Glimepiride; Glipizide; Glyburide/Colesevelam Interactions

This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.

Medical warning:

Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.

How the interaction occurs:

Colesevelam may bind to your diabetes medicine in your GI tract, preventing your body from absorbing the medicine.

What might happen:

The amount of your diabetes medicine in your blood may decrease and it may not work as well.

What you should do about this interaction:

Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together. You should time your medicines so that you take your diabetes medicine 4 hours or more before your colesevelam. If you have any questions about how to take your medicines, ask your pharmacist. Your doctor may want you to check your blood glucose more frequently while you are taking these medicines together.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

  • 1.Welchol (colesevelam hydrochloride) US prescribing information. Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. October, 2021.
  • 2.Brown KS, Armstrong IC, Wang A, Walker JR, Noveck RJ, Swearingen D, Allison M, Kissling JC, Kisicki J, Salazar DE. Effect of the bile acid sequestrant colesevelam on the pharmacokinetics of pioglitazone, repaglinide, estrogen estradiol, norethindrone, levothyroxine, and glyburide. J Clin Pharmacol 2010 May;50(5):554-65.
  • 3.Diabeta (glyburide) US prescribing information. Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC October, 2013.
  • 4.Amaryl (glimepiride) US prescribing information. Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC October, 2013.

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CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.