Antidiabetic Agents/Gymnema 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:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Gymnema may lower blood sugar by increasing the number of cells in your body that make insulin. It may also help your body process sugars better.
What might happen:
When using gymnema and medicines that your doctor prescribes for your diabetes, your blood sugar may drop too low.
What you should do about this interaction:
Inform your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) that you are taking gymnema. Your doctor may want you to check your blood sugars more frequently. Inform your healthcare professionals if you experience signs of low blood sugar such as sweating, rapid heartbeat, and dizziness. Your doctor may want to change your dose of your diabetes medicine or for you to stop taking your gymnema. Let your healthcare professionals know if you stop taking gymnema, because your diabetes medicines may need to be adjusted.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.Anonymous. Gymnema sylvestre. Altern Med Rev 1999 Feb;4(1):46-7.
- 2.Gymnema (gymnema) Australian prescribing information. MediHerb August, 2000.
- 3.Baskaran K, Kizar Ahamath B, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Shanmugasundaram ER. Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. J Ethnopharmacol 1990 Oct;30(3):295-300.
- 4.Shanmugasundaram ER, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, Rajesh Kumar BR, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Kizar Ahmath B. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol 1990 Oct;30(3):281-94.
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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.