Drug & supplement interaction

Zizyphus + Exenatide

Exenatide brand names: Byetta, Bydureon.

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

Zizyphus has a moderate interaction with Exenatide. Theoretically, zizyphus 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

Zizyphus and Exenatide

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Exenatide

Exenatide falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Zizyphus interacts with.

Theoretically, zizyphus might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal research shows that zizyphus has hypoglycemic activity. However, a small clinical study shows that zizyphus fruit powder does not reduce fasting blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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: exenatide already helps lower your blood sugar by prompting your pancreas to release insulin when sugar is high. Zizyphus (jujube) has shown some blood-sugar-lowering activity in animal studies, so the theory is that pairing the two could push your numbers a little lower than expected. If that happened, you might notice signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), such as shakiness, sweating, dizziness, hunger, or feeling foggy.

I want to be honest about how shaky this concern is. It's theoretical, drawn from animal research, and one small human study actually found that jujube fruit powder did not lower fasting glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. Eating the fruit as food is very unlikely to be an issue. If you're thinking about a concentrated supplement, just check with your pharmacist or doctor first and keep an eye on your readings.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Cisse, A., Ndiaye, A., Lopez-Sall, P., Seck, F., Faye, B., and Faye, B. [Antidiabetic activity of Zizyphus mauritiana Lam (Rhamnaceae)]. Dakar Med 2000;45(2):105-107.
  2. Abdel-Zaher, A. O., Salim, S. Y., Assaf, M. H., and Abdel-Hady, R. H. Antidiabetic activity and toxicity of Zizyphus spina-christi leaves. J Ethnopharmacol. 10-3-2005;101(1-3):129-138. PubMed
  3. Nesseem, D. I., Michel, C. G., Sleem, A. A., and El-Alfy, T. S. Formulation and evaluation of antihyperglycemic leaf extracts of Zizyphus spina-christi (L.) Willd. Pharmazie 2009;64(2):104-109. DOI
  4. Anand, K. K., Singh, B., Chand, D., Chandan, B. K., and Gupta, V. N. Effect of Zizyphus sativa leaves on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan-diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1989;27(1-2):121-127. PubMed
  5. Glombitza, K. W., Mahran, G. H., Mirhom, Y. W., Michel, K. G., and Motawi, T. K. Hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects of Zizyphus spina-christi in rats. Planta Med 1994;60(3):244-247.
  6. Jarald, E. E., Joshi, S. B., and Jain, D. C. Antidiabetic activity of extracts and fraction of <it>Zizyphus mauritiana. Pharmaceutical Biology 2009;47:328-334.
  7. Irannejad Niri Z, Shidfar F, Jabbari M, et al. The effect of dried Ziziphus vulgaris on glycemic control, lipid profile, apo-proteins and hs-CRP in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Food Biochem 2020; Mar 30

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

Zizyphus Also Interacts With Other Medications

Zizyphus has 468 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Exenatide one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 468 No known interaction 2,362 (incl. Exenatide)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Zizyphus

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Exenatide

This page covers Zizyphus only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Exenatide 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 Exenatide page

“Because exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon) exists to lower blood sugar, nearly every supplement on this list pulls at that same lever, and I treat that as a genuine warning rather than a footnote. Most entries, including everyday items like fenugreek, bitter melon, flaxseed, and ginseng, can drop glucose further and raise the odds of hypogly…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Exenatide interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Zizyphus and Exenatide 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 Zizyphus
Steady interest

#1,250 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Exenatide
Top half

#1,156 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 Zizyphus

What is Zizyphus?

Zizyphus
  • Sleep problems and insomnia
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Digestive support
  • General nutrition (vitamin C and fiber)
  • Constipation

Zizyphus (jujube) is an edible fruit and traditional remedy used mainly for sleep, anxiety, and digestion. The fruit is a nutritious food, but human evidence for its medicinal benefits is limited and mostly preliminary. If you want to try a supplement form, talk with your pharmacist or doctor first, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking other medicines.

Read the full Zizyphus monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Exenatide Injection

What Is Exenatide Injection Used For?

Brand names: Byetta, Bydureon

Exenatide injection is used as an addition to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not a substitute for healthy lifestyle changes — it works best when combined with them.

It should not be used together with other exenatide-containing products. The brands Byetta, Bydureon, and BYDUREON BCise all contain exenatide and should never be combined with each other.

See full Exenatide Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Zizyphus

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

0Major
468Moderate
0Minor
2,361No known interaction
468 Moderate 2,361 No interaction
Moderate

468 interactions

Showing 60 of 468 moderate interactions — see all 468 on the Zizyphus page.

No interaction 2,361 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,361 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Zizyphus list.

See the full Zizyphus interactions page
See every supplement checked against Exenatide, 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
Zizyphus monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Exenatide supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Exenatide, ranked by severity Exenatide Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Zizyphus and Exenatide Together: Common Questions

Can you take Zizyphus with Exenatide?
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 Zizyphus and Exenatide 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 Exenatide and Zizyphus?

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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.