Drug & supplement interaction

Gymnema + Naloxone, Pentazocine

Naloxone, Pentazocine brand name: Talwin Nx.

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

Gymnema has a moderate interaction with Naloxone, Pentazocine. Theoretically, gymnema might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.

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

Gymnema and Naloxone, Pentazocine

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Naloxone, Pentazocine

Naloxone, Pentazocine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) SUBSTRATES — the group Gymnema interacts with.

Theoretically, gymnema might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP1A2.
Animal and in vitro research shows that gymnema can inhibit the CYP1A2 enzyme. In one animal study, oral administration of gymnema for 7 days increased the plasma concentrations of phenacetin, a CYP1A2 substrate, by about 1.4-fold and reduced the clearance of phenacetin by about 29%.
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 for Talwin Nx (pentazocine with naloxone). The pentazocine part is a pain reliever that your liver partly clears using an enzyme called CYP1A2. Gymnema may gently slow that same enzyme down. In theory, that could let pentazocine linger a bit longer in your body, which might mean stronger effects like drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, or feeling foggy.

I want to be honest with you though: this is based only on lab and animal research, not real people taking these two together. The effect seen in animals was small, and the naloxone in this product isn't really affected. So this is more of a theoretical heads-up than a red alert. Still, if you take Talwin Nx and want to try gymnema, run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  3. 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

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

Gymnema Also Interacts With Other Medications

Gymnema has 347 moderate, 505 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Naloxone, Pentazocine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 347 Minor 505 No known interaction 1,978 (incl. Naloxone, Pentazocine)
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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Naloxone, Pentazocine

This page covers Gymnema only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Naloxone, Pentazocine page lists 167 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major) and Kava (major).

By severity: 7 major · 126 moderate · 34 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Naloxone, Pentazocine page

“If you take pentazocine with naloxone (Talwin Nx) for pain, this is a list to handle with real care. Seven of its 167 entries rate major, and almost all of that serious risk comes from supplements that also sedate.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Naloxone, Pentazocine 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. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Naloxone, Pentazocine too, on top of Gymnema — 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 Gymnema and Naloxone, Pentazocine 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Naloxone, Pentazocine
Top 10%

#233 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 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.

Read the full Gymnema monograph & all interactions
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
505Minor
1,977No known interaction
347 Moderate 505 Minor 1,977 No interaction
Moderate

347 interactions

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

Minor

505 interactions

Showing 60 of 505 minor interactions — see all 505 on the Gymnema page.

No interaction 1,977 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,977 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Gymnema list.

See the full Gymnema interactions page
See every supplement checked against Naloxone, Pentazocine, 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
Gymnema monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Naloxone, Pentazocine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Naloxone, Pentazocine, 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 Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Gymnema and Naloxone, Pentazocine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Gymnema with Naloxone, Pentazocine?
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 Gymnema and Naloxone, Pentazocine 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 Naloxone, Pentazocine 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.