Drug & supplement interaction

Banaba + Levofloxacin

Levofloxacin brand names: Levaquin, Levaquin Injection, Leva-pak.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Banaba has a moderate interaction with Levofloxacin. Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba with substrates of OATP might reduce the bioavailability of the OATP substrate.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Banaba and Levofloxacin

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

Why this applies to Levofloxacin

Levofloxacin falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP) — the group Banaba interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba with substrates of OATP might reduce the bioavailability of the OATP substrate.
In vitro research shows that banaba inhibits OATP, particularly OATP2B1. OATPs are expressed in the small intestine and liver and are responsible for the absorption of drugs and other compounds.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist with banaba and your levofloxacin. Banaba leaf seems to block a transporter called OATP that helps pull certain drugs from your gut into your bloodstream. In theory, if banaba slows that doorway, a bit less levofloxacin could get absorbed, which might mean lower drug levels and a weaker punch against your infection. Since levofloxacin isn't a prodrug (it works as-is), this would lean toward less effect, not more.

The honest part: this is based only on lab dish studies, not on real people, so we genuinely don't know if it matters in everyday use. Still, when you're treating an active infection, you don't want to gamble on weaker antibiotic levels. I'd hold off on banaba while you're on levofloxacin and check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fuchikami H, Satoh H, Tsujimoto M, Ohdo S, Ohtani H, Sawada Y. Effects of herbal extracts on the function of human organic anion-transporting polypeptide OATP-B. Drug Metab Dispos 2006;34:577-82. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Banaba Also Interacts With Other Medications

Banaba has 298 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Levofloxacin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 298 No known interaction 2,532 (incl. Levofloxacin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Banaba

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Banaba. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Banaba or Levofloxacin

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Banaba or Levofloxacin, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levofloxacin

This page covers Banaba only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levofloxacin page lists 155 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), Apple (major), Arsenic (major) and Asarabacca (major).

By severity: 13 major · 121 moderate · 21 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Levofloxacin page

“Levofloxacin (Levaquin) is a potent fluoroquinolone antibiotic, and its supplement list deserves real respect, with 13 of the 155 entries rated major. The most everyday hazards are fruit juices.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Levofloxacin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Banaba as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 573 real supplement products containing Banaba, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Banaba. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levofloxacin too, on top of Banaba — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Banaba and Levofloxacin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Banaba
Top 25%

#262 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Levofloxacin
Top 25%

#443 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Banaba

What is Banaba?

Banaba
  • Blood sugar support
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Weight management
  • High blood pressure
  • Cholesterol support

Banaba is a leaf extract most often used to help support healthy blood sugar, and small early studies suggest its active compound corosolic acid may modestly lower glucose. The overall evidence is limited and short-term, so it should not replace prescribed diabetes care. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you take blood sugar medicine.

Read the full Banaba monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Levofloxacin

What Is Levofloxacin Used For?

Brand names: Levaquin, Levaquin Injection, Leva-pak

Levofloxacin treats bacterial infections in adults, including pneumonia (both community-acquired and hospital-acquired), skin infections, urinary tract infections, kidney infections, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and sinus infections. It is also used after exposure to inhalational anthrax and for plague.

Because levofloxacin carries significant risks, it should only be used for uncomplicated urinary tract infections, acute bacterial worsening of chronic bronchitis, and acute bacterial sinusitis when no other treatment option is available. Always use it only for infections confirmed or strongly suspected to be bacterial.

See full Levofloxacin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Banaba

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Banaba — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
298Moderate
0Minor
2,531No known interaction
298 Moderate 2,531 No interaction
Moderate

298 interactions

Showing 60 of 298 moderate interactions — see all 298 on the Banaba page.

No interaction 2,531 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Banaba against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,531 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Banaba list.

See the full Banaba interactions page
See every supplement checked against Levofloxacin, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Banaba monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Levofloxacin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Levofloxacin, ranked by severity Levofloxacin drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Banaba and Levofloxacin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Banaba with Levofloxacin?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Banaba and Levofloxacin interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Levofloxacin and Banaba?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.