Welchol and Fluid retention - a phase IV clinical study of FDA data

Summary:

Fluid retention is reported as a side effect among people who take Welchol (colesevelam hydrochloride), especially for people who are female, 60+ old, have been taking the drug for < 1 month also take Lasix, and have Primary pulmonary hypertension.

The phase IV clinical study analyzes which people have Fluid retention when taking Welchol. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 10,884 people who have side effects when taking Welchol from the FDA, and is updated regularly.

What is Welchol?

Welchol has active ingredients of colesevelam hydrochloride. It is often used in high blood cholesterol. eHealthMe is studying from 11,309 Welchol users. Check the latest studies of Welchol.

What is Fluid retention?

Fluid retention (an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the blood) is found to be associated with 1,700 drugs and 2,446 conditions by eHealthMe. Check the latest studies of Fluid retention.

On Aug, 10, 2026

10,884 people reported to have side effects when taking Welchol.
Among them, 53 people (0.49%) have Fluid retention.

Among these 53 people:

How long have people been on Welchol when they have Fluid retention? *

What is the gender of people who have Fluid retention when taking Welchol? *

female: 64 %
male: 36 %

What is the age of people who have Fluid retention when taking Welchol? *

What are other drugs people take besides Welchol? *

What are other side effects people have besides Fluid retention? *

Dyspnea (difficult or laboured breathing): 19 people, 35.85%
Oedema Peripheral (superficial swelling): 15 people, 28.30%
Weight Increased: 12 people, 22.64%
Oedema (fluid collection in tissue): 8 people, 15.09%
Weight Decreased: 8 people, 15.09%
Nausea (feeling of having an urge to vomit): 8 people, 15.09%
Drug Ineffective: 7 people, 13.21%
Pain In Extremity: 7 people, 13.21%
Cardiac Failure: 7 people, 13.21%
Joint Pain: 7 people, 13.21%

What are the existing conditions these people have? *

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (primary high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of your heart): 7 people, 13.21%
Osteoporosis (bones weak and more likely to break): 4 people, 7.55%
Nausea (feeling of having an urge to vomit): 3 people, 5.66%
High Blood Pressure: 3 people, 5.66%
Metastatic Carcinoid Tumor: 3 people, 5.66%
Pulmonary Hypertension (increase in blood pressure in the lung artery): 3 people, 5.66%
Carcinoid Syndrome (syndrome includes flushing and diarrhoea, and, less frequently, heart failure and bronchoconstriction): 3 people, 5.66%
Carcinoid Tumor Of The Small Bowel: 3 people, 5.66%
Type 2 Diabetes: 2 people, 3.77%
Diabetic Neuropathy (neuropathic disorders that are associated with diabetes mellitus): 2 people, 3.77%

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Do you take Welchol and have Fluid retention?

- Check whether Fluid retention is associated with a drug or a condition
- Predict drug outcomes for up to one year with AI
- Get an AI agent to monitor your drugs continuously

Related studies:

Effectiveness of, long term effects of, and alternative drugs to Welchol:

Welchol (11,309 reports)

Fluid retention treatments and more:

Fluid retention (79,660 reports)

Browse all side effects of Welchol:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Browse all the drugs that are associated with Fluid retention:

Fluid retention (1,700 drugs)

Browse all the conditions that are associated with Fluid retention:

Fluid retention (2,446 conditions)

How the study uses the data?

The study uses data from the FDA. It is based on colesevelam hydrochloride (the active ingredients of Welchol) and Welchol (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

How to use the study?

DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting your doctor. If there are any serious or long term adverse effects discovered in the study, discuss the study with your doctor to ensure that proper medication management will be in place if applicable.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI/ML algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Our analysis results are available to researchers, health care professionals, patients (testimonials), and software developers (open API).

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. All information is observation-only. Our phase IV clinical studies alone cannot establish cause-effect relationship. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. The use of the eHealthMe site and its content is at your own risk.

If you use this eHealthMe study on publication, please acknowledge it with a citation: study title, URL, accessed date.