Drug & supplement interaction

Job's Tears + Insulin Degludec

Insulin Degludec brand name: Tresiba.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Job's Tears has a moderate interaction with Insulin Degludec. Preliminary evidence shows that constituents of Job's tears might have hypoglycemic effects.

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

Job's Tears and Insulin Degludec

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin Degludec

Insulin Degludec falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Job's Tears interacts with.

Preliminary evidence shows that constituents of Job's tears might have hypoglycemic effects. Theoretically, concomitant use with drugs that decrease blood glucose levels might increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
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 simple version: Tresiba (insulin degludec) is your long-acting insulin that keeps blood sugar steady through the day. Some early lab and animal research hints that Job's Tears may have its own mild blood-sugar-lowering effect. If that holds true in people, adding it on top of your insulin could push your numbers a little lower than expected, which raises the chance of hypoglycemia.

Watch for the usual low-sugar signs with insulin: shakiness, sweating, dizziness, a fast heartbeat, confusion, or feeling suddenly hungry. To be clear, this concern is theoretical and mostly tied to concentrated supplement doses, not Job's Tears eaten as an everyday grain. Please don't change your insulin on your own. Just check your sugars and let your pharmacist or doctor know if you start a supplement.

References
  1. Chiang W, Cheng C, Chiang M, Chung KT. Effects of dehulled adlay on the culture count of some microbiota and their metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract of rats. J Agric Food Chem 2000;48:829-32. 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

Job's Tears Also Interacts With Other Medications

Job's Tears has 127 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Degludec 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 Job's Tears

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Job's Tears. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin Degludec

This page covers Job's Tears only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Degludec page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin Degludec page

“Insulin degludec (Tresiba) is a long-acting insulin meant to hold blood sugar steady around the clock, which means anything else that pushes glucose down can push it too far. That is the story for nearly all 239 ingredients on this page, and the list warrants genuine caution.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Degludec interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Job's Tears as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 111 real supplement products containing Job's Tears, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Job's Tears. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin Degludec too, on top of Job's Tears — 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 Job's Tears and Insulin Degludec 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 Job's Tears
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Degludec
Top half

#1,173 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 Job's Tears

What is Job's Tears?

  • Digestive support
  • Skin health and smoothness
  • Mild swelling or water retention
  • General nourishing food/tonic
  • Joint discomfort (traditional use)

Job's Tears is a grain-like seed long used as a food and in traditional medicine, especially in East Asia. While it is generally safe as a food and is being studied for possible effects on metabolism, inflammation, and immunity, strong human evidence for its health claims is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements, especially during pregnancy.

Read the full Job's Tears monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Degludec (rDNA Origin) Injection

What Is Insulin Degludec (rDNA Origin) Injection Used For?

Brand name: Tresiba

Insulin degludec (brands: Insulin Degludec, Tresiba) is indicated to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in patients 1 year of age and older with diabetes mellitus — both type 1 and type 2.

It is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis (a dangerous complication where acids build up in the blood). In patients with type 1 diabetes, it must be used together with a short-acting insulin.

See full Insulin Degludec (rDNA Origin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Job's Tears

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

0Major
127Moderate
0Minor
2,702No known interaction
Moderate

127 interactions

Showing 60 of 127 moderate interactions — see all 127 on the Job's Tears page.

No interaction 2,702 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 Job's Tears and Insulin Degludec Together: Common Questions

Can you take Job's Tears with Insulin Degludec?
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 Job's Tears and Insulin Degludec 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 Insulin Degludec and Job's Tears?

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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.