Drug & supplement interaction

Chanca Piedra + Glimepiride

Glimepiride brand name: Amaryl.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Chanca Piedra has a minor interaction with Glimepiride. Theoretically, concomitant use with antidiabetes drugs might affect glucose control and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodUnlikely
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Chanca Piedra and Glimepiride

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Glimepiride

Glimepiride falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Chanca Piedra interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use with antidiabetes drugs might affect glucose control and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research suggests that chanca piedra can have hypoglycemic effects. However, a small clinical study in adults with diabetes shows that chanca piedra extract 25 grams orally daily for 1 week does not lower fasting or postprandial blood glucose levels.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

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

Here's the gist if you're taking glimepiride (Amaryl) and thinking about chanca piedra. Glimepiride already does the heavy lifting of lowering your blood sugar by nudging your pancreas to release more insulin. The theory is that chanca piedra might have a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect of its own, so stacking the two could, in principle, push your sugar a little too low. That would show up as shakiness, sweating, dizziness, hunger, or confusion.

That said, the evidence here is thin. It's mostly animal research, and one small human study found chanca piedra didn't actually lower blood sugar at all. So this is a low-risk, theoretical concern. If you do try it, just check your sugars a bit more closely at first and let your pharmacist or doctor know before starting.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
  2. Moshi, M. J., Lutale, J. J., Rimoy, G. H., Abbas, Z. G., Josiah, R. M., and Swai, A. B. The effect of Phyllanthus amarus aqueous extract on blood glucose in non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. Phytother.Res 2001;15(7):577-580.
  3. Adeneye, A. A., Amole, O. O., and Adeneye, A. K. Hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic activities of the aqueous leaf and seed extract of Phyllanthus amarus in mice. Fitoterapia 2006;77(7-8):511-514. PubMed
  4. Okoli, C. O., Obidike, I. C., Ezike, A. C., Akah, P. A., and Salawu, O. A. Studies on the possible mechanisms of antidiabetic activity of extract of aerial parts of Phyllanthus niruri. Pharm.Biol. 2011;49(3):248-255.
  5. Moshi MJ, Uiso FC Mahunnah RL et al. A study of the effect of Phyllanthus amarus extracts on blood glucose in rabbits. International Journal of Pharmacognosy 1997;35(3):167-173. DOI
  6. Kumar NG, Nair AN Raghunandanan VR et al. Hypoglycaemic effect of Phyllanthus niruri leaves in rabbits. Kerala Journal of Veterinary Science 1989;20(1):77-80.
  7. Navarro M, Coussio J Hnatyszyn O et al. Hypoglycemic Effect of an Aqueous Extract of Phyllanthus sellowianus ("sarandi blanco") in C57BL/Ks mice. Acta Farmaceutica Bonaerense 2004;23:520-523.

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

Chanca Piedra Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chanca Piedra has 871 moderate, 148 minor 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 Chanca Piedra

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Chanca Piedra 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 Chanca Piedra 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 Chanca Piedra 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

One more smart check

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

We hold 355 real supplement products containing Chanca Piedra, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chanca Piedra. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Glimepiride too, on top of Chanca Piedra — 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 Chanca Piedra 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 Chanca Piedra
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glimepiride
Top half

#736 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 Chanca Piedra

What is Chanca Piedra?

Chanca Piedra
  • Kidney stones
  • Gallstones
  • Liver support
  • Urinary tract health
  • Digestive complaints

Chanca piedra is a tropical herb traditionally used as a 'stone breaker' for kidney and gallstones, and for liver and urinary health. Human evidence for these uses is limited and mostly small or preliminary, so it should not replace proven treatments. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a medical condition or take medications.

Read the full Chanca Piedra 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 — it is not a replacement for those habits.

Glimepiride is not intended for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones). It would not be effective in those situations.

See full Glimepiride drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chanca Piedra

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

0Major
871Moderate
148Minor
1,810No known interaction
Moderate

871 interactions

Showing 60 of 871 moderate interactions — see all 871 on the Chanca Piedra page.

Minor

148 interactions

Showing 60 of 148 minor interactions — see all 148 on the Chanca Piedra page.

No interaction 1,810 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

Keep exploring
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Chanca Piedra and Glimepiride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chanca Piedra with Glimepiride?
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 Chanca Piedra and Glimepiride 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

Still Have a Question About Glimepiride and Chanca Piedra?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.