 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Sevelamer isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Wild Yam

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Wild Yam and Sevelamer 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.

  • Stomach upset / Vomiting Additional detail

    Wild Yam

    “Orally, wild yam can cause upset stomach and vomiting, especially at higher doses (12,86450).”

    Wild Yam · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    2 sources cited
    1. 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.
    2. 86450. Araghiniknam M, Chung S, Nelson-White T, and et al. Antioxidant activity of Dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in older humans. Life Sciences 1996;59:L147-L157.

    Sevelamer

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

Reported for Wild Yam but not commonly for Sevelamer: a severe allergic reaction, loss of vision, blood clots and headache.

Effects for Sevelamer come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Wild Yam come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. 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 Sevelamer Products Have a Food Rule — Wild Yam Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sevelamer says to take it with food. If you take Wild Yam on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Sevelamer 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 Sevelamer 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.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Starting dose of Renvela is 0.8 or 1.6 grams administered orally three times per day with meals based on serum phosphorus levels for adult patients and based on body surface area (BSA) category for pediatric patients.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sevelamer — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sevelamer

This page covers Wild Yam only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sevelamer page lists 18 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 · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sevelamer page

“Kidney patients who take sevelamer (Renagel) to control phosphorus have a real reason to pause over this page, and activated charcoal is why. It carries the only major rating here because it can trap medicines in the gut and sharply cut the amount the body actually gets.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sevelamer interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,014 real supplement products containing Wild Yam, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Wild Yam. Even though Wild Yam itself has no known interaction with Sevelamer, 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 Wild Yam and Sevelamer 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 Wild Yam
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sevelamer
Steady interest

#2,699 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 Wild Yam reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Wild Yam and Sevelamer 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 Wild Yam

What is Wild Yam?

  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Hormone balance (popular belief)
  • Digestive cramps
  • Joint and muscle discomfort

Wild yam is a root traditionally used for menopausal symptoms, cramps, and as a so-called 'natural' hormone supplement, but solid human evidence for these uses is lacking. Despite popular claims, your body cannot convert its compounds into hormones like progesterone, so creams marketed that way usually don't work as advertised. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Dioscorea villosa · Dioscoreaceae · Root and rhizome (underground stem) · Capsules, tablets, dried root, tinctures, topical creams, tea

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

Wild Yam: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for wild yam. The amount can vary widely between products and forms (capsules, tinctures, teas, or creams).The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

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

Read the full Wild Yam monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sevelamer

What Is Sevelamer Used For?

Brand name: Renagel

Sevelamer is used to control serum phosphorus (the level of phosphorus in your blood) in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who are on dialysis. High phosphorus is a serious problem for dialysis patients and needs to be managed with medication and diet.

Sevelamer carbonate tablets and Renvela® (sevelamer carbonate) oral suspension are approved for adults and children 6 years of age and older. Sevelamer hydrochloride tablets are indicated for adults with CKD on dialysis; their safety and effectiveness in CKD patients not on dialysis have not been studied.

See full Sevelamer drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Wild Yam

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

0Major
41Moderate
0Minor
2,788No known interaction
Moderate

41 interactions

No interaction 2,788 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Wild Yam References

The 7 references that drive our Wild Yam 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. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Eagon PK, Elm MS, Hunter DS, et al. Medicinal herbs: modulation of estrogen action. Era of Hope Mtg, Dept Defense; Breast Cancer Res Prog, Atlanta, GA 2000;Jun 8-11.
  3. Cheong JL, Bucknall R. Retinal vein thrombosis associated with a herbal phytoestrogen preparation in a susceptible patient. Postgrad Med J 2005;81:266-7.. PubMed
  4. Rosenberg Zand, R. S., Jenkins, D. J., and Diamandis, E. P. Effects of natural products and nutraceuticals on steroid hormone-regulated gene expression. Clin Chim.Acta 2001;312(1-2):213-219. PubMed
  5. Araghiniknam M, Chung S, Nelson-White T, and et al. Antioxidant activity of Dioscorea and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in older humans. Life Sciences 1996;59:L147-L157.
  6. Zeng M, Zhang L, Li M, et al. Estrogenic effects of the extracts from the Chinese Yam (Dioscorea opposite Thunb.) and its effective compounds in vitro and in vivo. Molecules. 2018 Jan 23;23(2). Pii: E11. PubMed
  7. Lu J, Wong RN, Zhang L, et al. Comparative analysis of proteins with stimulating activity on ovarian estradiol biosynthesis from four different Dioscorea species in vitro using both phenotypic and target-based approaches: implication for treating menopaus

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 Wild Yam and Sevelamer Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Wild Yam with Sevelamer?
We do not list a known interaction between Wild Yam and Sevelamer. 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 Wild Yam and Sevelamer 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 Wild Yam and Sevelamer at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sevelamer says to take it with food. If you take Wild Yam on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Sevelamer with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Sevelamer products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Wild Yam and Sevelamer combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sevelamer is filed under 2 classifications, and Wild Yam has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Sevelamer'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 Wild Yam interact with any other medications?
Yes. Wild Yam has 41 documented drug interactions in our database — Sevelamer 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 Sevelamer interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sevelamer has documented interactions with 18 supplements in our database — Wild Yam is not one of them. The Sevelamer interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Sevelamer and Wild Yam?

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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.