Drug & supplement interaction

Alkanna + Lesinurad

Lesinurad brand name: Zurampic.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Alkanna has a moderate interaction with Lesinurad. Hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are substrates of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4).

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

Alkanna and Lesinurad

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS

Why this applies to Lesinurad

Lesinurad falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) INDUCERS — the group Alkanna interacts with.

Hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are substrates of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). Theoretically, drugs that induce CYP3A4 might increase the conversion of PAs to toxic metabolites. Some drugs that induce CYP3A4 include carbamazepine (Tegretol), phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), rifampin, rifabutin (Mycobutin), and others.
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 angle to keep in mind with this pair. Lesinurad is a mild CYP3A4 inducer, meaning it can nudge that liver enzyme to work a bit faster. The worry with Alkanna isn't about your gout treatment getting weaker. Instead, Alkanna root can contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, plant compounds that the liver turns into toxic byproducts using that same CYP3A4 pathway. So in theory, speeding up the enzyme could mean more of those harmful liver metabolites form.

I'll be straight with you: this is a theoretical concern based on how these chemicals behave in the lab, not real-world reports. Still, since oral Alkanna already carries liver-toxicity risk on its own, I'd avoid swallowing it and stick to external use if anything. Please run it by your pharmacist or doctor before combining.

References
  1. Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
  2. 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

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

Alkanna Also Interacts With Other Medications

Alkanna has 86 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Lesinurad 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 Alkanna

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Lesinurad

This page covers Alkanna only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lesinurad page lists 97 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Adrafinil (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alpine Ragwort (moderate) and Bacopa (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 74 moderate · 22 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lesinurad page

“Activated charcoal is the one major-rated entry among the 97 supplements and herbs on file for lesinurad (Zurampic), and it undermines the drug directly. Charcoal binds medicines in the gut and can cut how much lesinurad you absorb, letting uric acid climb and gout flare.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lesinurad 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. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Lesinurad too, on top of Alkanna — 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 Alkanna and Lesinurad 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lesinurad
Top half

#836 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 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.

Read the full Alkanna monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lesinurad

What Is Lesinurad Used For?

Brand name: Zurampic

  • Lesinurad is used in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor to treat hyperuricemia (high levels of uric acid) in people with gout (sudden attacks of redness, swelling, pain, and heat in one or more joints) whose disease is not controlled with their current medication. Lesinurad is in a class of medications called selective uric acid reabsorption inhibitors. It works by helping the kidneys to remove uric acid from the body.

See full Lesinurad 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
86Moderate
0Minor
2,743No known interaction
Moderate

86 interactions

Showing 60 of 86 moderate interactions — see all 86 on the Alkanna page.

No interaction 2,743 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 Alkanna and Lesinurad Together: Common Questions

Can you take Alkanna with Lesinurad?
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 Alkanna and Lesinurad 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 Lesinurad 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.