The short answer
Not known. We found no study that measured whether haritaki (harad) changes how well medicines are absorbed, and none that tested taking them hours apart. The one human report is of a patient on sertraline, an antidepressant, who relapsed into depression twice after taking Ayurvedic herbal mixtures. The authors suspected haritaki or guggul in the mixtures but could not tell which, if either, was to blame.
In rats, haritaki slowed the clearance of omeprazole and chlorzoxazone but did not change four other test drugs. If you take a regular medicine, tell your prescribing doctor that you use haritaki or Triphala, and mention it if a medicine seems to stop working as well.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression returned twice on sertraline after herbal mixtures[1] | Not established; haritaki or guggul suspected | Sertraline may have worked less well | Case report |
| Slower clearance of omeprazole and chlorzoxazone in rats[2] | Inhibition of CYP2C19 and CYP2E1, two liver enzymes | More of drugs cleared this way; human relevance unknown | Animal |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Case report, 2009 Case report
A patient who had been stable on sertraline had two relapses of depression, each linked in time to Ayurvedic herbal mixtures. The authors speculated that haritaki or Commiphora wightii (guggul) in the mixtures made sertraline less effective. The report gives no drug levels, and the mixtures held several herbs, so the cause is not known.[1]
Rat study, 2020 Animal
Rats were given haritaki for 15 days, then a set of six test drugs by injection. Omeprazole and chlorzoxazone were cleared more slowly, pointing to inhibition of CYP2C19 and CYP2E1. Theophylline, midazolam, metoprolol and tolbutamide showed no significant change. Because the test drugs were injected, the study says nothing about absorption from the gut or about spacing doses.[2]
What your doctor may watch for
- Whether each of your medicines is still working as expected, judged by the test or symptom that fits that medicine.[1]
- Changes in bowel habit after starting haritaki.
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I am taking, or planning to take, haritaki or Triphala (name of product, how much, and when) along with my regular medicines. There is one report of an antidepressant seeming to stop working with herbal mixtures that contained haritaki. Is there anything I should watch for with my medicines?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Should I take haritaki or Triphala a few hours apart from my medicines?
No study has tested any gap between haritaki and a medicine, so no interval is known to help. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the specific medicines you take.[2]
Does haritaki stop all medicines from working?
There is no evidence for that. In the rat study it changed the handling of two test drugs and not of four others. The real question is about your particular medicines.[2]
Related
Triphala with other medicines: timing and absorption
No study in people has tested triphala's effect on other medicines, or any timing gap. In rats, triphala raised the levels of two test drugs.
InteractionHaritaki (harad) and warfarin
We found no study of haritaki with warfarin. A rat study found no effect on the main enzyme that clears warfarin, but slowed a minor one.
InteractionHaritaki (harad) and metformin
A ginger and haritaki extract lowered blood sugar in diabetic rats. We found no study of haritaki with metformin in people.
FormulationTriphala Churna
Three fruits in one powder, best known as a laxative. Human trials are few and small; most research is in the lab or in animals.
Sources
- Prasad KP, Tharangani PG, Samaranayake CN. Recurrent relapses of depression in a patient established on sertraline after taking herbal medicinal mixtures: a herb-drug interaction? J Psychopharmacol. 2009;23(2):216-219. PMID 18515463.
- Wu G, Dong Z, Dong J, Wei L, Shi R, Kang S, Zhang D. Effects of Mongolian medicine Terminalia chebula Retz. on 6 CYP450 enzymes in rats. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2020;13(12):3128-3138. PMID 33425113.
Updated 4 November 2026
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