Drug & supplement interaction

Calea Zacatechichi + Exenatide

Exenatide brand names: Byetta, Bydureon.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Calea Zacatechichi has a minor interaction with Exenatide. Theoretically, taking Calea zacatechichi with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Calea Zacatechichi and Exenatide

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Exenatide

Exenatide falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Calea Zacatechichi interacts with.

Theoretically, taking Calea zacatechichi with antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research shows that Calea zacatechichi lowers blood glucose levels. Theoretically, combining Calea zacatechichi with antidiabetes drugs might result in additive effects.
Severity Minor 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 short version on pairing the dream herb with Exenatide (Byetta or Bydureon). The concern is pretty simple: in animal studies, Calea zacatechichi appeared to lower blood sugar on its own. Since Exenatide already works to bring blood sugar down by nudging your pancreas to release insulin and slowing how fast your stomach empties, stacking the two could theoretically push your sugar a little lower than expected.

I want to be honest that this is only a theory based on animal data, not anything proven in people, and it's rated as a minor concern. Still, if you take Exenatide and decide to try this herb, it's reasonable to watch for low blood sugar signs like shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or confusion. Keep checking your readings and loop in your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Roman, Ramos R., Alarcon-Aguilar, F., Lara-Lemus, A., and Flores-Saenz, J. L. Hypoglycemic effect of plants used in Mexico as antidiabetics. Arch.Med.Res 1992;23:59-64.

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

Calea Zacatechichi Also Interacts With Other Medications

Calea Zacatechichi has 333 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Exenatide 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 Calea Zacatechichi

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Exenatide

This page covers Calea Zacatechichi only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Exenatide page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Exenatide page

“Because exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon) exists to lower blood sugar, nearly every supplement on this list pulls at that same lever, and I treat that as a genuine warning rather than a footnote. Most entries, including everyday items like fenugreek, bitter melon, flaxseed, and ginseng, can drop glucose further and raise the odds of hypogly…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Exenatide interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 21 real supplement products containing Calea Zacatechichi, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Calea Zacatechichi. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Exenatide too, on top of Calea Zacatechichi — 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 Calea Zacatechichi and Exenatide 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 Calea Zacatechichi
Steady interest

#1,257 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Exenatide
Top half

#1,358 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 Calea Zacatechichi

What is Calea Zacatechichi?

  • Promoting vivid or lucid dreams
  • Sleep and relaxation
  • Digestive upset
  • Fever
  • Traditional ritual use

Calea zacatechichi, often called 'dream herb,' is a Mexican plant traditionally used to encourage vivid dreams and to treat digestive complaints and fever. Human research is very limited, so its benefits are not well proven, and its safety has not been carefully studied. It tastes very bitter, can cause nausea, and should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Calea Zacatechichi monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Exenatide Injection

What Is Exenatide Injection Used For?

Brand names: Byetta, Bydureon

Exenatide injection is used as an addition to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not a substitute for healthy lifestyle changes — it works best when combined with them.

It should not be used together with other exenatide-containing products. The brands Byetta, Bydureon, and BYDUREON BCise all contain exenatide and should never be combined with each other.

See full Exenatide Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Calea Zacatechichi

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

0Major
0Moderate
333Minor
2,496No known interaction
Minor

333 interactions

Showing 60 of 333 minor interactions — see all 333 on the Calea Zacatechichi page.

No interaction 2,496 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 Calea Zacatechichi and Exenatide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Calea Zacatechichi with Exenatide?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Calea Zacatechichi and Exenatide interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

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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.