Drug & supplement interaction

Guggul + Liothyronine

Liothyronine brand name: Cytomel.

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

Guggul has a moderate interaction with Liothyronine. Theoretically, guggul might increase the risk for adverse effects when taken with thyroid hormone therapy.

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

Guggul and Liothyronine

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

Moderate

THYROID HORMONE

Why this applies to Liothyronine

Liothyronine falls under THYROID HORMONE — the group Guggul interacts with.

Theoretically, guggul might increase the risk for adverse effects when taken with thyroid hormone therapy.
Animal research suggests that guggul has thyroid-stimulating effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Interaction 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..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the situation with guggul and your Cytomel (liothyronine). Liothyronine is the active T3 thyroid hormone, so you're already taking the finished product, not something your body has to switch on. The concern here is that guggul appears to have its own thyroid-stimulating activity. Stack that on top of your thyroid medicine and you may end up with a little too much thyroid effect.

What that can look like in real life is a faster or pounding heartbeat, feeling jittery or anxious, trouble sleeping, sweating, or unexpected weight loss. Honestly, this is mostly based on animal studies, so it's more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Still, since thyroid dosing is finicky, please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding guggul rather than starting it on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Tripathi YB, Tripathi P, Malhotra OP, Tripathi SN. Thyroid stimulatory action of (Z)-guggulsterone: mechanism of action. Planta Med 1988;54:271-7.

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

Guggul Also Interacts With Other Medications

Guggul has 756 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Liothyronine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 756 No known interaction 2,074 (incl. Liothyronine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Guggul

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Guggul or Liothyronine

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

This page covers Guggul only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Liothyronine page lists 38 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Tiratricol (major), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ascophyllum Nodosum (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 26 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Liothyronine page

“Liothyronine (Cytomel) is the active thyroid hormone T3, and it does not tolerate interference well. Of the 38 supplements and herbs on file, 21 act on thyroid function itself, some amplifying the hormone and others blunting it, iodine-rich seaweeds able to swing either way.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Liothyronine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 955 real supplement products containing Guggul, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Guggul. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Liothyronine too, on top of Guggul — 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 Guggul and Liothyronine 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 Guggul
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Liothyronine
Top half

#895 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 Guggul

What is Guggul?

Guggul
  • High cholesterol
  • Joint pain and arthritis
  • Weight management
  • Acne
  • Skin conditions

Guggul is a gum resin from the Commiphora wightii tree, long used in Ayurvedic medicine for cholesterol, joint, and skin problems. Modern studies are mixed and often low-quality, and it can cause stomach upset and skin rashes. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Guggul monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Liothyronine

What Is Liothyronine Used For?

Brand name: Cytomel

Liothyronine (available as tablets under the brand names Cytomel, Liomny, and Liothyronine Sodium, and as an injection under Liothyronine Sodium and Triostat) is primarily used to treat hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) across all its forms — whether the cause is in the thyroid itself, the pituitary gland, or the hypothalamus, and whether it was present at birth or developed over time.

The oral tablets are also used alongside surgery and radioiodine therapy to suppress TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) in people with well-differentiated thyroid cancer, and as a diagnostic agent in thyroid suppression tests. Liothyronine sodium injection is specifically indicated for myxedema coma (a life-threatening form of severe hypothyroidism) and may be used in patients who are allergic to thyroid products derived from pork or beef.

See full Liothyronine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Guggul

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

0Major
756Moderate
0Minor
2,073No known interaction
756 Moderate 2,073 No interaction
Moderate

756 interactions

Showing 60 of 756 moderate interactions — see all 756 on the Guggul page.

No interaction 2,073 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,073 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Guggul list.

See the full Guggul interactions page
See every supplement checked against Liothyronine, 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
Guggul monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Liothyronine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Liothyronine, ranked by severity Liothyronine 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 Guggul and Liothyronine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Guggul with Liothyronine?
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 Guggul and Liothyronine 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 Liothyronine and Guggul?

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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.