Drug & supplement interaction

Terminalia Chebula + Insulin Lispro

Insulin Lispro brand names: Admelog, Admelog Solostar.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Terminalia Chebula has a moderate interaction with Insulin Lispro. Theoretically, concomitant use of Terminalia chebula with antidiabetes drugs could affect blood sugar control and 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

Terminalia Chebula and Insulin Lispro

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin Lispro

Insulin Lispro falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Terminalia Chebula interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of Terminalia chebula with antidiabetes drugs could affect blood sugar control and increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Animal research suggests that Terminalia chebula fruit extract has 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 simple version: insulin lispro is a fast-acting insulin you take to lower your blood sugar. In animal studies, the fruit haritaki (Terminalia chebula) appeared to lower blood sugar on its own. So in theory, pairing the two could push your sugar down a little further than insulin alone, which raises the chance of a low blood sugar episode.

That can show up as shakiness, sweating, a fast heartbeat, hunger, confusion, or feeling dizzy. To be clear, this concern is theoretical and based mostly on animal research, not solid human studies, so it may turn out to be minor. Still, don't change your insulin dose on your own. If you'd like to try this supplement, check with your pharmacist or doctor first and keep a closer eye on your sugar readings.

References
  1. Sabu, M. C. and Kuttan, R. Anti-diabetic activity of medicinal plants and its relationship with their antioxidant property. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002;81(2):155-160. PubMed
  2. Murali, Y. K., Anand, P., Tandon, V., Singh, R., Chandra, R., and Murthy, P. S. Long-term effects of Terminalia chebula Retz. on hyperglycemia and associated hyperlipidemia, tissue glycogen content and in vitro release of insulin in streptozotocin induced
  3. Senthilkumar, G. P. and Subramanian, S. Evaluation of antioxidant potential of Terminalia chebula fruits studies in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Pharmaceutical Biology (Netherlands) 2007;45:511-518.
  4. Das A, Naveen J, Sreerama YN, Gnanesh Kumar BS, Baskaran V. Low-glycemic foods with wheat, barley and herbs (Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellerica and Emblica officinalis) inhibit a-amylase, a-glucosidase and DPP-IV activity in high fat and low dose st
  5. Eltimamy M, Elshamarka M, Aboelsaad M, Sayed M, Moawad H. Effects of alcoholic extract of Terminalia Chebula dried fruit on blood biochemical profile in diabetic rats. J Diabetes Metab Disord 2022;21(1):159-170. PubMed
  6. Agrawal OD, Kulkarni YA. Treatment with Terminalia chebula extract reduces insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and improves SIRT1 expression in type 2 diabetic rats. Life (Basel) 2023;13(5):1168. 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

Terminalia Chebula Also Interacts With Other Medications

Terminalia Chebula has 92 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Lispro 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 Terminalia Chebula

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin Lispro

This page covers Terminalia Chebula only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Lispro 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 Lispro page

“Blood sugar is the entire subject of this list. Insulin lispro (Admelog) is a rapid mealtime insulin dosed to bring glucose down after eating, and the supplements below can shove that same number around, most of them downward, which risks a genuine low.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Lispro interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Terminalia Chebula and Insulin Lispro 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 Terminalia Chebula
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Lispro
Top half

#1,151 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 Terminalia Chebula

What is Terminalia Chebula?

  • Digestive support and constipation
  • Antioxidant support
  • Oral and throat health
  • General immune support
  • Traditional tonic in Ayurvedic medicine

Terminalia chebula, often called haritaki, is a fruit widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, most commonly for digestion and as a key part of the Triphala blend. Early laboratory and small human studies suggest possible antioxidant and digestive effects, but high-quality evidence in people is limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take other medicines.

Read the full Terminalia Chebula monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Lispro Injection

What Is Insulin Lispro Injection Used For?

Brand names: Admelog, Admelog Solostar

Insulin lispro injection is used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in people with diabetes mellitus. It is a rapid-acting insulin analog approved for use in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Admelog is specifically indicated to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus. Humalog Mix75/25 is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with diabetes mellitus; it is a fixed-ratio mixture of insulin lispro and insulin lispro protamine, and its fixed proportions do not allow for separate adjustment of basal (background) and prandial (mealtime) doses.

See full Insulin Lispro Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Terminalia Chebula

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

0Major
92Moderate
0Minor
2,737No known interaction
Moderate

92 interactions

Showing 60 of 92 moderate interactions — see all 92 on the Terminalia Chebula page.

No interaction 2,737 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 Terminalia Chebula and Insulin Lispro Together: Common Questions

Can you take Terminalia Chebula with Insulin Lispro?
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 Terminalia Chebula and Insulin Lispro 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 Lispro and Terminalia Chebula?

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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.