Colesevelam patient counseling information

Colesevelam patient counseling information

Clinical data
Trade names	Welchol, Cholestagel
MedlinePlus	a699050
Pregnancy category	B
Routes of administration	Oral
ATC code	C10AC04 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	N/A
Metabolism	Colesevelam is not absorbed and not metabolised.
Elimination half-life	N/A (non-systemic drug)
Excretion	By intestines only, colesevelam is non-systemic.
Identifiers
CAS Number	182815-44-7 Y
PubChem CID	160051
DrugBank	DB00930 Y
ChemSpider	NA N
UNII	P4SG24WI5Q
KEGG	D03582 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1201677 Y
E number	{{#property:P628}}
ECHA InfoCard	{{#property:P2566}}
NY (what is this?)  (verify)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sheng Shi, M.D. [2]

Patient Counseling Information

Dosing: Patients should be advised to take WELCHOL Tablets with a meal and liquid. WELCHOL can be taken as 6 tablets once daily or 3 tablets twice daily. Patients should be advised to take WELCHOL for Oral Suspension as one 3.75 gram packet once daily or one 1.875 gram packet twice daily. To prepare, empty the entire contents of one packet into a glass or cup. Add ½ to 1 cup (4 to 8 ounces) of water, fruit juice, or diet soft drinks. Stir well and drink. WELCHOL for Oral Suspension should be taken with meals. To avoid esophageal distress, WELCHOL for Oral Suspension should not be taken in its dry form. Always mix WELCHOL for Oral Suspension with water, fruit juice, or diet soft drinks before ingesting [See Dosage and Administration(2)]

Drug interactions: Drugs with a known interaction with colesevelam (e.g., cyclosporine,glimepiride,glipizide, glyburide, levothyroxine, olmesartan medoxomil, oral contraceptives) should be administered at least 4 hours prior to WELCHOL. In an in vivo drug interaction study, there was no significant effect on the bioavailability of phenytoin; however, due to its narrow therapeutic index and post-marketing reports consistent with potential drug-drug interactions, phenytoin should be administered at least 4 hours prior to WELCHOL. Drugs that have not been tested for interaction with colesevelam, especially those with a narrow therapeutic index, should also be administered at least 4 hours prior to WELCHOL. Alternatively the physician should monitor blood levels of the coadministered drug. Patients receiving concomitant metformin ER and colesevelam should be monitored for clinical response as is usual for the use of anti-diabetes drugs [See Drug Interactions (7)]

Gastrointestinal: WELCHOL can cause constipation. WELCHOL is contraindicated in patients with a history of bowel obstruction. WELCHOL is not recommended in patients who may be at risk of bowel obstruction, including patients with gastroparesis, other gastrointestinal motility disorders, or a history of major gastrointestinal surgery. Patients should be instructed to consume a diet that promotes bowel regularity. Patients should be instructed to promptly discontinue WELCHOL and seek medical attention if severe abdominal pain or severe constipation occurs. Because of the tablet size, WELCHOL Tablets can cause dysphagia or esophageal obstruction and should be used with caution in patients with dysphagia or swallowing disorders. To avoid esophageal distress, WELCHOL for Oral Suspension should not be taken in its dry form. Always mix WELCHOL for Oral Suspension with water, fruit juice, or diet soft drinks before ingesting [See Warnings and Precautions (5.4)] Hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis: Patients should be instructed to discontinue WELCHOL and seek prompt medical attention if the hallmark symptoms of acute pancreatitis occur (e.g., severe abdominal pain with or without nausea and vomiting). [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2)]