Drug & supplement interaction

Aconite + Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine brand names: Excedrin Migraine, Excedrin, Excedrin Extra Strength.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine falls into 2 drug categories that Aconite can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, combining aconite with other antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

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

Aconite and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Aconite interacts with.

Theoretically, combining aconite with other antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
Higenamine, a constituent of aconite, is thought to have antiplatelet and antithrombotic effects. In an animal model of thrombosis, higenamine inhibited platelet aggregation and reduced the size of thrombus formation.
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

Here's the thing to keep in mind with Excedrin Migraine: the aspirin in it is a blood thinner that already makes platelets less sticky. Aconite contains a compound called higenamine that, at least in lab and animal studies, seems to do something similar. Put them together and, in theory, you could nudge up the risk of bruising more easily, nosebleeds, or stomach bleeding, which aspirin can already cause.

Honestly though, my bigger concern is aconite itself. It's a genuinely toxic plant that can harm your heart and nerves even in small amounts. This bleeding interaction is only theoretical, but the safest move is to avoid aconite entirely. Please check with your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Zhao D, Wang J, Cui Y, Wu X. Pharmacological effects of Chinese herb aconite (fuzi) on cardiovascular system. J Tradit Chin Med. 2012 Sep;32(3):308-13. PubMed
Moderate

STIMULANT DRUGS

2 of 2

Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine also falls under STIMULANT DRUGS.

Theoretically, combining aconite with other stimulant drugs might alter the effects of the stimulant drug or increase the risk of cardiovascular toxicity.
Aconite and its constituents have stimulant effects due to agonist activity at beta-2-adrenoreceptors. In cardiac muscle, aconite appears to have a positive inotropic effect and increases heart rate and blood pressure. However, some constituents of aconite can reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
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 Excedrin that matters here is the caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can nudge up your heart rate and blood pressure. Aconite can also act like a stimulant on the heart, so the worry is that stacking the two might add up and push your heart and blood pressure harder than expected. You could feel jittery, notice a racing or pounding heartbeat, or feel lightheaded.

Honestly though, this concern comes only from lab and animal data, so it's theoretical and not well proven in people. The bigger issue is aconite itself, which is genuinely poisonous and unsafe in raw or unprocessed forms. Please don't use any aconite product without first checking with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Yeih DF, Chiang FT, Huang SKS. Successful treatment of aconitine induced life threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmia with amiodarone. Heart 2000;84:E8. PubMed
  2. Lin CC, Chan TY, Deng JF. Clinical features and management of herb-induced aconitine poisoning. Ann Emerg Med 2004;43:574-9. PubMed
  3. Telang, B. V. and Ng'ang'a, J. N. Involvement of Central adrenergic mechanisms in the induction of cardiac arrhythmias by aconitine nitrate administered intraventricularly. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1975;19(1):1-10.
  4. Kimura, I., Takada, M., and Nojima, H. Aconitine induces bradycardia through a transmission pathway including the anterior hypothalamus in conscious mice. Biol.Pharm Bull. 1997;20(8):856-860. PubMed
  5. Zhao D, Wang J, Cui Y, Wu X. Pharmacological effects of Chinese herb aconite (fuzi) on cardiovascular system. J Tradit Chin Med. 2012 Sep;32(3):308-13. 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

Aconite Also Interacts With Other Medications

Aconite has 277 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine 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 Aconite

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Aconite. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine

This page covers Aconite only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine page lists 371 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), Danshen (major) and Ephedra (major).

By severity: 13 major · 312 moderate · 46 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine page

“Excedrin (acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine) packs three drugs into one tablet, which multiplies the ways supplements can collide with it, so treat this list with real care. Most entries involve the aspirin: hundreds of herbs add to its blood-thinning effect and raise bleeding risk, and even beer or wine earns a major rating for sto…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Aconite as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 56 real supplement products containing Aconite, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Aconite. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine too, on top of Aconite — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Aconite and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine 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 Aconite
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine
Top 25%

#386 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 Aconite

What is Aconite?

Aconite
  • Pain and nerve pain
  • Fever and cold or flu symptoms
  • Anxiety and restlessness (homeopathic use)
  • Inflammation and joint pain
  • Heart-related complaints (traditional use)

Aconite is a highly poisonous plant, and even small amounts of the raw or improperly processed root can cause severe, life-threatening reactions. There is no good scientific evidence that it safely treats any condition, and the only forms generally considered acceptable are extremely diluted homeopathic preparations. We strongly recommend avoiding raw or unprocessed aconite entirely and talking to a pharmacist or doctor before using any product containing it.

Read the full Aconite monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Aconite

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

0Major
277Moderate
0Minor
2,552No known interaction
Moderate

277 interactions

Showing 60 of 277 moderate interactions — see all 277 on the Aconite page.

No interaction 2,552 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 Aconite and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Aconite with Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine?
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 Aconite and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine?
Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine belongs to more than one drug category, and Aconite 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 Aconite and Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Caffeine 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.