The short answer
No studies found. We found no study of gokshura (gokhru) taken with testosterone, or with oestrogen or progesterone therapy. People often ask whether gokshura raises testosterone. A 2025 review of 10 studies in 483 men found no strong evidence that it does, and eight of the studies saw no significant change in male hormones.
Whether gokshura changes the effect of prescribed hormones has not been tested. Rare reports of liver and kidney injury after tribulus products are the clearer concern. If you are on hormone treatment, tell the doctor who prescribes it before you start gokshura, and report any new symptoms.
Testosterone gel is sold in India as Cernos Gel. Estradiol is sold as Progynova, and natural progesterone as Susten.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| No consistent rise in testosterone with tribulus alone[1] | No combination mechanism established | Effect on hormone therapy unknown | Systematic review |
| Liver and kidney injury after tribulus, not linked to any hormone[2][3] | Not established | Harm to the person, separate from the drug | Case report |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Systematic review, 2025 Systematic review
Ten studies, nine of them clinical trials, in 483 men aged 16 to 70. Half were judged low quality. Eight found no significant change in testosterone or related hormones. Two studies in men with low testosterone (hypogonadism) reported rises of 60 to 70 ng/dL from their starting level. None tested tribulus alongside testosterone or menopausal hormone therapy.[1]
Case report, 2015 Case report
A young, healthy man developed severe jaundice (hyperbilirubinaemia) and then kidney failure after taking tribulus. Memorial Sloan Kettering describes him as a 30-year-old bodybuilder who had taken tablets daily for months. Other causes could not be ruled out from the published summary.[4]
Case report, Iran, 2010 Case report
A 28-year-old man drank tribulus herbal water for two days to prevent kidney stones. He then had seizures, with liver enzymes more than 40 times the upper limit and a raised creatinine, a marker of kidney function. He improved after he stopped.[4]
What your doctor may watch for
- Any new symptom after starting gokshura, reported to the doctor who prescribes your hormones. We found no tribulus-specific schedule of hormone tests.[1]
- Liver and kidney blood tests if anything seems wrong. In the reported cases, injury showed up as jaundice and a rising creatinine.[4]
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I am taking, or planning to take, gokshura or a tribulus product (name of product, dose) along with my hormone treatment. It has not been studied with hormone therapy, and there are rare reports of liver and kidney injury. Is there anything you want to check?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Does gokhru increase testosterone? (क्या गोखरू टेस्टोस्टेरोन बढ़ाता है?)
The 2025 review found no reliable evidence that it does. Eight of 10 studies found no significant change in testosterone, and half were judged low quality. Two studies in men with low testosterone reported a rise from their own starting level.[1]
Can women on hormone replacement therapy take gokshura?
This has not been studied. The review we cite studied men, so it tells us nothing about oestrogen or progesterone treatment. Ask the doctor who prescribed your hormones.[1]
Related
Gokshura (gokhru) and blood pressure medicines
Gokshura lowered blood pressure on its own in one trial, so it could add to BP medicines. We found no study of the two taken together.
InteractionShatavari, the pill and hormone therapy
Not studied in people. Lab work suggests shatavari acts on the oestrogen receptor, but whether it changes how the pill or HRT works is unknown.
InteractionGokshura (gokhru) and metformin
A tribulus extract lowered blood sugar in one trial, so it could add to metformin. We found no study of the two taken together.
Sources
- Vilar Neto JO, de Moraes WMAM, Pinto DV, da Silva CA, Caminha JSR, Nunes Filho JCC, Reis CEG, Prestes J, Santos HO, De Francesco Daher E. Effects of Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris L.) supplementation on erectile dysfunction and testosterone levels in men: a systematic review of clinical trials. Nutrients. 2025;17(7):1275. PMID 40219032.
- Ryan M, Lazar I, Nadasdy GM, Nadasdy T, Satoskar AA. Acute kidney injury and hyperbilirubinemia in a young male after ingestion of Tribulus terrestris. Clin Nephrol. 2015;83(3):177-183. PMID 25295577.
- Talasaz AH, Abbasi MR, Abkhiz S, Dashti-Khavidaki S. Tribulus terrestris-induced severe nephrotoxicity in a young healthy male. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2010;25(11):3792-3793. PMID 20667992.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs: Tribulus terrestris.
Updated 4 November 2026
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