Drug & supplement interaction

American Elder + Nifedipine

Nifedipine brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, and others.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

American Elder has a moderate interaction with Nifedipine. Theoretically, taking American elder might increase levels of CYP3A4 substrates.

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

American Elder and Nifedipine

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Nifedipine

Nifedipine falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group American Elder interacts with.

Theoretically, taking American elder might increase levels of CYP3A4 substrates.
In vitro research shows that American elder inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes.
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 gist: your body relies on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break down nifedipine. Lab tests hint that American elder may slow that enzyme down a bit. If it does, nifedipine could clear more slowly and build up in your system, which can nudge its blood-pressure-lowering effect too far. With nifedipine, that usually shows up as dizziness, lightheadedness, flushing, headache, swollen ankles, or a faster heartbeat.

The honest part: this comes only from test-tube research, not from people, so it's theoretical and may not amount to much in real life. Occasional cooked elderberry for a cold is unlikely to be a problem, but concentrated daily extracts are less predictable. Before adding an elder supplement, check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Vandenhoek S, Arnason JT. An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures. Phytomedicine 2000;7:273-82. 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

American Elder Also Interacts With Other Medications

American Elder has 643 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Nifedipine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 643 No known interaction 2,187 (incl. Nifedipine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against American Elder

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

From our Q&A

Questions About American Elder or Nifedipine

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers American Elder or Nifedipine, 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 Nifedipine

This page covers American Elder only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nifedipine page lists 273 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Hellebore (major), American Mistletoe (major), Beer (major) and Coca (major).

By severity: 11 major · 223 moderate · 39 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nifedipine page

“Nifedipine (Procardia XL, Adalat) relaxes blood vessels to lower blood pressure and ease chest pain, and I would handle this list with real care, since 11 of its 273 entries carry a major rating. Grapefruit is the one to know cold.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nifedipine interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 61 real supplement products containing American Elder, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides American Elder. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Nifedipine too, on top of American Elder — 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 American Elder and Nifedipine 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 American Elder
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nifedipine
Top half

#827 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 American Elder

What is American Elder?

American Elder
  • Cold and flu symptoms
  • Immune support
  • Fever and congestion (traditional)
  • Constipation (traditional)
  • Antioxidant support

American elder is a North American plant whose cooked, ripe berries and flowers are used mainly for colds, flu, and general immune support. The science behind these uses is limited and most studies focus on the closely related European black elder (Sambucus nigra), so benefits are uncertain. Only properly prepared berries and flowers should be used, since raw berries, leaves, bark, and seeds can cause poisoning.

Read the full American Elder monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Nifedipine

What Is Nifedipine Used For?

Brand names: Procardia XL, Adalat PA, Adalat, Nifedin, Nifed PA, Nifed, Procardia, Adalat XL, Adalat CC, Adalat LA, Adalat Retard, Adipine MR, Adipine XL, Cardilate MR, Coracten SR, Coracten XL, Fortipine LA 40, Hypolar Retard 20, Nifedipress MR, Nifopress Retard, Tensipine MR

Nifedipine treats high blood pressure (hypertension), chronic stable angina (chest pain brought on by physical effort), and vasospastic angina (chest pain caused by spasm of the coronary arteries, sometimes called Prinzmetal's angina). Lowering blood pressure with nifedipine helps reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks.

The capsule form is approved for vasospastic angina and chronic stable angina only — it is not approved for high blood pressure. The extended-release tablet (including Procardia) covers all three uses: vasospastic angina, chronic stable angina, and high blood pressure.

See full Nifedipine drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & American Elder

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

0Major
643Moderate
0Minor
2,186No known interaction
643 Moderate 2,186 No interaction
Moderate

643 interactions

Showing 60 of 643 moderate interactions — see all 643 on the American Elder page.

No interaction 2,186 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,186 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full American Elder list.

See the full American Elder interactions page
See every supplement checked against Nifedipine, ranked by severity
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

Keep exploring
American Elder monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Nifedipine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Nifedipine, ranked by severity Nifedipine drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking American Elder and Nifedipine Together: Common Questions

Can you take American Elder with Nifedipine?
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 American Elder and Nifedipine 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 Nifedipine and American Elder?

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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.