Drug & supplement interaction

Artichoke + Atorvastatin Calcium

Atorvastatin Calcium brand name: Lipitor.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium 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.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium

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 Atorvastatin Calcium and Artichoke 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.

Artichoke safety at a glance

Artichoke overall Use caution Generally well tolerated as a food and short-term supplement, but quality and dosing vary by product.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information exists, so it is best avoided in supplement form during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety during breastfeeding has not been established, so it is best avoided.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Atorvastatin Calcium and Artichoke? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Atorvastatin Calcium

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Atorvastatin Calcium is filed under 7 classifications — including hmg-coa reductase inhibitors ("statins"), organic anion-transporting polypeptide substrates (oatp), glucuronidated drugs. Artichoke has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — the most serious being antidiabetes drugs (moderate), antihypertensive drugs (moderate) and cytochrome p450 2b6 (cyp2b6) substrates (moderate) — and none of Atorvastatin Calcium’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

Artichoke Does Interact With Other Medications

Artichoke has 363 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Atorvastatin Calcium isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 363 No known interaction 2,467 (incl. Atorvastatin Calcium)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Artichoke

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

What to actually watch for

What Artichoke Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Atorvastatin Calcium. It is the side-effect record for Artichoke on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Artichoke, this list is the first place to look. 4 entries are worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • A bowel blockage Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, artichoke extract might increase abdominal discomfort, flatulence, diarrhea, hunger, and nausea in some patients. Abdominal pain and a bitter taste in the mouth were reported by a single person following oral use of a dietary supplement containing artichoke extract, as well as red yeast rice, pine bark extract, and garlic extract.”

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

    5 sources cited
    1. 2562. Walker AF, Middleton RW, Petrowicz O. Artichoke leaf extract reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a post-marketing surveillance study. Phytother Res 2001;15:58-61. PubMed
    2. 52238. Held C. Von der 1. Deutsche-Ungarischen Phytopharmakon-Konferenz, Budapest, 20. November 1991. Z Klin Med 1992;47:92-93.
    3. 91475. Huber R, Müller M, Naumann J, Schenk T, Lüdtke R. Artichoke leave extract for chronic hepatitis C - a pilot study. Phytomedicine. 2009 Sep;16(9):801-4. PubMed
    4. 89452. Barrat E, Zaïr Y, Ogier N, et al. A combined natural supplement lowers LDL cholesterol in subjects with moderate untreated hypercholesterolemia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2013;64(7):882-9. PubMed
    5. 97716. Caputo F, Barranco R, Bonsignore A, Fraternali Orcioni G, Ventura F. A rare case of fatal bowel obstruction secondary to a colonic bezoar. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2018;39(1):38-40. PubMed
  • Wheezing Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Following occupational exposure, allergic symptoms including dyspnea, cough, chest tightness, and asthma symptoms or exacerbation have been reported. The effects were attributed to sensitization to artichoke.”

    Artichoke · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    3 sources cited
    1. 52210. Miralles, J. C., Garcia-Sells, J., Bartolome, B., and Negro, J. M. Occupational rhinitis and bronchial asthma due to artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2003;91(1):92-95. PubMed
    2. 52230. Quirce, S., Tabar, A. I., Olaguibel, J. M., and Cuevas, M. Occupational contact urticaria syndrome caused by globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus). J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996;97(2):710-711. PubMed
    3. 52217. Franck, P., Moneret-Vautrin, D. A., Morisset, M., Kanny, G., Megret-Gabeaux, M. L., and Olivier, J. L. Anaphylactic reaction to inulin: first identification of specific IgEs to an inulin protein compound. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2005;136(2):155-158. PubMed
  • Chest pain / Shortness of breath / A severe allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Orally, artichoke extract seems to be well tolerated.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, hunger, and nausea.

    Topically: Contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

    Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):

    Orally: Anaphylaxis to artichoke inulin has been reported in individuals sensitive to inulin.

    Topically: Chest tightness, cough, and dyspnea after occupational exposure in sensitive i…”

    Artichoke · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cough.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “Artichoke can cause an allergic reaction in some patients. Patients sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family may be at the greatest risk. Members of this family include ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, daisies, and many other herbs. Topically, allergic contact dermatitis can occur with the use of artichoke. This has been attributed to the constituent cynaropicrin (11,52206,52226,52230).”

    Artichoke · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in allergic rhinitis (hay fever).

