Sitemap | Contact Us

Welchol.com

WelcholKit.com

Daiichi-Sankyo

Home > About Welchol > Why Your Physician Prescribed Welchol

Email This Page

Print This Page

Text Size Plus
Text Size Minus

Text Size

Why Your Physician Prescribed Welchol

FREE Diet and Exercise Tips

Learn about simple but important changes you can make for a healthier you.

SIGN UP NOW

Why Your Physician Prescribed Welchol

Welchol™ (colesevelam HCl) is a prescription medication that can be used to improve blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes who are on certain other anti-diabetic medications for blood glucose. Welchol can also be used for people whose LDL-C, the "bad" cholesterol, is too high, despite diet and exercise.

Your physician may prescribe Welchol together with certain other type 2 diabetes medicines to help control blood glucose. When added to metformin, a sulfonylurea, or insulin, Welchol further reduces blood glucose levels.

Welchol can also be prescribed alone or with other cholesterol-lowering medications to lower LDL-C. When used with a statin, Welchol helps lower LDL-C more than a statin alone.

Healthy Starts

Learn about managing your high LDL cholesterol and/or type 2 diabetes with Welchol.

Get the Brochure

Participate in Survey

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your current therapy choices

Take A Quick Survey Now

The photos on this site depict models, not actual patients or healthcare professionals. The content provided herein is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk to your doctor for more information about your specific condition.

Important Information About Welchol

Welchol lowers LDL or "bad" cholesterol along with diet and exercise. It can be taken alone or with other cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins.

Welchol, along with diet and exercise, also lowers blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus when added to other antidiabetic medications (metformin, sulfonylureas, or insulin).

Ask your doctor if Welchol is right for you.

Welchol is not for everyone, especially those with intestinal blockage, those with blood triglyceride levels of greater than 500 mg/dL, or a history of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) due to high triglyceride levels.

Welchol has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.

Tell your doctor if you have high triglycerides (greater than 300 mg/dL).

Tell your doctor if you have stomach or intestinal problems, including gastroparesis (when the stomach takes too long to empty its contents), abnormal contractions of the digestive system, major gastrointestinal tract surgery, or if you have trouble swallowing.

Tell your doctor if you have vitamin A, D, E, or K deficiencies.

Welchol has known interactions with glyburide (a drug for diabetes), levothyroxine (a drug used to treat an underactive thyroid) and certain oral contraceptives. Welchol has not been studied with all combinations of drugs and supplements. Please tell your doctor about all medications and supplements you may be taking before beginning Welchol, as your doctor may tell you to take your other medications and supplements 4 hours before taking Welchol.

Remember to tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.

In patients with high LDL ("bad" cholesterol) side effects that occurred greater than placebo (a "sugar" pill) were constipation (11.0% vs. 7.0%), indigestion (8.3% vs. 3.5%), nausea (4.2% vs. 3.9%), accidental injury (3.7% vs. 2.7%), weakness (3.6% vs. 1.9%), sore throat (3.2% vs. 1.9%), flu-like symptoms (3.2% vs. 3.1%), runny nose (3.2% vs. 3.1%) and muscle aches (2.1% vs. 0.4%).

In patients with Type 2 Diabetes side effects that occurred greater than placebo were constipation (8.7% vs. 2.0%), inflamed nasal passages and throat (4.1% vs. 3.6%), indigestion (3.9% vs. 1.4%), low blood sugar (3.0% vs. 2.3%), nausea (3.0% vs. 1.4%) and high blood pressure (2.8% vs. 1.6%).

This information is intended for U.S. residents only.
© 2008 Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.