Drug & supplement interaction

Corydalis Yanhusuo + Sitagliptin, Metformin

Sitagliptin, Metformin brand name: Zituvimet.

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

Sitagliptin, Metformin falls into 2 drug categories that Corydalis Yanhusuo can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Corydalis Yanhusuo and Sitagliptin, Metformin

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Corydalis Yanhusuo interacts with whole categories of medication. Sitagliptin, Metformin falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Corydalis Yanhusuo 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 Sitagliptin, Metformin

Sitagliptin, Metformin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Corydalis Yanhusuo interacts with.

Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Corydalis yanhusuo contains berberine. Clinical research shows that berberine may lower blood glucose levels. Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might also lower blood glucose levels.
Severity Moderate 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 gist: your Zituvimet combines two blood-sugar-lowering medicines, and Corydalis yanhusuo may contain berberine, a plant compound that can also nudge blood sugar downward on its own. Stack the two together and, in theory, your blood sugar could drop lower than intended. That's why this is flagged as a possible concern.

I want to be honest about the strength here. This is a theoretical interaction based on how these compounds behave, not solid human studies on the combination. Still, if your sugars run low you could feel shaky, sweaty, dizzy, or unusually tired. If you're thinking about adding Corydalis, check with your pharmacist or doctor first, and keep an eye on your glucose readings so nothing catches you off guard.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Zhang Y, Li X, Zou D, et al. Treatment of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia with the natural plant alkaloid berberine. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:2559-65. PubMed
  2. Yin, J., Xing, H., and Ye, J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism 2008;57(5):712-717. PubMed
  3. Zhang, H., Wei, J., Xue, R., Wu, J. D., Zhao, W., Wang, Z. Z., Wang, S. K., Zhou, Z. X., Song, D. Q., Wang, Y. M., Pan, H. N., Kong, W. J., and Jiang, J. D. Berberine lowers blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients through increasing insulin re
  4. Wei, W., Zhao, H., Wang, A., Sui, M., Liang, K., Deng, H., Ma, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., and Guan, Y. A clinical study on the short-term effect of berberine in comparison to metformin on the metabolic characteristics of women with polycystic ovary syndro
Moderate

METFORMIN (Glucophage)

2 of 2
Theoretically, Corydalis yanhusuo might increase the therapeutic and adverse effects of metformin.
Corydalis yanhusuo contains berberine. In vitro and animal studies show that berberine can increase the systemic exposure and half-life of metformin, potentially increasing metformin's effects and side effects. This interaction seems to be most apparent when berberine is administered 2 hours prior to metformin. Taking berberine and metformin at the same time does not appear to increase systemic exposure to metformin. It is unclear if Corydalis yanhusuo might have this same effect.
Severity Moderate 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

Your Zituvimet combines two diabetes medicines: sitagliptin and metformin. The possible concern here is with the metformin part. Corydalis yanhusuo may contain berberine, and in lab and animal studies berberine kept more metformin in the body for longer. That could boost metformin's blood-sugar lowering along with its side effects, things like nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, and a higher chance of low blood sugar (shakiness, sweating, dizziness).

I want to be honest though: this is theoretical, based on berberine rather than corydalis itself, so we don't truly know if the herb behaves the same way. Interestingly, the effect showed up mainly when berberine was taken a couple hours before metformin. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them, and don't change your diabetes medicine on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lyu Y, Zhang Y, Yang M, et al. Pharmacokinetic interactions between metformin and berberine in rats: Role of oral administration sequences and microbiota. Life Sci. 2019;235:116818. 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

Corydalis Yanhusuo Also Interacts With Other Medications

Corydalis Yanhusuo has 1,159 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sitagliptin, Metformin one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,159 No known interaction 1,671 (incl. Sitagliptin, Metformin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Corydalis Yanhusuo

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sitagliptin, Metformin

This page covers Corydalis Yanhusuo only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sitagliptin, Metformin page lists 257 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 · 217 moderate · 38 minor.

Open the Sitagliptin, Metformin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Corydalis Yanhusuo and Sitagliptin, Metformin 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sitagliptin, Metformin
Top half

#943 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo

What is Corydalis Yanhusuo?

  • Pain relief
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Headache
  • Stress and sleep support
  • Stomach and abdominal discomfort

Corydalis yanhusuo is a traditional Chinese herb used mainly for pain. Some early laboratory and animal research suggests its compounds may affect pain and the nervous system, but high-quality human studies are limited, so its true benefits and long-term safety are not well established. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Corydalis Yanhusuo monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Corydalis Yanhusuo

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

0Major
1,159Moderate
0Minor
1,670No known interaction
1,159 Moderate 1,670 No interaction
Moderate

1,159 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,159 moderate interactions — see all 1,159 on the Corydalis Yanhusuo page.

No interaction 1,670 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,670 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Corydalis Yanhusuo list.

See the full Corydalis Yanhusuo interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sitagliptin, Metformin, 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
Corydalis Yanhusuo monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Sitagliptin, Metformin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Sitagliptin, Metformin, 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo and Sitagliptin, Metformin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Corydalis Yanhusuo with Sitagliptin, Metformin?
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 Corydalis Yanhusuo and Sitagliptin, Metformin?
Sitagliptin, Metformin belongs to more than one drug category, and Corydalis Yanhusuo 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 Corydalis Yanhusuo and Sitagliptin, Metformin 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

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