    6 sources cited
    1. 11. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
    2. 52206. Romano, C., Ferrara, A., and Falagiani, P. A case of allergy to globe artichoke and other clinical cases of rare food allergy. J Investig.Allergol.Clin Immunol. 2000;10(2):102-104.
    3. 52226. Meding, B. Allergic contact dermatitis from artichoke, Cynara scolymus. Contact Dermatitis 1983;9(4):314.
    4. 52230. Quirce, S., Tabar, A. I., Olaguibel, J. M., and Cuevas, M. Occupational contact urticaria syndrome caused by globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus). J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996;97(2):710-711. PubMed
    5. 11774. Pittler MH, White AR, Stevinson C, Ernst E. Effectiveness of artichoke extract in preventing alcohol-induced hangovers: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2003;169:1269-73.
    6. 91475. Huber R, Müller M, Naumann J, Schenk T, Lüdtke R. Artichoke leave extract for chronic hepatitis C - a pilot study. Phytomedicine. 2009 Sep;16(9):801-4. PubMed
  • A change in taste Additional detail

    Recorded for Artichoke in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under A bowel blockage above.

  • Bloating or gas Additional detail

    Recorded for Artichoke in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Chest pain / Shortness of breath / A severe allergic reaction above.

  • Sweating Additional detail

    Recorded for Artichoke in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under An allergic reaction above.

  • Cough Additional detail

    Recorded for Artichoke in the same Natural Medicines adverse-effect record shown under Chest pain / Shortness of breath / A severe allergic reaction above.

Showing the 10 most notable of 15 recorded effects — ranked by how unusual each one is across medicines generally, with serious effects weighted up.

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Artichoke — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Atorvastatin Calcium to its FDA label in our system yet, so we can’t compare its own side-effect list here — the leaflet that comes with your prescription is the authoritative list for Atorvastatin Calcium.

Overlapping uses

What Atorvastatin Calcium Is Prescribed For, and What Artichoke Has Been Studied For

These two come up together because they touch the same health topic — not because they do the same job. Atorvastatin Calcium is a prescription medicine with approved uses on its FDA label. Artichoke is a supplement: what follows is what researchers have looked at it for, and how strong that evidence is.

Atorvastatin Calcium is prescribed for: Atorvastatin is used alongside a healthy diet to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, triglycerides (blood fats), and other harmful lipids, while raising HDL ("good") cholesterol. It treats primary hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), mixed dyslipidemia (mixed abnormal blood fats), hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides), and inherited conditions such as heterozygous and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia — including in children aged 10 and older. Beyond cholesterol control, atorvastatin is used to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, revascularization procedures, and angina (chest pain) in adults with coronary heart disease or multiple risk factors for it — including adults with type 2 diabetes who have risk factors for heart disease even without a confirmed heart disease diagnosis.

Artichoke has been studied for:

  • Hyperlipidemia Natural Medicines rates the evidence for Artichoke: Possibly Effective Read what the research shows

    Artichoke for hyperlipidemia

    Most research shows that oral artichoke lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients with hyperlipidemia. However, frozen artichoke juice does not appear to have these effects.

  • Diabetes studied, not established Artichoke has been studied for this. Natural Medicines rates the evidence: Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Read what the research shows

    Artichoke for diabetes

    Several small clinical studies suggest that oral artichoke extract may slightly reduce fasting blood glucose, but may not improve glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) or other measures of glycemic control, in patients with diabetes.

Effectiveness ratings and the research summaries above are the verbatim record from the Natural Medicines database, which grades evidence from “Effective” down to “Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate”. A rating below the top of that scale means researchers have looked at it — not that it works, and never that it can stand in for a prescribed medicine. Do not stop or replace Atorvastatin Calcium on your own; if you are taking Artichoke for the same health topic, tell your prescriber, especially if the medicine is being adjusted to a target.

From our Q&A

Questions About Artichoke or Atorvastatin Calcium

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

This page covers Artichoke only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Atorvastatin Calcium page lists 181 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Beer (major), Grapefruit (major) and Green Tea (major).

Open the Atorvastatin Calcium interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,715 real supplement products containing Artichoke, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Artichoke. Even though Artichoke itself has no known interaction with Atorvastatin Calcium, 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 Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium 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 Artichoke
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Atorvastatin Calcium
Top 5%

#101 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 Artichoke reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium 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 Artichoke

What is Artichoke?

Artichoke
  • High cholesterol
  • Indigestion and heartburn
  • Constipation and bloating
  • Liver and gallbladder support
  • General digestive health

Artichoke leaf extract is a generally well-tolerated supplement that may have a mild cholesterol-lowering effect and is often used for indigestion, though the evidence is modest. It is not a replacement for proven treatments, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you have a medical condition.

Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus · Asteraceae · Leaves (most common in supplements); also flower buds and roots · Capsules, tablets, liquid extracts, tea, and as a food (the edible flower bud)

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

Artichoke: dosing

There is no single official dose for artichoke supplements. The right amount depends on the specific product and the type of extract used, since the strength can vary widely between brands.The best approach is to follow the directions on the product label and choose a reputable, standardized product.

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

Read the full Artichoke monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Atorvastatin

What Is Atorvastatin Used For?

Brand name: Lipitor

Atorvastatin is used alongside a healthy diet to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, triglycerides (blood fats), and other harmful lipids, while raising HDL ("good") cholesterol. It treats primary hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), mixed dyslipidemia (mixed abnormal blood fats), hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides), and inherited conditions such as heterozygous and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia — including in children aged 10 and older.

