Drug & supplement interaction

Cowhage + Glyburide, Metformin

Glyburide, Metformin brand name: Glucovance.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Cowhage has a moderate interaction with Glyburide, Metformin. Theoretically, concomitant use of cowhage and antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Cowhage and Glyburide, Metformin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Glyburide, Metformin

Glyburide, Metformin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Cowhage interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of cowhage and antidiabetes drugs might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research shows that cowhage might have hypoglycemic effects.
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

Glucovance combines two diabetes medicines: glyburide, which pushes your body to release more insulin, and metformin, which lowers how much sugar your liver makes. Both already work to bring your blood sugar down. Here's the catch with cowhage: in animal studies, it appeared to lower blood sugar on its own. So stacking it on top of Glucovance could, in theory, push your numbers a little too low.

I'll be honest, this is mostly lab and animal evidence, not strong human proof, so it's a maybe, not a sure thing. Still, if you do take both, keep an eye out for shakiness, sweating, dizziness, confusion, or a racing heart, which can signal low blood sugar (especially from the glyburide part). Check with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

References
  1. Akhtar MS, Qureshi AQ, Iqbal J. Antidiabetic evaluation of Mucuna pruriens, Linn seeds. J Pak Med Assoc 1990;40:147-50.

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

Cowhage Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cowhage has 17 major, 175 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Glyburide, Metformin 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 Cowhage

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glyburide, Metformin

This page covers Cowhage only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glyburide, Metformin page lists 332 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 7 major · 281 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glyburide, Metformin page

“Glucovance combines glyburide and metformin to lower blood sugar, and its list of 332 interacting supplements deserves real care, starting with the seven rated major. Most entries, 239 of them, lower blood sugar on their own, so stacking one on top of a drug built to do exactly that can drop your glucose into dangerous territory.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glyburide, Metformin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,218 real supplement products containing Cowhage, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cowhage. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Glyburide, Metformin too, on top of Cowhage — 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 Cowhage and Glyburide, 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 Cowhage
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glyburide, Metformin
Top 10%

#256 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 Cowhage

What is Cowhage?

  • Parkinson's disease symptoms
  • Male fertility and libido
  • Mood and stress support
  • Traditional aphrodisiac
  • General energy and vitality

Cowhage (Mucuna pruriens) is a tropical legume best known as a natural source of L-dopa, the compound the body turns into dopamine. It is most studied for Parkinson's disease symptoms and male fertility, but evidence is still limited and the L-dopa content makes it potentially powerful and risky—talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using it.

Read the full Cowhage monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cowhage

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

17Major
175Moderate
0Minor
2,637No known interaction
Major

17 interactions

Moderate

175 interactions

Showing 60 of 175 moderate interactions — see all 175 on the Cowhage page.

No interaction 2,637 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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cowhage and Glyburide, Metformin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cowhage with Glyburide, 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.
How serious is the Cowhage and Glyburide, 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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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.