Drug & supplement interaction

Aletris + Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel

Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel brand names: Levlite 28, Tri-Levlen 21, Tri-Levlen 28, Levlite, Trivora-28, and others.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Aletris has a moderate interaction with Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel. Aletris might have estrogenic effects. Theoretically, use of aletris with estrogens might increase the risk for additive adverse effects.

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

Aletris and Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ESTROGENS

Why this applies to Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel

Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel falls under ESTROGENS — the group Aletris interacts with.

Aletris might have estrogenic effects. Theoretically, use of aletris with estrogens might increase the risk for additive adverse effects.
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

Your birth control pill already contains an estrogen, ethinyl estradiol, paired with a progestin called levonorgestrel. Aletris has been suggested in lab studies to act a little like estrogen in the body. The thinking here is simple: adding a weak estrogen-like herb on top of your pill could, in theory, stack estrogen effects together. That might mean more of the usual estrogen-related nuisances like breast tenderness, nausea, bloating, headaches, or mood changes.

I want to be honest that this is a theoretical concern. It's based on how the plant behaves in test tubes, not on real patient studies, and the estrogen activity appears mild. Still, since safety data on Aletris is thin, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining the two.

References
  1. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.

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

Aletris Also Interacts With Other Medications

Aletris has 40 moderate, 36 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Aletris

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel

This page covers Aletris only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

By severity: 6 major · 195 moderate · 38 minor.

Open the Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 2 real supplement products containing Aletris, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Aletris. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel too, on top of Aletris — 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 Aletris and Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel 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 Aletris
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel
Top half

#717 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 Aletris

What is Aletris?

Aletris
  • Menstrual complaints
  • Digestive upset and colic
  • Loss of appetite
  • Female reproductive tonic
  • Rheumatic discomfort

Aletris (true unicorn root or colic root) is a North American herb traditionally used for menstrual problems and digestive complaints, but there is little to no modern human research to show it works. Because safety is poorly studied, it should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and anyone considering it should first talk with a pharmacist or doctor.

Read the full Aletris monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Aletris

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

0Major
40Moderate
36Minor
2,753No known interaction
Moderate

40 interactions

Minor

36 interactions

No interaction 2,753 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 Aletris and Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Aletris with Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel?
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.
How serious is the Aletris and Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel 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

Still Have a Question About Ethinyl Estradiol, Levonorgestrel and Aletris?

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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.