Drug & supplement interaction

Banderol + Acyclovir

Acyclovir brand names: Zovirax, Zovirax Injection, Sitavig, Avaclyr.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated February 2023
The bottom line Moderate

Banderol has a moderate interaction with Acyclovir. Small lab studies have found that Banderol may inhibit OATP1B1 (Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1), which is a membrane protein responsible for the uptake of various drugs, hormones, and other biologically active substances into the cells of the liver and other tissues.

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

Banderol and Acyclovir

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

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Acyclovir

Acyclovir falls under ORGANIC ANION TRANSPORTER 1 (OAT1) SUBSTRATES — the group Banderol interacts with.

Small lab studies have found that Banderol may inhibit OATP1B1 (Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1B1), which is a membrane protein responsible for the uptake of various drugs, hormones, and other biologically active substances into the cells of the liver and other tissues. It is often referred to as a drug transporter. It is a member of the OATP family of transporters and is known to play a critical role in the pharmacokinetics of many drugs. When OATPs are inhibited, it can cause problems with the elimination of drugs and result in a sudden rise in the concentration of the drug in the bloodstream and the extent to which it is absorbed (AUC) for drugs that rely on these transporters. This can increase the likelihood of adverse side effects associated with the therapy.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence A

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 of it. Acyclovir gets cleared from your body mostly by your kidneys, where transporter proteins help shuttle it out into your urine. The concern on file is that Banderol may block a drug transporter, which in theory could slow how quickly some medications leave your system and let blood levels creep up.

If that happened with acyclovir, you might see more of its usual side effects, like nausea, headache, or feeling tired, and in rare cases extra stress on the kidneys. That said, this is based on small lab dish studies, not real people taking the two together, so it stays theoretical for now. Acyclovir isn't a prodrug, so more drug means stronger effects, not weaker. Before pairing them, check with your pharmacist or doctor, and stay well hydrated while on acyclovir.

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

Banderol Also Interacts With Other Medications

Banderol has 176 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Acyclovir one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 176 No known interaction 2,654 (incl. Acyclovir)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Banderol

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Banderol or Acyclovir

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

This page covers Banderol only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Acyclovir page lists 37 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), African Wild Potato (moderate) and Aristolochia (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 23 moderate · 11 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Acyclovir page

“Kidney strain is the risk to understand first. Acyclovir (Zovirax) can stress the kidneys on its own, and a few ingredients here, Siberian cocklebur especially, are toxic to kidney tissue, so pairing them could compound the harm.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Acyclovir interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Banderol and Acyclovir 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 Banderol
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Acyclovir
Top 5%

#59 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 Banderol

What is Banderol?

Banderol
  • Lyme disease support
  • Antimicrobial
  • Antifungal
  • Immune support
  • Inflammation

Banderol is a Nutramedix-branded herbal extract made from the bark of the Amazonian tree Otoba parvifolia, most often promoted as part of alternative Lyme disease protocols. There is very little high-quality human research to support its use, so the evidence behind its benefits is weak and largely preliminary. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and never use it to replace proven treatments.

Read the full Banderol monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Acyclovir

What Is Acyclovir Used For?

Brand names: Zovirax, Zovirax Injection, Sitavig, Avaclyr

Acyclovir treats infections caused by herpes viruses. Depending on the form, it is used for cold sores (herpes labialis), genital herpes (initial episodes and recurrent flare-ups), shingles (herpes zoster), and chickenpox (varicella). It can also be used long-term to suppress recurrent genital herpes outbreaks.

Some forms are approved for more serious situations: acyclovir injection is used in hospital settings for herpes simplex encephalitis (herpes infection of the brain), neonatal herpes (in newborns), and herpes or shingles infections in immunocompromised patients. Avaclyr ophthalmic ointment is specifically indicated for acute herpetic keratitis (a herpes ulcer on the cornea of the eye). Sitavig buccal tablet and Zovirax cream are specifically indicated for recurrent cold sores in immunocompetent adults.

See full Acyclovir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Banderol

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

0Major
176Moderate
0Minor
2,653No known interaction
176 Moderate 2,653 No interaction
Moderate

176 interactions

Showing 60 of 176 moderate interactions — see all 176 on the Banderol page.

No interaction 2,653 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,653 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Banderol list.

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

Can you take Banderol with Acyclovir?
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.
How serious is the Banderol and Acyclovir 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

Still Have a Question About Acyclovir and Banderol?

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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.