Drug interactions
Bitter melon + Glyburide-metformin
Severity: Moderate
Bitter melon and Glyburide-metformin: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Bitter melon has glucose-lowering activity and may add to the effects of glyburide and metformin, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Product content is variable, so the effect is unpredictable.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bitter melon and Glyburide-metformin can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Additive pharmacodynamic glucose lowering from plant constituents with insulin-like and insulin-secretagogue activity.
What to do
Advise patients to tell their clinician before using bitter melon and monitor blood glucose closely if it is used.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Glyburide-metformin
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bitter melon with Glyburide-metformin?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Bitter melon and Glyburide-metformin can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Bitter melon has glucose-lowering activity and may add to the effects of glyburide and metformin, increasing the risk of hypoglycemia. Product content is variable, so the effect is unpredictable.
How serious is the interaction between Bitter melon and Glyburide-metformin?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Advise patients to tell their clinician before using bitter melon and monitor blood glucose closely if it is used.
What other medicines interact with Glyburide-metformin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Glyburide-metformin with, for example, Bosentan, Cholic acid, Clarithromycin. The full list is on the Glyburide-metformin page.
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