Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Guggul 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

Check Guggul against your medication

Add one medication

✓ Supplement

Guggul

1 Your medication

Start typing any prescription or over-the-counter drug name.

Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

On this page

Guggul 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 Guggul drug interaction is moderate for most people, largely because guggul may speed up how the body clears many common medications. None of the interactions are rated major, but every one is rated moderate, and a few have been documented in small human studies.

Interactions deserving the most attention

Small human studies show guggul can lower blood levels of diltiazem and propranolol, which could weaken their effects on blood pressure and heart rhythm. Animal research also suggests guggul may add to thyroid hormone therapy, where even small changes can matter. Early lab and clinical findings hint that guggul could raise bleeding risk with blood thinners, though this is not well established.

What the rest of the list means

The long list mostly reflects one theory: guggul compounds may boost an enzyme the body uses to clear a large share of medications, so many drugs are flagged as a precaution. Most of these pairings come from lab research and have not been shown to cause meaningful changes in people. Other concerns, such as effects on estrogen-based medicines, also rest on lab findings alone.

Check your medications against Guggul

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Guggul

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

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

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

AI summaries are generated from our Guggul 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 Guggul 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 Guggul affects

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

All 9 drug categories Guggul interacts with

Anticoagulant/antiplatelet DrugsContraceptive DrugsCytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) SubstratesDiltiazem (cardizem, Others)EstrogensPropranolol (inderal)Rosuvastatin (crestor)Tamoxifen (nolvadex)Thyroid Hormone

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, guggul might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs.
In vitro research and preliminary clinical studies suggest that guggul might have antiplatelet and anticoagulant effects.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Contraceptive Drugs

Theoretically, guggul might increase the risk of adverse effects when taken with contraceptive drugs.
In vitro research shows that guggul has estrogen-alpha receptor agonist activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, guggul might reduce the effects of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that guggul constituents known as guggulsterones can induce CYP3A4.

Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Diltiazem (Cardizem, Others)

Guggul might reduce the effects of diltiazem.
A small pharmacokinetic study shows that concomitant use of guggul with diltiazem reduces the bioavailability of diltiazem.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Estrogens

Theoretically, guggul might increase the risk of adverse effects when taken with estrogens.
In vitro research shows that guggul constituents known as guggulsterones have estrogen-alpha receptor agonist activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Propranolol (Inderal)

Guggul might reduce the effects of propranolol.
A small pharmacokinetic study shows that concomitant use of guggul with propranolol reduces the bioavailability of propranolol.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Rosuvastatin (Crestor)

Theoretically, guggul might increase the effects and adverse effects of rosuvastatin.
Animal research shows that guggul increases the bioavailability and hypolipidemic effects of rosuvastatin. The mechanism of this interaction is unclear.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex)

Theoretically, guggul might interfere with tamoxifen therapy.
In vitro research shows that guggul has estrogen-alpha receptor agonist activity.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Thyroid Hormone

Theoretically, guggul might increase the risk for adverse effects when taken with thyroid hormone therapy.
Animal research suggests that guggul has thyroid-stimulating effects.

Likelihood Probable Evidence B

Monograph

Guggul: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

Guggul is a gum resin from the Commiphora wightii tree, long used in Ayurvedic medicine for cholesterol, joint, and skin problems. Modern studies are mixed and often low-quality, and it can cause stomach upset and skin rashes. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Scientific name: Commiphora wightii
Family: Burseraceae
Part used: Gum resin (oleoresin) from the stem
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, standardized extracts (guggulipid), powders

People commonly use it for

High cholesterol
Joint pain and arthritis
Weight management
Acne
Skin conditions

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

May cause digestive upset and skin reactions; use under guidance of a healthcare provider.

PregnancyLikely Unsafe

When used orally; avoid using. Guggul gum resin appears to stimulate menstrual flow and the uterus.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

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.

Jump to a section

Overview

Guggul is a sticky gum resin that comes from the Commiphora wightii tree (also called Commiphora mukul), a small thorny plant native to India, Pakistan, and parts of the Middle East. The resin is collected from the tree's stem and has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.

In supplements, guggul is often sold as capsules, tablets, or extracts. Many products are standardized to contain a certain amount of guggulsterones, the compounds thought to be most active. People commonly take it for cholesterol, joint pain, weight goals, and skin problems like acne.

How it works

The compounds in guggul believed to be most active are called guggulsterones. Laboratory and animal studies suggest these may affect certain receptors in the body that help control how the liver handles cholesterol and bile acids.

Researchers have also looked at possible anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which could explain its traditional use for joint and skin problems. However, much of this work comes from test-tube and animal studies, and it is not clear how well these effects apply to people.

Effectiveness

Does Guggul work?

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

Evidence overview · 6 uses evaluated

1 Leans ineffective 5 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 Ineffective Obesity