Drug & supplement interaction

Alkanna + Cefprozil

Cefprozil brand name: Cefzil.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Alkanna and Cefprozil in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Alkanna and Cefprozil

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Cefprozil and Alkanna in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Alkanna safety at a glance

Alkanna overall Use caution Topical use is more common, but the plant may contain liver-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so oral use should be avoided.
Pregnancy Likely Unsafe When alkanna preparations containing hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are used orally. PAs might be teratogenic and hepatotoxic. There is insufficient... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Likely Unsafe When alkanna preparations containing hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are used orally. PAs might be teratogenic and hepatotoxic. There is insufficient... Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center) — the full detail is in the Special populations card below. Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Cefprozil and Alkanna? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Cefprozil

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Cefprozil is filed under 6 classifications — including organic anion transporter 3 (oat3) substrates, organic anion transporter 1 (oat1) substrates, antibiotic drugs. Alkanna has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being cytochrome p450 3a4 (cyp3a4) inducers (moderate) — and none of Cefprozil’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Alkanna Does Interact With Other Medications

Alkanna has 87 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Cefprozil isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 87 No known interaction 2,743 (incl. Cefprozil)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Alkanna

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

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Alkanna and Cefprozil May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Diarrhea / Vomiting Additional detail

    Alkanna

    “Orally, the major concern with alkanna is its pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) content. These constituents are hepatotoxic, pneumotoxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic. Chronic exposure to other plants containing hepatotoxic PA constituents is associated with veno-occlusive disease. Sub-acute veno-occlusive disease can cause vague symptoms, including colicky pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and ascites within several days;”

    Alkanna · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    3 sources cited
    1. 12841. Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
    2. 12842. Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.
    3. 4021. WHO working group. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Environmental Health Criteria, 80. WHO: Geneva, 1988.

    “Orally and topically, alkanna might cause toxicity. The major concern with alkanna use is its hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) content. Chronic exposure to other plants containing hepatotoxic PA constituents is associated with veno-occlusive disease. Sub-acute veno-occlusive disease can cause vague symptoms, including colicky pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and ascites within several days;”

    Alkanna · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in diarrhea.

    3 sources cited
    1. 12841. Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
    2. 12842. Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.
    3. 4021. WHO working group. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Environmental Health Criteria, 80. WHO: Geneva, 1988.

    Cefprozil

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Cefprozil. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Cefprozil come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Alkanna come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 780 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Cefprozil that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Special populations

Alkanna in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy And Lactation Likely Unsafe

When alkanna preparations containing hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are used orally. PAs might be teratogenic and hepatotoxic. There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of alkanna products that do not contain hepatotoxic PAs when used during pregnancy and lactation; avoid using.

DISCLAIMER: This tool is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Patients should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about therapies and/or health conditions.© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center

From our Q&A

Questions About Alkanna or Cefprozil

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Alkanna or Cefprozil, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Cefprozil

This page covers Alkanna only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Cefprozil page lists 60 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 46 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Cefprozil page

“Cefprozil (Cefzil) is a cephalosporin antibiotic, usually a short course for ear, sinus, throat, or skin infections, and three of the 60 supplements on this list warrant real caution even for a week of pills. Activated charcoal can bind the drug and pull it out of your system before it works.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Cefprozil interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1 real supplement products containing Alkanna, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Alkanna. Even though Alkanna itself has no known interaction with Cefprozil, another ingredient on your label might. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Alkanna and Cefprozil 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 Alkanna
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Cefprozil
Steady interest

#2,216 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Alkanna reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Alkanna and Cefprozil records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Alkanna

What is Alkanna?

Alkanna
  • Wound healing
  • Burns and skin ulcers
  • Natural red dye for foods and cosmetics
  • Skin irritation
  • Traditional remedy for diarrhea

Alkanna is a Mediterranean plant whose red root has long been used as a dye and as a folk skin remedy for wounds and burns. Human evidence for any health benefit is very limited, and because the plant can contain liver-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, oral use is not recommended. If you use it at all, use it externally and check with a pharmacist or doctor first.

Alkanna tinctoria · Boraginaceae · Roots (mainly); occasionally leaves · Topical creams, ointments, salves, oils, and natural dye; rarely oral preparations

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Alkanna is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Alkanna record says about it on its own.

Alkanna: dosing

There is no established standard dose for alkanna. It has not been studied well enough in people to define a safe and effective amount, whether on the skin or by mouth.If you use a product that contains alkanna, follow the directions on the label and use it only as intended.

From our Alkanna monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Alkanna monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Cefprozil

What Is Cefprozil Used For?

Brand name: Cefzil

Cefprozil tablets and oral suspension are both used to treat mild to moderate bacterial infections in adults and children. Approved uses include pharyngitis/tonsillitis (strep throat), acute sinusitis, otitis media (ear infections), acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and uncomplicated skin and skin-structure infections.

Cefprozil tablets are also approved for secondary bacterial infection of acute bronchitis. Because antibiotic resistance is a real concern, cefprozil should only be used when the infection is proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria that respond to it.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Cefprozil

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (780 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Chronic kidney disease 89 reports
Drug hypersensitivity 73 reports
Cough 64 reports
Acute kidney injury 59 reports
Dyspnea 59 reports
See full Cefprozil drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Alkanna

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

0Major
87Moderate
0Minor
2,742No known interaction
87 Moderate 2,742 No interaction
Moderate

87 interactions

Showing 60 of 87 moderate interactions — see all 87 on the Alkanna page.

No interaction 2,742 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Alkanna against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,742 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Alkanna list.

See the full Alkanna interactions page
See every supplement checked against Cefprozil, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Alkanna References

The 6 references that drive our Alkanna monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. WHO working group. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Environmental Health Criteria, 80. WHO: Geneva, 1988.
  2. Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
  3. Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.
  4. Wang YP, Yan J, Fu PP, Chou MW. Human liver microsomal reduction of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxides to form the corresponding carcinogenic parent alkaloid. Toxicol Lett 2005;155:411-20. PubMed
  5. Gümüs K, Özlü ZK. The effect of a beeswax, olive oil and Alkanna tinctorial (L.) Tausch mixture on burn injuries: An experimental study with a control group. Complement Ther Med. 2017;34:66-73.
  6. Kheiri A, Amini S, Javidan AN, Saghafi MM, Khorasani G. The effects of Alkanna tinctoria Tausch on split-thickness skin graft donor site management: a randomized, blinded placebo-controlled trial. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017;17(1):253. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Alkanna and Cefprozil Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Alkanna with Cefprozil?
We do not list a known interaction between Alkanna and Cefprozil. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Alkanna and Cefprozil have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 2 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Alkanna and Cefprozil combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Cefprozil is filed under 6 classifications, and Alkanna has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Cefprozil's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Alkanna interact with any other medications?
Yes. Alkanna has 87 documented drug interactions in our database — Cefprozil is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Cefprozil interact with any supplements?
Yes. Cefprozil has documented interactions with 60 supplements in our database — Alkanna is not one of them. The Cefprozil interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Alkanna monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Cefprozil drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Cefprozil supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Cefprozil, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 6 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Cefprozil and Alkanna?

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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.