Ashwagandha and Your Medications

Ashwagandha is a widely used adaptogenic herbal supplement. NCCIH's own fact sheet names several medication categories worth checking before combining, all class-level cautions rather than single-drug warnings.

Documented findings

• Ashwagandha + levothyroxine (monitor) -- NCCIH's ashwagandha page names thyroid hormone medication as a category to discuss with a healthcare provider before use.
• Ashwagandha + metformin (monitor) -- the same source names diabetes medication as a category of concern.
• Ashwagandha + lisinopril and ashwagandha + spironolactone (monitor) -- blood pressure medication is named in the same way.

Why these are class-level, not drug-specific, findings

NCCIH's guidance names medication categories -- thyroid hormone, diabetes, and blood pressure medications -- rather than a specific drug within each category tested against ashwagandha directly. This site publishes the finding against the specific drugs in our catalog that fall within those named categories, while being explicit that the underlying evidence is class-general. A different drug in the same category may carry a similar consideration even if it doesn't yet have its own reviewed pair on this site.

What to do

Never stop or change a thyroid, diabetes, or blood pressure medication based on this site. Check your specific combination and mention ashwagandha use to your prescriber if you take medication in any of these three categories, since the concern is about the category generally, not one specific brand.

See Supplement Safety for more supplement-focused guidance.