Drug & supplement interaction

Bacopa + Levothyroxine Sodium

Levothyroxine Sodium brand names: Tirosint-Sol, Thyquidity, Ermez.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Bacopa has a minor interaction with Levothyroxine Sodium. Theoretically, bacopa might have additive effects when used with thyroid hormone.

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

Bacopa and Levothyroxine Sodium

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

Minor

THYROID HORMONE

Why this applies to Levothyroxine Sodium

Levothyroxine Sodium falls under THYROID HORMONE — the group Bacopa interacts with.

Theoretically, bacopa might have additive effects when used with thyroid hormone.
Animal research suggests that bacopa increases thyroxine (T4) levels in mice by about 40%.
Severity Minor 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: levothyroxine is a synthetic version of your thyroid hormone (T4), and bacopa may, in theory, nudge your thyroid activity in the same direction. In mice, bacopa raised T4 levels by roughly 40 percent. If something similar happened in people, taking both together could mean a little extra thyroid effect on top of your prescribed dose.

I want to be honest about how thin this evidence is though. This is a theoretical concern based on animal data, not real-world reports in patients, so it's rated minor. Still, since thyroid dosing is finicky, it's worth knowing the signs of too much: a racing or pounding heart, feeling jittery or anxious, trouble sleeping, sweating, or unexpected weight loss. If you want to try bacopa, just loop in your pharmacist or doctor first so they can keep an eye on your thyroid levels.

References
  1. Kar, A., Panda, S., and Bharti, S. Relative efficacy of three medicinal plant extracts in the alteration of thyroid hormone concentrations in male mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002;81(2):281-285. 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

Bacopa Also Interacts With Other Medications

Bacopa has 917 moderate, 12 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Levothyroxine Sodium 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 Bacopa

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Levothyroxine Sodium

This page covers Bacopa only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Levothyroxine Sodium page lists 50 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Tiratricol (major), Acetyl-l-carnitine (moderate), Alpha-lipoic Acid (moderate) and Ascophyllum Nodosum (moderate).

Open the Levothyroxine Sodium interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 1,420 real supplement products containing Bacopa, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bacopa. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Levothyroxine Sodium too, on top of Bacopa — 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 Bacopa and Levothyroxine Sodium 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 Bacopa
Top 10%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Levothyroxine Sodium
Top 5%

#132 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 Bacopa

What is Bacopa?

Bacopa
  • Memory and cognitive support
  • Anxiety and stress
  • ADHD symptoms
  • Age-related memory decline
  • General brain health

Bacopa is an Ayurvedic herb most often used for memory and thinking. Some small studies suggest it may modestly help memory when taken regularly for several weeks, but the evidence is limited and quality varies. It is generally well tolerated but can cause stomach upset, and it should be avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to a lack of safety data.

Read the full Bacopa monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bacopa

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

0Major
917Moderate
12Minor
1,900No known interaction
Moderate

917 interactions

Showing 60 of 917 moderate interactions — see all 917 on the Bacopa page.

Minor

12 interactions

No interaction 1,900 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 Bacopa and Levothyroxine Sodium Together: Common Questions

Can you take Bacopa with Levothyroxine Sodium?
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 Bacopa and Levothyroxine Sodium 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 Levothyroxine Sodium and Bacopa?

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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.