Drug & supplement interaction

Yucca + 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 Yucca 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

Yucca 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 Yucca 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.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Yucca at all — not against Colesevelam, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

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.

Yucca safety at a glance

Yucca overall Use caution Generally considered low-risk in food amounts, but supplement safety is not well studied.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information is available, so it is best avoided.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid use.

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

Still wondering about combining Colesevelam and Yucca? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Yucca 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.

  • A stuffy or runny nose Additional detail

    Yucca

    “Environmental exposure to yucca has been associated with allergic rhinitis in 59 patients who exhibited sensitization to yucca after allergen skin testing.”

    Yucca · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    1 source cited
    1. 86902. Mahillon, V., Saussez, S., and Michel, O. High incidence of sensitization to ornamental plants in allergic rhinitis. Allergy 2006;61(9):1138-1140. PubMed

    Colesevelam

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

Reported for Yucca but not commonly for Colesevelam: hives.

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

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

Yucca has been studied for:

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

    Yucca for hypercholesterolemia

    Oral yucca has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.

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

    Yucca for diabetes

    Although there has been interest in using oral yucca for diabetes, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of yucca for this purpose.

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 Yucca for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

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

We hold 370 real supplement products containing Yucca, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Yucca. Even though Yucca 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 Yucca 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 Yucca
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Colesevelam
Steady interest

#2,234 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 Yucca reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Yucca 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 Yucca

What is Yucca?

  • Joint pain and arthritis
  • Digestive health
  • High cholesterol
  • Inflammation
  • High blood pressure

Yucca is a desert plant traditionally used for joint pain, arthritis, and digestion, and it contains compounds called saponins thought to have anti-inflammatory effects. Human evidence for these uses is very limited, so it should not replace proven treatments. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Yucca schidigera · Asparagaceae · Root, stem (trunk), and leaves · Capsules, tablets, powder, liquid extract, and tea

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

Yucca: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for yucca supplements. Doses vary widely between products, and there is not enough research to recommend a specific amount.If you choose to try yucca, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed them. A pharmacist or doctor can help you decide whether it is appropriate for you and review it against your other medications and health conditions.

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

Read the full Yucca 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 & Yucca

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

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Yucca list.

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

Yucca References

The 3 references that drive our Yucca 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. <p><span>Kanerva, L., Estlander, T., Petman, L., Makinen-Kiljunen, S. Occupational allergic contact urticaria to yucca (Yucca aloifolia), weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), and spathe flower (Spathiphyllum wallisii). Allergy. 2001;56(10): 1008-11.</span></p>
  2. Poljacki, M., Paravina, M., Jovanovic, M., Subotic, M., and Duran, V. [Contact allergic dermatitis caused by plants]. Med Pregl. 1993;46(9-10):371-375.
  3. Mahillon, V., Saussez, S., and Michel, O. High incidence of sensitization to ornamental plants in allergic rhinitis. Allergy 2006;61(9):1138-1140. 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 Yucca and Colesevelam Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Yucca with Colesevelam?
We do not list a known interaction between Yucca 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 Yucca 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 Yucca 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 Yucca 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 Yucca 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 Yucca in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Colesevelam is being adjusted to a target.
Does Colesevelam interact with any supplements?
Yes. Colesevelam has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Yucca 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

Yucca 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 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Colesevelam and Yucca?

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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.