Drug & supplement interaction

Gymnema + Sucralfate

Sucralfate brand names: Carafate, Antepsin.

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 Gymnema and Sucralfate 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 Sucralfate states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Gymnema and Sucralfate

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 Sucralfate 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 Sucralfate and Gymnema? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Sucralfate

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Sucralfate is filed under a single classification — oral 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 Sucralfate’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 — Sucralfate isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 347 Minor 504 No known interaction 1,979 (incl. Sucralfate)
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

What Gymnema Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Sucralfate. It is the side-effect record for Gymnema on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Gymnema, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Anemia / Liver problems Worth acting on Additional detail

    “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
  • Tiredness Additional detail

    Recorded for Gymnema in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Yellowing of the skin or eyes / Anemia / Liver problems above.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Gymnema — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We read the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of Sucralfate’s FDA label too, and the two lists don’t meaningfully overlap — which is why no Sucralfate column appears here.

How to take them

Some Sucralfate Products Have a Food Rule — Gymnema Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Sucralfate says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Gymnema included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Sucralfate on its own and move Gymnema to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Sucralfate 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.

D O S A G E A N D A D M INI S T R A T I O N A cti v e D u oden a l Ulc e r : The recommended adult oral dosage for duodenal ulcer is 1 g four times per day on an empty stomach.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Sucralfate — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. See the Sucralfate drug page ›

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.

From our Q&A

Questions About Gymnema or Sucralfate

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

This page covers Gymnema only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sucralfate page lists 17 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Coffee Charcoal (moderate), European Mandrake (moderate), Glucomannan (moderate) and Guar Gum (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 7 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sucralfate page

“If you take sucralfate (Carafate) to heal an ulcer, keep activated charcoal well away from it. Charcoal carries the sole major rating on this list because it adsorbs drugs in the digestive tract, and sucralfate works entirely there, forming a protective coating over damaged stomach lining rather than circulating through the body.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sucralfate 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 Sucralfate, 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 Sucralfate 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sucralfate
Top half

#873 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 20, 2026. The Gymnema and Sucralfate 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 Sucralfate

What Is Sucralfate Used For?

Brand names: Carafate, Antepsin

Sucralfate — available as tablets and oral suspension under brand names including Carafate — is used for the short-term treatment (up to 8 weeks) of active duodenal ulcers.

Carafate tablets and sucralfate tablets are also approved for maintenance therapy — meaning a lower dose taken after an ulcer heals to help keep it from coming back.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Sucralfate

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (23,819 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Nausea 2,353 reports
Fatigue 1,798 reports
Diarrhea 1,764 reports
Headache 1,429 reports
Vomiting 1,411 reports
See full Sucralfate 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
347 Moderate 504 Minor 1,978 No 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

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 1,978 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Gymnema list.

See the full Gymnema interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sucralfate, ranked by severity
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 Sucralfate Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Gymnema with Sucralfate?
We do not list a known interaction between Gymnema and Sucralfate. 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.
Should I take Gymnema and Sucralfate at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Sucralfate says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Sucralfate on its own and move Gymnema to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Gymnema and Sucralfate combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Sucralfate is filed under 1 classification, and Gymnema has documented interactions with 6 drug classes — none of Sucralfate'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 — Sucralfate 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 Sucralfate interact with any supplements?
Yes. Sucralfate has documented interactions with 17 supplements in our database — Gymnema is not one of them. The Sucralfate 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

Gymnema monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Sucralfate drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Sucralfate supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Sucralfate, 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 12 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Sucralfate 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.