Drug & supplement interaction

Oats + Glyburide, Metformin

Glyburide, Metformin brand name: Glucovance.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Oats has a moderate interaction with Glyburide, Metformin. Theoretically, oats may have additive effects with antidiabetic agents and might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

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

Oats and Glyburide, Metformin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Glyburide, Metformin

Glyburide, Metformin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Oats interacts with.

Theoretically, oats may have additive effects with antidiabetic agents and might increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Consuming oats can decrease blood glucose in patients with diabetes. In those who require insulin, taking oats 100 grams daily for 2 days reduces the insulin dose required to achieve metabolic control.
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: Glucovance (glyburide plus metformin) already works to bring your blood sugar down. Oats, thanks to their soluble fiber, can nudge blood sugar a little lower on their own too. Put those together and the effects may stack up, so your numbers could dip lower than expected. With the glyburide piece especially, that can raise the chance of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which feels like shakiness, sweating, dizziness, hunger, or confusion.

I want to keep this in perspective. This is a theoretical concern based on how oats behave, not a strong warning. A bowl of oatmeal is unlikely to cause trouble for most folks. Keep eating consistently rather than suddenly loading up on oats, watch how you feel, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before making any changes.

References
  1. Pick ME, Hawrysh ZJ, Gee MI, et al. Oat bran concentrate bread products improve long-term control of diabetes: a pilot study. J Am Diet Assoc 1996;96:1254-61. PubMed
  2. Braaten JT, Scott FW, Wood PJ, et al. High beta-glucan oat bran and oat gum reduce postprandial blood glucose and insulin in subjects with and without type 2 diabetes. Diabet Med 1994;11:312-8.
  3. Chandalia M, Garg A, Lutjohann D, et al. Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med 2000;342:1392-8. PubMed
  4. Delgado G, Kleber ME, Krämer BK, et al. Dietary intervention with oatmeal in patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus - A crossover study. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2019;127(9):623-629. PubMed
  5. Hou Q, Li Y, Li L, Cheng G, Sun X, Li S, Tian H. The metabolic effects of oats intake in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2015;7(12):10369-87. 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

Oats Also Interacts With Other Medications

Oats has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Glyburide, Metformin 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 Oats

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Glyburide, Metformin

This page covers Oats only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Glyburide, Metformin page lists 332 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 7 major · 281 moderate · 44 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Glyburide, Metformin page

“Glucovance combines glyburide and metformin to lower blood sugar, and its list of 332 interacting supplements deserves real care, starting with the seven rated major. Most entries, 239 of them, lower blood sugar on their own, so stacking one on top of a drug built to do exactly that can drop your glucose into dangerous territory.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Glyburide, Metformin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2,183 real supplement products containing Oats, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Oats. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Glyburide, Metformin too, on top of Oats — 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 Oats and Glyburide, Metformin 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 Oats
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Glyburide, Metformin
Steady interest

#1,595 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 Oats

What is Oats?

  • Lowering cholesterol
  • Heart and digestive health
  • Soothing itchy or irritated skin
  • Blood sugar support
  • Anxiety and stress (oat straw, traditional)

Oats are a well-studied whole grain whose soluble fiber (beta-glucan) can help lower cholesterol and support heart health when eaten regularly. As a food, oats are safe for most people, and colloidal oatmeal is widely used to soothe skin. Evidence for oat straw supplements (for anxiety, energy, or focus) is much weaker.

Read the full Oats monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Oats

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

0Major
85Moderate
0Minor
2,744No known interaction
Moderate

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 moderate interactions — see all 85 on the Oats page.

No interaction 2,744 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 Oats and Glyburide, Metformin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Oats with Glyburide, Metformin?
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 Oats and Glyburide, Metformin 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

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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.