Drug & supplement interaction

Chanca Piedra + Insulin

Insulin brand name: NovoRapid Insulin.

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

Chanca Piedra has a minor interaction with Insulin. 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?
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Interaction report

Chanca Piedra and Insulin

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin

Insulin 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: insulin (like NovoRapid) already does the heavy lifting of lowering your blood sugar. The thought is that chanca piedra might nudge your blood sugar down a little too, and stacking that on top of insulin could in theory leave you with too-low sugar (hypoglycemia). That can show up as shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

But honestly, the evidence here is thin. The blood-sugar-lowering idea comes mostly from animal studies, and one small human trial in people with diabetes found chanca piedra did not actually lower blood sugar. So this is more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. If you'd like to try it, keep checking your numbers and loop in your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
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 Insulin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 871 Minor 148 No known interaction 1,811 (incl. Insulin)
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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin

This page covers Chanca Piedra only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin page

“Someone injecting insulin (NovoRapid) is often the same person browsing supplements sold for blood sugar support, which is exactly why this list warrants genuine caution. Nearly all 242 entries push glucose one way or the other, most often further down, stacking with insulin and raising the risk of hypoglycemia, meaning dangerously low…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin 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 Insulin 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 Insulin 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin
Top 25%

#490 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
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
871 Moderate 148 Minor 1,810 No 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

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,810 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chanca Piedra list.

See the full Chanca Piedra interactions page
See every supplement checked against Insulin, 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
Chanca Piedra monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Insulin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Insulin, ranked by severity 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 Chanca Piedra and Insulin Together: Common Questions

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

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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.