Herb & supplement monograph

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

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Terminalia Chebula 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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Terminalia Chebula 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 Terminalia Chebula drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major, and every one is based on animal or lab research rather than confirmed effects in people.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The combinations most worth watching involve diabetes medications, since animal research suggests Terminalia chebula may lower blood sugar, which could add to the effect of these drugs and raise the chance of low blood sugar. Animal studies also found that Terminalia chebula raised blood levels of chlorzoxazone, a muscle relaxant, and omeprazole, a common acid reducer, possibly by slowing an enzyme the body uses to clear them. Higher levels of these medicines could mean more side effects, though this has not been shown in humans.

What the rest of the list means

Terminalia chebula appears alongside a long list of medications, but that does not mean each combination is harmful. Most of these interactions are theoretical, predicted from how the herb might affect enzymes that process medications in animal or lab studies. So far, none have been confirmed to cause meaningful problems in people.

Check your medications against Terminalia Chebula

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

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Terminalia Chebula

93 medications have a known interaction with Terminalia Chebula, 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 Terminalia Chebula using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Terminalia Chebula 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 Terminalia Chebula 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 Terminalia Chebula affects

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

All 3 drug categories Terminalia Chebula interacts with

Antidiabetes DrugsChlorzoxazone (parafon Forte, Paraflex)Omeprazole (prilosec)

Antidiabetes Drugs

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.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Chlorzoxazone (Parafon Forte, Paraflex)

Theoretically, use of Terminalia chebula may increase the risk of adverse effects from chlorzoxazone.
Animal research shows that enteral administration of Terminalia chebula for 15 days prior to administration of chlorzoxazone increases blood levels of chlorzoxazone and decreases chlorzoxazone clearance. It is speculated that Terminalia chebula reduces the metabolism of chlorzoxazone by inhibiting cytochrome P450 2E1.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Omeprazole (Prilosec)

Theoretically, use of Terminalia chebula may increase the risk of adverse effects from omeprazole.
Animal research shows that enteral administration of Terminalia chebula for 15 days prior to administration of omeprazole increases blood levels of omeprazole and decreases omeprazole clearance. It is speculated that Terminalia chebula reduces the metabolism of omeprazole by inhibiting cytochrome P450 2C19.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Terminalia Chebula: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

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

The bottom line

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.

Scientific name: Terminalia chebula
Family: Combretaceae
Part used: Dried fruit
Common forms: Powder (churna), capsules, tablets, decoctions, and as part of herbal blends like Triphala

People commonly use it for

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

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

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally used in traditional medicine, but human safety data are limited and quality of products varies.

PregnancyPossibly Unsafe

When used orally. One source warns against using Terminalia bellirica and Terminalia chebula during pregnancy; however, the reason for this warning is...

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.

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Overview

Terminalia chebula is a flowering tree native to South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. Its dried fruit has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine systems, where it is often called haritaki.

The fruit is one of the three ingredients in Triphala, a popular Ayurvedic formula. People take Terminalia chebula on its own or in blends as a digestive aid, a general tonic, and a source of plant antioxidants.

It is sold today as a powder, capsules, tablets, and as part of multi-herb products.

How it works

The fruit is rich in plant compounds called tannins and polyphenols, including chebulic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid, and related substances. These are thought to act as antioxidants, meaning they may help neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals.

In laboratory and animal research, extracts of Terminalia chebula have shown antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, and the tannins may have a mild effect on the digestive tract.

It is important to remember that these mechanisms come mostly from test-tube and animal studies. What happens in a lab does not always translate to clear benefits in people.

Effectiveness

Does Terminalia Chebula work?

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

Evidence overview · 13 uses evaluated

13 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.

For Terminalia Chebula, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 13 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Aging skin