Drug & supplement interaction

Solomon's Seal + Insulin

Insulin brand name: NovoRapid Insulin.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Insulin falls into 2 drug categories that Solomon's Seal can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use may enhance hypoglycemic drug effects and alter blood glucose control.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Solomon's Seal and Insulin

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Solomon's Seal interacts with whole categories of medication. Insulin falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Solomon's Seal in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Insulin

Insulin falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Solomon's Seal interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use may enhance hypoglycemic drug effects and alter blood glucose control. Monitor blood glucose.
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 someone using insulin like NovoRapid. Solomon's Seal hasn't been well studied in people, but based on how its plant compounds behave in lab and animal work, it could nudge your blood sugar a little lower on its own. Stack that on top of insulin, which is already lowering your glucose, and the two effects might add up.

In plain terms, that could mean a bit more risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), with signs like shakiness, sweating, dizziness, a fast heartbeat, or feeling confused. To be clear, this is a theoretical concern, not something proven, so don't panic. If you'd like to try the herb, keep checking your sugars more closely at first and loop in your pharmacist or doctor before starting.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.
Moderate

INSULIN

2 of 2
Insulin dosage adjustments may be necessary, due to the possible hypoglycemic effects of Solomon's seal.
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 with Solomon's Seal and your insulin (NovoRapid). This herb may have a mild blood-sugar-lowering effect of its own. When you stack that on top of insulin, which is already designed to bring sugar down, the two could add up and push your levels too low. That's the concern here.

If that happens, you might feel shaky, sweaty, dizzy, irritable, or get a fast heartbeat, the classic signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Keep in mind this is a theoretical interaction based on how the herb behaves, not strong human studies, so don't panic. Still, before adding Solomon's Seal, check with your pharmacist or doctor, and watch your numbers a little more closely at first.

References
  1. Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1998.

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

Solomon's Seal Also Interacts With Other Medications

Solomon's Seal has 85 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Solomon's Seal

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin

This page covers Solomon's Seal only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin page lists 242 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 2 major · 211 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin page

“Someone injecting insulin (NovoRapid) is often the same person browsing supplements sold for blood sugar support, which is exactly why this list warrants genuine caution. Nearly all 242 entries push glucose one way or the other, most often further down, stacking with insulin and raising the risk of hypoglycemia, meaning dangerously low…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Solomon's Seal as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 113 real supplement products containing Solomon's Seal, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Solomon's Seal. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin too, on top of Solomon's Seal — 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 Solomon's Seal and Insulin 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 Solomon's Seal
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin
Top half

#805 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 Solomon's Seal

What is Solomon's Seal?

Solomon's Seal
  • Joint and muscle discomfort
  • Tendon and ligament injuries
  • Inflammation
  • Digestive complaints
  • Skin and wound care
  • Dry cough and throat irritation

Solomon's Seal is a traditional herb whose root has long been used for joint, tendon, and muscle complaints, but high-quality human studies are largely lacking. There is not enough reliable evidence to confirm it works for any specific condition, so use it cautiously and talk with your pharmacist or doctor first.

Read the full Solomon's Seal monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Solomon's Seal

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Solomon's Seal — 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 Solomon's Seal 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 Solomon's Seal and Insulin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Solomon's Seal with Insulin?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Solomon's Seal and Insulin?
Insulin belongs to more than one drug category, and Solomon's Seal interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Solomon's Seal and Insulin 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.