Drug & supplement interaction

Solomon's Seal + Insulin Glargine

Insulin Glargine brand names: Basaglar, Lusduna, Semglee.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Insulin Glargine 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 Glargine

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 Glargine 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 Glargine

Insulin Glargine 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 with Solomon's Seal and your insulin glargine (Basaglar, Semglee, and others). This herb has shown some possible blood-sugar-lowering activity in lab and animal work, so the concern is that it could add to insulin's effect and push your sugar lower than expected. That could mean more episodes of hypoglycemia, with shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded.

I want to be honest though: this is a theoretical interaction based on pharmacology, not on solid human studies, so we don't really know how big a deal it is in real life. If you'd like to try Solomon's Seal, the safe move is to check your blood glucose a bit more often at first and let your pharmacist or doctor know before adding it. Please don't change your insulin dose on your own.

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: Solomon's Seal may have its own mild blood-sugar-lowering tendency, at least based on lab and animal work. If that effect carries over to people, adding it on top of your insulin glargine (Basaglar, Lusduna, Semglee) could push your blood sugar lower than you intend. That can show up as shakiness, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or feeling lightheaded, which are the classic signs of a low (hypoglycemia).

I want to be honest, though: this concern is theoretical and not proven in humans, so it's not a reason to panic. Don't change your insulin dose on your own. If you'd like to try this herb, check with your pharmacist or doctor first and keep an eye on your glucose readings so any change gets caught early.

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 Glargine 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 Glargine

This page covers Solomon's Seal only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Glargine 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.

Open the Insulin Glargine 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 Glargine 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 Glargine 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Glargine
Top half

#1,284 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
Medication

About Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection

What Is Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection Used For?

Brand names: Basaglar, Lusduna, Semglee

Insulin glargine is used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in adults and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, and in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is a long-acting basal insulin, meaning it works gradually over the course of the day to keep blood sugar steady.

Insulin glargine is not recommended for treating diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the blood becomes dangerously acidic).

See full Insulin Glargine (rDNA origin) Injection drug information
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 Glargine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Solomon's Seal with Insulin Glargine?
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 Glargine?
Insulin Glargine 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 Glargine 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.