What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Colesevelam and ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel
Ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel's FDA label of August 27, 2026 names colesevelam in its drug interactions section; the colesevelam label PlainMeds reads does not name ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel. The ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel label: “Colesevelam Clinical effect Concomitant use of CHCs with colesevelam significantly decreases systemic exposure of ethinyl estradiol.”
Check it at the source: the colesevelam FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 28, 2023, A-S Medication Solutions); the ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 27, 2026, Exeltis USA, Inc.).
What does the colesevelam label say about ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel?
Colesevelam's label (effective December 28, 2023) does not name ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (COLESEVELAM HYDROCHLORIDE), NDA021176 (Cosette), as published by A-S Medication Solutions, effective December 28, 2023 (SPL set 0127afae-8d8d-43f2-97f9-4f99f6947e81), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel label say about colesevelam?
Ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel label, drug interactionsColesevelam Clinical effect Concomitant use of CHCs with colesevelam significantly decreases systemic exposure of ethinyl estradiol [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Balcoltra label (Avion Pharmaceuticals, December 5, 2025), drug interactionsColesevelam, a bile acid sequestrant, given together with a COC, has been shown to significantly decrease the AUC of ethinyl estradiol (EE).
Source: FDA drug label (Balcoltra, NDA208612), Avion Pharmaceuticals, effective December 5, 2025 (SPL set 752ab698-4b48-4614-8016-d1d33ee7c007), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Tyblume), Exeltis USA, Inc., effective August 27, 2026 (SPL set b2482d51-d606-4aaa-8af4-19e4fe2f8872), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Colesevelam | Ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | High cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes | Birth control |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.262 per tablet 625 mg tablet | $0.154 per tablet 28 tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once