Drug & supplement interaction

Gymnema + Cefaclor

Cefaclor brand names: Ceclor CD, Ceclor.

No Known Interaction
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Gymnema and Cefaclor 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 Cefaclor 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

Gymnema and Cefaclor

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 Cefaclor and Gymnema 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.

Gymnema safety at a glance

Gymnema overall Use caution Generally well tolerated short-term, but it can lower blood sugar and quality varies between products.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Not enough safety data, so it is best avoided while breastfeeding.

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

Still wondering about combining Cefaclor and Gymnema? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Cefaclor

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Cefaclor is filed under 6 classifications — including organic anion transporter 3 (oat3) substrates, organic anion transporter 1 (oat1) substrates, antibiotic drugs. Gymnema has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), cytochrome p450 1a2 (cyp1a2) substrates (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2c9 (cyp2c9) substrates (moderate) — and none of Cefaclor’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

Gymnema Does Interact With Other Medications

Gymnema has 347 moderate, 504 minor known drug interactions in our database — Cefaclor isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Gymnema

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Gymnema and Cefaclor May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

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. One of them is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Anemia Worth acting on Additional detail

    Gymnema

    “A case of drug-induced hepatitis characterized by weakness, fatigue, jaundice, and elevated liver enzymes, has been reported for a patient who consumed gymnema tea three times daily for 10 days. The patient was administered prednisone 60 mg once daily and was eventually tapered off prednisone and discharged. Laboratory values normalized after 6 months.”

    Gymnema · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in anemia.

    2 sources cited
    1. 95005. Shiyovich A, Sztarkier I, Nesher L. Toxic hepatitis induced by Gymnema sylvestre, a natural remedy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Med Sci. 2010;340(6):514-7. PubMed
    2. 110021. Philips CA, Theruvath AH, Ravindran R. Toxic hepatitis-associated aplastic anaemia after dual homeopathic remedies and Gymnema sylvestre use. BMJ Case Rep 2022;15(3):e247867. PubMed

    Cefaclor

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cefaclor. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Tiredness Additional detail

    Gymnema

    Recorded for Gymnema in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Anemia above.

    Cefaclor

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cefaclor. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Reported for Gymnema but not commonly for Cefaclor: liver problems and yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Effects for Cefaclor come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Gymnema 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 Cefaclor Products Have a Food Rule — Gymnema Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Cefaclor says to take it with food. If you take Gymnema on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Cefaclor 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 Cefaclor 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.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The absorption of cefaclor extended-release tablets is enhanced when it is administered with food.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Cefaclor — 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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cefaclor

This page covers Gymnema only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cefaclor page lists 60 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 46 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cefaclor page

“The entries worth understanding before any others on this cefaclor (Ceclor) page are the kidney risks and charcoal. Cefaclor is a cephalosporin antibiotic, typically a short course for ear, sinus, throat, or skin infections, and two herbs here, Siberian cocklebur and asarabacca, can damage the kidneys on their own, so pairing either wi…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cefaclor interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,084 real supplement products containing Gymnema, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Gymnema. Even though Gymnema itself has no known interaction with Cefaclor, 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 Gymnema and Cefaclor 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 Gymnema
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cefaclor
Top 10%

#219 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 Gymnema reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Gymnema and Cefaclor 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 Gymnema

What is Gymnema?

Gymnema
  • Blood sugar support
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Sugar cravings
  • Weight management
  • Cholesterol support

Gymnema is an Ayurvedic herb best known for possibly helping lower blood sugar and reducing the taste of sweetness on the tongue. Some early human studies are encouraging for blood sugar support, but the evidence is still limited and not strong enough to replace standard treatment. If you have diabetes or take other medicines, talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it.

Gymnema sylvestre · Apocynaceae · Leaves (and sometimes the root) · Capsules, tablets, powders, liquid extracts, teas, and chewable lozenges

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

Gymnema: dosing

There is no official or universally agreed-upon dose for gymnema. The right amount depends on the product, the type of extract, and how it is standardized.Many supplements are standardized to gymnemic acid content, and doses in studies have varied widely. They can help you choose a reputable product, decide on an appropriate amount, and make sure it is safe with your current health conditions and medicines.

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

Read the full Gymnema monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cefaclor

What Is Cefaclor Used For?

