Drug & supplement interaction

Atractylodes + Castor Oil (OTC drug)

Castor Oil (OTC drug) brand name: Purge.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Oct 4, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug) 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 label for Castor Oil (OTC drug) states a food rule worth keeping to.

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Interaction report

Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug)

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 Castor Oil (OTC drug) and Atractylodes 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.

Atractylodes safety at a glance

Atractylodes overall Use caution Often used traditionally, but human safety data are limited, so use cautiously and under guidance.
Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe When used orally. In animals, atractylodes has caused reproductive toxicity, including fetal death, as well as changes in gestation, growth, and skeletal format... Read the full pregnancy detail
Breastfeeding Avoid Safety while breastfeeding is unknown, so avoid it to be safe.

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 Castor Oil (OTC drug) and Atractylodes? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Castor Oil (OTC drug)

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Castor Oil (OTC drug) is filed under 2 classifications — stimulant laxatives, oral drugs. Atractylodes has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — the most serious being anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (moderate), aromatase inhibitors (moderate) and hexobarbital (moderate) — and none of Castor Oil (OTC drug)’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

Atractylodes Does Interact With Other Medications

Atractylodes has 127 moderate, 676 minor known drug interactions in our database — Castor Oil (OTC drug) isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 127 Minor 676 No known interaction 2,027 (incl. Castor Oil (OTC drug))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Atractylodes

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

What to actually watch for

What Atractylodes Itself Has Been Linked To

This is not an interaction — nothing below involves Castor Oil (OTC drug). It is the side-effect record for Atractylodes on its own, from the licensed Natural Medicines monograph. If something new turns up after you add Atractylodes, this list is the first place to look. One entry is worth acting on rather than waiting out — marked below.

  • An allergic reaction Worth acting on Additional detail

    “There is currently a limited amount of information on the adverse effects of atractylodes. A thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.

    Most Common Adverse Effects:

    Orally: Allergic reaction, dry mouth, nausea.”

    Atractylodes · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dry mouth.

  • Dry mouth / Nausea Additional detail

    “Orally, atractylenolide I, an isolated constituent of atractylodes, can cause bad taste, nausea, and dry mouth.”

    Atractylodes · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dry mouth.

    1 source cited
    1. 15706. Liu Y, Jia Z, Dong L, et al. A randomized pilot study of atractylenolide I on gastric cancer cachexia patients. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2008;5:337-44. PubMed

Everything above comes from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record for Atractylodes — expand a row for the licensed statement it rests on. We haven’t matched Castor Oil (OTC drug) 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 Castor Oil (OTC drug).

Special populations

Atractylodes in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

Pregnancy Possibly Unsafe

When used orally. In animals, atractylodes has caused reproductive toxicity, including fetal death, as well as changes in gestation, growth, and skeletal formation.

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

How to take them

Some Castor Oil (OTC drug) Products Have a Food Rule — Atractylodes Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Castor Oil (OTC drug) says to take it on an empty stomach. Most supplements — Atractylodes included — are taken with a meal, so the easy mistake is swallowing both together at breakfast. Where that rule applies, keep Castor Oil (OTC drug) on its own and move Atractylodes to a meal later in the day.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Castor Oil (OTC drug) products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Directions Preferably taken on an empty stomach.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Castor Oil (OTC drug) — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's.

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Castor Oil (OTC drug)

This page covers Atractylodes only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Castor Oil (OTC drug) page lists 46 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Jalap (major), Oleander (major), Alder Buckthorn (moderate) and Aloe (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 34 moderate · 9 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Castor Oil (OTC drug) page

“Castor oil, the classic over-the-counter purgative, deserves real care around supplements. Most of what's flagged against it are herbal laxatives in their own right, and doubling up can drain enough fluid and potassium to cause genuine harm, in some cases making plants that contain heart-active compounds, oleander chief among them, far…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Castor Oil (OTC drug) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 691 real supplement products containing Atractylodes, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Atractylodes. Even though Atractylodes itself has no known interaction with Castor Oil (OTC drug), 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 Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug) 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 Atractylodes
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Castor Oil (OTC drug)
Top 25%

#419 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 Atractylodes reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified October 4, 2026. The Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug) records this page draws on were last updated July 11, 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 Atractylodes

What is Atractylodes?

