Drug & supplement interaction

Chromium + Insulin Glargine

Insulin Glargine brand names: Basaglar, Lusduna, Semglee.

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

Insulin Glargine falls into 2 drug categories that Chromium can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, chromium may have additive effects with antidiabetic agents and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceA
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Chromium and Insulin Glargine

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Chromium interacts with whole categories of medication. Insulin Glargine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Chromium in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Insulin Glargine

Insulin Glargine falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Chromium interacts with.

Theoretically, chromium may have additive effects with antidiabetic agents and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Some research shows that taking chromium might lower blood glucose levels, especially in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence A

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: insulin glargine (Basaglar, Semglee, Lusduna) is your long-acting insulin that steadily lowers blood sugar through the day. Chromium may help your body's own insulin work a little better, so when you stack the two, their sugar-lowering effects can add up. The concern isn't that chromium changes how insulin is broken down. It's that both push blood sugar in the same direction, which could nudge you into a low (hypoglycemia).

Watch for shakiness, sweating, dizziness, confusion, or a racing heart, and treat a low quickly. The good news is this is manageable. Please don't stop either one on your own. Just check in with your pharmacist or doctor, who may want you to monitor your sugars a bit more closely if you add chromium.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Rabinovitz H, Friedensohn A, Leibovitz A, et al. Effect of chromium supplementation on blood glucose and lipid levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus elderly patients. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004;74:178-82. PubMed
  2. Martin J, Wang ZQ, Zhang XH, et al. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006;29:1826-32. PubMed
  3. Singer GM, Geohas J. The effect of chromium picolinate and biotin supplementation on glycemic control in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized trial. Diabetes Technol Ther 2006;8:636-43. PubMed
  4. Liu Y, Cotillard A, Vatier C, et al. A Dietary Supplement Containing Cinnamon, Chromium and Carnosine Decreases Fasting Plasma Glucose and Increases Lean Mass in Overweight or Obese Pre-Diabetic Subjects: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. PLoS One.
  5. Paiva AN, Lima JG, Medeiros AC, et al. Beneficial effects of oral chromium picolinate supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical study. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2015;32:66-72. PubMed
  6. Yin RV, Phung OJ. Effect of chromium supplementation on glycated hemoglobin and fasting plasma glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus. Nutr J. 2015;14:14. PubMed
  7. Jamilian M, Zadeh Modarres S, Amiri Siavashani M, et al. The influences of chromium supplementation on glycemic control, markers of cardio-metabolic risk, and oxidative stress in infertile polycystic ovary syndrome women candidate for in vitro fertilizati
Moderate

INSULIN

2 of 2
Theoretically, concomitant use of chromium and insulin might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
In clinical research, chromium has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity,
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 thing to keep an eye on with this pair: chromium may make your body a little more sensitive to insulin, helping sugar move into your cells more easily. Insulin glargine (Basaglar, Semglee, Lusduna) is a long-acting insulin that already does that job. Stack the two and your blood sugar could drift lower than expected, raising the chance of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can show up as shakiness, sweating, dizziness, confusion, or a fast heartbeat.

I'd call this a real but modest concern, and the evidence is fairly limited. Chromium isn't dramatically powerful here. Don't change your insulin dose on your own. Instead, check your sugars a bit more closely after starting chromium and loop in your pharmacist or doctor so any adjustments are done safely.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Mertz W. Interaction of chromium with insulin: a progress report. Nutr Rev 1998;56:174-7. PubMed
  2. Martin J, Wang ZQ, Zhang XH, et al. Chromium picolinate supplementation attenuates body weight gain and increases insulin sensitivity in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006;29:1826-32. PubMed
  3. Jamilian M, Asemi Z. Chromium Supplementation and the Effects on Metabolic Status in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Ann Nutr Metab. 2015;67(1):42-8. 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

Chromium Also Interacts With Other Medications

Chromium has 88 moderate, 89 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Glargine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 88 Minor 89 No known interaction 2,653 (incl. Insulin Glargine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Chromium

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Chromium or Insulin Glargine

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

This page covers Chromium only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Glargine 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.

Open the Insulin Glargine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 16,728 real supplement products containing Chromium, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Chromium. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin Glargine too, on top of Chromium — 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 Chromium and Insulin Glargine 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 Chromium
Top 5%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Glargine
Top 25%

#624 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 Chromium

What is Chromium?

Chromium
  • Blood sugar support in type 2 diabetes
  • Weight loss and appetite control
  • Insulin sensitivity
  • Cholesterol and lipid support
  • General nutritional supplement

Chromium is an essential trace mineral involved in how the body handles sugar and fat. Some studies suggest it may modestly help blood sugar control in certain people with type 2 diabetes, but results are mixed and the effect on weight loss is small and uncertain. For most healthy people who eat a varied diet, supplements are not needed; check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting.

Read the full Chromium monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection

What Is Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection Used For?

Brand names: Basaglar, Lusduna, Semglee

Insulin glargine is used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, and in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is a long-acting insulin that works around the clock to help keep blood sugar levels stable.

Insulin glargine is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis (a dangerous complication where the blood becomes acidic due to very high blood sugar).

See full Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Chromium

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

0Major
88Moderate
89Minor
2,652No known interaction
88 Moderate 89 Minor 2,652 No interaction
Moderate

88 interactions

Showing 60 of 88 moderate interactions — see all 88 on the Chromium page.

Minor

89 interactions

Showing 60 of 89 minor interactions — see all 89 on the Chromium page.

No interaction 2,652 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,652 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Chromium list.

See the full Chromium interactions page
See every supplement checked against Insulin Glargine, 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
Chromium monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Insulin Glargine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Insulin Glargine, ranked by severity Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection 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 Chromium and Insulin Glargine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Chromium with Insulin Glargine?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Chromium and Insulin Glargine?
Insulin Glargine belongs to more than one drug category, and Chromium interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Chromium and Insulin Glargine 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 Insulin Glargine and Chromium?

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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.