Colesevelam
FDA status
Off-label use. Colesevelam is FDA-approved, along with diet and exercise, to lower LDL cholesterol for some people and to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Colesevelam is an FDA-approved medication primarily used for managing cholesterol levels and improving blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes. Healthcare providers with expertise in environmental toxin exposure may prescribe it off-label as a binder.
How it is used
Colesevelam may help prevent reabsorption of mold toxins back into your bloodstream by binding to them in your digestive tract so they leave the body. Because of this binding action, colesevelam and similar medications are often called binders.
It is taken by mouth with food, at least four hours apart from other medications. Your provider sets the dose.
Side effects
Common
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Gas or bloating
Less common but serious
- Severe gastrointestinal symptoms
- Low blood sugar (in people with diabetes)
- Raised triglycerides, and pancreatitis in rare cases
- Lower absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and of some other medicines
Tell your provider about any side effect, and about every other medicine you take.
Who should not use it
- A history of bowel obstruction or a gastrointestinal motility disorder such as gastroparesis
- Triglyceride levels above 500 mg/dL, or pancreatitis caused by high triglycerides
- A known allergy to colesevelam or its components
Research and further reading
- Colesevelam binder guide: side effects and how to manage them
- Cholestyramine side effects, and how colesevelam compares
- FDA: understanding off-label use of approved drugs
Off-label use. Colesevelam is FDA-approved, along with diet and exercise, to lower LDL cholesterol for some people and to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. For more information about this medication, click here.
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