Atractylodes
  • Digestive upset and poor appetite
  • Bloating and fluid retention
  • General fatigue or 'weakness'
  • Diarrhea
  • Support within traditional formulas

Atractylodes is a root used for centuries in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Thai medicine, mostly for digestive complaints and fatigue, often as part of multi-herb formulas. Modern research is still early and mostly from lab and animal studies, so its true benefits in people are not well proven. If you want to try it, talk with a pharmacist or doctor first, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Atractylodes macrocephala; Atractylodes lancea · Asteraceae · Rhizome (root) · Dried root, powders, capsules, decoctions (teas), and part of traditional Chinese and Japanese herbal formulas

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

Atractylodes: dosing

There is no well-established standard dose for Atractylodes as a single supplement, and traditional amounts vary depending on the formula and the form used (dried root, powder, capsule, or decoction).If you choose to use it, follow the directions on the product label and do not exceed the suggested amount.

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

Read the full Atractylodes monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Atractylodes

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

0Major
127Moderate
676Minor
2,026No known interaction
127 Moderate 676 Minor 2,026 No interaction
Moderate

127 interactions

Showing 60 of 127 moderate interactions — see all 127 on the Atractylodes page.

Minor

676 interactions

Showing 60 of 676 minor interactions — see all 676 on the Atractylodes page.

No interaction 2,026 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,026 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Atractylodes list.

See the full Atractylodes interactions page
See every supplement checked against Castor Oil (OTC drug), ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Atractylodes References

The 6 references that drive our Atractylodes 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. Liu Y, Jia Z, Dong L, et al. A randomized pilot study of atractylenolide I on gastric cancer cachexia patients. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2008;5:337-44. PubMed
  2. Chen Y, Yang W, Guo L, Wu X, Zhang T, Liu J, Zhang J. Atractylodes lactone compounds inhibit platelet activation. Platelets. 2017 Mar;28(2):194-202. PubMed
  3. Jiang H, Shi J, Li Y. Screening for compounds with aromatase inhibiting activities from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. Molecules. 2011 Apr 14;16(4):3146-51. PubMed
  4. Koonrungsesomboon N, Na-Bangchang K, Karbwang J. Therapeutic potential and pharmacological activities of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2014 Jun;7(6):421-8. PubMed
  5. Li L, Tang LY, Man GC, Yeung BH, Lau CB, Leung PC, Wang CC. Potential reproductive toxicity of Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome, the most commonly used Chinese medicine for threatened miscarriage. Hum Reprod. 2011 Dec;26(12):3280-8. PubMed
  6. Muhamad N, Plengsuriyakarn T, Na-Bangchang K. Atractylodes lancea for cholangiocarcinoma: Modulatory effects on CYP1A2 and CYP3A1 and pharmacokinetics in rats and biodistribution in mice. PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0277614. 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 Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug) Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Atractylodes with Castor Oil (OTC drug)?
We do not list a known interaction between Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug). 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.
Should I take Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug) at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Castor Oil (OTC drug) says to take it on an empty stomach, and supplements are usually taken with a meal — so taking them together at breakfast is the easy mistake. Where that applies, keep Castor Oil (OTC drug) on its own and move Atractylodes to a meal later in the day. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient, so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
How was the Atractylodes and Castor Oil (OTC drug) combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Castor Oil (OTC drug) is filed under 2 classifications, and Atractylodes has documented interactions with 5 drug classes — none of Castor Oil (OTC drug)'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 Atractylodes interact with any other medications?
Yes. Atractylodes has 803 documented drug interactions in our database — Castor Oil (OTC drug) 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 Castor Oil (OTC drug) interact with any supplements?
Yes. Castor Oil (OTC drug) has documented interactions with 46 supplements in our database — Atractylodes is not one of them. The Castor Oil (OTC drug) 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

Atractylodes monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Castor Oil (OTC drug) supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Castor Oil (OTC drug), 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

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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.