Drug & supplement interaction

Eyebright + Alogliptin

Alogliptin brand name: Nesina.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Eyebright has a moderate interaction with Alogliptin. Theoretically, eyebright might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Eyebright and Alogliptin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Alogliptin

Alogliptin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Eyebright interacts with.

Theoretically, eyebright might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal research suggests that eyebright lowers 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 if you take alogliptin (Nesina) and want to try eyebright. Alogliptin already lowers your blood sugar by boosting your body's own insulin response. Some animal studies hint that eyebright may also nudge blood sugar down a little. Put the two together, and in theory your sugar could drop lower than expected, which is what we call hypoglycemia.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is based only on lab and animal research, not real people, so it's more of a caution than a proven problem. Still, if you do try eyebright, keep an eye out for shakiness, sweating, dizziness, or feeling lightheaded, and check your glucose if something feels off. Chat with your pharmacist or doctor before adding it, especially since alogliptin alone rarely causes lows.

References
  1. Porchezhian, E., Ansari, S. H., and Shreedharan, N. K. Antihyperglycemic activity of Euphrasia officinale leaves. Fitoterapia 2000;71(5):522-526. 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

Eyebright Also Interacts With Other Medications

Eyebright has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Alogliptin 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 Eyebright

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Alogliptin

This page covers Eyebright only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alogliptin page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 299 moderate · 51 minor.

Open the Alogliptin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 504 real supplement products containing Eyebright, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Eyebright. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Alogliptin too, on top of Eyebright — 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 Eyebright and Alogliptin 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 Eyebright
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Alogliptin
Top half

#1,050 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 Eyebright

What is Eyebright?

Eyebright
  • Eye irritation and redness
  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  • Eye strain
  • Allergy and cold-related eye symptoms
  • Nasal congestion and hay fever

Eyebright is a traditional herb long used for minor eye irritation, redness, and allergy symptoms, but high-quality human studies are very limited. There is not enough reliable evidence to confirm it works, and using non-sterile herbal preparations in the eye carries a real risk of infection, so talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Read the full Eyebright monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Alogliptin

What Is Alogliptin Used For?

Brand name: Nesina

Alogliptin tablets — sold under the brand names Alogliptin and Nesina — are used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Alogliptin is not used for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, as it would not be effective in those situations.

See full Alogliptin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Eyebright

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

0Major
85Moderate
0Minor
2,744No known interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 moderate interactions — see all 85 on the Eyebright page.

No interaction 2,744 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 Eyebright and Alogliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Eyebright with Alogliptin?
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 Eyebright and Alogliptin 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 Alogliptin and Eyebright?

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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.