Brand names: Ceclor CD, Ceclor

Cefaclor treats a range of bacterial infections. Cefaclor capsules and oral suspension are used for ear infections (otitis media), lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia, strep throat and tonsillitis, urinary tract infections (including kidney infections and bladder infections), and skin and skin structure infections.

Cefaclor extended-release tablets are approved for a narrower set of uses in adults: acute bacterial flare-ups of chronic bronchitis, strep throat and tonsillitis, and uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections. Not all formulations are approved for the same conditions, so the form matters.

See full Cefaclor drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Gymnema

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

0Major
347Moderate
504Minor
1,978No known interaction
Moderate

347 interactions

Showing 60 of 347 moderate interactions — see all 347 on the Gymnema page.

Minor

504 interactions

Showing 60 of 504 minor interactions — see all 504 on the Gymnema page.

No interaction 1,978 drugs checked — show the list
Evidence & sources

Gymnema References

The 12 references that drive our Gymnema 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. Shanmugasundaram ER, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, et al. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:281-94. PubMed
  2. Baskaran K, Kizar Ahamath B, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Shanmugasundaram ER. Antidiabetic effect of leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:295-300.
  3. Kamble B, Gupta A, Moothedath I, Khatal L, Janrao S, Jadhav A, et al. Effects of Gymnema sylvestre extract on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of glimepiride in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Chem Biol Interact. 2016;245:30-8. PubMed
  4. Tiwari P, Mishra BN, Sangwan NS. Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Gymnema sylvestre: an important medicinal plant. Biomed Res Int. 2014; 2014:830285.
  5. Fabio GD, Romanucci V, De Marco A, Zarrelli A. Triterpenoids from Gymnema sylvestre and their pharmacological activities. Molecules. 2014;19(8):10956-81. PubMed
  6. Shiyovich A, Sztarkier I, Nesher L. Toxic hepatitis induced by Gymnema sylvestre, a natural remedy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Med Sci. 2010;340(6):514-7. PubMed
  7. Zuniga LY, Gonzalez-Ortiz M, Martinez-Abundis E. Effect of gymnema sylvestre administration on metabolic syndrome, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion. J Med Food. 2017 Aug;20(8):750-54.
  8. Rammohan B, Samit K, Chinmoy D, et al. Human cytochrome P450 enzyme modulation by gymnema sylvestre: a predictive safety evaluation by LC-MS/MS. Pharmacogn Mag. 2016 Jul;12(Suppl 4):S389-S394.
  9. Vaghela M, Sahu N, Kharkar P, Pandita N. In vivo pharmacokinetic interaction by ethanolic extract of gymnema sylvestre with CYP2C9 (tolbutamide), CYP3A4 (amlodipine) and CYP1A2 (phenacetin) in rats. Chem Biol Interact. 2017 Dec 25;278:141-151. PubMed
  10. Vaghela M, Iyer K, Pandita N. In vitro inhibitory effect of gymnema sylvestre extracts and total gymnemic acids fraction on select cytochrome P450 activities in rat liver microsomes. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2017 Oct 10. PubMed
  11. Gaytán Martínez LA, Sánchez-Ruiz LA, Zuñiga LY, González-Ortiz M, Martínez-Abundis E. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre administration on glycemic control, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in patients with impaired glucose tolerance. J Med Food. 2021;
  12. Philips CA, Theruvath AH, Ravindran R. Toxic hepatitis-associated aplastic anaemia after dual homeopathic remedies and Gymnema sylvestre use. BMJ Case Rep 2022;15(3):e247867. 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 Gymnema and Cefaclor Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Gymnema with Cefaclor?
We do not list a known interaction between Gymnema and Cefaclor. 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 Gymnema and Cefaclor have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 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 Gymnema and Cefaclor at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Cefaclor says to take it with food. If you take Gymnema on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Cefaclor with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Cefaclor products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Gymnema and Cefaclor combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cefaclor is filed under 6 classifications, and Gymnema has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — none of Cefaclor'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 Gymnema interact with any other medications?
Yes. Gymnema has 851 documented drug interactions in our database — Cefaclor 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 Cefaclor interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cefaclor has documented interactions with 60 supplements in our database — Gymnema is not one of them. The Cefaclor interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Still Have a Question About Cefaclor and Gymnema?

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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.