Drug & supplement interaction

Rehmannia + Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin brand names: Januvia, Zituvio.

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

Rehmannia has a moderate interaction with Sitagliptin. Theoretically, rehmannia might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Rehmannia and Sitagliptin

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Sitagliptin

Sitagliptin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Rehmannia interacts with.

Theoretically, rehmannia might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal research shows that rehmannia may have hypoglycemic effects.
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 short version: Rehmannia, in animal studies, seems able to nudge blood sugar downward on its own. Since sitagliptin (Januvia) is already working to lower your blood sugar, combining the two could, in theory, push your levels lower than you intend. That might show up as shakiness, sweating, dizziness, hunger, headache, or feeling foggy.

I want to be honest about the evidence, though. This is a theoretical concern based mostly on lab and animal research, not solid human studies, so it's not a sure thing. If you do try rehmannia alongside Januvia, it's reasonable to check your blood sugar a bit more closely and watch for those low-sugar signs. Please loop in your pharmacist or doctor before starting it rather than changing anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Zhang R, Zhou J, Jia Z, et al. Hypoglycemic effect of Rehmannia glutinosa oligosaccharide in hyperglycemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats and its mechanism. J Ethnopharmacol 2004;90:39-43. PubMed
  2. Zhang RX, Li MX, Jia ZP. Rehmannia glutinosa: review of botany, chemistry and pharmacology. J Ethnopharmacol 2008;117(2):199-214. 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

Rehmannia Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rehmannia has 257 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sitagliptin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 257 No known interaction 2,573 (incl. Sitagliptin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rehmannia

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Rehmannia or Sitagliptin

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

This page covers Rehmannia only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sitagliptin page lists 256 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 215 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Sitagliptin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 861 real supplement products containing Rehmannia, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Rehmannia. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Sitagliptin too, on top of Rehmannia — 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 Rehmannia and Sitagliptin 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 Rehmannia
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sitagliptin
Top half

#736 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 Rehmannia

What is Rehmannia?

  • Kidney and adrenal support
  • Anemia and blood building (traditional)
  • Inflammatory conditions
  • Allergies
  • Fatigue and aging-related complaints

Rehmannia is a root used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine, often to 'tonify' the kidneys and support energy or blood health. Human evidence for most modern uses is limited, so it should be viewed as unproven rather than reliable. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Read the full Rehmannia monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sitagliptin

What Is Sitagliptin Used For?

Brand names: Januvia, Zituvio

Sitagliptin is used alongside diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is available as tablets (Januvia, Zituvio, and generic sitagliptin products) and as an oral solution (Brynovin), all approved for this same use.

Sitagliptin is not for type 1 diabetes. It has not been studied in people with a history of pancreatitis, so its safety in that group is unknown.

See full Sitagliptin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rehmannia

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

0Major
257Moderate
0Minor
2,572No known interaction
257 Moderate 2,572 No interaction
Moderate

257 interactions

Showing 60 of 257 moderate interactions — see all 257 on the Rehmannia page.

No interaction 2,572 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,572 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rehmannia list.

See the full Rehmannia interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sitagliptin, 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
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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Rehmannia and Sitagliptin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rehmannia with Sitagliptin?
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 Rehmannia and Sitagliptin 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 Sitagliptin and Rehmannia?

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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.