Beyond cholesterol control, atorvastatin is used to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, revascularization procedures, and angina (chest pain) in adults with coronary heart disease or multiple risk factors for it — including adults with type 2 diabetes who have risk factors for heart disease even without a confirmed heart disease diagnosis.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Atorvastatin Calcium

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (245,963 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Fatigue 14,254 reports
Nausea 12,774 reports
Diarrhea 11,485 reports
Dyspnea 11,456 reports
Type 2 diabetes mellitus 11,261 reports
See full Atorvastatin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Artichoke

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

0Major
363Moderate
0Minor
2,466No known interaction
363 Moderate 2,466 No interaction
Moderate

363 interactions

Showing 60 of 363 moderate interactions — see all 363 on the Artichoke page.

No interaction 2,466 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,466 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Artichoke list.

See the full Artichoke interactions page
See every supplement checked against Atorvastatin Calcium, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Artichoke References

The 16 references that drive our Artichoke 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. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
  2. Walker AF, Middleton RW, Petrowicz O. Artichoke leaf extract reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in a post-marketing surveillance study. Phytother Res 2001;15:58-61. PubMed
  3. Pittler MH, White AR, Stevinson C, Ernst E. Effectiveness of artichoke extract in preventing alcohol-induced hangovers: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2003;169:1269-73.
  4. Romano, C., Ferrara, A., and Falagiani, P. A case of allergy to globe artichoke and other clinical cases of rare food allergy. J Investig.Allergol.Clin Immunol. 2000;10(2):102-104.
  5. Miralles, J. C., Garcia-Sells, J., Bartolome, B., and Negro, J. M. Occupational rhinitis and bronchial asthma due to artichoke (Cynara scolymus). Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2003;91(1):92-95. PubMed
  6. Franck, P., Moneret-Vautrin, D. A., Morisset, M., Kanny, G., Megret-Gabeaux, M. L., and Olivier, J. L. Anaphylactic reaction to inulin: first identification of specific IgEs to an inulin protein compound. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2005;136(2):155-158. PubMed
  7. Meding, B. Allergic contact dermatitis from artichoke, Cynara scolymus. Contact Dermatitis 1983;9(4):314.
  8. Quirce, S., Tabar, A. I., Olaguibel, J. M., and Cuevas, M. Occupational contact urticaria syndrome caused by globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus). J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996;97(2):710-711. PubMed
  9. Held C. Von der 1. Deutsche-Ungarischen Phytopharmakon-Konferenz, Budapest, 20. November 1991. Z Klin Med 1992;47:92-93.
  10. Barrat E, Zaïr Y, Ogier N, et al. A combined natural supplement lowers LDL cholesterol in subjects with moderate untreated hypercholesterolemia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2013;64(7):882-9. PubMed
  11. Huber R, Müller M, Naumann J, Schenk T, Lüdtke R. Artichoke leave extract for chronic hepatitis C - a pilot study. Phytomedicine. 2009 Sep;16(9):801-4. PubMed
  12. Caputo F, Barranco R, Bonsignore A, Fraternali Orcioni G, Ventura F. A rare case of fatal bowel obstruction secondary to a colonic bezoar. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2018;39(1):38-40. PubMed
  13. Elsebai MF, Abass K, Hakkola J, Atawia AR, Farag MA. The wild Egyptian artichoke as a promising functional food for the treatment of hepatitis C virus as revealed via UPLC-MS and clinical trials. Food Funct. 2016;7(7):3006-16. PubMed
  14. Moradi M, Sohrabi G, Golbidi M, et al. Effects of artichoke on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med 2021;57:102668. PubMed
  15. Jalili C, Moradi S, Babaei A, et al. Effects of Cynara scolymus L. on glycemic indices: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med 2020;52:102496. 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 Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Artichoke with Atorvastatin Calcium?
We do not list a known interaction between Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium. 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.
Are Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium used for the same thing?
They overlap in purpose, which usually means the real question is whether you need both rather than whether they are safe together. This page lists the shared uses and how strong the evidence is for Artichoke in each. That is a conversation for your prescriber, especially if Atorvastatin Calcium is being adjusted to a target.
How was the Artichoke and Atorvastatin Calcium combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Atorvastatin Calcium is filed under 7 classifications, and Artichoke has documented interactions with 4 drug classes — none of Atorvastatin Calcium'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 Artichoke interact with any other medications?
Yes. Artichoke has 363 documented drug interactions in our database — Atorvastatin Calcium 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 Atorvastatin Calcium interact with any supplements?
Yes. Atorvastatin Calcium has documented interactions with 181 supplements in our database — Artichoke is not one of them. The Atorvastatin Calcium 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

Artichoke monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Atorvastatin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Atorvastatin Calcium supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Atorvastatin Calcium, 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 16 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Atorvastatin Calcium and Artichoke?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.