Berberine may also be useful for the following conditions, although less quality evidence is available to support its use for these.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) – May reduce premature ventricular contractions and lower mortality.
Burns – As an ointment in combination with beta-sitosterol.
Cholera
Coronary heart disease (CHD) – See hyperlipidemia above.
Diarrhea – May be effective for diarrhea caused by E. coli.
Glaucoma – As eyedrops in combination with tetrahydrozoline.
Hepatitis B and C – Berberine decreases triglycerides and blood glucose. It also reduces markers of liver damage, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – May reduce the frequency of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and defecation frequency when compared to placebo.
Symptoms of menopause – When taking berberine along with soy isoflavones, vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women may be decreased when compared to calcium plus vitamin D administration.
Obesity – Berberine has been shown to decrease weight by 2.3 kg (~5 lbs) in obese patients compared with a control group when ingested for twelve weeks.
Berberine interactions with Drugs:
Drugs used to treat diabetes – Do not use berberine with antidiabetic medications. There is substantial clinical evidence suggesting this combination increases the risk of hypoglycemia. Berberine should not be used with any drug that lowers blood sugar.
This includes insulin as well as other oral and injectable diabetes medications.
Amlodipine and other drugs for high blood pressure – Combining berberine with amlodipine may result in a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
This effect may also occur with other antihypertensive medications.
Anticoagulants – Since berberine may inhibit platelet aggregation, caution should be used when combining it with antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications.
The risk of bleeding may be increased.
Cyclosporine – Do not combine berberine with cyclosporine. This combination may result in an increased level and increased adverse effects of cyclosporine.
Drugs that may cause sedation – Use caution when combining berberine with medications that produce sedation.
This combination may lead to an increase in sedative effects. Some examples of sedative agents include.
- Benzodiazepines
- Narcotics
- Barbiturates
- Sedating antihistamines such as diphenhydramine and hydroxyzine
- Anticonvulsants
There are other sedating medications, please contact your physician or pharmacist or send me a message to me for clarification.
Medications metabolized by Cytochrome P450 – There are several agents in this category. Below is a shortlist but again, if you have questions about what you are taking, please consult a physician or pharmacist, or simply shoot me an email.
Ibuprofen (Motrin) – May increase ibuprofen levels.
Losartan (Cozaar) – May decrease therapeutic effects of losartan.
Dextromethorphan (Robitussin DM, Delsym, others) – May increase dextromethorphan levels leading to drowsiness, irritability, and confusion.
Lovastatin (Mevacor) – May increase lovastatin levels.
Sildenafil (Viagra) – May increase sildenafil levels.
Tacrolimus – There has been at least one case report of berberine, causing an increased serum creatinine and tacrolimus level in a 16-year-old patient with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.
Patients who take berberine along with tacrolimus should have drug levels checked as tacrolimus dose adjustment may be necessary.