Drug & supplement interaction

Danshen + Insulin (rDNA)

Insulin (rDNA) brand names: Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humulin R, Humulin N, Humulin L, and others.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Insulin (rDNA) states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Danshen and Insulin (rDNA)

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Insulin (rDNA) and Danshen in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Danshen safety at a glance

Danshen overall Use caution May be used short-term by some adults, but it can affect blood clotting and quality varies between products.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety information; best avoided while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Insulin (rDNA) and Danshen? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Insulin (rDNA)

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Insulin (rDNA) is filed under 2 classifications — including antidiabetes drugs. Danshen has documented interactions with 16 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (major), digoxin (lanoxin) (major) and amlodipine (norvasc) (moderate) — and none of Insulin (rDNA)’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Danshen Does Interact With Other Medications

Danshen has 123 major, 936 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Insulin (rDNA) isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 123 Moderate 936 No known interaction 1,771 (incl. Insulin (rDNA))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Danshen

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Itching Additional detail

    Danshen

    “Orally or intravenously, danshen can cause pruritus (12,96440).”

    Danshen · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in pruritus.

    2 sources cited
    1. 12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
    2. 96440. Yin QS, Chen L, Mi RH, Ai H, Yin JJ, Liu XJ, Wei XD. Efficacy and safety of danshen compound tablets in preventing thalidomide-associated thromboembolism in patients with multiple myeloma: a multicenter retrospective study. Med Sci Monit. 2016 Oct 20;22:3 PubMed

    Insulin (rDNA)

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Insulin (rDNA). Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Danshen but not commonly for Insulin (rDNA): reduced appetite, a low platelet count, stomach upset and drowsiness.

Effects for Insulin (rDNA) come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Danshen come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Insulin (rDNA) Products Have a Food Rule — Danshen Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Insulin (rDNA) says to take it with food. If you take Danshen on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Insulin (rDNA) with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Insulin (rDNA) products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

( 2.1 , 2.2 , 2.3 , 2.4 ) Subcutaneous injection ( 2.2 ): Administer HUMALOG ® U-100 or U-200 by subcutaneous injection into the abdominal wall, thigh, upper arm, or buttocks within 15 minutes before a meal or immediately after a meal.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Insulin (rDNA) — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Overlapping uses

What Insulin (rDNA) Is Prescribed For, and What Danshen Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Insulin (rDNA) is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Danshen is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Insulin (rDNA) is prescribed for: Insulin lispro injection is used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in people with diabetes mellitus. It is a rapid-acting insulin analog approved for use in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Admelog is specifically indicated to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus. Humalog Mix75/25 is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus; it is a fixed-ratio mixture of insulin lispro and insulin lispro protamine, and its fixed proportions do not allow for separate adjustment of basal (background) and prandial (mealtime) doses.

Danshen has been studied for:

  • Stroke studied, not established Danshen has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Danshen for stroke

    Preliminary clinical research suggests that oral or intravenous danshen may be beneficial for reducing symptoms following a stroke.

  • Diabetes studied, not established Danshen has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Danshen for diabetes

    Although there is interest in using oral danshen for diabetes, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of danshen for this condition.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Insulin (rDNA) on your own; if you are taking Danshen for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin (rDNA)

This page covers Danshen only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin (rDNA) 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 (rDNA) page

“A weed called Siberian cocklebur has caused severe low blood sugar in humans and is the one ingredient to avoid outright while using insulin (rDNA) products like Humalog or Humulin. This list deserves real respect.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin (rDNA) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 18 real supplement products containing Danshen, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Danshen. Even though Danshen itself has no known interaction with Insulin (rDNA), another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) 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 Danshen
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin (rDNA)
Top half

#997 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Danshen reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Danshen

What is Danshen?

Danshen
  • Heart and circulation support
  • Angina (chest pain)
  • High blood pressure
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Liver health

Danshen is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly for heart and circulation problems. Some early research is promising, but the evidence is not strong enough to confirm it works for any condition, and it may affect blood clotting. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition.

Salvia miltiorrhiza · Lamiaceae · Root · Capsules, tablets, dried root, teas, tinctures, and injectable forms used in some Asian countries

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Danshen is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Danshen record says about it on its own.

Danshen: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose of Danshen for any condition. Studies have used different forms, strengths, and preparations, which makes it hard to recommend a single dose.If you choose to use a Danshen product, follow the directions on the product label and do not take more than recommended.

From our Danshen monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Danshen monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Lispro Injection

What Is Insulin Lispro Injection Used For?

