Drug & supplement interaction

Baikal Skullcap + Lovastatin

Lovastatin brand names: Mevacor, Altocor.

Minor Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Minor

Baikal Skullcap has a minor interaction with Lovastatin. Theoretically, Baikal skullcap might alter the levels and clinical effects of OATP substrates.

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

Baikal Skullcap and Lovastatin

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

Minor

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

Why this applies to Lovastatin

Lovastatin falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP) — the group Baikal Skullcap interacts with.

Theoretically, Baikal skullcap might alter the levels and clinical effects of OATP substrates.
Some pharmacokinetic research shows that baicalin, a constituent of Baikal skullcap, can decrease plasma levels of rosuvastatin. The mechanism is thought to involve stimulation of the activity of the organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1), which transports rosuvastatin into the liver. This decreases plasma levels of the drug, but increases levels at the site of action in the liver. The degree to which rosuvastatin levels are affected depends on the OATP1B1 haplotype of the individual. Baikal skullcap might also affect other OATP1B1 substrates.
Severity Minor Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 for Lovastatin and Baikal skullcap. There's a transporter called OATP1B1 that helps move certain statins into the liver, where they do their job lowering cholesterol. Lab and early human research suggests a compound in skullcap (baicalin) may rev up that transporter. Most of this work was done with rosuvastatin, not lovastatin, so for your specific medication this is more of a theoretical concern than a proven one.

If it did apply, the likely result would be slightly lower levels of the drug in your bloodstream. That isn't really a safety worry, but in theory it could nudge your cholesterol-lowering effect down a bit. This is rated a minor interaction, so don't panic. Just let your pharmacist or doctor know you're using it before making any changes, and keep up with your usual cholesterol checks.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fan L, Zhang W, Guo D, et al. The effect of herbal medicine baicalin on pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin, substrate of organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2007;83:471-6. PubMed
  2. Chen C, Mireles RJ, Campbell SD, et al. Differential interaction of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors with ABCB1, ABCC2, and OATP1B1. Drug Metab Dispos 2005;33:537-46. PubMed
  3. Pasanen MK, Fredrikson H, Neuvonen PJ, Niemi M. Different effects of SLCO1B1 polymorphism on the pharmacokinetics of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2007;82:726-33. PubMed
  4. Konig J, Seithel A, Gradhand U, Fromm MF. Pharmacogenomics of human OATP transporters. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg Arch Pharmacol 2006;372:432-43. 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

Baikal Skullcap Also Interacts With Other Medications

Baikal Skullcap has 594 moderate, 351 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Lovastatin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 594 Minor 351 No known interaction 1,885 (incl. Lovastatin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Baikal Skullcap

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Baikal Skullcap or Lovastatin

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

This page covers Baikal Skullcap only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Lovastatin page lists 184 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 Siberian Cocklebur (major).

By severity: 8 major · 140 moderate · 36 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Lovastatin page

“Lovastatin (Mevacor) lowers cholesterol, and the liver clears it through an enzyme called CYP3A4, which is where most of these 184 supplements collide with it. This list deserves careful attention.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Lovastatin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 737 real supplement products containing Baikal Skullcap, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Baikal Skullcap. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Lovastatin too, on top of Baikal Skullcap — 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 Baikal Skullcap and Lovastatin 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 Baikal Skullcap
Top 25%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Lovastatin
Steady interest

#2,188 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 Baikal Skullcap

What is Baikal Skullcap?

Baikal Skullcap
  • Inflammation
  • Allergies
  • Anxiety and sleep
  • Immune support
  • Respiratory infections

Baikal skullcap is a traditional Chinese herb (Huang Qin) used for inflammation, allergies, and infections, with active compounds like baicalin and baicalein studied mostly in the lab. Human evidence remains limited, so it should not replace proven treatments. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Read the full Baikal Skullcap monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Lovastatin

What Is Lovastatin Used For?

Brand names: Mevacor, Altocor

Lovastatin is used to lower high LDL ("bad") cholesterol and total cholesterol in people whose levels have not improved enough with diet alone. It is also used to slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries (coronary atherosclerosis) in people who already have coronary heart disease.

In adults without existing heart disease but with high cholesterol and low HDL ("good") cholesterol, lovastatin tablets are approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, and the need for procedures to open blocked arteries. Lovastatin tablets are also approved for adolescents aged 10–17 with a specific inherited condition called heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH), when diet changes alone haven't been enough.

See full Lovastatin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Baikal Skullcap

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

0Major
594Moderate
351Minor
1,884No known interaction
594 Moderate 351 Minor 1,884 No interaction
Moderate

594 interactions

Showing 60 of 594 moderate interactions — see all 594 on the Baikal Skullcap page.

Minor

351 interactions

Showing 60 of 351 minor interactions — see all 351 on the Baikal Skullcap page.

No interaction 1,884 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,884 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Baikal Skullcap list.

See the full Baikal Skullcap interactions page
See every supplement checked against Lovastatin, 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
Baikal Skullcap monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Lovastatin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Lovastatin, ranked by severity Lovastatin 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 Baikal Skullcap and Lovastatin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Baikal Skullcap with Lovastatin?
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 Baikal Skullcap and Lovastatin 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 Lovastatin and Baikal Skullcap?

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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.