Drug & supplement interaction

Bael + Memantine, Donepezil

Memantine, Donepezil brand name: Namzaric.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Memantine, Donepezil falls into 2 drug categories that Bael can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Bael leaf extract shows acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity in vitro.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Bael and Memantine, Donepezil

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Bael interacts with whole categories of medication. Memantine, Donepezil falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Bael in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CHOLINERGIC DRUGS

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Why this applies to Memantine, Donepezil

Memantine, Donepezil falls under CHOLINERGIC DRUGS — the group Bael interacts with.

Bael leaf extract shows acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity in vitro. Theoretically, bael might have additive effects with cholinergic drugs and increase the risk of cholinergic side effects.
Cholinergic drugs include bethanechol (Urecholine), donepezil (Aricept), echothiophate (Phospholine Iodide), edrophonium (Enlon, Reversol, Tensilon), neostigmine (Prostigmin), physostigmine (Antilirium), pyridostigmine (Mestinon, Regonol), succinylcholine (Anectine, Quelicin), and tacrine (Cognex).
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 with Namzaric (which combines donepezil and memantine). The donepezil half works by blocking an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which raises levels of a brain chemical that helps with memory. In lab dish studies, bael leaf extract appears to block that same enzyme. So in theory, taking concentrated bael alongside donepezil could stack the two effects and push you toward more cholinergic side effects.

What might that look like? Think nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramping, slowed heart rate, dizziness, or more frequent bathroom trips. I want to be honest though: this is only based on test-tube data, not real people, so the actual risk is uncertain. Eating bael as a food likely isn't a concern. Before starting a bael supplement, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Asaduzzaman M, Uddin MJ, Kader MA, et al. In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and the antioxidant properties of Aegle marmelos leaf extract: implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Psychogeriatrics. 2014;14(1):1-10.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

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Memantine, Donepezil also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Bael and its constituents marmelosin and marmesinin inhibited cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) activity in vitro. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans. Theoretically, bael might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
Some drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 include lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and numerous others. Use bael cautiously or avoid in patients taking these drugs.
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

Namzaric combines two medicines: donepezil and memantine. The piece that matters here is donepezil, which your liver clears partly through an enzyme called CYP3A4. In a lab dish, certain compounds in bael (marmelosin and marmesinin) slowed that enzyme down. If the same thing happened in your body, donepezil could build up a bit, which might mean more of its usual side effects like nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, a slow heartbeat, or trouble sleeping. Memantine is barely touched by this enzyme, so it is less of a concern.

The important thing to know: this is only test-tube data, never reported in real people, and rated minor. Everyday culinary amounts of bael fruit are unlikely to matter, but concentrated supplements are less predictable. Before adding bael, just check with your pharmacist or doctor.

References
  1. Manda VK, Avula B, Chittiboyina AG, Khan IA, Walker LA, Khan SI. Inhibition of CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 by Aegle marmelos and its constituents. Xenobiotica. 2016;46(2):117-25.

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

Bael Also Interacts With Other Medications

Bael has 110 moderate, 708 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Memantine, Donepezil one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Bael

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Memantine, Donepezil

This page covers Bael only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Memantine, Donepezil page lists 172 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Threonine (major) and 1,3-dmaa (moderate).

By severity: 4 major · 126 moderate · 42 minor.

Open the Memantine, Donepezil interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 94 real supplement products containing Bael, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Bael. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Memantine, Donepezil too, on top of Bael — 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 Bael and Memantine, Donepezil 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 Bael
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Memantine, Donepezil
Top 25%

#629 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 Bael

What is Bael?

Bael
  • Diarrhea and dysentery
  • Indigestion and other digestive complaints
  • Constipation
  • Blood sugar support
  • General wellness in traditional medicine

Bael is a fruit-bearing tree long used in traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine, mostly for digestive problems like diarrhea and indigestion. Modern human evidence for its medicinal benefits is very limited, so it should be viewed mainly as a food and traditional remedy rather than a proven treatment. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using bael as a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a health condition.

Read the full Bael monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Bael

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

0Major
110Moderate
708Minor
2,011No known interaction
Moderate

110 interactions

Showing 60 of 110 moderate interactions — see all 110 on the Bael page.

Minor

708 interactions

Showing 60 of 708 minor interactions — see all 708 on the Bael page.

No interaction 2,011 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 Bael and Memantine, Donepezil Together: Common Questions

Can you take Bael with Memantine, Donepezil?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Bael and Memantine, Donepezil?
Memantine, Donepezil belongs to more than one drug category, and Bael interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Bael and Memantine, Donepezil 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

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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.