Herb & supplement monograph

Aloe Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Aloe interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Aloe is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Aloe is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

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Aloe Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Aloe drug interaction appears low for most people. Only one interaction is rated major, and nearly all of the rest rest on theoretical or limited evidence rather than confirmed problems in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The best-documented concern involves digoxin: overusing aloe latex can deplete potassium, which raises the risk of digoxin toxicity, so this combination deserves real caution. Diabetes medications also stand out, since early human research suggests aloe gel can lower blood sugar and could add to their effect, making close glucose monitoring sensible. People taking warfarin or diuretics should avoid heavy use of aloe latex, because its laxative effect can cause diarrhea or potassium loss that shifts how those medicines work.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of interacting medications reflects mostly moderate and minor concerns predicted from lab research, such as aloe possibly affecting an enzyme the body uses to clear certain medications. A prediction like that does not mean every combination is harmful, and most of these effects have not been shown to cause meaningful changes in people.

Check your medications against Aloe

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Aloe interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Aloe

461 medications have a known interaction with Aloe, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

1 major interaction. These combinations can be clinically significant — best avoided, or used only with close professional supervision. Always check with your pharmacist before combining them with Aloe.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Aloe using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Aloe interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction 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.
Possible. 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
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Aloe combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Aloe affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Aloe is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 7 drug categories Aloe interacts with

Digoxin (lanoxin)Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsAntidiabetes DrugsDiuretic DrugsStimulant LaxativesWarfarin (coumadin)Cytochrome P450 1a2 (cyp1a2) Substrates

Digoxin (Lanoxin)

Theoretically, aloe latex might increase the risk of adverse effects when taken with cardiac glycosides.
Overuse of aloe latex can increase the risk of adverse effects from cardiac glycoside drugs, such as digoxin, due to potassium depletion. Overuse of aloe, along with cardiac glycoside drugs, can increase the risk of toxicity.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, aloe gel might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro research shows that aloe gel can inhibit platelet aggregation. This inhibition was greater than that seen with celecoxib, but less than that seen with aspirin.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Antidiabetes Drugs

Aloe might increase the risk of hypoglycemia when taken with antidiabetes drugs.
Preliminary clinical research suggests aloe gel might lower blood glucose levels and have additive effects when used with antidiabetes drugs. Monitor blood glucose levels closely.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Diuretic Drugs

Theoretically, aloe latex might increase the risk of hypokalemia when taken with diuretic drugs.
Overuse of aloe latex might compound diuretic-induced potassium loss, increasing the risk of hypokalemia.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Stimulant Laxatives

Theoretically, aloe latex might increase the risk for fluid and electrolyte loss when taken with stimulant laxatives.
Due to cathartic laxative effects of aloe latex, concomitant use with other stimulant laxatives might compound fluid and electrolyte loss.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Warfarin (Coumadin)

Theoretically, aloe latex might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with warfarin.
Aloe latex has stimulant laxative effects. In some people aloe latex can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea can increase the effects of warfarin, increase international normalized ratio (INR), and increase the risk of bleeding. Advise patients who take warfarin not to take excessive amounts of aloe vera.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 1A2 (Cyp1A2) Substrates

Theoretically, aloe might decrease the levels and clinical effects of CYP1A2 substrates.
In vitro research shows that aloe extract induces CYP1A2 enzymes.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Aloe: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Aloe vera gel is widely used on the skin for minor burns and irritation, and some research suggests it may help. Aloe latex (the yellow part) is a strong laxative that can cause cramping and is not considered safe for regular use. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking aloe by mouth, and avoid oral aloe during pregnancy.

Scientific name: Aloe vera
Family: Asphodelaceae
Part used: Leaves (gel from the inner leaf and latex from just under the skin)
Common forms: Topical gels and creams, juice, capsules, tablets, and as an ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products

People commonly use it for

Minor burns and skin irritation
Wound healing
Constipation
Skin hydration and moisturizing
Digestive complaints
Hair and scalp care

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Topical gel is generally well tolerated, but oral aloe latex can cause serious side effects.

PregnancyPossibly Unsafe

When used orally. Anthraquinones present in aloe latex and aloe whole leaf extracts have irritant, cathartic, and possible mutagenic effects. There ar...

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingPossibly Unsafe

When aloe preparations are used orally. Cathartic and mutagenic anthraquinones present in aloe latex and aloe whole leaf extracts might pass into milk...

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Aloe is a succulent plant with thick, fleshy leaves. It is native to the Arabian Peninsula but is now grown in many warm, dry parts of the world. The most common species used in health products is Aloe vera.

The leaves contain two main parts. The clear gel from the inner leaf is used in skin creams, lotions, and drinks. The yellow latex found just under the leaf skin contains compounds that act as a strong laxative.

People use aloe in many ways. The gel is popular for soothing the skin after burns or irritation, and it appears in cosmetics, sunburn products, and moisturizers. Aloe is also sold as juice, capsules, and tablets taken by mouth.

How it works

Aloe gel contains water, vitamins, enzymes, sugars (called polysaccharides), and other plant compounds. These are thought to help keep the skin moist and may support the skin's natural healing. Some lab studies suggest aloe has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but much of this work is based on cell or animal research and may not fully apply to people.

The laxative effect of aloe comes from the latex, which contains compounds called anthraquinones (such as aloin). These irritate the lining of the gut and increase movement, which is why they cause a bowel movement but also cramping.

Effectiveness

Does Aloe work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 58 uses evaluated

10 Possibly effective 48 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Acne