Drug & supplement interaction

1,3-dmba + Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine

Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine brand names: Alka-Seltzer PLUS Flu Liquid Gels, Tylenol Flu Daytime Ex Strength, Non Aspirin Cold Caps, Tylenol Cold, Tylenol Flu Ex Strength.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine falls into 2 drug categories that 1,3-dmba can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, combining 1,3-DMBA with other stimulant drugs might increase the risk of cardiovascular toxicity.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

1,3-dmba and Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

1,3-dmba interacts with whole categories of medication. Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with 1,3-dmba in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine

Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine falls under STIMULANT DRUGS — the group 1,3-dmba interacts with.

Theoretically, combining 1,3-DMBA with other stimulant drugs might increase the risk of cardiovascular toxicity.
Animal research shows that 1,3-DMBA has stimulant effects, such as increasing blood pressure and heart rate.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

The piece of your cold and flu combo that matters here is the pseudoephedrine. That's a decongestant, but it's also a stimulant, meaning it can nudge your heart rate and blood pressure up on its own. 1,3-DMBA is also a stimulant (a chemical cousin of the banned DMAA), so stacking the two could pile their effects on top of each other.

Together they may push your blood pressure and pulse higher, leaving you feeling jittery, anxious, or with a pounding or racing heart. To be honest, I'd steer clear of 1,3-DMBA entirely, since the FDA considers it unsafe. The interaction itself is based mostly on animal data, so it's more of a caution than a sure thing, but please run it by your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. SWANSON EE, CHEN KK. Comparison of pressor action of alicyclic derivatives of aliphatic amines. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1948 Aug;93(4):423-9.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, 1,3-DMBA might modestly increase the levels of CYP2D6 substrates.
In vitro research shows that 1,3-DMBA weakly inhibits CYP2D6 enzymes.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Let's focus on the dextromethorphan piece of this cold-and-flu combo, since that's the ingredient your liver clears using an enzyme called CYP2D6. Lab studies suggest 1,3-DMBA might weakly block that enzyme. If it does, dextromethorphan could build up a little, which can mean more drowsiness, dizziness, or feeling foggy. The acetaminophen and pseudoephedrine aren't really affected by this particular pathway.

Honestly though, the bigger concern here is the stimulant itself. 1,3-DMBA is an unsafe, banned ingredient, and pairing it with pseudoephedrine (another stimulant) could push your heart rate and blood pressure up. This enzyme interaction is only theoretical and rated minor, so don't panic, but please skip 1,3-DMBA products and check with your pharmacist.

References
  1. Liu Y, Santillo MF. Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 3A4 enzyme inhibition by amine stimulants in dietary supplements. Drug Test Anal. 2016;8(3-4):307-10. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

1,3-dmba Also Interacts With Other Medications

1,3-dmba has 171 moderate, 149 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against 1,3-dmba

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against 1,3-dmba. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine

This page covers 1,3-dmba only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine page lists 262 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Ephedra (major) and Grapefruit (major).

By severity: 12 major · 207 moderate · 43 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine page

“Ephedra is the ingredient to notice first here. Pseudoephedrine, the decongestant in Tylenol Flu, Alka-Seltzer PLUS Flu, and other acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and pseudoephedrine combinations, is itself a stimulant, and 44 entries push the same direction, raising the odds of high blood pressure and a racing heart.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where 1,3-dmba and Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement 1,3-dmba
Steady interest

#1,025 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine
Top 25%

#317 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About 1,3-dmba

What is 1,3-dmba?

  • Athletic and workout performance
  • Energy and stimulation
  • Weight loss and fat burning
  • Appetite suppression
  • Focus and concentration

1,3-DMBA is a synthetic stimulant chemically similar to the banned stimulant DMAA, and it is not a proven or safe dietary ingredient. The U.S. FDA considers supplements containing it adulterated, and it is banned in sports. Because of serious heart and stroke risks, it is best to avoid products that contain it.

Read the full 1,3-dmba monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & 1,3-dmba

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against 1,3-dmba — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
171Moderate
149Minor
2,509No known interaction
Moderate

171 interactions

Showing 60 of 171 moderate interactions — see all 171 on the 1,3-dmba page.

Minor

149 interactions

Showing 60 of 149 minor interactions — see all 149 on the 1,3-dmba page.

No interaction 2,509 drugs checked — show the list
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking 1,3-dmba and Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine Together: Common Questions

Can you take 1,3-dmba with Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for 1,3-dmba and Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine?
Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine belongs to more than one drug category, and 1,3-dmba interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the 1,3-dmba and Acetaminophen, Dextromethorphan, Pseudoephedrine interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.