Brand names: Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humulin R, Humulin N, Humulin L, Humulin 50/50, Humulin 70/30, Humulin U, NovoLog, Velosulin, Novolog Mix 70/30, Actrapid, Humulin S, Insuman Rapid

Insulin lispro injection is used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in people with diabetes mellitus. It is a rapid-acting insulin analog approved for use in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Admelog is specifically indicated to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus. Humalog Mix75/25 is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus; it is a fixed-ratio mixture of insulin lispro and insulin lispro protamine, and its fixed proportions do not allow for separate adjustment of basal (background) and prandial (mealtime) doses.

See full Insulin Lispro Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Danshen

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

123Major
936Moderate
0Minor
1,770No known interaction
123 Major 936 Moderate 1,770 No interaction
Major

123 interactions

Showing 60 of 123 major interactions — see all 123 on the Danshen page.

Moderate

936 interactions

Showing 60 of 936 moderate interactions — see all 936 on the Danshen page.

No interaction 1,770 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,770 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Danshen list.

See the full Danshen interactions page
See every supplement checked against Insulin (rDNA), ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Danshen References

The 28 references that drive our Danshen monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.
  2. Yu CM, Chan JC, Sanderson JE. Chinese herbs and warfarin potentiation by danshen. J Intern Med 1997;241:337-9. PubMed
  3. Tam LS, et al. Warfarin interacions with Chinese traditional medicines: danshen and methyl salicylate medicated oil. Aust N Z J Med 1995;25:258.
  4. Chan TY. Interaction between warfarin and danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza). Ann Pharmacother 2001;35:501-4. DOI
  5. Chan TY. Drug interactions as a cause of overanticoagulation and bleedings in Chinese patients receiving warfarin. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther 1998;36:403-5.
  6. Izzat MB, Yim APC, El-Zufari MH. A taste of Chinese medicine! Ann Thorac Surg 1998;66:941-2. PubMed
  7. Heck AM, DeWitt BA, Lukes AL. Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2000;57:1221-7. DOI
  8. Wahed A, Dasgupta A. Positive and negative in vitro interference of Chinese medicine dan shen in serum digoxin measurement. Elimination of interference by monitoring free digoxin concentration. Am J Clin Pathol 2001;116:403-408. PubMed
  9. Wu B, Liu M, Zhang S. Dan Shen agents for acute ischaemic stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;(2):CD004295. PubMed
  10. Qiu F, Wang G, Zhang R, Sun J, et al. Effect of danshen extract on the activity of CYP3A4 in healthy volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2010;69:656-62. PubMed
  11. Li CP, Yung KH, and Chiu KW. Hypotensive action of Salvia miltiorrhiza cell culture extract. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 1990;18(3-4):157-166.
  12. Chu Y, Zhang L, Wang XY, Guo JH, Guo ZX, Ma XH. The effect of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, a Chinese herb medicine, on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of warfarin in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Oct 11;137(3):1457-61. PubMed
  13. Ma S, Ju W, Dai G, Zhao W, Cheng X, Fang Z, Tan H, Wang X. Synergistic effects of clopidogrel and fufang danshen dripping pills by modulation of the metabolism target and pharmacokinetics. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:789142. PubMed
  14. Qiu F, Jiang J, Ma Y, Wang G, Gao C, Zhang X, Zhang L, Liu S, He M, Zhu L, Ye Y, Li Q, Miao P. Opposite Effects of Single-Dose and Multidose Administration of the Ethanol Extract of Danshen on CYP3A in Healthy Volunteers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Me PubMed
  15. Qiu F, Zeng J, Liu S, He M, Zhu L, Ye Y, Miao P, Shen S, Jiang J. Effects of danshen ethanol extract on the pharmacokinetics of fexofenadine in healthy volunteers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:473213. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Danshen with Insulin (rDNA)?
We do not list a known interaction between Danshen and Insulin (rDNA). That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Insulin (rDNA) says to take it with food. If you take Danshen on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Insulin (rDNA) with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Insulin (rDNA) products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Are Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Danshen in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Insulin (rDNA) is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Danshen and Insulin (rDNA) combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Insulin (rDNA) is filed under 2 classifications, and Danshen has documented interactions with 16 drug classes — none of Insulin (rDNA)'s classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Danshen interact with any other medications?
Yes. Danshen has 1,059 documented drug interactions in our database — Insulin (rDNA) is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Insulin (rDNA) interact with any supplements?
Yes. Insulin (rDNA) has documented interactions with 242 supplements in our database — Danshen is not one of them. The Insulin (rDNA) interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Danshen monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Insulin Lispro Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Insulin (rDNA) supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Insulin (rDNA), 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 References The 28 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Insulin (rDNA) and Danshen?

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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.