Drug & supplement interaction

Chanca Piedra + Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin brand names: Januvia, Zituvio.

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

Chanca Piedra has a minor interaction with Sitagliptin. 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
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Chanca Piedra and Sitagliptin

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin 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 when you pair chanca piedra with sitagliptin (Januvia). Both are working in the same direction on your blood sugar. Sitagliptin lowers glucose by boosting your body's own sugar-lowering hormones, and in animal studies chanca piedra has shown a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect too. Stacked together, the theory is that your numbers could dip a bit lower than expected, edging toward hypoglycemia (think shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or feeling lightheaded).

That said, I want to keep this in perspective. This is a minor, unlikely interaction built on anecdotal and lab data. In fact, a small human study found chanca piedra did not actually lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. So I wouldn't lose sleep over it, but if you do start it, check your sugars and let your pharmacist or doctor know.

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 Sitagliptin 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. Sitagliptin)
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 Sitagliptin

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 Sitagliptin, 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 Sitagliptin

This page covers Chanca Piedra only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sitagliptin page lists 256 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), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Agaricus Mushroom (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 215 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Sitagliptin 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 Sitagliptin 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 Sitagliptin 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sitagliptin
Top half

#802 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 Sitagliptin

What Is Sitagliptin Used For?

Brand names: Januvia, Zituvio

Sitagliptin is used alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is available as tablets (Januvia, Zituvio, and generic sitagliptin products) and as an oral solution (Brynovin), all approved for this same use.

Sitagliptin is not for type 1 diabetes. It has not been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis, so its safety in that group is unknown.

See full Sitagliptin 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
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 Sitagliptin, 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 Sitagliptin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Sitagliptin, ranked by severity Sitagliptin 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 Chanca Piedra and Sitagliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chanca Piedra with Sitagliptin?
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 Sitagliptin 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 Sitagliptin 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.