Drug & supplement interaction

Brickellia + Glimepiride

Glimepiride brand name: Amaryl.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Brickellia has a moderate interaction with Glimepiride. Preliminary research in animal models shows that brickellia and its constituents have hypoglycemic effects.

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

Brickellia and Glimepiride

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Glimepiride

Glimepiride falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Brickellia interacts with.

Preliminary research in animal models shows that brickellia and its constituents have hypoglycemic effects. Theoretically, taking brickellia with drugs that decrease blood glucose levels might increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and others.
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 simple version: glimepiride already pushes your pancreas to release more insulin, which is how it brings your blood sugar down. Brickellia, the herbal tea sometimes used as a folk diabetes remedy, may also nudge blood sugar lower. Stacking the two could lower your numbers more than expected, raising your odds of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). With glimepiride that can look like shakiness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, hunger, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

I want to be honest about how strong this concern is: the evidence is very thin, coming from lab and animal studies rather than people, so it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Still, if you'd like to try Brickellia, check with your pharmacist or doctor first and keep a closer eye on your blood sugar. Please don't change your glimepiride on your own.

References
  1. Rosler KH, Goodwin RS, Mabry TJ, et al. Flavonoids with anti-cataract activity from Brickellia arguta. J Nat Prod 1984;47:316-9. PubMed
  2. Andrade-Cetto A, Heinrich M. Mexican plants with hypoglycaemic effect used in the treatment of diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;99:325-48. PubMed
  3. Perez RM, Cervantes H, Zavala MA, et al. Isolation and hypoglycemic activity of 5, 7,3'-trihydroxy-3,6,4'-trimethoxyflavone from Brickellia veronicaefolia. Phytomedicine 2000;7:25-9.
  4. Escandón-Rivera S, González-Andrade M, Bye R, Linares E, Navarrete A, Mata R. α-glucosidase inhibitors from Brickellia cavanillesii. J Nat Prod. 2012;75(5):968-74.
  5. Palacios-Espinosa F, Déciga-Campos M, Mata R. Antinociceptive, hypoglycemic and spasmolytic effects of Brickellia veronicifolia. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008;118(3):448-54. 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

Brickellia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Brickellia has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Glimepiride one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Brickellia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Brickellia or Glimepiride

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Brickellia or Glimepiride, 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 Glimepiride

This page covers Brickellia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glimepiride page lists 306 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), Adrafinil (moderate) and African Wild Potato (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 256 moderate · 48 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glimepiride page

“Glimepiride (Amaryl) is a sulfonylurea, a diabetes pill that prompts the pancreas to release insulin, so anything that further lowers blood sugar can tip you into hypoglycemia, and that describes most of this list. Of the 306 supplement and herbal ingredients on file, 239 can move blood sugar on their own.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glimepiride interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Brickellia and Glimepiride 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 Brickellia
Steady interest

#1,266 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Glimepiride
Steady interest

#1,911 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 Brickellia

What is Brickellia?

  • Blood sugar support (diabetes)
  • Digestive complaints
  • Gallbladder and bile flow
  • Colds and fever

Brickellia, often sold under names like 'prodigiosa' or as a Mexican folk remedy for diabetes, is a plant in the daisy family traditionally brewed as a tea. Scientific evidence in humans is very limited, so its effectiveness and long-term safety are not well established. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take medicines for blood sugar.

Read the full Brickellia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Glimepiride

What Is Glimepiride Used For?

Brand name: Amaryl

Glimepiride tablets are used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is always used together with a healthy diet and regular exercise — not as a standalone treatment.

Glimepiride is not appropriate for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones), as it would not work in those situations.

See full Glimepiride drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Brickellia

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

0Major
85Moderate
0Minor
2,744No known interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 moderate interactions — see all 85 on the Brickellia page.

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list
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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Brickellia and Glimepiride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Brickellia with Glimepiride?
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 Brickellia and Glimepiride 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 Glimepiride and Brickellia?

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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.