Drug & supplement interaction

Asian Water Plantain + Vancomycin Hydrochloride

Vancomycin Hydrochloride brand name: Firvanq.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated February 2024
The bottom line Minor

Asian Water Plantain has a minor interaction with Vancomycin Hydrochloride. Studies on animals have shown that Asian water plantain extract, which contains triterpenoids, is generally safe at doses up to 1440 mg/kg orally daily and does not cause harm to the body.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMinor
LikelihoodUnlikely
EvidenceA
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Asian Water Plantain and Vancomycin Hydrochloride

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

Minor

Nephrotoxic Drugs

Why this applies to Vancomycin Hydrochloride

Vancomycin Hydrochloride falls under Nephrotoxic Drugs — the group Asian Water Plantain interacts with.

Studies on animals have shown that Asian water plantain extract, which contains triterpenoids, is generally safe at doses up to 1440 mg/kg orally daily and does not cause harm to the body. However, using a higher dose of the extract, at 33.3 grams/kg orally for 60 days, has been linked to kidney issues, as indicated by increased blood urea nitrogen levels, and enlargement of the liver and kidneys. Additionally, two components of Asian water plantain, alisol A and alisol B, when given in doses of 400 mg/kg daily and 500 mg/kg daily respectively for 6 months, have been found to increase the production of markers that suggest potential kidney damage from certain medications. While these findings suggest there is very little risk that Asian water plantain may interact with drugs that are harmful to the kidneys, caution is still advised if combined with known nephrotoxic drugs (source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28408883/)
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence A

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist with vancomycin (Firvanq) and Asian water plantain. Vancomycin is an antibiotic that your kidneys clear, and at higher doses or longer courses it can be hard on the kidneys all by itself. Asian water plantain is a traditional diuretic, and in animal studies very high doses of its compounds (alisol A and B) nudged up markers of kidney stress. The worry is simply stacking two things that could both lean on the kidneys.

I'll be honest: this concern comes from lab and animal work using huge doses, not from people, so the real-world risk is considered minor and unlikely. Still, since kidney health matters with vancomycin, it's worth a quick chat with your doctor or pharmacist before combining them, and don't start or stop anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction

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

Asian Water Plantain Also Interacts With Other Medications

Asian Water Plantain has 354 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Vancomycin Hydrochloride one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 354 No known interaction 2,476 (incl. Vancomycin Hydrochloride)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Asian Water Plantain

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Asian Water Plantain or Vancomycin Hydrochloride

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Asian Water Plantain or Vancomycin Hydrochloride, 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 Vancomycin Hydrochloride

This page covers Asian Water Plantain only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Vancomycin Hydrochloride page lists 50 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), Aristolochia (moderate) and Bacillus Coagulans (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 36 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Vancomycin Hydrochloride page

“Vancomycin Hydrochloride (Firvanq) treats serious gut infections such as C. difficile, and this list deserves real respect before you add any supplement to it.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Vancomycin Hydrochloride interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Asian Water Plantain and Vancomycin Hydrochloride 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 Asian Water Plantain
Steady interest

#1,165 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Vancomycin Hydrochloride
Steady interest

#2,493 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 Asian Water Plantain

What is Asian Water Plantain?

Asian Water Plantain
  • Promoting urination (diuretic)
  • Fluid retention and swelling
  • Urinary discomfort
  • Cholesterol and heart health support
  • Kidney and bladder support

Asian water plantain (Ze Xie) is a rhizome long used in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly as a diuretic and for fluid retention. Modern evidence is mostly limited to laboratory and animal studies, so its benefits in people are not well proven, and quality human safety data are lacking. Talk with a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Asian Water Plantain monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Vancomycin

What Is Vancomycin Used For?

Brand name: Firvanq

Vancomycin is used to fight serious bacterial infections caused by certain hard-to-treat bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). When given intravenously (by IV), it treats conditions like septicemia (a serious bloodstream infection), infective endocarditis (infection of the heart valves), skin and skin structure infections, bone infections, and lower respiratory tract infections.

When taken by mouth — as capsules or oral solution (brands include Vancocin and Firvanq) — vancomycin treats Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea (C. diff) and staphylococcal enterocolitis (a gut infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus). It's important to know that the oral form does not work for bloodstream or other serious infections, and the IV form does not work for C. diff or gut infections — each route has its own specific uses.

See full Vancomycin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Asian Water Plantain

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

0Major
0Moderate
354Minor
2,475No known interaction
354 Minor 2,475 No interaction
Minor

354 interactions

Showing 60 of 354 minor interactions — see all 354 on the Asian Water Plantain page.

No interaction 2,475 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,475 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Asian Water Plantain list.

See the full Asian Water Plantain interactions page
See every supplement checked against Vancomycin Hydrochloride, 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
Asian Water Plantain monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Vancomycin Hydrochloride supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Vancomycin Hydrochloride, ranked by severity Vancomycin 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 Asian Water Plantain and Vancomycin Hydrochloride Together: Common Questions

Can you take Asian Water Plantain with Vancomycin Hydrochloride?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Asian Water Plantain and Vancomycin Hydrochloride interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Vancomycin Hydrochloride and Asian Water Plantain?

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.